Underactive Thyroid Medication Help Lose Weight

Hypothyroidism refers to an underactive thyroid, which can cause weight gain. Taking medication for this condition may help a person lose excess weight.

Treating an underactive thyroid may cause a person to lose some weight, but thyroid medication is not a weight loss drug. People who do not have an underactive thyroid should not take thyroid medications in an attempt to lose weight.

While thyroid medication may help people manage their condition, it is unlikely to dramatically change a person’s weight. In people without thyroid disease, taking thyroid hormones can be dangerous. It may cause an overactive thyroid, called hyperthyroidism.

Synthroid (levothyroxine): Indications, Side Effects, Interactions, And Overdose

A slower metabolism may cause a person to gain weight. People with hypothyroidism, or an underactive thyroid, may gain some weight. This is usually around 5–10 lb, but it may be more or less, depending on the individual.

Hyperthyroidism, a condition where the metabolism is too fast. Hyperthyroidism is dangerous and may even cause thyroid storm — a life threatening condition.

For this reason, it is not safe to use thyroid medication as a weight loss drug, take more than the amount a doctor prescribes, or take thyroid supplements without medical oversight. People should not take thyroid medication in an attempt to lose weight or without the guidance of a doctor.

Losing Weight And Hypothyroidism: Methods And More

The FDA has also approved two other drugs, Armor Thyroid and Nature Thyroid. These drugs use a thyroid hormone made from animal hormones. They have similar side effects to other thyroid drugs.

Some people use these “natural” animal-based thyroid supplements as weight loss drugs. However, this is just as dangerous as using synthetic hormones for weight loss, and it can cause serious risks and side effects.

Iron and calcium supplements and medications such as antacids may make it more difficult for the body to absorb thyroid medication. Individuals should wait to take these drugs until at least 4 hours after taking levothyroxine or other thyroid hormones.

The Link Between Thyroid Hormones And Weight

Thyroid medication does not offer any specific health benefit to people without hypothyroidism. In fact, it may be harmful. It is not a “diet pill, ” and it is unlikely to cause significant weight loss whether or not a person has hypothyroidism.

In older people and those with underlying heart disease, too much thyroid hormone can cause serious heart-health issues. These may include arrhythmias and heart damage.

People taking thyroid medication who develop these side effects should contact a doctor. They can assess their symptoms and test their thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) levels.

How Long After Starting Thyroid Medication Will I Lose Weight?

Talking with a doctor before trying alternative therapies is important, especially if a person has severe hypothyroidism. Using an alternative therapy instead of a proven treatment can be dangerous.

People with hypothyroidism who are hoping to lose weight may find additional support from an endocrinologist, who can evaluate lifestyle, diet, exercise, and factors such as insulin resistance and overall health.

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.

Synthroid (levothyroxine) For Thyroid Replacement Therapy: What You Should Know

Anyone concerned about their weight should contact a doctor and ask about testing for hypothyroidism and other conditions, such as diabetes. People should never take any prescription drug without a doctor’s permission.

Medical News Today has strict sourcing guidelines and draws only from peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical journals and associations. We avoid using tertiary references. We link primary sources — including studies, scientific references, and statistics — within each article and also list them in the resources section at the bottom of our articles. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy.The prevalence of hypothyroidism has increased globally in the past 30 years, and it’s occurrence amongst South African women is common. How many people do you know on thyroid medication?  The most common form of hypothyroidism is Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis which is an autoimmune condition where the immune system mistakenly attacks the thyroid gland. Conventional medicine is equipped to provide symptomatic relief but fails to address the root cause of the problem. Therefore, many patients remain symptomatic despite using prescribed medications and attaining recommended treatment targets. However, the problem is much more complex and requires an integrative medical approach to address the cause of autoimmunity and equilibrate the immune system. Patients do not have to take thyroid medication indefinitely and accept the suffering silently.

A deficiency in thyroid hormones causes a myriad of symptoms and can be difficult to identify as it affects many organs and tissues seemingly unrelated to each other. Additionally, thyroid hormones are used by every cell in the body to regulate the metabolism and body weight by controlling the burning of fat for energy and heat. In Integrative Medicine we like to describe underactive thyroid as having “many faces” i.e. it presents as a collection of different and seemingly disjointed symptoms that are often seen and treated separately by different medical specialties. Below are some examples:

How I Lost 50 Pounds Despite My Thyroid Condition'

 Weight gain and stubborn fat is one of the most common symptoms of an underactive thyroid and often the most common complaint amongst women with this condition.

The first mistake patients make when trying to lose weight is to decrease their caloric intake and portion size. A low calorie diet suppresses thyroid function by facilitating the conversion of T4 thyroid hormone into Reverse T3 thyroid hormone which functions as a ‘break on your car’ and further slows an already slow metabolism. Desperately trying to lose weight, patients undergo various diet programs. These regimens are not do not account for the toxins present in an overweight body and therefore are inefficient at detoxifying these harmful substances. These presence of these toxins further compromise weight loss by decreasing thyroid hormone production, increasing Reverse T3, and perpetuating autoimmunity. Thyroid patients often see excessive weight as an isolated problem and are poorly informed on the role of thyroid hormones and how these correlate to their symptoms. This can leave patients feeling deflated. And because their blood results are often normalised with medications their ongoing medical concerns, including inability to lose weight, are often undermined. So how can depressed, sluggish and tired patients win this battle?

Understanding the cause of an underactive thyroid (and Hashimoto thyroiditis) is the first step in eliminating it. A list of common causes can be seen below:

How To Lose Weight Successfully With Hypothyroidism

Considering all of these underlying causes, it is clear that conventionally prescribing only T4 thyroid drugs will not cure the problem. In fact, many of these patients are convinced that if their blood results are normal, their hypothyroidism is cured! It’s only when the persistence of their symptoms is pointed out that they realise it.

The thyroid gland produces the less active form of the hormone T4 that needs to be converted into a more active form T3. The problem is that a person needs to be perfectly healthy for this to happen! In autoimmune Hashimoto Thyroiditis that is evidently not the case. Low Iodine, Selenium, Iron, Zinc, Vitamin A, B2, B12 and B6 will decrease this conversion. Additionally, high levels of Mercury and Aluminium block this conversion. Furthermore, abnormal cortisol levels due to stress, Vitamin D deficiency, estrogen dominance (birth control pill), high antibody titres stimulate the conversion to Reverse T3 which blocks the activity of the T3 hormone. When T4 medication is given to these unhealthy patients, the conversion into an active T3 form is compromised causing many of the symptoms to persist.

The only way to address weight issues in these patients is to find and eliminate the underlying causes. Hypothyroidism is a complex and stubborn condition requiring a comprehensive integrative medical approach incorporating lifestyle and dietary interventions as well as detoxification, stress control, and hormonal balance for a successful outcome. Underactive thyroid with the inability to lose weight doesn’t have to be an ongoing condition!Hypothyroidism and weight gain often go hand in hand. Indeed, weight gain is one of the more common symptoms associated with an underactive thyroid. Understandably, many people assume that taking thyroid medication will help them lose weight. Some doctors even prescribe it to help with weight loss (which is a big no-no in the absence of thyroid disease.) Ahead, determine how much weight you can expect to lose once you start taking thyroid medication and if it is a sustainable solution.

Thyroid Medications And Weight Loss

Your thyroid is the master of the body's metabolism. It helps regulate how fast you use and store energy, and it also controls growth and development. Thyroid hormones regulate everything from your heart rate and body temperature to your skin's moisture and hair growth.

Not surprisingly, thyroid hormone can play a significant role in weight. People who produce too much thyroid hormone (hyperthyroidism) have a faster metabolism, which generally makes it hard to gain weight. 

On the contrary, people with an underactive thyroid have a slower metabolism, making it harder to utilize and burn energy. Not only that, low thyroid hormone causes fatigue, sluggishness, and joint pain, which can take away your motivation to exercise.

Hashimoto's Flare Up Symptoms

One of the more surprising side effects of low thyroid hormone is a diminished appetite. Thus, while people with hypothyroidism often struggle with weight gain, the thyroid