Weight gain on Carbimazole
Posted , 4 users are following.
I was diagnosed with an over active thyroid back in 2009. I was on carbimazole for a good 3 years before the hospital took me off it. Starting on 20 and lowering gradually. When I came off it I lost over a stone in weight and went from a 10-12 to and 8-10. My thyroid levels then began to rise again and so I went back on the tablets which made me gain weight so I stopped them and refused to take them. My thyroid got worse and my symptoms got worse, including thinning of my nails and hair so in the end I decided to go back on them. I have been put on the highest dose I have ever been on - 30mg. I have also gained almost 2 stone in weight and I am the largest I have ever been at a size 14! I'm so depressed! I am certain it's down to the tablets!! I just seem to be getting bigger and bigger and even eating a healthy diet it doesn't make a difference. My doctor and the hospital say that the weight gain is down to my standard metabolism rate but I have never been this big and i cannot shift the weight! I feel like an idiot blaming it on my tablets! Does anyone else have this prOblem x
0 likes, 8 replies
Cecelo jo-anne40186
Posted
Sounds like you're overmedicated. AtD shouldn't put weight on unless they overmedicate u and turn you hypo. What are your levels? Sometimes hypo and hyper symptoms can be very similar. I'd get a round of nooos work done to make sure your FTs are in mid to upper range. Hope your doctor is not dosing you according to your TSH.
jo-anne40186 Cecelo
Posted
I don't actually understand what my results mean. I have no idea what TSH & FT's are. Nothing has ever really been explained to me. Iv recently changed hospitals in the hope I would get more out of the new one as it's now been 7 years, but this one isn't going great. I had bloods done in September and had to chase them at the end of November for my results as I was still taking 20mg yet my previous hospital said my levels were normal but to stIll stay on 20! So confusing
hypnocool Cecelo
Posted
Could you explain this hope they're not dosing you according to your tsh? My endo left and now I'm in limbo until they find her replacement. ... I just wanted to how to explain this to the Dr checking my tsh and saying I'm normal range...but I'm feeling hypo
hypnocool jo-anne40186
Posted
I'm battling weight gain as well. Dr said my TSH in normal range. I've kinda figured out my body tolerance towards methimazole. I don't know but If I eat healthy greens like spinach and brussell sprouts all the time my TSH would get to normal fast or hypo side(about 2months). You're pro at this than me but just my experience my TSH sweet spot is at >1.5 <2.0... If i go over 2 which is right now at the moment I will not lose the weight even if I eat 600calories with a workout. The first month I was so mad, why can't i lose this weight. So I went in for a blood drawn turned out I have 2.16 TSH, Dr said it's normal. .5 to 4 TSH is normal.... I ask Dr to lower my dosage from 5mg every other day to 2.5mg every other day... They said they want to lower me slowly so the compromise was 15mg per week. Long story short, get your TSH in control then find your sweet spot in TSH. I've been taking L-carnitine, VitD, multi-vitamins no iodine, this year. Since then my progress is quicker than others. Now Im at 15mg per week since last month then i went to get my blood drawn my TSH is at 2.61. So now I wanted to get my dosage lowered again. I noticed that if I eat crap no veggies green, my TSH tend to get into normal range slower.
What was your dosage prior getting off your meds ...zole?
HOw long were you off your meds..
jo-anne40186 hypnocool
Posted
I really don't understand what the levels mean. It's never been explained to me. I think I was on 5mg a day before coming off them a few years ago. I was then put back onto 30mg almost a year ago and been reduced to 20mg. I'm now being told to take 2x 5mg but they are saying my thyroid is normal levels
Elise888 jo-anne40186
Posted
I definitely put weight on on Carbimazole. I too was fobbed off by doctors saying it's my body going back to its natural weight. I'm sure they don't really believe that, given that they know hyperthyroidism speeds up your metabolism which makes you lose weight so any drug that slows it down is going to do the opposite.
But your health comes before your weight, size 14 is not a dangerous size (I understand it will feel massive to you because you were size 8 before) but an uncontrolled overactive thyroid can be life threatening.
The only thing you can do is to work with the docs to find a solution that puts you euthyroid. Once you are there, you can effectively diet and work out and gradually lose the weight. It's hard to follow believe me - I've just put on all the weight I spectacularly lost after 18 mths on Carbimazole. But I'm off it now so after my December blood test if I'm still ok I'll be getting that weight off with a vengeance!!!
Good luck!
hypnocool Elise888
Posted
Why are you off it after 18months? what is your TSH levels? I'm at 2.61 my endo seems to want me over 4.
Elise888 hypnocool
Posted
I'm off it because it's the standard treatment here in the U.K. The next blood test will check if the thyroid has calmed down or started going hyper again. It was <0.05 back in Mar 2015 now it's 1.9. (The normal lab range starts at 0.4)