I have had some of the same symptoms (weight gain, high cholesterol)
despite the vegetarian diet. It has helped me to cut out dairy products,
and to avoid lots of carbs. Also, my doc and I have been monkeying with my
dosage for over a year. (I tried to stick with Armour thyroid, feeling it
was more natural, but am now on Synthroid) The fact that you are having all
these symptoms makes me wonder if you might need a little more
Synthroid--you sound like you're still low. Also, I've found that every
time I go through a hormonal upheaval (puberty, pregnancy, menopause), my
thyroid dosage got tricky. Maybe check on estrogen levels, etc.
 
Good luck-Marion McNamara
 
>Hi!  I'm a newbie, so please pardon me if this has been asked before.
>
>I was diagnosed as hypothyroid in 1988 and am currently taking .112
>Synthroid.  All of my subsequent T3, T4 and TSH results have been normal
>but, in spite of a low-fat vegetarian diet, I have continued to gain large
>amounts of weight.  This seems to occur incrementally.  I will level off
>for a period of months (or, at most, 2 years) and suddenly gain around 30
>pounds.  Also, since my diagnosis, I have suffered with extremely painful
>cystic acne as well as extremely high cholesterol and hirsutism or hair
>growth (especially on my chin). Has anyone else experienced similar
>symptoms? Doctors have basically told me I'm nuts and that these other
>symptoms have nothing to do with my thyroid.
>
>Any advice or shared experience would be most welcome!  Thanks so much!
>
>Sincerely,
>Karen Neves