Can taking medication for hyperthyroidism cause weight gain?

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Hyperthyroidism will cause weight loss, once hyperthyroidism is treated, the weight loss that the patient experienced before treatment will be reversed. However, many people are not prepared for the possibility of weight gain that causes them to exceed their normal weight. Although weight gain or weight gain is a side effect of hyperthyroidism medication, stopping treatment is NOT a good decision.

1. What is the relationship between thyroid gland and body weight?

Thyroid is an endocrine gland located in the lower front of the neck, shaped like a butterfly. The function of the thyroid gland is to make thyroid hormones, which are secreted into the bloodstream and then carried to every tissue in the body. Thyroid hormone helps the body use energy, stay warm, and keep the brain, heart, muscles and other organs functioning as they should.
The complex relationship between thyroid diseases, body weight and metabolism is a unified whole. Among them, thyroid hormones regulate metabolism in both animals and humans. Metabolism is determined by measuring the amount of oxygen used by the body over a specific period of time. If the measurement is taken at rest, this is the basis of the metabolic rate. This measurement was one of the earliest tests used to evaluate thyroid status.
Patients with an underactive thyroid have a low metabolic rate and conversely, those with an overactive thyroid have a high metabolic rate. Later studies linked these observations to thyroid measurements based on hormone levels and showed that low thyroid hormone leads to a low metabolic rate and vice versa.

2. What is the relationship between metabolic rate and body weight?

Differences in metabolic rate are related to changes in energy balance. Energy balance reflects the difference between the number of calories a person eats and the number of calories the body uses.
Based on such studies, changes in thyroid hormone levels in the body have been found to lead to changes in metabolic rate, which also cause changes in energy balance. and similar changes in body weight.
However, metabolic rate is not the only factor that is related to body weight and thyroid. In particular, when metabolic rate is reduced in animals (for example by lowering body temperature), weight gain is also not expected. As such, the relationship between metabolic rate energy balance and weight change is complex. There are many other hormones (besides the thyroid), protein, and other chemicals that are important for controlling energy expenditure, food intake, and body weight.
However, of the known factors, thyroid hormone is considered to have a key role in energy metabolism in cells in the body in general, indirectly affecting muscle weight. can in particular.

3. What is the relationship between hyperthyroidism and body weight?

Metabolic rate in patients with hyperthyroidism is observed to be elevated, with many patients exhibiting significant weight loss. Indeed, an overactive thyroid leads to weight loss, which is the reason for many visits to the doctor.
Furthermore, weight loss is associated with the severity of overactive thyroid. For example, if the thyroid becomes overactive for any reason, the individual's metabolic rate will increase resulting in an increase in calories needed to maintain body weight. If the person does not increase calorie intake to match the excess calories burned, weight loss will result.
As pointed out earlier, the factors that control appetite, metabolism and body functioning are complex and thyroid hormone is only one factor in this complex. However, this is a core factor, the more clearly the patient exhibits hyperthyroidism, the more weight loss will be.
In addition, weight loss is also observed in other conditions, whenever thyroid hormone is elevated, such as during thyrotoxicosis due to thyroiditis or if the dose of hormone supplements thyroid gland is too high for one patient. Since hyperthyroidism also increases appetite, some patients may not lose weight but may actually gain weight, depending on how much calorie intake increases.

4. Why do I gain weight when taking medicine to treat hyperthyroidism?

Since hyperthyroidism is an abnormal state, the body will lose weight and will gain weight again when this abnormal state is reversed.
On average, body weight lost in hyperthyroidism is regained when hyperthyroidism is effectively treated with antithyroid drugs. Even taking hyperthyroid drugs can cause weight gain, especially when the patient initially loses little or no weight because the patient may be used to eating more calories because of the extra energy consumed in the case of hyperthyroidism. .

5. How to prevent weight gain - side effects of hyperthyroid drugs

If thyroid function has been stabilized, the patient is now back to a reasonable weight. To maintain this healthy weight, as a way to cope with the side effect of hyperthyroidism causing weight gain, the patient should make a plan to maintain the weight now, rather than reducing the dose of the drug on their own without delay. prescribed by a doctor. Ways to help avoid weight gain are outlined below, which should be built as a daily habit:
Consciously control food intake by proactively checking calories per unit of food. ; building a healthy menu, foods rich in fiber, fruits, limiting starch, fat; limit soft drinks or use sugar to sweeten foods; Eat right, avoid fasting or skipping meals. Limit alcohol consumption. Exercise regularly to increase energy consumption; Focus on strength and endurance exercises. Avoid stress, know how to manage work. Get enough sleep Need a companion to eat, exercise, lose weight, maintain ideal weight. In summary, taking medication for hyperthyroidism has been shown to cause weight gain. However, dealing with this side effect is not about giving up treatment on your own, but building a suitable adaptive lifestyle; at the same time, follow the medical regimen to help control thyroid function effectively as well as coordinate with surgical intervention if indicated. In addition, to effectively screen for thyroid disease, each person should practice the habit of periodic health checkups. Currently, Vinmec is implementing a lot of general health checkup packages suitable for each age, gender and individual needs of customers with very preferential price policy, including:
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References: healthline.com, thyroid.org