Weight Gain! Help!

Hello,
I had my last ovary removed in January and I was put on the Vivelle Dot patch. I haven't had a lot of hot flashes or anything like that but I am gaining weight like crazy! My doctor checked my thyroid and hormone levels and said I was fine. He added estratest to my hormone regimen to see if it helped with my sluggishness and low sex drive. I do feel better but I am still gaining weight. I have an appointment with an endocrinologist in May because I have has Thyroiditis before and I thought maybe that is what's going on but I don't know. Anyone out there have any advice or is having similar problems? Any ideas would be appreciated! Thanks!

When I was tested for my thyroid my test results came back normal but my thyroid antibodies were high which indicated that although my thyroid was working, the antibodies prohibited its function.

I was wondering if you could tell me what T3 is? I have the same problem. I am on Premarin and now have a salt sensitivity. My doctor upped me to .625 and put me on hydrochlorothiazide or "water-pill" and have lost now 6 pounds in about a week. Im assuming it was water. I was on the .45 but still having hot flashes and those now have subsided. I have had my thyroid checked about a million times yet it always comes back normal. My mother had the same problem for years until they physically could see the tumors on her thyroid. Im wondering what T3 is and how does it help?

I have gained 20 lbs since i began HRT. My compounding pharmacist says that it is from too much of the wrong type of estrogen. I started on estratest, which is e1 estrogen, and began gaining. Now I am on Bi-est (a bio identical e2, e3 compound) and the weight gain has begun to taper off. I have only been on it for about 10 days, so it is still a little early to tell. I would suggest getting your hormone levels checked. Before you invest in anything else.

hmmm... I left out the word "again". If the hormone test is done with a saliva test, it can tell you more about the waste. This shows what your body is actually using of your current hormones.

First off, let me discuss thyroid antibodies. From the book, "Women, Weight and Hormones" by Elizabeth Vliet, M.D., Dr. Vliet discusses that thyroid antibodies can act like blocking agents which keep the thyroid hormones from being able to work properly. "Often, there is elevation of thyroid antibodies BEFORE there is a compensating rise in TSH produced by the brain in response to the gland being destroyed by the antibodies." In summary, you can have a normal TSH blood test but have a high antibody reading which means that your thyroid cannot function properly.

Now, T3 and T4 are the two primary hormones produced by the thyroid gland and they are your major metabolic regulators, governing energy use and production in every cell and tissue in your body. Dr. Vliet explains that "thyroid hormones are to your body what the gas pedal is to your car: too little and your become sluggish and have trouble moving; too much and you feel like you are racing." When your thyroid is out of whack, your weight will be affected.

Moreoever, T4, which is made in the gland, is converted in the gland and in body tissues to the more active form, T3 (that's if all the pathways are working properly). If your thyroid is out of balance, then this conversion will be off, and "failure to convert T4 to T3 is one of the problems that can lead to symptoms of thyroid disorder even with supposedly "normal" stand thyroid profile blood tests." The T3 thyroid medication I take is to assist my thyroid to make enough T3 in order to deactivate the antibodies being produced by my body and help regulate my weight.

I know that sounds technical and I sure hope I didn't confuse you even more. In a nutshell, T3 and T4 hormones oversee about every cellular metabolic process in our body, and when one is off, your weight will be affected. Also, please note that there are symptoms to look for in order to determine if you are hypothyroid, but you will need a proper blood test to have a correct diagnosis.

when i was on vivelle or climara, i gained 5-15 lbs almost immediately. Since i have been on premarin, i haven't gained any. Last week my fingers and toes swelled really bad, but that would have been when i had a period if i still had them. it isn't doing that now.

I am also gaining weight on the Vivelle Dot.

Just wanted to put in my 2 cents worth.

I've also gained weight, but had no idea that it might be linked to my hormone levels. I'm on the Vivelle dot as well. I just thought I was feeling so great since my surgery, that I didn't think about my stamina not being what it used to be and that I have put on weight!

ok....sounds like the Vivelle Dot will not be for me! I was thinking about switching from the Femring to the Vivelled Dot, mainly because the Femring wasn't lasting me nearly long enough. Don't think I'll try the Dot!
As for T3.....I am on a compounded (sustained release) T3 to treat Wilson's Thyroid Syndrome. Some doctors consider this a "bogus" ailment. Thank goodness my gyn is willing to work with me on this. Wilson's Thyroid Syndrome is a "low body temperature" disease (and several other symptoms, of course). In doing research on it, I found myself having 22 of the symptoms, along with low body temperature! Basically, the thyroid levels all come back normal, but your body cannot convert T4 to T3. So far, I have been taking T3, 40mcg twice daily. I do have an appt. with an endocrinologist on Thursday and have this horrible feeling that she is not going to "buy into" the Wilson's Thyroid issue and may put me back on Cymbalta, which did absolutely nothing for me.
Thanks for the "heads up" on the Vivelle Dot.