... Synthroid for 6 years. I went from 140 to 165 after taking the medicine. I have been off of it for a few months now and I have gone down to 152 and am terrified of gaining that weight back. It is IMPOSSIBLE to loose. I went to the doctor today to get my levels checked again and I'm sure I will need to get back on my prescription. Are there any other suggestions medicine wise?
Thyroid Disease - Is there any thyroid medication that doesn't cause weight gain? I've been on?
Question posted by CaityD on 3 April 2012
Last updated on 3 March 2021 by annamacca
10 Answers
annamacca
3 March 2021
My weight has always been just under 10 stone I am 5.9 in my height and now I am up to 15 Stone
marjean65
16 Aug 2017
I thought that hypothyroid caused weight gain, and the synthroid would help you lose it since its taking care of the problem. Weight gain with it makes no sense.
IamT
23 Aug 2017
That's the conundrum. There are no perfect medicines.
Jad7188
19 Nov 2016
I started taking synthroid this past summer - not a lot, only 50 mcg. However, I started gaining weight very quickly. I'm 28, 5'7 and hace weighed about 125lbs my entire life. Since June, I have gained 20 pounds. I barely fit into any of my clothes. It feels AWFUL. No change in diet or exercise, so my doctor attributed it to my new birth control. I was sick of the weight gain and got an IUD so I wouldn't have to take OCP anymore but it's been over a month and I'm still slowly gaining weight. The only thing I can think of now is that it could be the Synthroid - I was told it helped you lose weight but it's the only other thing that has changed since I started gaining weight. I'm happy to hear others believe that might be the case too - I think I might stop taking it but will still definitely go back to my internist.
lourilynn
18 Aug 2016
Thank you all for your insight - I thought I was going crazy 12 lb gain in 4 weeks - geeze - anyone find anything?
celestealexander
22 Dec 2017
l keep saying I'm gaining weight I got off it and I lost weight but I couldn't sleep now I'm back on it I went from 160 to 189 0mg I can't take it
Mboycz1
22 April 2019
Any update to this? This is happening to me
Lars143
2 March 2021
Novotiral is used but not approved by FDA in USA. Thyrolar is supposedly same formula. Look them up and y’all to your doctor. NP thyroid was working but since it became FDA approved it stopped working for me.
katemac
21 June 2016
I KNEW IT!!! Ever since my doctor increased my Synthroid (from 125mcg to 150) about four or five months ago, I've been gaining weight. I've gained about 11 lbs (and was already about 50 lbs overweight). But, just like Jovanna, I find that my clothes still seem to fit the same. One thing that I feel also happened with the increase is my lower legs are swelling. I asked my doctor about it being related and she said she didn't think so and just prescribed me a diuretic,
I stopped taking the Synthroid for now and I'm taking a lower dose of Armour until I can get to a Naturopathic Doctor who specializes in Thyroid disease. She is in Portland, OR and I live about five hours away so it's not easy for me to get there.
I have never been this heavy in my life! I'm 61 and I can't afford (health wise) to be carrying around all this excess weight.
If any of you find a plan that works, please let me know.
swanee2009
7 June 2015
I was on 10 milligrams of synthroid and gained 10 lbs in a year. I also was bloated. I went off it 2 weeks ago and can tell I've lost a little but I feel so tired all the time.
HypoHypo
14 Sep 2015
I was diagnosed with Hypothyroidism at 50. I am now 64. I have always been very fit. I excercise, have always eaten well, and have always been on the thin side. 5'4" 118 lbs. Have been on synthroid for 14 years (always under 1.25) I have no doubt that it was poisoning me.
Five years into taking it began developing ever increasing "discomforts" and blamed it in old age! Aliments ranged from arthritis in my hands to the point where they became deformed. Also had arthritis in my knees and shoulders. I had extreme back pain.- was scheduled for back surgery it was so bad. I had headaches, blurred vision, pains in my stomach, pains in my chest. My moods would swing from okay to suicidal... I always seemed to have a sinus infection. My teeth ached. And my blood pressure was through the roof!
Recently my endochronologist significantly increased my dose of synthroid based n my TSH levels.. All hell broke loss.. All of these symptoms intensified- along with gaining 8 pounds 4 weeks and realizing that my face has been swollen for years- My face blew up like a ballon- my breasts ached liked I was was pregnant!! JMY BP was at 160 over 100. Just a horrible situation,
I called and he reduced the dose but the symptoms remained. I had had enough and just QUIT taking it.. Every day I felt better and better, and better and better. At the the end of 4 months ALL of the what I now know were side effects of the synthroid were gone. INCLUDING the deformities it had caused in my hands and my BP went down to 140 over 85 ,without medication.
For the first time in 15 years, I felt normal.- and LOOKED normal. My face had really been swollen. I didn't realize how much. I know I'll have to be on something but for now I am enjoying feeling great with no synthroid in my system.
Be your own advocate.
The stuff os poison. and YES it cause weight gain.. and way too many thin
Dragonslayr1999
1 Dec 2015
Wow! I have all of these symptoms and I am taking 136 much a day. I am definitely quitting this stuff.
kf9
24 March 2016
I was on 100 mcg of synthroid for a year, 75 mcg the year before, and 25 mcg the year before the previous. In that 3 year timeframe, I gained 35 lbs, despite the fact that I went gluten free for nearly 6 months and walked/ran on a treadmill 3 miles a day. I could not lose weight. I have never had issues being overweight. My hair has continued to fall out, and I have no energy. I understand hypothyroidism causes weight gain, but not this much, especially when my tsh levels were showing to be normal. I began researching synthroid and weight gain. I found out quickly that there are lots of people saying the exact same thing I was, "I'm gaining weight on synthroid and no matter what I do, I can't lose it. My hair continues to fall out, and I am tired all the time." I ran across a webpage where many were talking about getting off synthroid and getting on Armour. They spoke wonders of the difference they were now feeling.
They weren't tired, their hair stopped falling out, and the weight slowly started coming off when they weren't even trying to lose. I also found out that synthroid was a t4 only drug. I had never researched it. I just took it when it was prescribed to me. Armour has t3 and t4; that's why some people do great on Armour and horrible on synthroid. Their t3 is low and they don't even know it. I have just begun taking 90 mg of Armour, and I'm praying it works for me like it has for so many others. Remember, even though your tsh levels are "normal", it doesn't mean the drug has fixed you if you are still having hypo symptoms.
IamT
3 April 2017
I've been on thyroid replacement since my early teens which was about 30 years ago. I wasn't told that it would then be something that could never be stopped. The doctors seem like it was to be a cure all though nothing much was wrong with me anyway. The doctor found it and then sent me for tests and I was placed on the medication. It wasn't until after that I began experiencing symptoms. Everytime I mentioned something they'd just say it was due to my thyroid but I was taking the medication. They then would say that the dosage may be wrong and kept increasing it. These were the days prior to the internet so I couldn't investigate well on my own.
I've stopped the medication from time to time on my own throughout the years and felt better but my numbers would become so terrible, probably due to long term dependence on the thyroid replacement, that I had to take them again. I now feel terrible when I take them and when I don't.
It contains sodium so I've tried eating more and eating less. I am a long time vegetarian and semi long time vegan. I enjoy exercise and come from a thin family. My blood pressure runs very low. I've been told by doctors to eat more salt. I then feel bloated if I do. Maybe that's because the thyroid supplement has sodium even in the name.
I've since learned to take over the counter carnitine a few times a day and that has helped. It alleviates the thyroid puffiness. Doctors say it is bad for the thyroid supplements but it works for me because the doctors can never seem to get my thyroid supplement dosage correct. I wish I'd never began taking it. Those coming of age in this world of information have it much better than we guinea pigs did.
ADV110
1 May 2012
I have been on Synthroid 100 mcg for 6 months now and I have gained 10lbs. I feel bloated and I always get cramps in my stomach. I have very dry cracked lips and my hands are always dry. I will be asking my doctor this week if there is any other medication they can prescribe for hypothyroidism as this medication is not helping. I will let you know.
Luisazenni1990
26 July 2016
Try natural hormones medication call Amour, lots of people's cannot absorbe the sintetic hormorme and converted into T3
IamT
3 April 2017
The natural part of that is porcine which is pig. It just needs to be more well known so people can make an informed decision on how they personally feel about that.
Nipigon
9 March 2018
I was increased to 125 and gained 20 lbs. it really sucks.
endlessPred
3 April 2012
Perhaps your weight gain has been water weight? Have you cut back salt to see?
My other thought is that the dosing is not correct for you. It took me almost a year and a switch with the Endo to get me where I needed to be. Once that happened my weight stabilized and lost about twenty pounds. New doc said sounded like water weight and was due to my other conditions. I do know that if my TSH is at either extreme of the range, my weight, eating habits and energy vary a lot.
In order to start over I was off levoxyl for one month. So you are probably at your best starting point for recalculating. Let us know what your doc comes up with. If it is same old, find a doc you can work with better. Be sure it is a specialist. Switching the med brand might help, that is also what I needed to do.
CaityD
4 April 2012
I've been off the Synthroid for a few months now and I just went to have a visit with my new Endo yesterday. He was actually happy that I hadn't been taking it (surprisingly). He said he would be able to get a more accurate result on my blood levels. So I should find out my results in the next couple of days and move from there.
I've heard people say that the medicine has made them gain weight, but I might be reading wrong information. I've been trying to eat better and cut back on calories. I work 70 hours a week so I don't have much time for exercise other than what I do in the salon.
endlessPred
1 May 2012
Wondering how it went at the doc. Lab test came back with what? He prescribed? Thanks for filling in the blanks.
ssd4445
20 July 2017
Oh please... don't fall for the water crsp... I'm on water pills they do nothing... its the medicine... your taking meds that they give someone who has a fast overactive thyroid. ... it slows there metabolism down... so what do you it does to yours... don't let the Drs. Tell you a y different. ... I've gained 70 pounds. I. Last ten years changed meds 7 times and Drs are completely stupid...
IamT
23 Aug 2017
Salt could be an issue since the medication does have it. Excess sodium can cause weight gain, skin issues, fatigue, and more. The medicine though should be there to help what the body is missing and shouldn't be a factor if someone eats about the same amount of sodium as others. The main problem is that it's almost impossible to get just the right dose of replacement each and every time. The body varies release when it is working properly. The medication should be developed to work better than it now does.
Jovanna
3 April 2012
If you find it, let me know. I asked my endocrinologist this very same question last summer. She said she saw no reason why it should be hard for me to lose weight on the meds, to her mind, the med had no relation to my weight gain or my wish to lose weight. I am now 8 lbs heavier. I eat right, exercise, and I afford myself a snack here and there, I do not gorge myself. Being 63, this is also a challenge. You didn't state your age, so if you are a lot younger, you might feel worse than I do. I don't feel heavier, my clothing fits as it did last year, but the scale says I am heavier. I was 20 lbs lighter in 2009 than I am now. I just pray I don't keep gaining. So your question is not easy to answer. I would suggest you do what I did... talk to your doctor and he/she will be best able to take into account yourspecifics--age, your prescription dose, other meds you might be taking, diet, etc...
DzooBaby
3 April 2012
Perhaps in your case it is muscle you have put on. Muscle is denser than fat so it weighs more. If your clothing still fits then it isnt fat gain. Dont worry so much about what the scale says. Go by the fit of your clothes and how you feel. As long as you are eating right and exercising and your clothes fit then you are doing good and it is probably just new muscle you have put on. Muscle may weigh heavier but it metabolizes fat even when you are resting so it is desirable to have!!
Jovanna
3 April 2012
I know about the muscle vs. fat ratio. I hope that's it. Why it seems so much easier to gain vs. losing is still one of the great mysteries of life though.
charsherbals
2 Oct 2012
I will be 65 soon and have been on Synthroid for 10 years. Have had a terrible fight with my weight for many years. First medical professionals denied that I even had a thyroid problem and then when I almost choked to death on a goiter the size of a golf ball and got it removed, the medical professionals now say the Synthroid is not the cause of my weight gain.
ssd4445
20 July 2017
Your going to keep gaining and Drs don't care if you do
AV9440
24 Jan 2018
i am 54 on lithium and within 2 years my thyroid went haywire... LITHIUM CAUSE THYROID PROBLEMS.. so i went on thyroid meds lvythyroxine and it leveled out for a while and i gained 50 lbs back that i had lost prior... NO ONE TOLD ME THIS DRUG WOULD CAUSE WEIGHT GAIN BUT IT DOES AND ANY DOCTER WHO DOESNT THINK SO... RUN.. so no i am meds, gained weight and my thyroid us out of control again,, more meds which are now causing more weight gain in a short period!!! does any doctor talk about iodine or vitamins or foods that can help thyroid??? doctors suck... the medical field wants to stuff us with meds that cause other problems that need more meds... go ahead wait and see
CYNTHIALB
27 March 2018
I am 55 years old. I have been on synthroid for about 6 or more years, and I also take medication for hypertension. And I have gained a whopping 40+ pounds in the years since taking synthroid. I eat right, I have a job that is very strenuous, and no matter what I do I can’t lose this weight. I wish they would STOP saying that synthroid causes weight loss because it’s NOT TRUE. “Synthroid DOES CAUSE WEIGHT GAIN”.
MoSs
3 April 2012
Synthroid (Abbott) contains "L-thyroxine sodium" as an active substance and its side effect is "loosing weight". Are you sure about its relation?
CaityD
4 April 2012
Well I had always been smaller until I started my medications. I was on Serequol and Litium as well as Synthroid for 6 years. (Serequol causes weight gain.) I stopped the Serequol and Lithium about 5 months ago, but I still have not been able to loose weight. I never changed my eating habits, but I'm starting to be more health conscious about what I eat now. So, hopefully I'll start seeing a change soon.
Roezzzz
17 Feb 2015
I was on synthoid and gained 20 pounds in three months, so no I dot think she is wrong. the medicine does cause weight gain
Karoncreek
17 May 2015
I agree - Synthroid side effect is weight gain! I was thin and now I have gained 10 lbs. and all in the mid-section and
can't lose the extra weight! I exercise, plus have tried 1200 calorie diet and didn't lose one pound.
Inactive
13 Sep 2016
I have been on this medication for 4 years now. I went from 135lbs to 160lbs+. I look like a buff guy that never trains abs. This make me depress to be honest. I can't even look at myself in the mirror without thinking that i'm about to give birth.
Barbara Whisnant
4 Nov 2016
I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism several years ago. I was put on Synthroid. I weighed 135ish to 140. Since taking the synthroid I've been up as far as 204. Right now I'm 197. My dr. keeps telling me I need to lose weight. I changed my eating habits to healthy foods and smaller portions. I drink a lot of water other than sodas and I don't eat sweets anymore. My husbandand I even joined Planet Fitness. I still cannot get the weight off. This is getting very depressing. The dr says he has me on the right dosage. Something apparently is not right.I was small all my life til I went through menopause. Then I put on about 30 lbs. I weighed around 105 before menopause. I'm getting desperate to get this weight off. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
ssd4445
20 July 2017
Yes.. . a DA. I've had this dam med. And I've gained 70 pda in ten years... .that stupid med. Is what they give people with over active thyroid to slow metabolism down... so what do you think its going to do to someone with s slow metabolism... it makes it worse... I've had this argument with 7 Drs... I was told by a dr in Boston ma that the Drs in the areas are extremely stupid... they don't know enough to treat thyroid. ... Follow Dr. Isabella wentz. She has lots of info on low thyroid and Drs. Mistakes... I'm in same boat with weight and 4 hours of straight cardio doesn't get it off... I've even had s jerk off Dr. Tell me its better to be fat and healthy and laugh ... I don't think its funny... so yes thyroid medicine does so make you fat
Yogurt123
6 Jan 2018
The medication do not fix thyroid problems ever. It’s been brainwashed to all of us because that’s all they know. Our medical docs do not have tools for fixing the weight problem
Related topics
synthroid, thyroid disease, weight loss (obesity/overweight), hypothyroidism, weight, medicine, medication, thyroid
Further information
- Synthroid uses and safety info
- Synthroid prescribing info & package insert (for Health Professionals)
- Side effects of Synthroid (detailed)
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