Q: I am a 39 years old male, weigh 80 kg and am 5’10 inch tall. I had total thyroidectomy two years back. I have gained a lot of weight and taking 250 mg eltroxin. Whenever I consult my endocrinologist he used to test my T3, T4 and TSH but has not been able to provide me the reason for my weight gain. Please suggest me what should I do control my weight gain.

A:If your recent TSH is normal then do not get it repeated again and again. Once TSH has stabilized then once in a year TSH (no need for T3/T4) is enough for follow up. Remember our target in treating hypothyroidism is mid normal range TSH value. In case TSH is normal then you must accept that your obesity is not related to thyroid disease treatment. You need to work hard on diet and exercise and if not much improvement then antiobesity medications will be required.