Synthroid Weight Gain and Armour Thyroid

DO NOT QUIT THE MEDS for the sake of weight loss. Hashimotos and hypothyroidism are serious conditions. Here are the complications of having untreated hypothyroidism (going off your meds) and Hashimoto's
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/hypothyroidism/DS00353/D...
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/hashimotos-disease/DS005...

The hypothyroidism actually causes you to retain and even gain weight. The endocrine system is horribly complex, and there are several hormones that all affect your body's ability to gain/lose weight no matter what you do.

Synthroid has been on the market since the 1950's, so there's a wealth of information about its safety. Armour is a newer product that appears to have had some back-order issues recently, but appears to have been resolved.

Work with your endocrinologist, understand that the issues with your weight are completely out of your hands right now with your conditions, and make the best decisions you can with exercise/food choices. But, don't go off the medication. Hormones are all completely intertwined.

I know it's hard. Chemo made me gain a good amount of weight, and I'm afraid to lose some of it now because it was my only cancer symptom. But, I'd do ANYTHING to be healthy and make sure I do, even when I don't want to, because I've faced death in the form of cancer, and it sucks.

HI R.,

You're right, this is a common side effect. Hashimoto's Disease is an auto-immune disorder. Auto immune disorders can be reversed with the building of the immune system. An absorbable multivitamin/mineral complex should be your first endeavor. I use the only one that is guaranteed to absorb the nutrition it provides. I have suggested it to people suffering from Fibromylagia, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Chrohn's, Asthma as well as neurological problems like depression and the big As (Autism, Asperger's, ADD/ADHD). All have improved.

Nutrition is terribly important and most of us take it for granted. When we don't get it and then we complicate our bodies by adding synthetic stuff, we simply can't track how to treat something effectively. We expect doctors to be magicians, compound that with their "expertise" and more issues arise.When nutrition is truly getting into your system, your body will also balance itself, even with the weight. I can give you example after example of people I personally know that have lost weight and have not put it back on.

There are other ways to build the immune system as well. If you're interested, let me know and I can go into detail with you.

God bless,

M.

I was diagnosed hypothyroid at 32. I'm 48 now, and losing weight is always tough.
I've been on Synthroid and on Armour Thyroid. The difference between the two is, Synthroid only has T2 and Armour Thyroid has both T2 and T3. The theory is that your body will take the T2 and convert it to T3 when you need it. But some people do not make the conversion very well. I feel much better on Armour Thyroid. Everyone's body chemistry is different, and some people do very well on Synthroid alone. I just don't happen to be one of them.
If you stop taking your medication, your weight issues will get worse. There was an Armour Thyroid shortage last year (I take 150mg a day), and I was off my meds for about 2 months. It felt like every movement was such an effort and I was pushing through molasses all the time. A lot of my hair fell out. My hands and feet turned blue (poor circulation) and my nails stopped growing. I always felt like I was freezing. And I gained a lot of water weight - I just swelled up. I felt hungry all the time (you eat but your body can't process the food so your muscles can burn it).
It helps if your doctor will try to find an optimum dosage for you, but a lot of them don't like doing it because they have to rely more on how you are feeling rather than just going by numbers on a blood test.
Keep up with the exercise and eating reasonably. You are building muscle mass, and it's more dense than fat tissue. It's a good bet your clothes are fitting differently even if the scale is being stubborn about showing your weight has gone down. Once your muscles are built, they will burn calories more efficiently. You have to keep at it.

I have had hypothyroidism for 12 years now. DO NOT QUIT THE MEDS. You will gain weight. Just see your doctor and get your levels right.

I doubt you will listen but I'm posting this anyway.

I have exactly what you have, Hashimoto's etc. Taking a thyroid supplement, Sythroid, Armour, whatever, MIGHT help you lose weight, POSSIBLY, but will NOT make you gain weight. Adding necessary thyroid hormone to your body speeds up your metabolism, so it will NOT make you gain weight.

Unfortunately, what you are reading is people self-diagnosing, assuming that they are gaining weight because of the Synthroid. They are gaining weight because, statistically, something like 30% of Americans are obese, because they overeat. And a percentage of those people have thyroid problems and take Synthroid, so they are assuming a connection.

It always comes down to calories in vs. calories out. End of story. Exercise is important for many reasons, but eating three cookies can erase one hour of running, so no amount of exercise, thyroid med or anything else will reduce your weight if you are routinely eating too much. If you eat more than about 2,000 cals. a day, more or less, you will most likely gain weight.

Hypothyroidism causes a myriad of problems, the least important of which can be weight gain. People for some reason like to focus on the weight as the main issue. When my extreme hypothyroidism was finally diagnosed and treated, my weight didn't change at all, but all my other negative symptoms went away (listed below by another mom), which was more important.

Count your calories for a few days, and be truthful, and note every snack and tasting. You will probably find you have been eating way more than 2,000 calories a day, if you've gained 10 lbs. That is why you have gained weight. I'm not judging you, I'm just saying.