Levothyroxine Tis Indeed Evil

Updated

I've taken this medication on and off for years. New endo- thought we should try again, despite my very educated disapproval. Switched from armour to levo-112mcg and cytomel (t3) -5mcg. I almost forgot what it felt like to be so ill. It's only been a week, but it's been horrific. Heartburn, cramps, nausea, painful bloating, night sweats (let me rephrase, more like night swimming.) And yes, more acne. At almost 40, I look like a 15 yr. old pubescent boy. Charming. This is morning sicknesses and intestinal flu all wrapped up in a pretty pink pill. So for those of you that are new to this, its a long haul, and there are other meds out there. Be persistent, if after two months symptoms do no subside-look further. Some of us just can not tolerate this sorry excuse of a medication. It is not you and it is not in your head.

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1

It has been making me feel crazy as heck.U body won't stop shaking and I'm having bad panic attacks on it. PleAse pray for Me

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you can take other things. many people cannot tolerate levothyroxine. it may cause damage that cannot be reversed by stopping taking it. You should research about other brands of over the counter thyroid supplements that do not have other ingredients that can also cause problems. many people are taking those instead because they do not have any of the side effects of either Armour or Levothyroxine thyroid supplements. talk to other people and have someone help you research online.

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3

I sympathize for those facing serious side effects after taking this med and my prayers go out to you both (Tracey & Melee)... but all I wanted to add was that levothyroxine can affect each individual differently. There are people who take it with seemingly good results. I certainly don't advocate this particular drug in any sense, but to each their own when it comes to finding something that gets the job done safely and effectively. Unfortunately this has to come through trial and error because you never know which company or brand to really trust until you notice how your body responds (at least in my experience). Nevertheless I do think it would still be interesting to see more patients post feedback here on how levothyroxine affected them vs other thyroid meds in order to develop a more well rounded consensus on their overall efficacy and frequency of certain side effects that occurred in others.

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4

TOOK LEVO 15 YEARS FELT MOODY TIRED LOW ENERGY YSWITCHED TO NATURAL DISSECTED THYROID FEEL MUCH BETTER MORE ENERGY NOT AS MOODY .There are more options then levothyroxine do your research .MY NUMBERS WERE ALWAYS NORMAL RANGE ON LEVO FREE T3 LOW END NORMAL DOC WANTED TO PUT ME ON ANTI DEPRESSANT REFUSED TRIED NDT WORKING BETTER THEN LEVO EVER DID.

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5

Get off that Levo crap Melee, get back on NDT, you know that is the right solution.

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6

Levothyroxine - 25 mg daily...I would love to focus on ringing in ears & high blood pressure. Never experienced either, until I started taking Levothyroxine....those symptoms did not occur overnight....gradually becoming worse the longer I take the meds. Been on the meds a little over 3-yrs. now. Have my blood work every 6-months...and 25 mg daily has been my dosage all along. Spoke to the doctor yesterday and told her I want off the meds completely...she did blood work....we may try that. Although she did mention that ear ringing & high blood pressure is not caused by the the meds.....she does not have any patients with that type complaint while on the meds.

Is there any one out there that notices a spike to their blood pressure and/or are experiencing ringing in the ears since you have been on the meds? If so, what did your doctor say about those symptoms? Did you take yourself off the meds and did the symptoms go away?

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7

I had my thyroid completely removed in February 2016. My TSH levels skyrocketed post surgery so I am consequently on .4mg of Levothyroxine daily. I would like to stop taking it. Is it safe to quit? My symptoms are lethargy, nausea, sweating, achiness, and more.

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8

On these boards we usually will not hear from all of the people that have excellent results from taking Synthroid or the generic form of it so it will always be one sided on these boards. I've been on Synthroid for 10 years, it has stopped my hair loss, no more itchy skin, I have had much more energy, this medicine has done exactly what it was made to do, my Thyroid levels are all normal now. My doctor was the great Dr. Trumbower who co-wrote an excellent book on the Thyroid. He told me that Synthroid has helped far more people than not and that the side effects some people got were usually temporary and fairly mild. He also told me that some folks could actually be allergic to the medicine or any binders in Synthroid or the generics. Dr. Trumbower said there were other options if Synthroid wasn't an option for some people. Dr. Trumbower was well read and in his last years on this earth he studied the Thyroid extensively and the medicines that help control Hypothyroidism. Most folks who are not having issues with their medications are not coming on-line on these boards and complaining so you will not get a true measure of what is really going on with any medication just looking on-line like this. Some of the side effects that people are listing seem far fetched. I have ran out of Synthroid and not taken any for a few weeks at a time waiting to get another script, a new doctor etc.....and never had withdrawal or any side effects other than my thyroid levels going back to abnormal and feeling more tired etc...so that means the medicine is working! I feel bad for all of these people who claim Synthroid is the devil, that is their belief and certainly not my experience and not the experience of my legendary Dr. Trumbower who has studied all of this for years. It's easier to blame the drug than look at yourself and how you're living, I see that a lot in my profession. If you have a true allergy to this medication or believe the hype that you've read here then there are other medications and natural alternatives that you can try that may be better for you. Here's a good read and what many people complain of and blame Synthroid for: thyroidpharmacist.com/articles/whats-really-going-on-in-hashimotos

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9

Hi Jo
I had high blood pressure within the first two weeks of taking Levothyroxine and had never had high blood pressure before, do get the tinnitus as well, most of the symptoms mention on here like tiredness, shaking, panic attacks, itching, rash just
Feel really not well at all and the smallest of tasks just get hot dizzy and perspire. It really is bad and feel very moody and low it has cause a lot of problems on my relationship and have difficulty keeping the home and garden tidy, just exhausted.

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10

Melee and People:
Get off Levo and get on a Natural Desiccated Thyroid (NDT) Med - I can attest for Armour Thyroid. Levo doesn't work for a large percentage of the population and for those for whom it might work it does not because of hopeless hypothyroid management from the medical community. With Armour you have more control because all of the hormones are in a reasonable ratio, they are not determined by a doctor who hasn't a clue what the ratios should be and only looks at the pituitary hormone - which may or may not be relevant.

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11

I have hashimotos then graves, so I chose the natural way. I do believe that Md.Have any idea what's going on. They give a pill and your supposed to be ok. Wrong. The problem is your autoimmune system has not been addressed. So I have no faith in the md.

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12

Hi, Are Doctors happy to prescribe Synthroid or will it cause problems I.e cost etc.,
Thanks.

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Hi LAHs, how do you go about changing to this other med. I'm happy to try others.
Thanks Janet

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14

Hi, If you quit taking Synthroid, then what will you replace it with? 400mcg equal to .4 mg is a large dose. With you not having a thyroid you will need to be on something for the rest of your life or your symptoms will only get worse and eventually life threatening. You have to be on something if you quit taking Synthroid. Are you on a generic by chance? If you are then maybe you should try the brand name Sythroid before you give up on it. There seems to be a big difference in the generics and the brand name.

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15

Did you stop taking it ? Did it get better ? I have panic attacks and anxiety and heart palpitations , I feel like im going crazy! I want to stop it but when I did on the 3rd day I started having terrible tremors all over.

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16

Someone mentioned over the counter thyroid meds... I had my thyroid removed three years ago and have been on levo. My biggest complain is the weight gain which I should count my blessings has only been 10 lbs since surgery. That said, my doc lowered the dosage to 75mg and since then I have felt more tired and gained 5 of those 10 lbs in a matter of a week or so. I really watch my food intake. I don't ear sweets, grains, or carbs so that helps a bit. But I am sonready to get off levothyroxine if I can find a good OTC replacement if doctor won't prescribe NDT.

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17

Yes, I have also experienced high blood pressure and ringing in the ears as well as 30lb weight gain in 3 months, intense joint pain and muscle weakness, neck and ear aches, anxiety and shortness of breath...I have been on Levo 75 mcg for 14 months for ? sub clinical hypo and am now weaning myself off of it. My dr. will continue to monitor my TSH to see how I fare. I feel your pain, literally.

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18

I have been on thyroid medication for 40+ years and have NEVER had any of the symptoms noted in some of the posts. I would have had "the crazies" if I had not been on it. My Dr. switched me to name brand Synthroid because every 6 months, my numbers were up or down. Once I started on it, numbers have stabilized.

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19

I think most people do tolerate Synthroid just fine, not everyone reacts the same to way to all medications. When you get on forums like this you will see more negative responses because people have a "need" to vent about it and share their "horrible" experience with the world. To say stuff like Synthroid is the devil or the active ingredient does seem rather childish but these folks truly believe it and try to steer everyone away from this medication while the majority of people who take synthroid do just fine on it, thanks for sharing your experience!

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20

My bp has gone up and the ringing in the ears keeps getting worse. The weight gain too.. Im going to stop levo for a couple weeks and i will post the results. Good luck, Richard

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I just stopped taking levothyroxine and my doctor was furious. I am was feeling horrible on it.

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