Levothyroxine - Ended up in A&E

Posted , 7 users are following.

Hi, I have only recently started thyroid medication.  Just 25mg of Levothyroxine. I took it for about 9 days.

Yesterday I felt a bit out of breath, then I had a sort of pressure in my chest, sweating, trembling, palpitations and diarrhoea.

I had a paramedic check me over and he suggested I go to A&E to be checked out. So an Ambulance was called.

Anyway I had bloods taken and ECG's etc done and fortunately all was ok. But they think it maybe the Levothyroxine that had caused this. 

Has anyone else had a similar experience.

2 likes, 48 replies

48 Replies

Next
  • Posted

    As I mentioned in my other thread Levothyroxine has never given me any side effects in 17 years of taking it and it didnt seem to help me with anything good or bad physically or mentally but when I did stop for three years it did enlarge my thyroid and my dosage needed to be increased .
    • Posted

      Hi Anthony

      Thank you for replying to my message.

      Did you not have any symptoms when you were first diagnosed?

    • Posted

      I did as I was playing Hockey 7 days a week and hardly eating and I was gaining/keeping weight around my abdomen so they ran the tests and to be honest I have always felt unbalanced emotionally very high or very low so Im sure my thyroid was a issue well before it was discovered when I was 30 .

      So to recap I do feel the emotional side of thyroid always which can then effect my physical to but by staying active I can at least counter balance that part .

      On a side note Im now taking my Thyroid pill at midnight and eating a better diet less calories and its help greatly with the emotional issues in that short time as I have more energy and im not sluggish (stay away from breads !).

      In years past I could go weeks feeling unbalanced and then as I got older it turned into months of almost feeling depressed and lethargic really bad stuff .

    • Posted

      Good to hear that it has helped greatly by taking your meds at midnight and eating a better diet.  I hope it continues to do so too.  The symptoms are awful.

      Is bread really that bad?  I live on it, I eat sandwiches daily. I love bread.

       

    • Posted

      For me bread if I eat a lot of it regularly I feel the effects quickly almost like being drugged and I becoming lathergic with no energy so just listen to your body as we are all different . 
    • Posted

      Hi Anthony, not surprising about the bread. I struggled with bread for years and eventually went completely gluten free. It helped incredibly! If you do some online research, you'll find that gluten intolerance is strongly connected with thyroid disease. Going off grains was a huge aspect in my health!

    • Posted

      Hi Catherine, Is gluten free products best for all types of thyrodism? Is biscuits & breadsticks ok? What are healthy veggies to eat? Will I have muscle aches forever? What types of foods can I eat to help suppress it? 

      Thanks dear!

    • Posted

      Yes. Gluten free is best for all thyroid disease. Do some online research. Cutting back isn't enough, any small amount triggers the immune system to attack your own body, and contributes to the destruction of your thyroid tissue. If you have thyroid disease, the gluten protein is similar to thyroid, lung, brain, intestine and other tissues, so the gluten triggers an autoimmune response in any if these organs. 

      So no. No biscuits, no breadsticks. Substitute root vegetables for grains. Even go grain free if you can. You can start out by substituting foods you love like pasta with rice pasta. But I recommend working towards grain free and getting out if the habit of trying to make other goods into wheat products. 

      I do eat eat a slice of gluten free bread now and again. But tend to avoid even gluten free breads and pastries. I eat ice cream. If you must have treats, there are bakeries that specialize in allergy free breads and deserts, they usually will ship. If I'm not feeling well, I avoid all grains until I feel better. This may be a few days, or months, or years, depending.

      Like I said, you'll gave to do some research.

    • Posted

      Hi Catherine, thx for responding and informative info. I luv breadstick & biscuit I'll truly miss them, I usually have one or w/every meal.  I've did some online research but it's a bit confusing to what one should and shouldn't eat. Prior to taking Levo I pretty much ate whatever I wanted w/o problem, I never had to watch my weight because I've had a fast metobolism and weight gain was never an issue. I've always been a stable size 4, weighing 125lbs but I'm sure it'll change soon but I'm not looking forward to it. 

      Ive noticed in prior threads that you've mention water Retention. Is there anything I can do to prevent it? A water pill perhaps? I notice that I do not use the restroom often as I did before taking Levo. What questions do I need to ask my endo about weight gain? 

      Oh, can you check your personal messages box please, I left you (2) messages.  Thx so much!

    • Posted

      Catherine, I went to see my Endo this morning and I wasn't pleased. I inquired about the NDT OTC and I was NO because it's pig thyroid and that it wasn't a good match for me. Endo also told me that the best treatment was synthoid or Levo. I told her that the Levo wasn't working for me and that I felt it was way too strong. Nevertheless; she convinced me to try synthoid 88mcg. I really wanted to try the NDT OTC. She pretty much evaded me like the plague.

      She stated I'm still hyper and she's trying to get my levels back to normal, If I don't take the meds I'll be hypo. I'm totally confused. I've noticed that I've lost 2 pounds and that's something I'm not trying to do, I'm not trying to gain any either. She also stated that the side effects isn't coming from the meds it's coming from me not having a thyroid. This is so confusing to me. Can you help me map this out. 

      Question on for you; is the synthoid safer than the Levo? Should I find another endo to administer the NDT? Please help!

  • Posted

    When I first went on the levothyroxin, I had migraines so bad I feared they would cause a stroke, severe anxiety, and a myriad of other symptoms, including water retention so bad, I went from a size 4 to a size 12. I blew up like a balloon, even though my weight had been stable prior to that. Honestly heart palpitations and difficulty breathing were minor in comparison to the other symptoms. I felt like the medication was causing heart failure. It didn't work for me at any dose, after trying for nearly three years on this horrible medication.

    • Posted

      Hi MtViewCatherine

      Thank you for your reply.  Sorry to hear you have had such an awful time with this medication sad   

      So how have you been able to control your Thyroid problems? Were you given an alternative? 

    • Posted

      Hi Catherine, Please tell me that this will not happen to me. Im currently taking Levo 88mcg and I'm experiencing very bad side effects but no weight gain or migranes so far. I was hyper prior to this, I've only been on the meds for approximately (3) weeks and I feel awful! I had my thyroid removed (3) weeks ago and the Levo meds it's working me over already. Hair loss, bad sweats, fatigue, palpitations, fog brain, insomnia, muscle aches, etc. I never felt this way in my entire life. Can you suggest anything that would help me feel better? What questions should I ask my endo? Please help!

    • Posted

      I had the severe migraines starting the first few days. The migraines lessened some over time, but the weight gain, bloating, hair loss, spinal arthritis, food sensitivities and fibromyalgia symptoms continued to worsens in till I couldn't exercise. I eventually broke my foot and have been out of commission for over a year. This horrible medication actually caused my previously stable (for 15 years) thyroid cyst to grow like crazy. In a nutshell, this medication causes and worsens thyroid disease.

      Do do some online reasearch. 

       it's been six months since inswitched off the levo and onto an OTC, and my hair is still icky, I'm just starting to lose weight (finally!) and I'm hoping my hair will grow back. The migraines are way less frequent. The arthritis and damage from that will take years to heal, if ever. In the mean time, my life has fallen apart, yet another time, as I ride the roller coaster of thyroid disease. 

      I'm hoping my weight will go back to normal (size4, not 12), hoping I can get rid of my 6 sizes of clothes. Hoping my hair will recover. Hoping the massive pain will eventually subside and hoping I'll be able to put my life back together again.

      So, if you didn't have migraines to start, they won't get worse, but in my case, everything else did get worse. Sadly, I was so overwhelmed because I was so incapacitated, I didn't realize how bad my health had gotten. 

       

    • Posted

      Hi Catherine, I didn't get your respond regarding this topic/matter. It says it's in moderation. Maybe you sent a link that wasn't approved. Perhaps you can inbox me some info. 

    • Posted

      OMG! That's awful! Im so very sorry for what you've gone through. I feel,worse for you than I do for myself. Actually, I should've did some serious research prior to my surgery, I really didn't want to have, but the goiters continued to grow. I am so scared of this medication, I haven't felt like myself since I've been taking it. My endo lied to me and said I'll be fine. No major side effects. 

      What is an alternative med? I need to change meds rapidly? How do you feel now? How much weight have you lost since you've stopping taking the Levo? What exactly is OBT and how does it works? Is NDT a better alternative? All natural right? About the weight gain; what can I do to keep it off? Water pills perhaps? I do not have high BP never have, it has always been relatively low my entire life. 

      I have an appt with my endo so I'll have plenty questions to ask. I'm first going to ask for an alternative med, I no longer want to take Levo. Actually, I think that my dose is way too high, I'm currently taking 88mcg. I feel like a zombie at times, I never felt this way before. At night-  I have trouble sleeping and the night sweat are horrible. I'm sluggish during the day but I fight it and stay busy. I just started experiencing the heart palpitations this week and it scared me very badly. Can you suggest anything for sleeping and energy?

    • Posted

      Message finally received. I responded. Thx!
    • Posted

      You sound incredible Catherine so keep sharing what you learn and never give up  and my prayers are with you ! Never quit fighting  guys !

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.