Weight gain on thyroxine only therapy

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I have lifted this information and references from the paper I have just completed on T4/T3 replacement therapy for hypothyroidism.

Luv - Sheila

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"In another study in which patients were rendered hypothyroid by therapeutic destruction of the thyroid gland, some participants were given TSH-suppressive dosages of thyroid hormone and others given T4 replacement. Those on TSH-suppressive dosages did not gain excess weight; those on T4-replacement did. The researchers concluded that T4-replacement was the cause of the excess weight gain1. Other studies have shown that treatment of obesity using T3 alone with a very low calorie diet helps reduce weight.1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9 and interestingly, a study published in the European Journal of Endocrinology (Ortega et al 2008) concluded that T3 concentrations might play a role in the regulation of insulin secretion.10

1. Tigas, S., Idiculla, J., Beckett, G., and Toft, A.: Is excessive weight gain after ablative treatment of hyperthyroidism due to inadequate thyroid hormone therapy? Thyroid, 10(12):1107-1111, 2000

2. R, Grant AM, AN, Mills IH. Treatment of obesity with triiodothyronine and a verylow-calorie liquid formula diet. Lancet. 1980 Feb 2;1(8162):223-6.

3. Gelvin EP, Kenigsberg S, Boyd LJ. Results of addition of liothyronine to a weight-reducing regimen.J Am Med Assoc. 1959 Jul 25;170(13):1507-12.

4. Rozen R, Abraham G, Falcou R, Apfelbaum M. Effects of a 'physiological' dose of triiodothyronine on obese subjects during a protein-sparing diet. Int J Obes. 1986;10(4):303-12.

5. Pasquali R, Baraldi G, Biso P, Piazzi S, Patrono D, Capelli M, Melchionda N. Effect of 'physiological' doses of triiodothyronine replacement on the hormonal and metabolic adaptation to short-term semistarvation and to low-calorie diet in obese patients. Clin Endocrinol (Oxf). 1984 Oct; 21(4):357-67.

6. Koppeschaar HP, Meinders AE, Schwarz F. Metabolic responses in grossly obese subjects treated with a very-low-calorie diet with and without triiodothyronine treatment. Int J Obes. 1983; 7(2):133-41.

7. Koppeschaar HP, Meinders AE, Schwarz F. The effect of a low-calorie diet alone and in combination with triiodothyronine therapy on weight loss and hypophyseal thyroid function in obesity. Int J Obes. 1983; 7(2):123-3.

8. JH, Lamberts SW. The effect of triiodothyronine on weight loss and nitrogen balance of obese patients on a very-low-calorie liquid-formula diet. Int J Obes. 1981;5(3):279-82.

9. R, Mehrishi JN, Verdoorn C, Mills IH. The role of T3 and its receptor in efficient. 10. Emilio Ortega, Juraj Koska, Nicola Pannacciulli, Joy C Bunt and Krakoff. ”Free triiodothyronine plasma concentrations are positively associated with insulin secretion in euthyroid individuals”. European Journal of Endocrinology, 2008 Vol 158, Issue 2, 217-221.