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Help....Levothyroxine

Posted , 5 users are following.

stephanie1968
stephanie1968

18 months ago levels low although only prescribed Levo in Aug of this yr. From being tired all the time to putting on 3 stones and losing all my hard earned weight loss prior to this... ..I have hives..(.urticaria ) since Oct of this yr .

I'm on H 1 and H 2 blockers and steroids to alleviate the problems .

Started on 50mg for 1 month then up to 75 mg then 100mg ....

My only known allergic reaction is to penicillin....

Has anyone discovered new allergic reactions to foods they haven't had before....since starting Levo.

I'm desperate.....and still itchy:-)

0 likes, 7 replies

7 Replies

  • gill43753
    gill43753 stephanie1968

    Posted

    Hi Stephanie, I've found that some foods don't agree with me, and also that I no longer enjoy eating them. However, I've not experienced allergic reactions to them.

    One thing I have found is that my skin reacts, and becomes itchy, after touching some plants. The thing is I don't know specifically which ones. My passion is gardening, plants, photographing flowers, and flower arranging, especially before Christmas, using a lot of evergreens. My skin becomes itchy after I've made an arrangement, or when I've come in from the garden, and I'll find myself scratching my arms or fingers for hours. This also happens after decorating the Christmas tree. Hope someone can help you. Gill

  • shellyC19
    shellyC19 stephanie1968

    Posted

    Hello Stephanie:

    My name is Shelly and  I am a nurse and I live in the USA.  I also have Hashimoto's Thyroid disease.

    Some foods and even medication can cause hives.  In some people and it is rare Levothyroxine can cause Hives.  If you did not have this prior to starting LEVO, you could say that the LEVO built a level up in you as it is supposed to do, and maybe the LEVO is the cause.

    Now you could stop the LEVO for a week, and see if the hives go away.  You should call your doctor and ask him/her if you can change meds. There are others.

    Also have you changed your soap or detergent for washing clothes ?  Some of the soaps can cause HIVES.  Any new Meds besides the ones above?

    Also of note is food, some people do develop a rash from fish and oily foods, peanuts etc...Sometimes they use corn/maize in the pills as a fiiler.  These fillers can bother you.  The fillers are so they can make the tablet less harsh on the system and for making it's formulation.

    There is a medication for the thyroid called NDT (Natural Dessicated Thyroid), and it is made from a pig's gland and is natural but NHS won't support it and several women on this forum buy it online, as they had problems with allergies to fillers.

    If you ever have any trouble breathing get right to an A& E or Emergency Room.

    Buy a hydrocortisone cream ointment available over the counter in a chemist shop or pharmacy and it will help calm the rash.

    Keep us posted on how you do,

    Shelly

     

    • stephanie1968
      stephanie1968 shellyC19

      Posted

      Thanks for the response .....

      It's not just arms it's everywhere ....big lumps back of the legs ...feel like a Rhino with extra skin formations.

      The right hand side of My face My lips even eye swelled up......I had cheese that day .

      Now avacado ...

      Prawns

      I've never had food intolerances before and think that although thyroxine in general isn't the cause the intolerance is from my system kicking back in ......

      Either way steroids finish in 3 days and the inhibitors

      I've then got to stop levo for 3 days then start again .......

      If that fails maybe he'll send me to the immunology guy.....

    • shellyC19
      shellyC19 stephanie1968

      Posted

      Hello Stephanie:

      Certain foods can cause this, Prawns, shellfish type foods or avacado's.  You may have  an allergy to it. This can be tested on you later via a doctor who specializes in allergeries.

      Also we can develop allergeries as we age, to items we never had an allergy to before.  Unless we are dead, we can still develop and allergy.

      Keep on the steriods, use cool compresses or ice pads, on itchy spots, it will cool it and numb it for a while and help your immune system out.

      It seems more food related than pill related because HIVES are very fine bumps, and you have WELTS. Welts are big lumps, and are more food related or plant related.

      Rest, take cool showers, use ice to calm rash area if you want. If any difficulty in breathing, see an A & E.

      Keep us posted,

      Shelly

    • stephanie1968
      stephanie1968 shellyC19

      Posted

      Hi Shelley had my thyroid antibodies result 189.4

      T3 ......5.6

      Still on the H1 n H2 blockers although after being extremely persistent for the t3 test

      Still have my hives although less than before.

      Off Levo until they retest in January

      Dairy Free for 2 weeks still have hives...

      Although they are going to finally after 7 weeks going to refer to immunology and Endocrinologist....:-)

    • shellyC19
      shellyC19 stephanie1968

      Posted

      Hello Stephanie:

      It looks like your antibodies are high and it could be Hashimoto's Thyroid disease.

      TPOA should be in the range of 0-34 so if you are 189.4. that is high and indicates autoimmune.

      T3 should be in range of  2.6 to 5.7 but you are at 5.6 and that is considered normal but it is just barely normal.  I would say you should  see the Endocrinologist and see maybe you need a medication change  when you do start taking the  thyroid med again, to a natural thyroid pill like Armour Thyroid. It is made from a pig and is close to a humans thyroid gland.

      The immunology will be able to test you and see what is causing the hives.   We can always develop an allergy at any age and with immune system problems we  get more sensitive to foods.

      Keep us updated on how it goes with the Endo and Immunology doc's.

      Shelly

       

  • debbie03785
    debbie03785 stephanie1968

    Posted

    I became allergic to penicillin around the time I started taking levo, just put it down to auto immune reponse in general. Now I wonder......?
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