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25mg dose

Posted , 8 users are following.

acjb007
acjb007

I've been taking a 25mg dose for a few months and although I feel better I still don't feel right. I still get days of severe exhaustion and can sleep all day. My gp said my levels are fine but I've spoken with a couple of friends and they said my gp shouldn't just go by a blood test but also on how I'm feeling. Some times in the day I get very anxious for no reason & feel depressed. I've heard this is linked with under active thyroid too.

What should I do? I'm tempted to double my dose and see how I feel. Could this do my harm? It's the lowest dose I'm on & 50mg I believe is still fairly low. Thanks for your help.

0 likes, 13 replies

13 Replies

  • Zagar
    Zagar acjb007

    Posted

    25mcg is a very low dose for most people. I was myself in a similar situation with my GP saying that if I didn't feel better on 25mcg it was not a thyroid problem but rather something psychological and suggested me to see a psychologist...

    1 year and 1 GP later, with lot of exams, I finally reached overall wellness with a dose of 175mcg.

    Up to 100mcg I was still very tired with occasional anxiety for no apparent reason, and at 150mcg I started to get better.

    With this i just want to say, if you don't feel good, talk it over again with the GP. If he is unreasonable, he obviously is not experience about thyroid issues and you might want to look for a new GP or get referred to a specialist such as an endocrinologist.

    Just avoid upping the dose yourself as you most likely still won't notice improvements before you run out of medication.

  • jennifer16462
    jennifer16462 acjb007

    Posted

    Ask to see your results and learn what they are and mean. You are probably ‘ in range’ but some people whose TSH results are in the top half may still be symptomatic. I recently got my tsh down to 3.8 but I still felt unwell and the doctor wouldn’t prescribe a higher dose. I went to another doctor who did and now my tsh is at 2 and I feel great. 

    I wouldn’t increase your dose by yourself as you may go overactive. 

    Research the tests and results so you know what to discuss for when you go see your gp

  • dave64969
    dave64969 acjb007

    Posted

    Get your levels from your doctor and post them here. That will help people give valid advice. Given that your symptoms persist, ask for a referral to a specialist: an endocrinologist. What you are experiencing is not unusual and needs other tests than you may have had from your doctor.
  • acjb007
    acjb007

    Posted

    Thanks for the replies. I'm going to book an appointment and get my results. I'll tell the gp how I'm feeling and still don't feel right. Can I ask with a under active thyroid do you experience moments of anxiety and depression? I can be fine then have an episode out of the blue for no reason.

  • MtViewCatherine
    MtViewCatherine acjb007

    Posted

    Hello Levothyroxin has a ton of side effects. Its difficult to know what’s  the hypothyroid and what’s the Levo side effects.

    Anxiety is a typical side effect.

    There was a lonterm study published last year, that concluded 25 units of levothyroxin is useless, offering no improvement of symptom relief. My experience was a ton of side effects and it didn’t work at any dose.

    After  going around with the meds for a decade, I’ve concluded they are harmful and useless for treating hypothyroid disease.

    There are literally thousands of posts on the side effects of levothyroxin.

    Much of thyroid disease can be treated with diet and supplements.

    I’ve found essential amino acids to be extremely helpful.

    • mar75090
      mar75090 MtViewCatherine

      Posted

      All your hypersensitivity to thyroid meds especially your anxiety may be related to C677 and A1298 enzyme defects. High anxiety is one of the most common symptoms. Guess you already take methylB12 and methylfolate.
    • MtViewCatherine
      MtViewCatherine mar75090

      Posted

      Mar, I know you’re trying to be helpful.  Most good quality vitamin supplements contain coblimated Bs.

      But really? Telling me I have a genetic defect because I’ve agreed with people that the meds can cause anxiety?  Are you saying there’s a genetic defect that causes people to be anxious when they take synthetic thyroxin?  You might want to rethink that.

      The thyroid meds are synthetic and poorly regulated. They don’t  work for a lot of people. If you look at the history of synthetic levothyroxin and HRT, synthetic hormones causing problems isn’t anything new. 

      Here’s a list of side effects from the manufacturer of brand name Levoxyl. This site doesn’t specifically list anxiety, but shortness of breath, irritability, nervousness and rapid heartbeat sure sound like anxiety to me.  I copied and pasted straight from the manufacturer’s site. Levoxyl side effects:

      Rapid or irregular heartbeat

      Chest pain

      Shortness of breath

      Leg cramps

      Headache

      Nervousness

      Irritability

      Sleeplessness

      Tremors

      Change in appetite

      Weight gain or loss

      Vomiting

      Diarrhea

      Excessive sweating

      Heat intolerance

      Fever

      Changes in menstrual periods

      Hives or skin rash

      Partial temporary hair loss

      As for Genetic testing?  I studied genetics and I wouldn't waste my money on genetic testing.  That tells you one of two things. Up to you to draw the conclusion.

  • beverley44045
    beverley44045 acjb007

    Posted

    Hi. Can I just say that I started on 25mg last year and took at least 4 months to feel better.. felt good for a while then about 2 months ago started feeling tired again.. had more bloods done an gp put me on 50mg and I'm glad to say I'm feeling much better.. so definitely have a word with your gp.. good luck and keep us posted xx

  • acjb007
    acjb007

    Posted

    Hi, I'm just back from the doctors and he said my thyroxine levels are low and has doubled my dose to 50mg. I told him I'd been told my levels are fine and he said they're stable but slightly lower than needed. He did say I need to look out for the jitters as a too higher dose can cause this. Also I take propranolol and he said it is possible it can effect the thyroxine working. I guess I'll just see how it goes.

  • acjb007
    acjb007

    Posted

    Okay now I'm very confused. My gp just called and said he's studied my blood tests and he believes I've been misdiagnosed. He said about my t3 & t4 levels but he said he doesn't believe it's a thyroid issue. He said to take the 50mg for two months then see him again. He said hes sure tests will confirm his beliefs and he'll take me off thyroxine. I am more confused than ever!

    • MtViewCatherine
      MtViewCatherine acjb007

      Posted

      Hello Acjb, I think your doc gave you an answer. You can infer that  ‘Propranolol can affect your thyroid function’. You have a choice, do you want to take more and more meds to treat the side effects of the other meds? Or do you want to find someehing that doesn't make you sicker. Shop around.

      Listed  side effects for propranolol are:

      Allergic reactions. Symptoms can include:

      skin rash

      itching

      hives

      swelling of your face, lips, or tongue

      Breathing problems

      Changes in blood sugar

      Cold hands or feet

      Nightmares or trouble sleeping

      Dry, peeling skin

      Hallucinations

      Muscle cramps or weakness

      Slow heart rate

      Swelling of your legs or ankles

      Sudden weight gain

      vomiting

      You see that many of these side effects are similar to hypothyroid symptoms.

      A while back my mother was having tachycardia, high bp and other problems. She was put on proprianolol, and several other medications to control the irregular heart beat and other issues. She nearly died from these meds! More than half her hair fell out, she could hardly move, couldn't eat, weight dropped dramatically.  I was told there was no hope for her and  I arranged for hospice care.

      I had the acupuncturist come to the house and treat her and I slowly weaned her off the heart meds. The more she was off the meds, the more her health improved! Ivwas shocked ehen the hospice nurse told me this was typical. That people can be literally on their death beds, docs saying they’ll die without the meds. Family decides why bother with meds if they're dying anyway and withdraws medication... only to discover the medication was killing them. 

      Well, my mother’s doing quite well now with frequent acupuncture and no heart meds. Her thyroid medication stabilized once she was off the heart meds.

    • acjb007
      acjb007 MtViewCatherine

      Posted

      Thanks for the reply. I'm glad your mum got better. My heart is fine, I take propranolol for a liver condition. I take half the dose recommended by my doctor. They're something I can't not take unfortunately.

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