Q: I am 23 years old, weigh 80 Kgs and suffering from hypothyroidism and using thyronorm 200 mcg tablets. I want to reduce my weight. I need your suggestion for reducing weight and by what time in life can I stop taking medicines? Is this permanently curable?

A:This is a myth that hypothyroidism causes obesity. Certainly there is weight gain in hypothyroidism but that is usually to the tune of 4-5 kg and primarily due to fluid retention. Once a person is on treatment the extra weight goes away within few weeks time. So I do not think that you should take thyronorm for weight reduction. Regarding your disease and whether you need lifelong treatment or not depends on details like how you were diagnosed with hypothyroidism, what were the initial test results and whether antibody profile was positive or not.