Suppressed TSH weight gain and fatigue
Posted , 3 users are following.
Morning all,
I had a full thyroidectomy in 2012 due to Graves disease. I have bene out on 150 daily levothyroxine. However, my T4 levels are in the upper range and my tsh levels are pretty much suppressed (0,04). I have been experiencing some fatigue and weight gain lately due to water retention, and I am worried to lower the dose in case I gain even more weight. My doctor has put me on 150 initially as he believes I should be maintained at the levels I was ' used to' before the surgery, but I feel the dosage might be too high ( I m 31 for 58 kg). Can low tsh cause water retention? if so, how do you suggest I decrease the dosage to 100 (I.e 125 or can I decrease it to 100 immediately)? Thank you
2 likes, 5 replies
MtViewCatherine Marfed85
Posted
Hi Marfed, your situation s typical, sorry. Massive water retention and weight gain, like blowing up like a balloon? That was my experience and it didn't get better at any dose, or with switching brands or even compounding. This blowing up is a severe autoimmune response, ignored by most doctors. You'll need to decide if you want to stick with this med and try, or if you want to go to something else. I tried for three years, with different brands, doses, compounded, and just kept getting sicker. I feel thus drug only magnified my hypothyroid symptoms.
Consider, if your T4, is on the high end, that should be ok. However, you'll need to check your T3 because it's likely that's low, which would cause the tiredness and some other symptoms.
As for the low TSH, this is often normal and absolutely should not cause a problem. I can tell you from experience that zeroed out TSH is basically a side effect of thyroid meds that occurs in some people, so for those people, TSH cannot be used for dosing.
Your situation ion is so similar to mine, I'll tell you, I'm finally on the mend with a non prescription bovine. In the time I spent trying to work with this medication, my health deteriorated severely,Mitch a myriad of fibromyalgia, arthritis, food allergies and sensitivities and other symptoms. I've been on the non prescription bovine now for 6 months and sm to the point where I'm well enough to start healing all the autoimmune disease caused by this horrible drug.
I have severe thyroid disease is ease and was on 200 mcg of the levo by the time I went off it. My situation us evidence that the nonprescription glandular a can work even if you need a high dose, which you'll need to consider after your thyroidectomy.
so sorry for your difficulties. Wishing you better luck and faster recovery than I had.
Marfed85 MtViewCatherine
Posted
Thank you so much for your response. Your experience sounds similar to mine to a certain extent, but there are some differences:
- I am on 150, what was your dosage of levothyroxine?
- my t3 levels are ok
- it seems a suppressed tsh makes sense in a situation of nodules or cancer, not in other cases
- tsh close to 0 prevents getting pregnant ( not that I am planning to but still)
What concerns me is : is it possible I m on the border of hyperthyroidism due to levothyroxine and still having water retention? Could it be that a faster metabolism has deteriorated my muscles?? And then made my metabolism slower as a consequence?
Thanks
Thanks
Marianna
MtViewCatherine Marfed85
Posted
Hi Marfed, seems you have a good understanding. I do have a nodule. However... While it had stayed the same size for over a decade, while on the levo, it grew massively, more than doubling in size.
My T3 was in range, but symptoms indicated it was low. Turned out rT3 was a high. I suspect there were additional autoimmune issues caused by the medication that inhibited the levo.
Prior to the levo, I had been on an NDT, but when they should have increased the dose on the NDT, I had moved and the new doc insisted on the levo, which I tried against my better judgement. Initially I was completely incapacitated because the moron doc had switched me from 150 NDT to 25 levo- that's just a recipe for a problem. I found a GP who was more knowledgeable than the Endo who raised it to 125, and eventually was at 200. We tried different brands, and finally a compounded at a 200 dose and it still never worked right.
On the levo, bc its T4, I had to keep the T4 levels at the high end in order to keep the T3 levels high enough. But again, thus stuff never really worked, and the side effects increased with higher dosing, although, the hypothyroid symptoms decreased somewhat. Hard to tell what was what.
angiepf Marfed85
Posted
I too had Graves disease and was treated with RAI (radioactive iodine) in 2010. Was on levothyroxine from 50 - 100 levels being adjusted subject to blood tests but felt fatigue. However when my indocrine specialist tried a combination of levothyroxine and liothronine (t3) the fatigue decreased and energy levels improved. Liothronine is an expensive drug therefore having it prescribed and keeping on it may proved problematic. With regards to weight gain I too have gained weight but am also taking citalopram 20mg so it is difficult to say which drug is causing the weight issues. I go to the gym 5 times a week and am very active so lucky to have the energy levels to do this but the weight stays.
MtViewCatherine angiepf
Posted
Hi Angie,
my experience is that I went through half a dozen meds and none of them worked right because none of them are bioidentical. Eventually, my health was so bad that I figured I couldn't do any worse by trying nonprescription things on my own.
The first thing I tried was an organic bovine glandular. It took a while to get the dose, and it isn't perfect. But my health is improving by leaps and bounds and I'm losing the 40 pounds I gained from the prescription meds.
I share my story because I wish I'd taken matters into my own hands sooner. I might have been able to avoid the near total destruction of my health. It will take years for me to recover from the damage done by the thyroid prescription drugs. I question whether I'd have been better off with nothing, even though I gave very severe thyroid disease.
Good luck with whatever you try.