Horrible head pressure/ swaying feeling!!

Sounds familiar, but in my case I rationalized the side effects  as sinus issues related to probable changes in allergies. I was on Levo for a year when my BP was found to be lower side High BP and I was placed on 2 drugs that complicated the picture cause they have many of the same side effects LEVO . It would be 3 3/4 years before I would put it all together. Some of the side effects of Levo are blurred/ double vision, severe headache, lightheadedness as   well as a bunch others. Having symptoms like you are having can make you feel very unsure of your self  and  out of balance. Sort of like vertigo. You start over time walking guarded like an old lady with an unsteady gait. I kept making excuses instead of recognizing the changes in how I moved and felt, but being that I had 3 drugs working against me. I feel lucky I am where I am today. I do believe my balance has been affected, muscle strength and endurance, but I am hoping it will fade as work my muscle and gain better and full use. I answered your inquiry, not because I have any real answers, but when you don't feel yourself and you don't move as you expect to and always have it is scary and all too often doctors don't acknowledge. If you would like I will send you a list of all the side effects I have run across of course I didn't have them all. There are many good people who answer this thread and have their own unique experiences.

Rocking/ swaying can be Mal de Dembaqument Syndrome ( Mdds in short ) yes it's every waking hour . Time it's not there is when driving . There is a site on FB for Mdds lots have it as I do myself ,but you need to get a meds check that maybe it's cause . Don't magne the worst ,we all jump that way understandable when it's you . I have chronic Sinisitis and tinnitus which I think holds part of my key . 

i have exactly the same feeling. i am also on 50mg levothyroxine. one minute i'm fine and the next I am in total panic mode. i'm studying my last year on my psychology degree and some days i gave to drag myself to uni. when I am there I struggle even listening to what the tutor might be saying.

For my dissertation I decided to investigate hypothyroidism and the link between depression and anxiety just so i could start to better understand more about hypothyroidism. Hopefully might help me to deal with it better in the future.

Hi

Don’t panic! Yes this is a symptom of thyroid issues. When I start to feel like that, I know my dosage needs adjusting. 

What you are experiencing sounds like brain fog, a common symptom of under active thyroid. 

It can take weeks/ months for your symptoms to improve unfortunately.

Your body is currently adjusting to the medication. I felt like something was sucking the life out of me when I first started levo. 

And the brain fog, poor concentration / memory were immense! Mornings were horrible so I started taking levo at night and the brain fog improved.

Do you know to take levo 1 hour before food in the mornings? Not with caffeine or any other supplements? If taking at night time, take 3-4 hours after your last food intake.

I don’t know your life style but eating as clean a diet as possible helps , mild regular exercise, basically looking after yourself to support the medication .

Also do you know your test results / thyroid levels? Did they do bloods on things like your iron / vitamins levels, b12, vitd? If not ask them to test? 

Will you be having thyroid bloods again in 6 weeks?

Try not to worry, hopefully things will improve soon for you. It’s just about finding the right dosage for you.

I use to work in the early years too so I know how difficult it is when you are feeling unwell and working with the little people. 

Jen

Hi Emma, what you’re experiencing is pretty typical. It can take a while and repeated blood tests to get the right level of medication, so make sure you get tested at least every three months and push your physician to adjust your medication as necessary. If things don’t improve, get a referral to an endocrinologist. As well, getting your blood test results and posting them here will help people give you good advice.

Hi. First I’m really sorry to hear you are experiencing this and trying to work - I know exactly how tough that is, your symptoms are so familiar to me. So I hope it feels encouraging that you are not alone. But I’m afraid I haven’t got to the bottom of why im are having them. It could be the levothyroxine you are taking. The dose may not be quite right. It does take a little while to settle and if you now have just a bit too much that can really make you feel dreadful - anxious, unable to concentrate and exhausted - can I ask if you know the reason for your hypothyroid? Is there an inserlying condition ? I have Graves’ disease which initially made me hyperactive thyroid. Then after radio iodine treatment my thyroid was distroyed and I now am under active. But I still have Graves’ disease. So I get symptoms from both. I think it would be useful for you to know why you are hypo. I now go to see a Kinesiologist who prescribed homeopathic supports to the medicine I have to take. I have to say I was hugely sceptical but every time I go and have treatment, I am much much better. I take things to support brain function, and liver function. Finally my last insight, I’ve had my illness for 10 years and it’s been really tough because it has alternated between me being well and then suddenly bang imback in a dreadful state. Not able to think, Bain likes it’s been dropped to the bottom of a deed sea, Anyway what I e come to realise is I need to really look after myself, not take on too much, and have plenty of rest. A physio told me when you have an autoimmune condition it’s easy to get into a boom-bust cycle.   Doing too much when you feel well because your so pleased to be feeling better but then over exhausting yourself and coming crashing down. 

I hope this is helpful and I wish you all the best in finding solutions that work for you. 

You can definitely take your medication last thing at night and you don’t need doctor’s approval. Taking it at the same time each day is what matters.

Emma I have Hashimoto's and hypothyroidism.  My chief complaint is the head sensation or wooziness that I have from morning until night.  It's like having a hangover! Once in a while I will get an afternoon where I think "OMG this is what I felt like before!" but the wooziness comes back the next day unfortunately.  

I am working my way up on levothyroxine, Tirosint to 75 mcgs to be exact, and as of last week my labs are looking pretty decent.  I am really hoping that it will just take a bit longer to see real results, and that the head issues will subside. Your dose of 50 mcgs is probably still a bit low so don't lose hope yet.

If you're like me.... I get very nervous when I read about "brain fog" as all I can find is that it is like a memory problem, not a physical feeling per se.  Then I read posts like yours and Dave's and I feel so much better knowing I'm not alone.  Also when I read about "fatigue" people say they are bone tired and this head sensation isn't really like tiredness - although it does make me want to lay down and not face the world!  UGH!

I feel like the bottom line is that we need to have ALL of the patience that we can muster with something like hypothyroidism.  It simply takes a long time for the medication to get into each and every cell and make us feel normal again!  And everyone's symptoms are so different, so try as hard as you can not to compare yourself to anyone else.  

By the way I have had three doctors (ENT, MD and OB/gyn) tell me that this feeling can in fact be from hypothyroidism so that should help you to feel better too!