When you start taking thyroid medication like levothyroxine, don't expect instant weight loss. The first barrier is getting the right dose of thyroid medication. Once you have reached your ideal dose, you may notice some weight loss after around three to six months of continuous use.
Will it make me lose weight? One of the symptoms of an underactive thyroid gland is weight gain. So, once you start taking levothyroxine, you may lose weight as your body's hormones rebalance. Losing weight can also be a sign that your dose of levothyroxine is too high.
In most cases, levothyroxine causes some weight loss. According to the American Thyroid Association, when this medication is started, you may lose up to 10% of your weight. This weight is mainly water weight, since being hypothyroid makes you retain water. Levothyroxine is a medication to treat hypothyroidism.
The most commonly prescribed thyroid hormone is called levothyroxine (Synthroid®), but there are others available. Thyroid hormones increase the body's metabolism which may cause weight loss.
For people who are already using levothyroxine, increasing the dose above what's needed can lead to more weight loss, but it's usually not significant and those pounds are often gained back once the dose is decreased again.
This medication should not be used for weight loss. Normal doses of this medication will not work for weight loss, and large doses of this medication may cause serious, possibly fatal side effects, especially when taken with diet pills.
Current guidelines recommend a levothyroxine dosage of 1.6 mcg per kg per day based on ideal body weight or lean body mass instead of actual body weight. Ideal body weight can be calculated as the weight for height that would generate a body mass index of 24 to 25 kg per m2.
Common side effects of levothyroxine include heat intolerance, a fast heart rate, and diarrhea. More serious levothyroxine side effects are also possible.
Hypothyroidism: Why Weight Loss is Tough
"When your thyroid is not functioning well, your metabolism goes down and you start to gain weight," says Anne Wolf, RD, MS, a registered dietitian and researcher at the University of Virginia School of Medicine in Charlottesville.
HOW MUCH WEIGHT CAN I EXPECT TO LOSE ONCE THE HYPOTHYROIDISM IS TREATED? Since much of the weight gain in hypothyroidism is accumulation in salt and water, when the hypothyroidism is treated one can expect a small (usually less than 10% of body weight) weight loss.
Increased activity can work in conjunction with improvements to diet. A person needs to be more active to lose weight or maintain it. Researchers in a 2015 study attributed improvements in thyroid function with decreased weight due to regular exercise. They observed these effects mostly in people with hypothyroidism.
Many people do not take the right dosage of levothyroxine, and both undertreatment and overtreatment can have an effect on weight. Levothyroxine weight gain may be tied to undertreatment, according to the ATA.
Your thyroid gland produces a particular thyroid hormone called Thyroxine (T4). While T4 doesn't have a particularly strong fat burning effect on your cells you need to produce plenty of it because it's the building block of the real fat burning superstar… the thyroid hormone T3.
You won't feel better immediately
People often feel their levothyroxine is not working as they don't feel better immediately after starting on their dose. This is because thyroxine is a slow-acting drug. So, it may take several months for your symptoms to reduce.
Over-treatment may cause irregular heart beats and bone loss in elderly and under-treatment may cause symptoms like weight gain, fatigue as well as other serious health issues like higher cholesterol level, and in severe cases heart problems and even death.
Thyroid medication is not a weight loss drug, and people should not use it as such. For this reason, there is no best thyroid medication for weight loss in a person who does not have hypothyroidism.
This medication should not be used for weight loss. Normal doses of this medication will not work for weight loss, and large doses of this medication may cause serious, possibly fatal side effects, especially when taken with diet pills.
This medication should not be used for weight loss. Normal doses of this medication will not work for weight loss, and large doses of this medication may cause serious, possibly fatal side effects, especially when taken with diet pills.
The more common side effects of levothyroxine can include: increased appetite.
Where daily hormone replacements tablets, such as levothyroxine, are prescribed for an underactive thyroid, symptoms including fatigue should gradually begin to disappear. Similarly, patients receiving anti-thyroid drugs for an overactive thyroid should begin to see an improvement in their energy levels.
About half (52%) of the patients lost weight up to 24 months after initiation of treatment with LT4. Overall, weight loss was modest, with a mean weight loss of 8.4 + 9. 7 lbs. “Because obesity and hypothyroidism are very common, there are many patients who have both conditions,” says Ronald J.
Other changes can include more stable blood sugar, improved body temperature regulation and a less sluggish digestive system. Here are the most common side effects people notice when they take levothyroxine. If you notice any of these symptoms, talk to your doctor.