Thyroidectomy/levothyroxine/weight gain - DESPERATE

[babycakes191]

I had a Thyroidectomy due to cancer. I am now on levothyroxine, 125mg a day. The consultant said this was the higher end of the dosage and I should lose weight rather than gain it. But, I'm gaining weight. Its almost like I can feel it as soon as I eat anything. I currently despise the way I look. I hate food and what it is doing to me. I don't want to eat.

I didn't ask for the Thyroidectomy/cancer/to be on levothyroxine for life.

I have (mild) body dysphoria, I recognise that,. I have always had this. This weight gain is going to send me into a downward mental spiral.

I don’t know if this will help but I asked to be put on natural thyroid replacement called desiccated thyroid. It’s basically a capsule of crushed up animal thyroid. Some people do better on it because it has a different balance of T3 and T4

Hi, you are not alone. I had TT in March, have been 62k forever. I’m now 68k, I exercise, don’t eat rubbish, have tried gluten free and low carb. Nothing works. I’m totally fed up. I’m on 75mcg of Levo and 5mcg t3. I’m paying to see an endocrinologist. It’s very depressing, sorry I can’t help but just to say you are not on your own with this battle

I’m on desiccated pig thyroid after years of levo that didn’t work. I was 70kg and it crept up to 84kg no matter what I ate. I’ve lost 6kg since starting NDT (natural desiccated thyroid) but it’s slow going.

I have Hashimoto’s so eating low fibre keto is the only thing that kept my autoimmunity under control and weight in check. If I was eating carbs I’d have been 120kg, it’s the only thing that kept the weight gain from going crazy.

So sorry to hear others have the same issue.
I'm now going to try to starve myself/ limit food as much as I can, in a bid to lose weight/ not put on.
Drastic, but I'm desperate

@PetrichorSoul that's sounds like it's moving in the right direction. Good luck.
Hashimoto's should be gluten free too.

I am in a similar position and have never felt ‘right’ after my TT for cancer.

My TSH is suppressed so I should feel full of energy but I never have. I am also always freezing cold since the TT and I never was before.

I am considering buying T3 or paying for private endo as the NHS just seems to go off TSH and if that is fine then you should be fine. @Happyinarcon did you get this on the NHS ?

sorry you are going through this too.

@silverheels what is T3 ? This is all very new to me. What does TSH stand for.

Hashimotos is tough but I'm concerned that this is more about your body dysmorphia.

I know this seems like the answer but the less you eat the worse your thyroid gets. It needs good quality animal protein and fat to product healthy hormones.

I eat about 1800 calories a day. Any more and I gain like crazy, if I eat less my hair starts
to fall out and my numbers go way off and I don’t lose anything. I gain!!

I just want to take an overdose and be done with it all. I can no longer ever eat the things I enjoy, I can almost feel myself gaining weight if I eat these things. Sounds odd, buti get pains in my legs where where the cellulit is, as I eat any sugar/carbs/treats.

I want it all done/ended

Ok first of all you really need to learn more about your condition. As you have no thyroid now, you have Hypothyroidism. I also have this, but due to Hashimoto's rather than cancer. Managing it is a lifelong issue and it can be a long and difficult adjustment to get the meds/dosage correct.

125mg Levothyroxine really isn't that high, your consultant is wrong. Many people take up to 200 or even more. TSH stands for "thyroid stimulating hormone" and it is your body telling you how much thyroid hormone you need. It determines how much levothyroxine they give you. However this is a very controversial subject because many doctors believe levothyroxine alone is enough, or don't give the correct amounts etc.

Basically your thyroid naturally creates two hormones - T4 and T3. Once you have Hypothyroidism your body doesn't create enough, so you replace it with Levothyroxine. However, Levothyroxine contains T4 only. The idea is your body should convert some of that T4 into T3. For a lot of people this works. But many people find this doesn't happen and they continue to have symptoms despite being on Levo (such as weight gain).

Some doctors will prescribe T3 alongside Levo which for many people helps a lot. I personally take something called NDT (previous posters have mentioned this too) which is a natural alternative which contains T4 and T3. I have to get it privately though as the NHS doesnt prescribe it. Basically the NHS is absolutely shite at managing thyroid conditions. They give you Levothyroxine, and send you on your way. If you keep having symptoms (like I did) they tell you you're depressed 🙄🙄

I would highly recommend checking out the HealthUnlocked Thyroid UK forum. Full of extremely knowledgeable people who will advise you. Your life isn't over! You can sort this out. You may have to go private to do so, but there are things you can do.

I personally lost no weight on Levo, but since being on NDT have lost 4kg without changing my diet whatsoever.

Highly recommend learning as much as you can about hypothyroidism. The more you know, the more chance you have of getting your health back.

Please take the advice people gave - natural desiccated thyroid. It works wonders.

I’m not in the UK so my answer won’t be that helpful, but I pay private. I pay the equivalent of 40 quid for 100 capsules although people on a higher dose pay more. The most difficult part is tracking down a doctor who is familiar with prescribing natural thyroid, you have to research which doctors to visit.
Its worth while for me though, it’s the only thyroid medication I’ve been on that made me forget I had a thyroid issue.