Is it safe to take levothyroxine to lose weight?

Question

I am taking levothyroxine to lose weight and I do not have a thyroid problem. What are some of the risk or problems I could encounter using this drug to lose weight?

Accepted Answer

Levothyroxine is a synthetic thyroid hormone prescribed to treat low thyroid function, also known as hypothyroidism. Low thyroid function slows down the metabolism and this can lead to weight gain. Taking levothyroxine to treat hypothyroidism can help to normalise metabolism which may lead to weight loss.

Levothyroxine contains a boxed warning saying that it should not be used for the treatment of obesity or weight loss.

Taking levothyroxine for weight loss when not indicated can cause overdose symptoms. These symptoms include nervousness, insomnia, emotional swings, sweating, hand tremor, hair loss, sensitivity to warm temperatures (feeling hot all the time), muscle weakness, shortness of breath, heart failure and angina, confusion and disorientation. Periods may stop. Stroke, shock, coma and death have been reported as symptoms of overdosage.

The best way to lose weight is to cut back calories and increase activity, especially aerobic activity, to burn stored fat.

For more information on weight loss visit:
https://www.drugs.com/condition/weight-loss.html

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I work with an endocrinologist, and I also have hypothyroidism. Your thyroid regulates all of your hormones so it&rsquo;s constantly changing to adjust your hormone levels. So that&rsquo;s why you see the switch between hypo and hyper. I was prescribed levothyroxine by primary doc which many people are and they don&rsquo;t really know enough about the disease and the function the of the thyroid . So no it&rsquo;s not true it&rsquo;s that once your on the medication your on it for life unless you&rsquo;ve had your thyroid removed. You should ask to be referred to the endocrinologist if your thyroid levels are off before being placed on medication.

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Yes

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Levothyroxine is not a medication to play with. For weight loss is a terrible idea. My father is on levothyroxine 112mg daily. (He’s been on 100mg, 125mg, 110mg, and probably a few more! We have lots of useless bottles sitting in closet, VERY possible to have many on hand until the right dose is found!) anyway, when I first became a care giver for my dad he was in a bad place in life, (numerous stressors) he was combative, angry, NOT sleeping at all, down right mean at times. These behaviors built up, he was angry at me over a trivial thing and it seemed he couldn’t stop being angry. After 2-3 days it worsened, he began hallucinating and violent. We went to ER and found his TSH level was 27. He’s 75 and has a bit of dementia, apparently the TSH being so high exacerbated the dementia and caused the entire problem. It took 3 1/2 weeks to lower the TSH, his personality changed permanently, little things, but definitely CHANGED.

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He had been quit smoking 20 years started back the day out of hospital... )
For someone to randomly take a med that could put them into this kind of awful state is absolutely ridiculous!
The most irresponsible and stupid choice all in hope of losing weight? REALLY? You want to lose weight put down the sodas and carbs, eat some fresh vegetables and MOVE YOUR ARSE! Do not put your loved ones in an awful situation having to take care of you just because of stupidity and vanity.

Votes: +1

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NO! The issue is not why does your friend have extra Levothyroxine. That is of no matter. My thyroid is very unpredictable so I can be on 75mcg for 6 weeks then be increased to 110mcg then decreased to 88mcg. So I have ended up with extra. But I would never, ever give that drug to someone else. And to take a hormone regulating drug without the correlating diagnosis and doctor script is a very dangerous game. You might not e even FEEL the damage being done until it is irreversible!! STOP TAKING THAT DRUG NOW!!

Answer

ATTENTION! THIS MEDICATION COMES WITH A BLACK BOX WARNING! A black box warning alerts doctors and patients of serious and fatal side effects. The following is quoted directly from the black box:
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WARNING: NOT FOR TREATMENT OF OBESITY OR FOR WEIGHT LOSS
Thyroid hormones, including Levothyroxine sodium tablets, either alone or with other therapeutic agents, should not be used for the treatment of obesity or for weight loss.

In euthyroid patients, doses within the range of daily hormonal requirements are ineffective for weight reduction.

Larger doses may produce serious or even life threatening manifestations of toxicity, particularly when given in association with sympathomimetic amines such as those used for their anorectic effects [see Adverse Reactions (6), Drug Interactions (7.7), and Overdosage (10)].
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@dissensiom - you wrote on 3 Apr 2015
[[Yeah, thanks. If people wanted to do things the "old-fashioned" way, we would. But in modern day times, there's easier ways to lose weight. If there is a quick, easy way to lose weight, I'm not going to choose a long and hard way. That's common sense.]]

I know this it's a really old post but I hope my response will counteract your ignorance and help someone else...

It has been PROVEN time and time again (and it continues to be tested and proven) that EVEN IN "MODERN DAY TIMES" THERE IS -NO- QUICK, EASY WAY TO SAFELY LOSE WEIGHT. Any weight that is lost "fast and easy" will come at a price. Many people in this thread have already outlined the dangers of abusing thyroid hormones. Other "miracle pills" or sudden dramatic change in diet and exercise
(ie. programs as seen on "The Biggest Loser" of which 90% of contestants immediately regained more weight than they lost) commonly cause long term METABOLISM DYSFUNCTION.

When I was 22yrs old my weight was stable and hang changed for years but I had just 15lbs I wanted to lose. I started taking diet pills and lowered my daily calorie intake from around 1600 calories to 1000 calories. I lost the weight in 8 days. After going off the pills and back to my regular diet I GAINED 65 LBS BACK WITHIN 12 WEEKS! I struggled with my weight for 16 YEARS! My story is COMMON.

Don't fall into the same trap. Find a good doctor or nutritionist to help you build a weight loss or fitness plan tailored to you individual medical needs. If your doctor prescribes thyroid meds for weight loss REPORT them to your state's medical board as it is a MAJOR violation.

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Nickki - your strategy is one of the destructive strategies Karen Carpenter did - for exactly the reason you state. She also had a normal thyroid, but still took thyroid medication to try to speed up her metabolism, in order to  lose weight . Karen ended up dead - you may too, if you did what she did.

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That is a very bad idea, taking a gland altering medication in attempt to achieve a separate result.

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I know this thread is a little old, but it sure has generated a lot of replies. Some of which, correctly cited the dangers of taking any medication for which you have not been prescribed. However, some expressed an interest in engaging in the exact same behavior, which is why I feel a need to add my two cents. I have hypothyroidism (an under-active thyroid). I was diagnosed in my mid-20’s. I will be 60 next year. So, I have been on snythroid/levothyroxine for almost 4 decades.

I personally believe hypothyroidism and weight are not as related as one might think. I am 5’2” and except when I was pregnant, my weight has always been between 115 lbs. and 120 lbs. Individuals with under-active thyroids have very low energy levels, which can result in a more sedentary life-style. Left untreated, hypothyroidism causes extreme fatigue.

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Hypothyroidism and weight gain are instead connected by the fatigue caused by the condition, which promotes inactivity, resulting in less caloric burn. I most likely, avoided the weight issue because; I was a single working mom. My schedule was always full. Sedentary behavior was craved, but not an option. I was always tired.

I was not over-weight before I began taking levothyroxine/synthroid, nor did I loose any weight after I began the medication. It is dangerous to take such a powerful drug, when it is not medically necessary. I also don’t believe it will actually achieve the results you want. Please consider some life-style changes instead. There are plenty of support groups around to help you make those changes. MeetUp.com is a great place to find folks with similar interests. It sounds like it but, it is NOT a dating site.

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What happens if you take the medication synthroid when not needed

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I wouldn't know!

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I'm a doctor with hypothyroidism. Taking thyroid medicine when you don't have a thyroid problem is dangerous. All you have to do is look up hyper thyroidism, and you will see all of the symptoms and signs that you would develop if you use I read medicine when your thyroid is normal.

That being said if you do have hypothyroidism, your labs will not always be off. There's a very good website that addresses this it's called the National Academy of Hypothyroidism. It details why current lab tests are fairly useless in determining whether someone has a low thyroid. The best way to tell if you have a low thyroid is to talk to your doctor about your symptoms.
I myself have hypothyroidism and when I started taking the right medication at the right dose, I lost 35 pounds. This is because my metabolism was too slow previously and is now normal. Again taking thyroid hormone when your thyroid is functioning properly is a terrible idea. I just wanted to clear up some of the miss information here.

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You are all wrong. Professional Bodybuilders use both T3 and T4 to cut for contests. Most of the time they are also using HGH along with it to preserve muscle mass. It will most definitely cause you to lose weight. However the dose of T4 you are taking isn't enough to cause a significant change in metabolic rate because your body converts T4 into T3 on a cellular level. It will only convert what you need to be " optimal ", granted you are taking a great enough amount. If you were taking T3 directly then you could , more than likely would, induce problems with your health because T3 is regulated by the body. It will only allow so much to be produced naturally. When you induce more than what naturally is converted from T4 it becomes " artificial ". Now your body can't regulate the T3 and you will have problems. So , without a proper dose being administered by a trained professional, it isn't wise to use T3.

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T4 , on the other hand, will not hurt you because only so much will be converted to T3 up to your natural level then it becomes unusable by your body because your body will only use what it needs. So , if you have an under active thyroid , you will benifit from taking the T4. If not then it will make no difference at all. I will conclude with saying that it's never wise to take any medication , drug , hormone , or anything without first consulting and having a complete check up with your doctor or trained licensed medical professional.

Votes: +1

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Hi, I know this is an old thread, but is anyone still taking Levothyroxine for  weight loss ?

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Hey Everyone... I see many posts here who complain of thyroid problem whether it is hypo or hyper...

I tell all of you the 100% sure shot treatment pls request to all of u do it 1st and then see result after it u can through all your medicine in dustbeen.

Do kapalbhanti Exercise twice a day 15 min each... and see result in 2 months only.
Do only ONLY in fresh air outside home
In room you new diseases may come due to dirty air...

See google for it

Process is

Exhale breath at once like pumping in 1 sec and inhale normaly 2 sec. Thats it its most powerful pranayam or exercise. Do it and be happy

May god bless u aalll

Is it safe to take levothyroxine to lose weight?

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