Lowering Levothyroxine

I got relief from some supplements when I went off the levo. The essential amino acids and ex tea phenylalanine really helped. I did it in high doses for a couple months along with acupuncture and herbs, then scaled back gradually. I felt completely fixated while on the meds because to get them in a high enough dose to work, they ads me sick, so I took smaller doses three times a day. The freedom of not having to time all these meds has been liberating!

Does it take 3 months for the dose to level out and stabilise rather than the 4-6 weeks that people tend to say?

I certainly found it took 3 months before the blood test would accurately reflect a change in dose.

I was hyper, had radioactive iodine and went under active, but over Christmas my t4 went up and I displayed hyper symptoms. My doc reduced the dose and it's six weeks and things are improving and calming but I'm not always sleeping great. My doctor said it can take a while and to leave it a while longer. Do u agree, I feel like I'll never be back to my normal self x

Hi Leesy, I found I could tell whether I was overactive, underactive, or OK, by taking my basal pulse. This is your pulse at rest. Ie after you've been lying down dozing/asleep for half an hour or more. If my pulse was 60-65 beats per minute I was OK. If it was 70+ I was overactive (i.e. overdosing with thyroxine), under 60 I was underactive (I.e under dosing with thyroxine). Also when increasing or decreasing a dose, I found it best to do it by a quarter of a 25mcg tablet at a time every 2-3 days until the required dose is reached. Hopefully the above information on measuring basal pulse will enable you to tell for yourself whether you are on the right dose. The bit about increasing/decreasing by a small amount each time should help to minimise the effects of side effects from changing dose.

Do you agree that it can take a while to settle down like my doctor said? I feel so up and down.

Yes it can take a while, even more so after radioactive iodine treatment. It used to take me 3 months to feel settled. You will be different as I didn't have radioactive iodine treatment - I've got hashimostos hypothyroidism (which is where one's immune system attacks the thyroid). Try doing a google scholar search on hyperthyroidism and radioactive iodine.

Last week I felt on the mend but this week I feel anxious and not sleeping. It's horrible.

Anxious and not sleeping are symptoms of hypothyroidism/over medicating with thyroxine. Try reducing your dose by a quarter of a 25mcg thyroxine tablet every 2-3 days and see how you get on. Take your basal pulse for more immediate feed back on your levels. For me, 60 beats a minute is good, 70+ indicate I'm over medicating, below 60 I'm under medicating.

Hi Mary, I was able to get off the prescription meds by transitioning to a non prescription bovine glandular similar to ThyoGold, then going off that by using a supplement formula of essential amino acids.  I didn't plan to do it this way. I just had tried the bovine glandular and it had been working well until they changed the formulation. When the new formulation made p me sick, I was fed up and did more research, and found that amino acids are both precursors for thyroxin and involved in its metabolism from one form to another. 

I got amazing relief from the amino acids and am completely off the meds. I feel like I'm still hypo, though, I'm feeling tons better than on the meds... and I'm still recovering from the damage the meds did to my body.

Also, I've found cleansing to be extremely helpful, as heavy metal toxicity can cause hypothyroidism, and the low metabolism can result in slow elimination, resulting in additional toxicity that just jams up the thyroid function more.

I'd be happy to recommend some resources for you.

Hello Mary ,

I am also going through this lowering synthyroid dose. Can I talk to u.

Rosie’s right on. Read up on side effects of levothyroxin. 

See the levothyroxin group on this site, “unacceptable side effects of levothyroxin”. You’ll get an earful.

Hello All,

I just went through a harrowing experience of a cat bite, extreme infection, at the same time cold turkey nicotine withdrawls and no thyroid medication for 4 days in the hospital.  I came out with high blood pressure for me 148-151/80 (I'm 63 Years old) extreme anxiety, panic attacks, palpitations, fatigue, body tremors when I lay down sometimes, muscle spasms and insomnia.  Before this tramatic event I was hypothyroid and am taking Bovine thyroid called Armour Thyroid at 120 mg/day.  After all the infection, antibiotics IV and oral were done, I am still having these symtoms and told my doctor who sent me to a cardiologist and smoke cessation group, who told me my heart is fine and that quiting smoking while under extreme stress was probably the worst way to do it.  Before all this happened my TSH or T4,(I can't remember which)  was 1.7 and my doctor suggested I lower it, then, by skipping two doses a week to make it average out to 100 mg/day because Armour Tjhyroid does not come in a 100mg dose.  After the hospital stay TSH or T4 was measured at 2.5.which to me is extremely high and the root of all the terrible symptoms I am having.  My resting pulse is sometimes 60 with BP of 119/73 (body tremors occur) and sometimes ranging from 61 to 79)  at 79 I was having body tremors with a BP of 114/70.    It seems that when I have the lower BP (below 120/70 -80) BP the tremors occur and I skip beats, become a little anxious and over all don't feel myself.  I am tired all the time, hair is falling out, dry skin and my heart beats irregularly sometimes and the muscle spasms are driving me crazy.  When I lay down, I can feel the heart beat in my head pulsing and then can't sleep.  I feel like I have transitioned to hyperthoid because of the trama and immune system lowering because of the strong antibiotics and assault on my system.  I have an appointment with my regular GP doctor, who has been receptive to my feelings rather than the chart numbers an April 23rd.  Until then, I would lke to lower the Armour thyroid to 90 by taking a half and quarter of the 120 pill each day, making the average 90 mg/day instead of 120 mg/day.  Is this too big of a transition down (-30mg/day)?

I was also on Synthroid, which did not work for me at all and I ballooned up to 200 lbs, size 16.  I am now 166lbs and size 12-14 but these symptoms are preventing me from doing a lot.  I get so tired, exhausted from walking around the grocery store for 30 minutes, heart beats fast and skips, flushing hot, feel like I have a fever then chills.  I feel like I am probably in the danger zone of too high a dose and these are the resulting sypmtoms.  Any insight for my condition?  I also take clonazapam when I feel really anxious and need to calm my heart rate.

By the way, the etiquette of this site is that anyone will answer if they can, irrespective if who the post is addressed to.

Hi Diane, wow, sounds very similar to my pathology- my TSH at 2.5 also presents extreme hypothyroid symptoms. Can’t toleratw synthroid at all. Horrible problems going on and off the meds. 

Right now you need to rebalance your system and get things backmon track so you can function while you’re dealing with all the shifts- go to an acupuncturist, aka Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) practitioner. If you can’t afford one, try an acupuncture school, as they have low cost clinics. They also usually offer herbal remedies at low cost. 

Next, realize there are a whole bunch of problems with the prescription meds. I know exactly what you’re dealing with on the dosing. The down side of this is the difficulty breaking those little tiny pills exactly, or alternating doses- and you’re on a flippin’ roller coaster.

Armour is made from pigs, which have very high T3, so it’ll work initially to the point where things balance out but then the T3 goes too high once you’ve been on it for a while and it suppressed your TSH too much, so you have to keep increasing the doses.  

I’ve found a controversial protocol  for lowering your dose- you can see if you can find some information on this. It takes about two weeks if extremely high dose, at which point, your body sort of ODs on thyroxin and resets everything. The problem is that it causes an extreme anxiety situation and crash, followed by a very obvious need to lower meds a lot. Not the best method.

However, I suspect this methodology tells us that he adrenals are intimately involved and if you could reset your adrenals another way, it might be very helpful. Ive found s few minutes of fast running on the treadmill at the end of my workouts can calm the adrenals enormously. However, at 63 and in thyroid he’ll, you may need to find another way to calm the adrenals- kick boxing? You’re looking to complete the “fight or flight” cycle, as this calms the adrenals. You could experiment: Acupuncture helps, maybe done massage, B12 injections should also help. 

I tried Armour and found it worked for me for a while, but every time I got the dose right, it wouldn’t stabilize- this is because it interferes in the thyroid feedback loop at the wrong point. There are a whole bunch of other issues with the meds- constant formulation changes, allergenic additives- wheat, corn, lactose, dyes. I think Armour contains lactose (can’t remember which additive they added that caused me to not be able to take it.)

Also, meds are now manufactured in third world countries- this can lead to unusual parasite infections that go undetected since they’re not present in our water supplies.

The ongoing hypothyroid disease leads to the shutdown of “unnecessary” body functions. First to found the hormonal system, adrenals... the low hormones cause the immune system to worsen. Also, the low body temp that accompanies hypothyroid leads to opportunistic infections that would not orgerwuse flourish, and clogged gallbladder and pancreatic function which lead to poor digestion and gut problems as well as a sluggish liver- this causes malnutrition, elimination problems and the hamming up of the liver is often the cause of heart palpitations, as it impedes proper blood flow. 

Causes of thyroid disease are exposure to toxic chemicals, especially mercury and bromine (but many others. Mercury causes your T3 to bind up- low T3. Bromine replaces  iodine in the thyroxin molecule and makes your own thyroxin defective- doesn’t work right, body attacks it= autoimmune disease. 

Detoxing is extremely helpful, though needs to be done frequently, as in addition to environmental toxins, sluggish liver and digestion lead to toxic buildups. 

Recently, I found that I have subacute pancreatitis. This also seems to be caused by hypothyroid and the whole gallbladder / liver connection as fats harden in lower body temps and block ducts from the gallbladder and pancreas so your digestion is crap. 

I don’t know what’s caused what in the end. But the Levo definitely accelerated the thyroid disease. I don’t trust the NDT since the shortage stopped in 2012, as it’s likely cut with manufactured thyroxin.

I do acupuncture and massage regularly. For massage, I do lymph drainage, visceral it other specialty to help heal the body.  I gave up on the meds and take essential amino acid complex and extra phenylalanine. It isn’t perfect, but way better than meds and not as much maintenace hassle. 

Hi Diane, I sent you a pm with the same message. Apologies for the many funky autocorrects and typos, as I’m on a cellphone- tiny screen and keyboard.

Barbara, Sorry for the ettique error, first time on the site so I wasn't sure who I should address it to.  Thanks for the info.

I found this information which may be the cause of all this from the extreme infection I had.

Thyroiditis can also be caused by an infection, such as a virus or bacteria, which works in the same way as antibodies to cause inflammation in the gland.

Thyrotoxicosis – Beta blockers to decrease palpitations and reduce shakes and tremors may be helpful. As symptoms improve, the medication is tapered off since the thyrotoxic phase is temporary. Antithyroid medications (see Hyperthyroid brochure) are not used for the thyrotoxic phase of thyroiditis of any kind since the thyroid is not overactive.  I think this may be it since my levels are high meaning my thyroid is failing,  I was seeing an endocrinologist who would not listen at all to the fact that synthroid was not working which is why I asked my GP to start me on Armour Thyroid, although she is not an endocrinologist.  I may need to see one now because of the possible bacterial attack on my thyroid gland.

Also it states that when the thyroid is damaged by infection, the adrenals can leak more hormone causing you to go into a temporary hyperthyroid state, which I think is what is happening and by lowering the dose to 100 or even 90 temporarily, may help the symptoms go away until I can normalize and go back to my regular dosage of 120mg.

It's funny too that whenlaying down I get the tremors, but sitting up stops them.  Wonder if there is a relationship to where the leakage is coming from in the adrenals and body position?

Diane, its not a problem, I just thought I'd save you the extra effort!