Starting Levothyroxine - will I become thin and energetic?

[Idlikeasize8please]

I was picked up having high TPO antibodies about 10 years ago following an MOT and strong family history.

I have haf my tsh and t4 checked every year or so since.

About 6 months ago my tsh was 8 and t4 12. GP said to watch and wait with repeat bloods a bit sooner. I had no symptoms except for a bit of tiredness.

The last few weeks I've been really really tired so rang the GP who has just prescribed levothyroxine 50mgs so I'll pick up and start on Monday.

I'm lying on the sofa again still in my coat and 2 blankets, feeling weary and cold and I'm fantasising that in a few weeks that I'll lose 2 stone and be bouncing around the house as if I were 23.

Please let me know that this will be true? 😁

Levo nearly killed me. Thyroid S was the only med that has actually helped my hypothyroidism

I didn't really get the dose right for about two years, I did start to feel more energetic once I was on the right dose but sadly no magic weight loss! The main difference was just not needing to go to bed at 7pm every night.

Oh dear. You guys are dashing my hopes! 😂

I am hitting 50 and recently started on HRT too due to so many hot flushes (otherwise I was asymptomatic)

I'm on 137.5mg, I know when my dose is off because I get more tired and start falling asleep after work, my libido drops off and get cold more. I'm currently fairly stable after upping my dose from 125mg last year (despite bloods still being fine, I knew I needed more).
I lose weight fine when I make the effort though, I am just prone to laziness and overeating! Fasting or keto both work well for me when I do them and make a big difference to my energy levels.

Agree with PP that I can lose weight fine with good exercise regime and healthy eating, but just taking levo wasn't enough

Neither happened for me unfortunately. Hope it does for you though, seems to for some!

@Roominmyhouse @ItsAnOrgasmNotAFabergeEgg @SOWK @Knittedfairies @Spidey66 @CrunchyCarrot @Muchtoomuchtodo @Floralnomad @Imogensmumma @Hotelfoxtrot @amyboo

Please consider talking to your GP about upping your dose.

My GP said I was "good" as bloods showed I within normal range - I was on about 16 and the normal range was c 14-21. I felt less tired - but still a bit crappy. Heavy periods, often still cold, not back to pre-hashimoto weight, still tired. Losing weight, regardless of what I did diet or exercise wise was impossible. Gp would have left me like that.

I asked to try a bit more...for 2 months. Bloods came back at about 19. Still within normal range but god I felt better. Normal. No hint of tired/cold/sluggish. Some of the aches and pains had gone. And a slight diet/upping exercise meant I lost weight. Slower/harder to do before the hashimotos - but possible.

The British Thyroid society will have so many examples of this happening to so many people. Being told to go away, they are fixed - bloods are within range. My cyncial side thinks it is because it is a mainly female issue...pat the little women on the head...they tick the box...sne them on their way.

I believe my mother has been undermedicated for about 35 years.. because she never questioned her GP until I suggested it in her 70s. She upped her dose and felt about 10 years younger. No longer cold. No longer falling asleep in front of the TV at 7pm, Bloods still within range - but at the upper side.

So if you still feel symptomatic, NICE guidelines say your GP should allow you to try a higher dose to see if it relieves those symptoms. And surely you have nothing to lose? If you try a higher dose for a few weeks and either your bloods come back super high and/or you feel over medicated - then you drop back down www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng145/chapter/recommendations#follow-up-and-monitoring-of-primary-hypothyroidism

@NoMoneyForEducation I’m asymptomatic on it or off it , I have multiple conditions .

@NoMoneyForEducation my GP won’t even discuss changing my dose when my blood results become back ‘within normal range’. I can’t even get past a receptionist!

I’ll have a good read of the NICE guidance. I’ve kind of given up trying to get a change but maybe I’ll arm myself with information and have another go.

@Muchtoomuchtodo I had a battle with my GP over this for two years. What they were telling me was 'normal' was only normal range for people who don't have thyroid disease. The TSH thresholds are much lower for people who have hypothyroidism. I had to basically complain and send an email with a link to the NICE guidelines to get the right dose prescribed. Shocking really, it's all there for Joe public to find on google, god knows why it's so hard to get the right treatment.

I’m on 175 and I wish the weight dropped off instead it’s gradually piled on over the years. It does make it easier to lose weight though but you have to be really dedicated, I had to lose a large amount of weight to qualify for an operation and I managed to do it and there’s no way I would have lost it if I wasn’t on Levo.

@EllaPaella I really feel under medicated. I am always cold and live under my heated throw whenever I can. I even look forward to ironing because handling the warm clothes warms my hands up!

I am sluggish beyond belief - I feel like a sloth! My concentration and memory is dreadful. My bowels can be another level of sluggish! I have zero libido. My hair and skin are ok though.

When I saw my GP recently they said my most recent bloods are within normal range and as I’m grieving (I lost a family member at the end of last year) and 46 this is to be expected……..

@NoMoneyForEducation I took myself off Levo and sourced my own T3, I'm on T3 only now. I used Paul Robinson's excellent book 'Recovering with T3' to help guide me, plus poking around on various thyroid forums for advice.

It's worth bearing in mind that whether you are taking T4 and/or T3 that there's more to thyroid health than this. You also need to be optimal in vitamins and minerals, you may need to be gluten free. You need to check your adrenal function (24 hr saliva cortisol test is a good one for this). There's an awful lot to get one's head around. Nothing is simple when it comes to thyroid issues, unfortunately. If only we could take one pill and be sorted!

No difference to weight here. Still no energy but actually able to do the necessaries like work, washing and cooking. As good as it got for me.

@Muchtoomuchtodo When I saw my GP recently they said my most recent bloods are within normal range and as I’m grieving (I lost a family member at the end of last year) and 46 this is to be expected……..

I get so annoyed when GPs toss out the 'at your age this is to be expected' line! No, it's not! What is expected is good health. Obviously the stress of losing someone will take its toll but you should expect to bounce back to full health again. Also, the 'normal range' is way, way too wide. It takes in 95% of the population's values, and that will include people who are ill with hypothyroidism - and there are many who are undiagnosed. Your FT4 should be in the top quadrant of the reference interval, your TSH should be around 1.0.

No. The medication alone won’t help you lose weight I’m afraid. Please don’t be tempted to increase the dosage hoping that it will help. The side effects of hyperthyroidism are even more unpleasant than hypothyroidism and potentially lethal. (Anxiety, diarrhea, potential heart arrhythmias.) I wouldn’t risk it.
People with hypothyroidism tend to lose the most weight from ketogenic or very low carb diets. Unfortunately the catch is that they have to be a permanent lifestyle change or the weight comes back with a vengeance.

I would not even consider taking any more than I have been prescribed.

My first dose today. The only symptoms I have is tiredness (it's like a strong weariness) and freezing cold hands.

I'm hoping it's a couple of weeks before I'll start to improve?

Will likely be longer than a couple of weeks, OP. Levo has a long half life so it take a few weeks to reach the maximum effect.

Lol no sorry. Definitely do your own research as how you feel at different levels and on different lebo doses will be different to what the GP thinks is optimal.

I don't feel any different whether I take it or not

Most people seem to be undermedicated. It's not enough to be within range (and doctors should be going off FT4 and FT3 levels rather than TSH), your levels need to be optimal for you.

I'm on 125mcg, which I take before bed. The weight dropped off once I reached that dose, my hair grew back etc etc. No energy issues at all.

People on large doses who still don't feel well may not be able to use the thyroxine they are taking.

Lots of help on the ThyroidUK forum.

No, I’m still cold and fat 15 years on! Energy was ok but I’m struggling now I’m 46 and possibly Peri menopausal

They started me on 25 and were reluctant to up it
Thankfully I have the best haematology consultant who asked my GP if we were treating thyroids by homeopathy now or could they possibly realise a 5ft 10 woman needed more levo
Ended up on 75, think my TSH is around 1.2 but haven't had bloods for about 9 months
I was the same with vitamin D though, level of 9 (oops!) and even when treated feel no different

It really helped with my energy levels, before diagnosis I’d sleep all night and then need another couple of hours on top of that. I was always tired/sluggish and needing caffeine to get through. Improving my diet and exercise levels were the only things that helped me with weight loss though sadly. Hope you feel better soon!

I can only suggest you all get the NHS app and full medical record (which you are entitled to do) I do this so I can personally check my actual levels when tested. I can then see how far in the range I am and it makes it far easier to request a change xx