Consumer Health Forums

I have had an UT for quite some time, and am on 125mcg of thyroxine a day, but I still find I feel tired easily and my feet are always cold. I can't lose any of the 4 stone I put on before I was diagnosed.
My GP says that my levels are in the normal range and won't prescribe more, but my friend's GP upped hers and she lost loads of weight.
What should I do?

What does the thyroxine do? Has it something to do with your difficulty in losing weight a well?

It is the drugs I have to take every day to balance my thyroid, but I don't think I'm getting enough.

You are entitled to ask for a second opinion. Is your Dr 'friendly' in that this is something you could approach him/her about? Or are they a 'difficult' sort? To be honest.. either way.. you do have the right to ask for another GP's interpretation.

__________________
34yrs old - 6'2 14st 20% body fat [] Target: 15st 11% Body Fat 300Ib bench press and 5 mile run twice a week by Christmas 2008!

Any advise I give is based purely on my own experience or opinion. It should not be solely relied upon as an authoritative statement of the law or as a source of medical advice. Please seek professional advice if in doubt. If this post has helped please click the +rep button.

I'm on Thyroxine too, and frankly I find it makes little difference to me, except that my nails are less prone to breaking. I think I'm on the same dose as you, but I understand that it can cause problems if you take too much thyroxine too. I was actually pleased when my thyroid problem was diagnosed and expected to lose weight, as a friend of mine did, but it doesn't happen, which I find quite distressing. Ask your doctor to explain what thyroxine does and you should understand it a bit better.

After a year of dieting with the assistance of the doctor and a dietician, and even prescribed diet pills, I lost 5lb. Believe me, I'm much more overweight than you.

Did you know that if you don't eat enough your metabolism slows down, so even it you eat very little you can still put on weight as your body thinks it's starving and slows down. Eat regular healthy meals and exercise (if you aren't too exhausted). I'm told green tea helps boost the metabolism too, but it didn't help me. Maybe it'll help you.

One thing to avoid with an UT is achohol. This tends to slow your metabolism very quickly.

i had an overactive thyroid & was treated for 18 months & finally had to have surgery (13 years ago) resulting in me now having an underactive thyroid. this is treated with 150 mcg thyroxine daily & i have a yearly blood test to check the levels are correct. if the dose it correct your body should act 'normal' & shouldnt prevent you from losing weight.

how long have you been taking thyroxine?...at the beginning it is a case of starting off on a lower level then increasing it until your doctor finds that your blood results show you are at the right level.

Quote from my medical book:
''Although by taking excessive thyroxine a sense of well-being, increased energy and even weight loss may be acheived in the short-term, there are long term dangers to the heart and a possibility of increasing the rate of bone thinning and therefore encouraging the developement of oeseoporosis.''

sounds like your doctor is happy that your levels fall within the desirable levels but i would voice your concerns with your GP & maybe you could get the dose altered on a short-term arrangement to see if it makes a difference in both your well-being & your blood test results.

good luck

ps i get cold feet too

I have an underactive thyroid, can't lose weight, and my little fat feet are always freezing
Have been on 150mcg of thyroxine for 3 years

I found since being diagnosed I suffer awful hangovers, and if I drink spirits I get drunk really quick.
Course it could be old age as well.

I think that it's the alcohol that causes hangovers not the thyroid.

Just put a small amount in a glass, perhaps with a mixer to dilute it and sip slowly instead of downing the bottle.

No, I think you'll find it's the alcohol.