on synthroid and gaining weight

I'm in the same boat here. I've been using Synthroid for about 5 weeks. I started a vigourous exercise program and went from 193 to 182 in 2 weeks. Then the Synthroid kicked in. I was actually doing more cardio and eating stricter and I shot up to 187 and have been there the last 2 weeks. I just had my blood checked and should have results by Tuesday. Regardless of what the Doc says, I'm done with this stuff. I actually feel worse now than when I started taking Synthroid.

I just started taking Synthroid 2 weeks ago and gained 10 more lbs than I had already gained when I was found to be hypo. I'm not taking that stuff anymore. I'm so afraid of gaining more weight. I saw some natural thyroid replacement formulas for T3 and will definately go that route. I didn't have any symptoms to start with before my doc put me on that. Thanks to all for your postings. Very helpful.

I didn't even know I had low thyroid. I have been losing weight. I am almost down 100 pounds. My Dr. ran some routine tests and for some reason threw in thyroid without my knowledge and when they called me to tell me my liver function was normal, and my cholesterol was great, they informed me my thyroid was a little low and they wanted me to come in for a re-check. I came back, gave more blood and test came back barely low so she put me on .025 of Synthroid. Within 4 days I had gained 3.5 pounds and felt bloated. I work out 5 days a week and eat a very lean, and healthy diet of high fiber, low fat foods. I don't stray from what I do...PERIOD. They only change was the addition of this medication. So after 10 days of it I decided I wasn't taking it. In the mean time I had another blood draw and the Synthroid had brought me into the normal range. So Dr. calls and wanted me to increase to .050 to get me to the high normal range and I said NO. I went in today and she was not happy. She was actually ticked off..and I could tell. She asked me when my period was...told me that maybe that is why I gained 3.5 pounds. I could tell she didn't really believe me and that bothered me. I have worked so hard to loose the weight I have that I am very careful about what I do...so I know what I know. She said in the 12 years she had been prescribing it she had never had a patient GAIN weight taking it. I did not want to tangle with her so I just kept my mouth shut. I just rather try and deal with this naturally if I can...especially if my thyroid is barely low and I have been extremely successful losing weight on my own through healthy eating and exercise. I am so glad I found this thread because it really gave me validation when I was crying on the scale for a few days wondering what in the heck was going on.

I have to wonder....if this doctor never had a patient gain weight while taking Synthroid maybe they do not have any patients on Synthroid.

This stuff caused me some issues while I was taking it also. Not only did I gain weight (even though my thyroid functions were where they should be) my face was so swollen it made me look like a chipmunk.

I have been taking Armour thyroid for awhile. It hasn't increased my metabolism any but at least it got rid of my swollen face and puffy eyes.

I have been on synthroid for about 4 months and I gained 22 lbs already even thought I watch what I eat

i have been on this med. scince i was 10 years old . i am now 29 years old i take .600 of synthriod a day. i can not get the weight off. i love how they tell u to loose weight. i just do not undertand. can u help?

Well, this makes sense to me . I actually never even knew there was a class action suit againt Synthoid manufacturers until today when one of my Aunts told me and also about the weight gain. I've been taking synthroid for approximately 12 years. It was a crusial part of why I was unable to carry a pregnancy and kept loosing babies.
For me levothyroxin was even worse causing extremes in everything except the blood results. Doctors told me it was all in my head, it took a pharmacist to tell me there was an FDA noncompliance in affect in 1997 on levothyroxin that took it off the market temperarily.
However, it seems synthroid didn't fair much better.
I've learned to do research on my own as much as possible.
Going in and just telling the Doctors all the symptoms lead to "uh, hu, what other stresses do you have going on, lets do some labs."
Last Doctor did labs to the tune of 1000.00 and when those came back inconclusive she wanted to run more.
Though exercise is good, it's hard to choose between exercising and being wrung out or just doing the day to day necessities and feeling wiped.
Though the valleys and peaks of t3 being dumped into my system are not as drastic on synthroid, it hasn't been the complete answer.

I think for women this maybe true due to other hormones but my dad had thyroid cancer 20 years ago and has no thyroid. He takes 5x the normal small dose and weighs the same as back then 200 pounds. I had my 3/4 of thyroid out and am not on synthroid because my levels appear normal but I have gain weight since my thyroid out and don't take synthroid. my doctor thinks I should be on some due to my problelms.

The class action suit was in relation to the manufacturer overcharging for the medication, not it's effectiveness. As with anything, some will have positive reactions, others will not. No different than anything else. It's our responsibility to be as persistant as possible with our physicians and if we aren't getting the results we think we should, then it's time to go somewhere else.

I have been complaining of hypothyroidism symptoms for quite some time, so I am glad someone finally listened and saw that it is indeed off. I have only recently started the synthroid and definitely do not wish to gain anymore weight as that is part of what took me to the doctor to begin with, BUT....it's all trial and error and no magic cure so I will plug along and hopefully find a happy medium to this issue.

I wish everyone else success!

When I was taking synthroid I was find, I did not gain weight but, when I change insurance and they would only pay for generic and I starting taking levothyroxine that's when I arting having problems with gaining weight. I started eating healthy. I stop eating junk food, no cold drinks but my weight would go up and down. Now that I am 53 years old I have started gaining weight and I hardly eat anything.
Deiting does not help. I tried taking diet pill, didn't help. The only diet that helped was the colon cleasne diet.