# Weight gain won't stop



## Brooke11 (May 11, 2013)

I was put on 15mcg of cytomel + 75 of synthroid and I was still gaining weight despite regular exercise and eating extremely healthy. I had zero appetite. However, the cytomel was making my heart race and I had shortness of breath so running was getting difficult. Still, based on my diet and the amount of activity I do, I should definitely not be gaining weight.

The doctor took me off cytomel and increased synthroid to 112.

I'm concerned that my weight is going to continue to go up. I've met with an RD and followed her advice exactly and still I gained (i'm now up 2 sizes).

I'm not sure what else I can do at this point. Has anyone had any luck with losing weight while on synthroid alone (brand name)?

My TSH is .04 and I know most people on here don't think TSH is a valid measure, but the doctor I am going to is the top is one of the top in my state and I just can't see that he wouldn't know what he was talking about when he says that TSH is a very valid measure.


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## Lovlkn (Dec 20, 2009)

If your doctor will not order FT-4 and FT-3 find a site online and order them.

It is the only to accurately dose yourself.

I've used healthcheckusa.com in the past when a doctor would not order the labs i needed run


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## annieo (Sep 26, 2012)

I'm on synthriod only and have managed to lose weight but is been real slow going. I've gotten 10 lbs off but still have about another 10-15 to go.

Ann


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

Brooke11 said:


> I was put on 15mcg of cytomel + 75 of synthroid and I was still gaining weight despite regular exercise and eating extremely healthy. I had zero appetite. However, the cytomel was making my heart race and I had shortness of breath so running was getting difficult. Still, based on my diet and the amount of activity I do, I should definitely not be gaining weight.
> 
> The doctor took me off cytomel and increased synthroid to 112.
> 
> ...


Are you sure you don't have myxedema?

TSH is a valid measure for "certain" things. FT3 and FT4 are valid measures for other things.

Understanding the Thyroid: Why You Should Check Your Free T3
http://breakingmuscle.com/

Dr. Mercola (FREES)
http://www.mercola.com/article/hypothyroid/diagnosis_comp.htm

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.


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## Lovlkn (Dec 20, 2009)

My experience is if your Free's are not where your body needs them to be weight loss will be difficult.

I am coming up on 10 years post TT and weigh 5-8 lbs on average heavier. I'm also 10 years older and don't eat as well as I should.

I have recently lost weight by making some drastic changes on what I was eating and drinking. I still eat poorly but only do it infrequently now.


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## Brooke11 (May 11, 2013)

So why do some doctors (who have extremely good reputations and education) disregard Free T3? Also, my Free T3 wouldn't go up and my TSH went down to a hyper level. So essentially I had very low TSH (.04) and still below range free T3 which makes me nervous because very low TSH can cause problems, too.

I still don't understand why I can't lose weight eating 1200 calories and working out for a minimum of 90 minuters per day. Even if my metabolism is very slow I should lose weight considering I am 5'10".


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## joplin1975 (Jul 21, 2011)

If your free t3 isn't up to where it should be, you are still more or less hypo and will have difficulty losing the weight.

Is your doctor adverse to adding t3 to the mix? If s/he is disregarding the free t3 numbers, then you might want to go doctor shopping.


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## bigfoot (May 13, 2011)

Brooke11 said:


> I still don't understand why I can't lose weight eating 1200 calories and working out for a minimum of 90 minuters per day. Even if my metabolism is very slow I should lose weight considering I am 5'10".


It's not as simple as watching calories and exercising. Hopefully your doc understands this. And he should be testing other hormones, vitamin levels, and so forth to make sure the REST of your system is working properly. I don't know how much you know about this stuff, but you might want to look into the "Paleo" side of things. Less of a diet and more of a lifestyle. In fact, an excellent book is called "Primal Body-Primal Mind". No connection to the author, but I think it does a great job explaining the way most of us eat and how we _should_ be eating.

Ask about getting these things tested. Hopefully he has an open mind and thinks outside of the box. If not, well, then you probably have your answer.

- TPO Antibodies & Thyroglobulin Antibodies to check for Hashi's
- TSI and TRAb antibodies to check for Graves'
- Cortisol (24 hour test, either saliva or urine, broken in 4x collection periods)
- Estrogen, Testosterone, SHBG, etc.
- Vitamin B-12, D-25, and Iron Levels
- Celiac, H. Pylori, Leaky Gut, and other GI tests
- Gluten Sensitivity (*not* the same as Celiac)
- Check for low-level infections, viruses, Lyme disease, Mono, etc.

I have also been to doctors and specialists who swear by the TSH. Here's the rub: if you are dealing with something like Hashi's, going strictly by the TSH isn't necessarily going to get you treated *optimally*. And that is the goal, not some arbitrary number on a piece of paper. Your doc should be turning over stones looking to make sure nothing else is going on here.

And honestly, 15 mcg of Cytomel is a *huge* amount for just starting out. I'm not surprised you had a rapid pulse, etc. I think 2.5 - 5 mcg is a far better area to start with. Low 'n' slow. FYI, T3 medications are roughly four times as potent as T4 medications; the stuff is like jet fuel. See about a smaller dose.


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## confused&tiredinNY (Jun 4, 2013)

I have followed the Paleo diet for about 6 months now...I ADORE it. I don't do it for weight loss benefits because you can easily get carried away and eat a pound of sweet potatoes with a slab of bacon and eggs everyday. I have found the best thing I got from it was cutting out processed foods and all the chemicals that come along with it. You will absolutely notice a difference (mental clarity being one) once you rid yourself of GMOs, antibiotics and all the other hellspawns. I love the blog "PaleOMG.com" and the website "CivilizedCaveManCooking.com" - great starting points.

BigFoot is right though, it's NOT just diet and exercise.


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## bigfoot (May 13, 2011)

Oooh... always like new recipes... thanks for the heads up!

Yeah, a doc I had a few years ago pulled the same, "Just eat less and get more exercise" on me, too. Could I have cleaned up my diet? You betcha. But I was also using a treadmill, running, hiking, biking, and walking steep hills daily as much as I could tolerate. Finally, after doing a fitness test for a job, and just about passing out, I realized something was messed up big time. I just had no idea what exactly.


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