First-line weight administration strategies embrace dietary and train modifications, however your physician might be able to prescribe an extra treatment to assist your targets.
Nonetheless, being trustworthy along with your physician about your historical past, wants, and unintended effects is significant. Weight reduction medicines can intrude with how your physique absorbs thyroid hormone substitute. Relying in your state of affairs, this may occasionally imply weight reduction treatment isn’t a very good match, or it might require an adjustment of your present treatment dosing.
What Is Hypothyroidism and How Does It Have an effect on Weight?
Hypothyroidism happens when your thyroid doesn’t produce sufficient thyroid hormone. The situation usually develops because of an autoimmune dysfunction, resembling Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, during which your immune system assaults your thyroid. Different causes embrace congenital anomalies, sure medicines, and elimination or radiation of the thyroid gland as a part of the therapy for hyperthyroidism — an overactive thyroid gland.
When your thyroid does not produce sufficient hormones, your metabolism, or the speed at which your physique burns energy, slows down. Not solely can this result in weight achieve, however you may additionally really feel fatigued, weak, depressed, and extra delicate to chilly.
How Does Levothyroxine (Synthroid) Work?
Do Medical doctors Prescribe Weight Loss Drugs With Synthroid?
Relying in your medical historical past, together with your present medicines, a health care provider would possibly prescribe a drug to assist wholesome weight reduction.
In case your healthcare supplier does prescribe a drugs, it is going to be a chunk of an total weight reduction plan, together with adjusted bodily exercise and balanced food regimen ideas. Under are a couple of widespread and potential choices for medicines that may assist weight reduction or upkeep.
Orlistat (Alli)
Metformin (Glucophage)
Metformin (Glucophage) is a kind 2 diabetes treatment that medical doctors prescribe for weight reduction, together with extra therapy choices like dietary modifications.
GLP-1 Receptor Agonists and Levothyroxine
Your small gut makes a hormone known as GLP-1. This hormone:
- Triggers the discharge of insulin from the pancreas
- Blocks the liver from secreting glucagon, the hormone used to extend blood sugar
- Slows digestion
- Will increase the sensation of fullness after meals
- The novelty of GLP-1 RAs: As a latest innovation, there’s ongoing dialog concerning the potential influence of GLP-1 RAs on thyroid perform and medicines like levothyroxine.
- The impact of physique weight on levothyroxine dose: Your physician will work out a levothyroxine dose primarily based in your physique weight. In case your physique weight considerably decreases on GLP-1 inhibitors, they might have to control how a lot levothyroxine you’re taking. It could imply that the levothyroxine dose you’re taking is just too excessive.
- Adjustments in absorption: GLP-1 RAs might have an effect on how your physique absorbs levothyroxine, as they sluggish the speed at which your abdomen empties.
In the event you take levothyroxine and a healthcare skilled has additionally prescribed GLP-1 RAs, they might have to verify your thyroid hormone ranges extra usually and ensure your levothyroxine dose is best for you.
The right way to Lose Weight Safely Whereas Taking Levothyroxine
- Meditation
- Mindfulness
- Each day train or motion
- A rise or a shift in bodily exercise: Relying in your means degree, this may occasionally embrace actions like taking the steps as an alternative of the elevator, biking to work, or participating in deliberate or structured train. Some hypothyroidism signs like fatigue, low temper, or muscle aches could make train tougher, so begin slowly and construct up at your consolation degree.
- Adjustments to your food regimen: Keep on with meals that present the correct quantity of energy on your weight, top, exercise degree, and medical standing in a means that fills you up. Pure, entire meals that present good servings of protein, fiber, wholesome fat, complicated carbs, and plant-based meals can assist long-term weight reduction.
- Getting sufficient sleep: Lack of sleep throws off your schedule, making it tougher to stay to your meal and train plans. It will possibly additionally have an effect on ranges of hormones that make you hungry, ghrelin and leptin. Getting sufficient sleep helps wholesome bodily capabilities and improves your total temper.
Your physician might select to start out you on a short-term treatment as a complement to those modifications. But when your healthcare skilled doesn’t assume the out there medicines are appropriate, secure weight reduction whereas on levothyroxine continues to be achievable.
Begin by sharing your full medical historical past along with your doctor, and keep in communication with them about any modifications you discover.
The Takeaway
- Levothyroxine (Synthroid) usually results in improved metabolism and weight administration when you’ve got hypothyroidism, however additional measures like food regimen and bodily exercise modifications or medicines might assist.
- Some weight reduction medicines, resembling orlistat (Alli) and metformin (Glucophage), can intrude with levothyroxine absorption, which can necessitate dosage changes or extra thyroid monitoring.
- Incorporating life-style modifications like elevated bodily exercise, dietary changes, and efficient stress administration strategies can assist weight reduction and total well-being whereas residing with hypothyroidism.
- At all times talk about along with your physician earlier than beginning or discontinuing any weight reduction treatment or therapy, significantly when you take levothyroxine, to attenuate potential dangers or interactions.
