Question:
Hypothyroid- Medication Increased POST OP, Why?
I'm 4 1/2 months out, and I've had hypothyriod for years and even though my doses have been low (I was taking 50mg before surgery), my PCP says it's gotten worse and upped my dose to 75mg! How can losing almost 70lbs {at a slow rate I might add}effect my thyriod to going from almost ok to worse? Has anyone else experienced this? Does that effect my weight loss? What do I need to do to stablize it or make it normal? Is it out of our hands? Is thyriod forever? What else does it effect? RNY 09/20/02 275lbs/205lbs — jennifer O. (posted on February 6, 2003)
February 6, 2003
I'm also hypothyroid, and losing weight should not cause your thyroid
function to "get worse". I would think that it's a coincidence.
I've had some minor fluctuation in my meds over the years, but if your
thyroid does not produce enough hormone, that's just the way it is and I
haven't heard that there's anything we can do to help it. Hypothyroidism
will affect your weight if you're not on meds... a low thyroid could make
you gain weight. My doc has told me I'll need replacement therapy
(synthroid) for the rest of my life. Here's a weird bit of info... the
surgeon's PA said that they had a few WLS patients that got OFF thyroid
medication after surgery but they can't figure out why since losing weight
should not have impacted thyroid function. Weird, huh?
— mom2jtx3
February 6, 2003
I haven't personally had this problem, my thyroid meds have stayed the same
post op..but I have heard some of our medications may not be as well
absorbed post op (When you think about it, it makes sense..if you aren't
absorbing all of the food or vitamins the same thing would apply to
meds..). Maybe you just have to take more because you aren't absorbing all
of it.
— sheltie
February 6, 2003
I had the same thing happen, I am almost a year out. and have only lost 81
pounds. my thyroid medication started at 35 just before surgery date, then
upped to 75, now they upped it to 100. I dont understand it either.
— Michele H.
February 6, 2003
I also took thyorid meds.Now I DO NOT HAVE to take anything for it.Had RNY
on Aug 1,2002 and have not taken any meds since.All blood work comes back
o.k.My PCP does not understand it. But if it works don't bother it.Brenda
— Brenda N.
February 6, 2003
I have hypothyroidism and my endocrinologist warned me before surgery that
I might need to start taking a higher dose of medicine because of
malabsorption of the Synthroid. It is not that your thyroid is getter
worse, your medicine isn't as effective as it used to be. **kelly
— Kelly T.
February 6, 2003
hi - i haven't had my surgery yet , but i take 175 mg a day .if some of you
are having to take a higher dosage after surgery , i wonder if i will too
or i will be a lucky one and be able to stop taking mine all together . my
pcp told me before that thyroid is forever , so maybe time will tell .maybe
if you get more active as you lose , you might be able to cut back or off
........ good luck !!!!!!!!
— patti G.
February 6, 2003
I have been taking Synthroid for almost 27 years since a partial
thyroidectomy in 1976 for Hashimoto's thyroiditis. For many, many years,
I took 200 mcg but several years ago, my PCP decreased it to 175 mcg (this
was during the time of my greatest weight gain). Since my surgery last
July, my dosage has increased back to 200 mcg...JR (open RNY 07/17 -151
lbs)
— John Rushton
February 6, 2003
I just had my thyroid checked a couple of weeks ago and my doc told me to
increase my meds also. I think the poster who mentioned malabsorption is
probably on the right track. My dose has fluctuated between .2 mg and .225
mg for quite some time, but it was just upped to .250 mg. And, yes, that
decimal point is correct. It's not 2 mg, but 2 tenths of a milligram or 2
micrograms.
— garw
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... You know yourself. Don't be shy to demand to feel
ok. Good Luck! -160 lbs and counting so far!!!
http://www.geocities.com/propesrl/surgery.html
— Rachel Propes
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