Question:
What is the wieght loss going to be like for someone who has a Hypothyroid?

I have a Hypothyroid, I take a high dose of Synthroid daily....I have had a big struggle over the past few years with wieght gain...I really would like to know with this conndition am I going to have less of a loss then someone with a normal thyroid....and are there other complications because I have this?    — Tami E. (posted on November 22, 2004)

November 22, 2004
Hi there. I have no thyroid, and take .375 synthroid daily. At 10 months out, I am down to 164 lbs, from my pre-surgery weight of 277 lbs...I do need lotsa vitamins and take B-12 shots, but so do many others as well. I feel so much better! Good luck to you, and dont worry you'll lose, and more than likely the Doc will have to lower your synthroid as well as you lose...
   — missdjv

November 22, 2004
I only have half a thyroid, and the remainder has "spots", so it is supressed. I am on Levoxyl, another brand of synthetic thyroid hormone. (I was on Synthroid, but it seemed to lose it's effectiveness after about 6 months!)My weight loss was sort of slow, stopped at 8 months out, but that was just me. As long as your hypothyroidism is treated, you should not have problems losing weight.
   — koogy

November 22, 2004
I also have Hypothyroid and take 225 MCG of Synthroid everyday. In a few more days I will 3 months post op and have already lost 60 pounds. I too, in the beginning thought I would have a terrible time losing the weight more so than others that do not have Hypothyroid, but I think I have done very well. Good Luck.
   — Sherri C.

November 22, 2004
I take .75 thyroxine, before WLS surgery I was on 9 medications plus 100 cc of insulin everyday, the thyroid medication is the only meds that I am still using. My surgeon told me that the thyroid did not usually change with the gastric bypass, and for me he was correct. I get my regular TSH test and they stay normal, so I have stayed on my thyroid meds. I am 15 months post-op, and I feel like being on thyroid meds has made no difference in my weight loss, I have been at goal now for 2 months.
   — cindy

November 22, 2004
You will do great. I have been on thyroid medicine since 1970. I had gastric bypass on 4June04 and have lost 85 lbs. This has been the easiest weight loss I have ever had. Also, when my dr. checked my thyroid about 4 wks ago, my medicine stayed the same. It had been changing up or down for about 10 yrs. Good luck!!
   — juju524

November 23, 2004
Hi there. I am also hypothyroid, and take a minimal dose (50 mcg of levothyroxine) ever since 1/2 of my thyroid was removed in 2001 because of nodules (which turned out to be benign). I had my surgery in July 2003, and have lost 105 lbs. so far (still losing). I was a little concerned that I might have problems losing weight, but everything has gone well for me. Keep taking your meds and you WILL lose the weight. Good luck to you! (Open Proximal RNY, 7/7/03, 227/122/?, 5'1")
   — sweetmana

November 23, 2004
Tami I take synthroid 2.0 and have been taking this medication for a number of years. I had gastric bypass surgery on June 10,2002. I have gone from 323 pounds to 134 which is below my goal weight. I lost an average of between 10-18 pounds monthly for about the first 8 months then it tapered down to about 1 1/2-2 pounds weekly. I have had several times had some periods where I didn't lose anything for a few weeks. I would just get back into the swing of things like eating lots of protein, lots of water/liquids etc. Just follow the pouch rules and you should do very well in the weight loss. Just remember, we are all different and the weight loss isn't going to be the same for you as it will be for someone else with the same medical issues. So don't get discouraged if you don't lose like others. If you want to chat more about this with me just drop me an email to [email protected] Blessed Be and Best of Luck Deb
   — Deb S.

April 18, 2005
SYNTHROID IS NOT THE ONLY ANSWER! Please beware that family practitioners are NOT trained about the thyroid in medical school. Endocrinologists should always be approached when you are hypothyroid. There is another factor that many women are affected by and that is a lack of the thyroid hormone T3. If you have a T3 problem, no amount of Synthroid will help you because it only provides the hormone T4. I nearly died from this oversight and not knowing better... And I slowed down and even gained 30lbs back post op while my thyroid went through some fluctuations (post op infection caused higher thyroid stress) You know yourself. Don't be shy to demand to feel ok. Good Luck! -160 lbs so far and counting!!! http://www.geocities.com/propesrl/surgery.html
   — Rachel Propes