# Weight gain?



## Catnap (Oct 20, 2011)

Just wonder how common it is to gain weight after TT? I'm day 10 and have gained 3-4lbs. I am on 115mg of thyroxine. I was a little underweight prior to surgery but don't want put on too much. Not sure whether to eat normally now or restrict to avoid putting on more.


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## webster2 (May 19, 2011)

Catnap said:


> Just wonder how common it is to gain weight after TT? I'm day 10 and have gained 3-4lbs. I am on 115mg of thyroxine. I was a little underweight prior to surgery but don't want put on too much. Not sure whether to eat normally now or restrict to avoid putting on more.


Yup, weight gain here.


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## joplin1975 (Jul 21, 2011)

I'm up ~15 pounds but am way under medicated. I bet you might need a little bump up in meds eventually.


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

Catnap said:


> Just wonder how common it is to gain weight after TT? I'm day 10 and have gained 3-4lbs. I am on 115mg of thyroxine. I was a little underweight prior to surgery but don't want put on too much. Not sure whether to eat normally now or restrict to avoid putting on more.


I advise that you get on a diet forthwith to stave off any further weight gain until such time your body has healed and your thyroxine replacement is at the right place for you (euthyroid.)

You will immediately know you are at the right place when you are dieting and you start to lose weight gained.


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## I DClaire (Jul 31, 2011)

I'm anxious to find out (in 2 weeks) how near accurate my #1 dosage of Synthroid is? I feel good, my energy level seems about normal, and I'm very, very slowly losing weight through watching my diet and exercising. Food tastes better to me than it has in a long time but I'm trying my best to eat less.

I really don't have any complaints as far as how I feel 5 weeks after surgery but who knows what the first real tests will reveal.


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## SnoodMama (Jan 11, 2011)

Wow, IDClaire, you are a really good role model. I'm glad you are doing so well. You are being so good and taking care of yourself. I'm a bit disgusted with myself especially after the Halloween binge. Yuck. I feel like such a huge slug. I'm also anxious to find out how my thyroid levels are. I'll know this week or next week. I'm feeling a bit amped from the thyroid meds, but I'm gaining a pound or two a week and eating like a pig. I feel so out of control. Must get it together. NOW!!!! Before I damage my health any more. What sorts of food are you eating? What kind of exercise are you doing? You are very inspirational.


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## ipscec (Nov 4, 2011)

I had TT and RAI the end of last year. My follow up's have been great. My doc's are keeping me hyper for now to keep the cancer from coming back. I am taking 137 levo a day. I cannot stop gaining weight. I have been trying to keep my calories under 1500 day, work out (although admittedly not been extremely strict) but really trying. Certainly have been doing better than I was before my diagnosis and surgery. I lost about 12lbs after my surgery when they had my on cytomel only. Now with only levo, I have put on over 18lbs in the last 6 months. I seem to be hungry all the time but even when I don't eat much and work out, I seem to put on weight. It's driving me crazy and I want to be back on the cytomel. I am tired all the time and really feel like I have no energy. My TSH is 0.03; T4F is 1.79; T3F is 3.0; T3 is 83. According to my endo I am Hyperthyroid, but I sure don't feel like it. Two periods a month, tired, weight gain.....what's up? Anyone else been through this?


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## Octavia (Aug 1, 2011)

ipscec said:


> I had TT and RAI the end of last year. My follow up's have been great. My doc's are keeping me hyper for now to keep the cancer from coming back. I am taking 137 levo a day. I cannot stop gaining weight. I have been trying to keep my calories under 1500 day, work out (although admittedly not been extremely strict) but really trying. Certainly have been doing better than I was before my diagnosis and surgery. I lost about 12lbs after my surgery when they had my on cytomel only. Now with only levo, I have put on over 18lbs in the last 6 months. I seem to be hungry all the time but even when I don't eat much and work out, I seem to put on weight. It's driving me crazy and I want to be back on the cytomel. I am tired all the time and really feel like I have no energy. My TSH is 0.03; T4F is 1.79; T3F is 3.0; T3 is 83. According to my endo I am Hyperthyroid, but I sure don't feel like it. Two periods a month, tired, weight gain.....what's up? Anyone else been through this?


No, I did not have the same experience. I gained about 10 pounds while I was off my meds for 3 weeks, prior to my RAI treatment. I've lost 4-5 of those pounds, still working on it. Are you having labs done periodically? It doesn't make sense that you would continue to gain even though you're not hypo...something's not right about that. I can see how it might be hard to lose the weight if you're at the "right" level, but you shouldn't be continuing to gain like that. Maybe you need a combo T3 & T4 regimen???


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## CLRRN (Jun 22, 2011)

I've gained about 10# since I stopped Cytomel (in prep for RAI). I've been on thyroxine for 2 weeks now and I'm hoping the extra "fluff" (as I like to call it) will disappear. I'm not one for diets and I try to eat healthy and my taste is still a little off. I've decided not to get on the scale anymore...LOL I'm scheduled for labs in a few weeks and see the ENDO on 11/21 so we shall see. I dropped some weight while on the cytomel but hated I felt on it. I can't win...LOL


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

ipscec said:


> I had TT and RAI the end of last year. My follow up's have been great. My doc's are keeping me hyper for now to keep the cancer from coming back. I am taking 137 levo a day. I cannot stop gaining weight. I have been trying to keep my calories under 1500 day, work out (although admittedly not been extremely strict) but really trying. Certainly have been doing better than I was before my diagnosis and surgery. I lost about 12lbs after my surgery when they had my on cytomel only. Now with only levo, I have put on over 18lbs in the last 6 months. I seem to be hungry all the time but even when I don't eat much and work out, I seem to put on weight. It's driving me crazy and I want to be back on the cytomel. I am tired all the time and really feel like I have no energy. My TSH is 0.03; T4F is 1.79; T3F is 3.0; T3 is 83. According to my endo I am Hyperthyroid, but I sure don't feel like it. Two periods a month, tired, weight gain.....what's up? Anyone else been through this?


Welcome!!










Most if not all of us w/ablated thyroids need T3 supplementation.

If you have the ranges for the above, please re-post the results and the ranges. Different labs use different ranges.

Your endo is treating by your TSH alone; big mistake...............for you.

Free T3 and Free T4 are the only accurate measurement of the actual active thyroid hormone levels in the body. This is the hormone that is actually free and exerting effect on the cells. These are the thyroid hormones that count.

http://www.drlam.com/articles/hypothyroidism.asp?page=3

When your numbers are at the right place for you (euthyroid), you will lose weight.

Sounds like you need your ferritin checked also:

Ferritin http://www.thewayup.com/newsletters/081504.htm
(should be 50 to 100; the closer to 100, the better)


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## rockabette (Dec 7, 2010)

Hemi done on 4 Oct and 2 kg weight gain by 3 Nov. Mind you that 2kg gain was between 20 Oct and 3 Nov as I was weighed at both appointments at hospital.

Thats 4.4 pounds for all you peeps not in metric.


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## Octavia (Aug 1, 2011)

rockabette said:


> Thats 4.4 pounds for all you peeps not in metric.


Thanks for the translation. In the U.S., we were supposed to convert to metric back in the 1970s. Needless to say, that did not happen!


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## ipscec (Nov 4, 2011)

Thanks for the Welcome!!
Here are the results copied from my online account. 
*Component	/ MY Value	/ Standard Range / Units*
Triiodothyronine (T3) / 83 / 60 - 181 / ng/dL
Free T3 / 3.0 / 2.3 - 4.2 / pg/mL
T4 Free / 01.79 / 0.70 - 1.85	/ ng/dL
TSH / <0.03 / 0.4 - 5.0	/ mU/L
Ferritin / 6	/ 10 - 120	/ ng/mL

The labs were taken in Sept. The Ferritin was done over a year ago - was done because I have iron deficient anemia. I am having my hysterectomy in a week. I was supposed to have that last year but then found the papillary thyroid cancer and it got put on the back burner. For full disclosure, I also have high blood pressure but have it well in control with a 5mg amlodipine.

I think I need T3 and T4 as well. I felt wonderful when I was on cytomel only before my RAI. I had energy and just felt great. I really want to feel that way again, but am not at all on T4 only. I'm tired and sluggish quite often. My doc just isn't really open to the t3/t4 combo and it's frustrating. 
Thanks for everyone's input and experience!


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## tooni (Nov 11, 2011)

We get weight to eat safe healthy and nut rated foods so always be ready for growth and never forget importance of health this will bring power and strong body provide us.


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## I DClaire (Jul 31, 2011)

SnoodMama said:


> Wow, IDClaire, you are a really good role model. I'm glad you are doing so well. You are being so good and taking care of yourself. I'm a bit disgusted with myself especially after the Halloween binge. Yuck. I feel like such a huge slug. I'm also anxious to find out how my thyroid levels are. I'll know this week or next week. I'm feeling a bit amped from the thyroid meds, but I'm gaining a pound or two a week and eating like a pig. I feel so out of control. Must get it together. NOW!!!! Before I damage my health any more. What sorts of food are you eating? What kind of exercise are you doing? You are very inspirational.


I never should have said that! So help me, all of a sudden (within 3-4 days) all I can think about is eating and I'm gaining a pound or two everytime I weigh. I, too, feel like a slug! You couldn't have chosen a better word.

Until this last few days I was eating whatever I wanted to eat. We always have a big breakfast around 8:00 A.M., then I'd eat a big lunch around 2:00 P.M. but for supper I'd eat the Greek yogurt, maybe an apple, a few Keebler mini-crackers, etc. I felt so in control.

Then, around mid-week it was abruptly like I was starving around the clock. I even got up around midnight one night and ate three Butterfingers from our leftover Halloween candy.

Yesterday I wrote my surgery weight on the registration form for my bone density test - then the nurse weighed me and said, "Wow! Your shoes must weigh 10 lbs.!"

I just ate homemade waffles for breakfast and I swear I'm still hungry. I am craving a Wendy's cheeseburger - something I've never even liked in the past!

One of the technicians who helped with my test yesterday must have weighed 300 lbs. She said she'd had thyroid surgery several years ago and immediately started gaining weight. She didn't act like it bothered her one iota but I'm not fixing to gain too much. When I gain too much weight every bone and joint in my body starts hurting.


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## ipscec (Nov 4, 2011)

I know what you mean about the "all I can think about is eating and I'm gaining a pound or two everytime I weigh. I, too, feel like a slug!". I did have my hysterectomy 4 days ago, so it's not like I'm very active but my appetite has finally gone down somewhat. Even when I keep my calories down and my exercise up I am still up every morning on the scale. I am definitely going to talk to my endo about switching up my meds during my next appointment. It's not until the end of December. Is there any health reason endo's don't like to you put on some T3 and T4 meds rather than just T4? I would like to stay at the same dosage but get it in a small amount of T3 and balance in T4. I know T3 calculates differently, but it's not that hard to figure out a good dosage. Is T3 (i.e., Cytomel) bad for you in small amounts long term?


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

ipscec said:


> I know what you mean about the "all I can think about is eating and I'm gaining a pound or two everytime I weigh. I, too, feel like a slug!". I did have my hysterectomy 4 days ago, so it's not like I'm very active but my appetite has finally gone down somewhat. Even when I keep my calories down and my exercise up I am still up every morning on the scale. I am definitely going to talk to my endo about switching up my meds during my next appointment. It's not until the end of December. Is there any health reason endo's don't like to you put on some T3 and T4 meds rather than just T4? I would like to stay at the same dosage but get it in a small amount of T3 and balance in T4. I know T3 calculates differently, but it's not that hard to figure out a good dosage. Is T3 (i.e., Cytomel) bad for you in small amounts long term?


What is bad is not receiving the proper medication you need i.e. thyroxine/triiodothyronine and having a good doc to titrate such meds until the patient is euthyroid (feeling as well as can be.)

Welcome!


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