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Bottom line is with the this medication, you can’t have both hypo and hyper symptoms at the same time. Do check the synthroid or other markets manufacturer’s sites for symptoms

In the US, we are given an insert with all medications that shows all the inflammation information about side affects and contraindications of the drugs along with other information. It’s really important to read these these!

People don’t always realize that a series of non specific symptoms could be related until they see them all listed together on the sheet. Then they start thinking about it a little more and realize... but you don’t know unless you look.

There’s nothing wrong with reading the information about the drugs you’re taking and being informed so you know what you’re dealing with.

Adverse reactions associated with levothyroxine therapy are primarily those of hyperthyroidism due to therapeutic overdosage. They include the following:

General: fatigue, increased appetite, weight loss, heat intolerance, fever, excessive sweating;

Central nervous system: headache, hyperactivity, nervousness, anxiety, irritability, emotional lability, insomnia;

Musculoskeletal: tremors, muscle weakness;

Cardiac: palpitations, tachycardia, arrhythmias, increased pulse and blood pressure, heart failure, angina, myocardial infarction, cardiac arrest;

Pulmonary: dyspnea;

GI: diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal cramps;

Dermatologic: hair loss, flushing;

Reproductive: menstrual irregularities, impaired fertility.

Pseudotumor cerebri and slipped capital femoral epiphysis have been reported in children receiving levothyroxine therapy. Overtreatment may result in craniosynostosis in infants and premature closure of the epiphyses in children with resultant compromised adult height.

Seizures have been reported rarely with the institution of levothyroxine therapy.

Inadequate levothyroxine dosage will produce or fail to ameliorate the signs and symptoms of hypothyroidism.

Hypersensitivity reactions to inactive ingredients have occurred in patients treated with thyroid hormone products. These include urticaria, pruritus, skin rash, flushing, angioedema, various GI symptoms (abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea), fever, arthralgia, serum sickness and wheezing. Hypersensitivity to levothyroxine itself is not known to occur.

In addition to the above events, the following have been reported, predominately when Levoxyl tablets were not taken with water: choking, gagging, tablet stuck in throat and dysphagia.

Melissa, it occurs to me that it’s possible that although we've both been prescribed  , it is likely there’s a huge difference in the manufacturing and formulations of these products. If I didn’t know better, I’d assume we were talking about two different medications. 

I’d have to check for sure, but I was on leviothin and Synthroid, along with “generic” ,  “compounded” and who knows what else. 

The Synthroid was the worst and I was completely lately incapacitated even at a dose of 25. In  less than three months, I was diagnosed with liver lesions and had severe gallbladder and liver pain as well as massive adema and anxiety. My headaches were so bad, I feared I’d have a stroke. 

Honestly, from what you’ve said, it sounds like we’re talking about two completely different medications. I find it hard to believe that something could have this sort of immediate dramatic negative effect on me, and have minimal side effects for others. Yet, that’s what is apparently happening. Thoughts?

You might be right!  I am on a generic Synthroid, called Levothyroxine.  But I think there are several different kinds.  I'm in the US, I'm not sure where your from, I believe they mostly prescribe Levothyoxine in the US, but not, in another country..

Hi, I’m in California, hence the “progressive” approach. Much more mainstream here if you do any research at all.

All the genetic T4s are referred to as levothyroxin, as is the natural form of T4. So there’s no telling what we’re getting, really. When I saw that even the NDT is labeled as levothyroxin, I was shocked that the synthetic T4 is allowed to be called by the same name as the natural. The T3 also has no differentiation between natural and synthetic. What this means for us is there’s no way for us to ever know what we’re taking. Nice little marketing trick, isn’t it.

With every other hormone, companies are required to label and name their synthetic products, whether name brand or generic, by a name that is different from the natural. Notice estrogen is estroven, progesterone is progest... all sorts of twisted names, playing on the original hormone, that differentiates the formulations for each variety.  If you look into all the other synthetic hormones, they hit the market as hot, hot, hot... sell a ton of it the first few years until they lose market share to he next hot synthetic variety claiming to be safer. Meanwhile, every single one of them turns out to be linked to cancer: proven to cause cancer.

Sorry Catherine..  This is where I have to disagree.  Sure, there are different companies that make the generic Synthroid, Levothyroxine, just like there are other companies that make Asprin,  but all have the same active ingredient.  Now.. the companies may use a different filler or two in different amounts, but that active ingredient is measured out and the same, in all pills, depending on what dose you are prescribed.  It would only make a difference if you have a sensitivity to one or more of the fillers. In which case, you could find out which filler and find one that doesn't contain that filler.   Also..  There is no natural thyroid replacement named levothyroxine...

There isn’t anything to disagree about. This is how drugs are made. There are variations in chemistry and the chemicals processes used to make these drugs, not just a variation in additives.

I know this because I used to work at a company that manufactured drugs.  Companies are extremely protective of trade secrets and don’t share manufacturing methods. To the point that employees are required to sign non disclosure agreements.

As for NDT being labeled levothyroxin, I assure you that’s how my NDT was labeled. I suppose the pharmacy could have made a mistake, but I questioned the pharmacist when my NDT was labeled as levothyroxin (and something else) and was told there is no differentiation between chemical names of NDT T4 and synthetic T4. Also no differentiation in name between the NDT T3 and synthetic T3. Only a difference in names between T4 and T3.

I found this extremely disturbing as well as deceptive. There’s no way to know what you’re getting.

Yep.. still disagree...  ALL synthetic thyroid medication has the same amount of active ingredient..  I guess were just going to have to agree, to disagree..lol.  That's okay though...

NDT contains T1, T2, T3, T4 and calcitonin. To mimic the body’s natural production of it. Depending on natural bovine (usually pig or cow) and also the producer of it. 

T4 / Levothyroxine contains that and certain fillers to make it a solid stable form. 

T3 / Liothyronine is the afternoon product of T4. T4 has to convert into T3 and is the active ingredient. 

There’s a huge difference between T3 & T4 as they are completely different even the ratio is 4:1 in strength. 

Hope that’s clear and you correct the pharmacist who labelled it incorrectly if that’s what’s happened 

I don’t know what sort of NDT you have where you are, but supposedly it’s purified to remove all the thyroxin except T3 and T4. Though, honestly, since I worked purifying proteins, and I don’t see how they could possibly purify it the different thyroxins in the sorts of volumes produced by drug companies.

Only porcine is available as a prescription. No bovine NDTs are available as prescriptions that I know of. The NDTs are labeled as T4 and T3- levothyroxin and triiodothyronine. No bovine. No significant amounts of T1 nor T2 are present in the prescription NDTs (so they say).

Well, I tried to ask the pharmacy. But it was a huge national chain, so they assured me it was labeled correctly and that there is no differentiation between the synthetic names, and didn’t I see that it says NDT as well on the label?

England. I assume you’re not. Ours are different.