[Moose72]

If i go off lithium will my thyroid get better? Now that im off zyprexa and exercising will i lose weight or is it a lost cause?

Hi Moose72. I have heard of someone whose thyroid recovered after getting off of Lithium, but I believe they got off of it very quickly after discovering very mild thyroid issues.

I developed hypothyroidism very early on in my Lithium treatment. At that time I had been taking a rather high therapeutic dose for me at 1,200 mg per day. A psychiatrist did take me off Lithium for that and maybe another reason. Once off, my TSH level stayed the same. I'm not sure, but I think my T3/T4 levels normalized. I was taking maybe 50 or 75 mcg Synthroid at the time. My dose was kept the same for at least 3 years until another psychiatrist put me back on Lithium. He said that patients can take Lithium while being treated with Synthroid.

I was on a low/moderate therapeutic level of Lithium (for me) for about 5 or 5.5 years before being taken off of it again, slowly. By that point my TSH levels had worsened so my Synthroid dose went up. When I went off Lithium (for kidney reasons) my Synthroid dose was 150 mcg. It's been 3+ years off Lithium and I still take 150 mcg. With that dose my thyroid blood work is fine. It's not improving in any way to reduce my Synthroid. I will take Synthroid forever. It's not a big deal, though. The pill is small and cheap and gives me zero side effects.

My maternal grandmother had hypothyroidism. I'm not 100% sure if that might have been a factor for me, however, I didn't have it before Lithium.

[~Christina]

I hope you can avoid lifelong problem

[BeyondtheRainbow]

Like the others I'm on synthroid from lithium and I don't really care. I've been on it a long time and don't even think about it now. I've been off lithium for years and still need it but I've also had 3 toxicities so that might have set my fate in stone. I don't know if going off lithium can stop the hypothyroidism after it is there.

Weight loss is possible. I've lost 25 lbs while taking clozaril (with metformin to help) so I've come to believe that it can be very difficult to lose weight but with the right diet and exercise and support system at least some loss is possible regardless of the meds we've been on or are on currently. It's not easy or guaranteed but it's possible.

[Pookyl]

When I was on Depakote the first time, I put on a lot of weight. The weight virtually fell off once I was taken off the med.
I’ve put some weight on again this time I was put on Depakote. But I was sui for almost a year in the lead up to being on the med and it is still such a relief to have a happy mind. I’d rather be overweight and have my head working.
I take Lithium and my thyroid is dying. My mum, maternal aunts and maternal grandmother all take thyroxine and none of them have bipolar. So I think a dead thyroid was in the genes anyway. If my kidneys started showing signs of failure I would stop taking Lithium and switch to something else.

[Moose72]

Originally Posted by Moose72

If i go off lithium will my thyroid get better? Now that im off zyprexa and exercising will i lose weight or is it a lost cause?

I am going off lithium because of the toxic effects 3 weeks ago. I am going to judo but i dont just want to stay fat doing judo i want all that effort to show!

[Moreta]

My thyroid got better. I wasn't on lithium for long though I think like 2-3 months. I've been losing weight by mostly eating healthy. Haven't added in exercise yet. tbh most weight loss happens by changing your diet and eating healthy meals. I stick to mostly protein, veggies, and some fruit. I don't eat much processed food anymore simply cause I can't.