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Hi I started to take levothyroxine last August for hypot...

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Hi

I started to take levothyroxine last August for hypothyroidism. I have always been slim, no problems with weight UNTIL NOW. Since I started taking the medication my weight started to creep up. In six months I have put on a stone and my tummy is sticking out as if I'm pregnant. I have been on various internet sites to find out why this is happening and I can't find the answers. I believe it is the medication. I spoke to someone from British Thyroid Foundation and she was very rude and unhelpful. She insisted that it wasn't the medication. Well, I had no problems with weight for 35 years and all of a sudden when taking Levothyroxine my weight shoots up, there is something going wrong and I'm not at all happy.

This is very depressing. I feel are we all being tried out as guinea pigs and then in years to come they will admit to it!!

Has anyone else had the same problem cos I'm at my wits end. I want to come off this medication its made me feel a lot worse than before.

[i:ff9b7f48e7]This message was automatically imported from the original Patient Experience[/i:ff9b7f48e7]

13 likes, 124 replies

124 Replies

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  • aabbb
    aabbb Guest

    Posted

    I have successfully stopped levothyroxine after 6 years!!! Feel ontop of the world. No more pains in my joints
    • Iamrosey2
      Iamrosey2 aabbb

      Posted

      fantastic and encouraging..what about  your tsh and antibodies? do you still have them? did you eliminate certain things from diet? did you have symptoms to begin with or did the doc put you on it because of lab results taken just cuz...I never asked for lab work to be done ..she just said it was routine testing sorry so many questions
  • jpnuman
    jpnuman Guest

    Posted

    I am having the same probs I am going back to Gp I have never felt so bad in my life and you are correct this is the crappest medicine for any woman to be on.  I am a newbie to it started on 25 now increase to 50 of which I have been on for 3 weeks and I manage my weight on a daily basis especially since taking this med.  I also work out regularly biking to work, swimming and running and knew how my body weight ticked well before I started taking this.  MY GP kept going on about exercise as if they know already that this puts weight on badly especially if you are going throught the menopause as I am.  My weight has gone up over 7/8 ILBs in the space of 7 weeks hence why this Friday I am heading back to GP to say I am coming off it and if he cannot offer anything better I will go through my private healthcare.  I have noticed considerable weight gain in the tummy area which is one spot I never gain weight until now.  I have gained aches and pains in all my calf/thigh and knee joints and this is getting worse and from reading the forums most people have one or two if not all the same issues.  And yes why should we take something that is making us feel worse and gaining more health problems like next I will be told I need to go on diet- I cannot continue on this med as much as I try to cut back on virtually everything it simply will not budge my body weight never did this before taking this med.
    • Iamrosey2
      Iamrosey2 jpnuman

      Posted

      please keep me posted...may I ask why you were put on it initially?  were you having symptoms or did they find high tsh and antibodies through blood work?  i was put on 59 initially and then upped to 75 a few weeks ago.  I did discover my real bad aches and pains went away after I stopped using soy suace on my popcorn at night...now I'm going to eleiminate all my alcohol sad((  I must admit I have more aches and pains after I have wine the night before.  I get tested again in a month and will try to eat well, excercise, no booze and see what happens...my cholestoral going sky high since on this is suspect also...if things don't improve after this next test I'm going to get off it and see what happens

    • jpnuman
      jpnuman Iamrosey2

      Posted

      I was getting massive tiredness already being on B12 injections and that is when I had another blood test they said I had a slightly under active thyroid and put me on 23 mg since nothing good came of it said it should go up to 50 mg which I have been on for 3 weeks and it has been hell.  I know it's messing up the menopause and making matters worse because I felt alot better than this before taking it.  It's alright gp's stating that it can only go up in 25 mg at a time but they make you wait 3 months before they do another blood test and the symptons it causes happen so quickly hence why your weight goes mad especially with that length of time and the tiredness and most women are tryuing to hold down full time jobs and cope with a family its all too much.

    • Iamrosey2
      Iamrosey2 jpnuman

      Posted

      aww...seems you and I are about in similar stages of "whatever" ..lets keep up on each other and what we are doing and how we are progressing and discovering  smile  in the meantime my prayers are with you and I thank God for this internet where we can research things and reach out to others...imagine women going through this just 30 years ago..no computer, no info, no support..wow!!!

    • MissBiss
      MissBiss jpnuman

      Posted

      When I first was put on a med for Thyriod back over a year ago called Synthroid I felt same. OMG....I was on it for a week. It was a low dose. I was SO sick I thought I was going to die. Weak, migraines, gained 5 pounds, did not want to eat or get out of bed. I ached in my arms and legs and it was the worse pain EVER. I sure hope you feel better soon! I agree with the weight gain. I have gained 50 pounds and I eat healthy. I have seen two nutritionalists. I keep a food journal and I can not go to the gym or walk as I did. I was so physically fit and happy before all happened to me. I just want to get my life and body back. I agree no one should take meds that make us worse! I hope you feel beter soon! Please let me know if you find something that works for you. smile

  • Rosiebranston
    Rosiebranston Guest

    Posted

    I think there must be a lot of people out there who just believe what the Doctor's tell them, don't question it or even think about researching it, and of course not everyone has a computer even these days especially if they are elderly, it worries me the amount of people I am sure are out there who are feeling really awful and just putting up with it.

    • jpnuman
      jpnuman Rosiebranston

      Posted

      Yes you are 100% right I am so glad I researched all this and I have posted earlier to say this is day 2 of coming of Leveothyroxine and for the first time I have woke up with no heavyness and no aches and pains in my joints that I had been experiencing for the last 2 weeks.  Not a decision I took lightly but I will be digging my heels in tomorrow when I see my GP and will enlighten him with what people are all saying about this drug. I wouln't advise coming off this as it is been a hard decision to make and no doubt tomorrow I may get grief for doing this. I will update at some point once I have met with him and feed back I'm hoping it's going to be a positive meeting.

  • MissBiss
    MissBiss Guest

    Posted

    Hi! I had a baby via Csection 1-30-2014 and had 2 surgeries right after for internal bleeding. I was in ICU for a week. I finally was released home and two weeks into home life and health care workers helping me I picked up my baby alone for first time I blew my L4 and L5 out. I had surgery 8 months later. I was not able to hold my new baby again without SEVERE pain until after surgery. I have permenant damage down left leg. It goes numb and gives out randomly. I am on LTL from my job. After having 3 blood work  tests done found my T4 T3 and Vitamin D is super low. Started out 14 month ago on Levothyroxine 25 mgs then 50, then 100 and now 150 mgs. I was told that due to so many surgeries in a year shocked my thyroid and so here I am. I have gained 50 pounds. Heaviest I have ever been. I feel horrible. I feel so unattractive. I hid in my house for 4 months pushing everyone away. I still feel everyone judges me. I never want to run into anyone I know. I need this weight off. I moved to WA recently and got a new set of doctors (Back, Thyriod, etc....) I had blood work done on Fri. I admit I stopped taking the pill due to not wanting to gain more. Due to my back and left leg I fell two weeks ago at new house carrying my daughter age 3 to go to new doctor (not to carry more than 10 pounds..I know I know!) and fell after left leg went numb as I walked down stairs and we hit the concrete. I fractured my ankle in two places and my daughter and I had contustions to our heads. I can not get a break and need support and advice. I am on bedrest 85% of my day, an air boot cast and crutches for another 3 weeks. then 12 weeks of PT. I just want this weight off me and my thyriod issue taken care of. Any advice? Support? I read EVERY single one of the 106 comments and I wish I could be of help to all of you...
  • velda31085
    velda31085 Guest

    Posted

    Hi sorry year late yep i was slim started taking thyroxine 25mg and my weight and body blew up its defo the thyroxine i want to come of it did you
  • mary_17910
    mary_17910 Guest

    Posted

    My 11 yr old son whom is tube fed started this drug a month ago and in less then a month went from 68 lbs to 90 lbs in so worried, still no answers and he's having behavior problems now and not sleeping it's hell.

  • jennifer77302
    jennifer77302 Guest

    Posted

    Omg i thought i was the only one i hate this ive gain 100 pds in one yr and the doc uped my meds from 50 to 75 i feel horrible on it and its making me sleepy n more depressing than what i have ever been ugh maybe they are wrong .....
  • janice08709
    janice08709 Guest

    Posted

    I would check if you are on the right mg for you  do you have a under Active  thyroid  as you could put the weight if the level is not right for your condition  when a person has an over active throws they loose weight l have under active thyroid and was diagnosed seventeen years age so you should have blood test to see if the medications is working to help your symptom and make sure they do your blood test regularly to keep a close eye on things 
  • b97569
    b97569 Guest

    Posted

    Hi, thanks for this post. I was just taken off Armour 3 months ago and put on Levothyroxine b/c I was told Armour is bad for people with Hashimoto's? My lab results look better on the Levo, but like others on here, I immediately started putting on weight and look pregnant whenever I eat.  I've been the same weight most of my adult life and have never experienced bloating like this. And of course my doctor says it's impossible that the meds are making me gain weight. ARGH. 

    I really didn't have any obvious symptoms from thyroid disease (tiredness, fogginess, etc. though in hindsight, I wonder if my thinning hair most of my life, early menopause, dry skin was due to undiagnosed thyroid disease)? 

    I"m trying to find a good naturopath on the East coast that doesn't cost as much as a second mortgage so I can try alternative treatments. This Levo is not working. sad

     

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