Over medicated on Levothyroxine
Posted , 5 users are following.
Hi, hoping someone can help me! I've been going to the dr.s and I have a app with an endocrinologist next week! My labs came back that my tsh was high so they upped my levothyrocine from 125 to 137! Honestly I think the 125 might be too high to, but I was slacking on taking the medication that's probably why my tsh went up! Well I started taking the 137 daily and about 10 days in I started having anxiety, panic attacks, now insomnia, I'm exhausted, dry mouth, list goes on but the anxiety is horrible! At first couldn't figure it out, but eventually I figured it was the levothyroxine! I stopped at 3 weeks of taking the 137 and it's been 2 days! Still having symptoms though! I went from tsh 52 to less than 1 in 3 weeks! My labs were drawn yesterday and today when I went to the dr. She told me it was less than 1 and I was over medicated. But how long will these symptoms last? And I can't sleep, and I'm a mom so I'm exhausted, they gave me trazadone to sleep, don't want to take it but maybe until I can sleep again! Does anyone get relief from anything for insomnia?
1 like, 10 replies
dave64969 selina59300
Posted
Your symptoms could last a few weeks, depending on the dose you are taking now. Because you were, to use your word, "slacking" on the 125, your TSH came back high and misled your doctor into probably overmedicating you. Now you've stopped taking the 137. So what are you taking now, nothing? Please be completely honest with the endocrinologist about what you have been and are taking. You see, if you unilaterally keep stopping and starting meds, that makes it very hard for the docs to know what's really going on, so I recommend you not do that.
Get your T3 and T4 measured, as they can be implicated in anxiety.
Finally, I have had positive results for insomnia and anxiety with Atevan (Lorazepam) but of course you do have to actually take it :-)
selina59300 dave64969
Posted
Thank you dave64969! I'm not taking anything now! I want to wait at least until I see my endocrinologist next week! So it will be about a week without levothyroxine. I did mention to the dr. (GP) it's possible that I missed a dose here and there, and maybe foods I was eating wasn't the best either I had went vegan a few months back and was eating more soy than ever, I've dropped the soy bc I found out it can interfere with the absorption of the levothyroxine, and I also take a low dose of blood pressure medication I would take about 1-2 hours after my levothyroxine. When the dr. told me that my tsh was high I wasn't expecting that, and I was a 52! He said he was surprised I could get out of bed, I mean I felt a bit tired and would get a bit light headed at times but I felt better than I do now! If anything I thought my meds at 125 was high bc I started feeling palpitations which probably led me to be less consistent with my levothyroxine! I was on a higher dose years ago and I was getting palpitations, and they were fine with lowering it so I knew what that felt like! Looking back though I've always have had symptoms like rapid heart, sweating feeling like my adrenaline was pumping, I thought it was just me! Also in 2015 I went on Celexa, first time with those types of meds and stopped last October 2016! I just wonder if my emotional state had something to do with my thyroid! Even at the normal or good range of tsh, last August I was at 3 and my dose didn't change!
My thyroid was removed when I was a teen and it's been over 20 years I've been taking levothyroxine, but I've never experienced symptoms like I have been! Since the 3 days off of the 137 I think I'm feeling better, but still have symptoms! The dr. I was seeing (GP) wanted me to start at 75 which would be the lowest I've ever taken, but I want to wait and not take it until I see the endocrinologist, I'm going to tell him everything I hope he can help me!
MtViewCatherine selina59300
Posted
Hi Selina, sounds like you're a pro at the thyroid stuff. Glad you're off the soy. Is it possible the change to the vegan diet could have caused your spike in TSH?
Seems like if your dose was sort of working before the vegan diet, you might want to go back to a healthier diet, and your previous dose, to see where you are. Then, recheck. Basically, try to limit your variables. Also, I've found that artificial sweeteners seem to have an effect on thyroid dosing. So if you drink diet sodas, that can really make things go wonky.
Is there any chance the formulation of your meds changed? Sometimes insurance covers only generic, and the druggist doesn't always tell you it's been substituted... Just something to keep an eye on.
I have seen a half dozen posts or so recently from people with your situation: on thyroid meds for years and all of a sudden things go wonky with the dose. Seems like it would be easiest to assume age is the culprit, but since that doesn't get you anywhere, it's more useful to look at other factors- diet, etc.
selina59300 MtViewCatherine
Posted
Thanks MtViewCatherine for your reply! I'm now realizing how complex the thyroid is, after 20 years! Especially bc I don't have one I have to make sure I'm taking the right dose for me, and be mindful of what I'm eating, and medication I'm taking! These past few weeks were horrible, especially my anxiety and over thinking, panic attacks, and insomnia! I'll definitely talk to my endocrinologist, and tell him everything, even symptoms I felt in the past years even when they were ok with my tsh levels! I haven't taken the 137 for 3 days now, and I think I'm feeling better, but still have some symptoms! My tsh levels from 4/5 was .14 so I feel like I don't want to take more levothyroxine until I see the endocrinologist on Tuesday, which by then it will be a week without levothyroxine! And see what he thinks is a good plan!
MtViewCatherine selina59300
Posted
Hi Selina, I had all the symptoms you're referring to and more, even on the lower doses of levo, I've heard that levo works for some people, but have seen literally thousands of posts here on the horrible side effects of levo. I'm not kidding. There are posts very similar to yours all the time. Check out the thyroid posts. At least 50% are about starting levothyroxin and it doesn't work right and issues with dosing. The rest are difficulties getting diagnosis.
The he discussions show that people have had good success with very disciplined gluten free (absolutely no cheating), paleo diets to help calm the immune system problems that cause thyroid disease. The paleo portion helps improve nutrition, which also helps. I've read a lot that leads to believe the cause of my thyroid disease is toxicity from chemicals and heavy metals.
i tried for two years to get the dose right and finally stopped because the medication was killing me, I gained 40 pounds and have been insanely bloated. It didn't work at any dose. Over time, some of the side effects lessened, but my overall health and energy became much worse. It also triggered worse autoimmune disease- Fibromialgya and worsened thyroid condition, thyroid cyst continued to grow. The anxiety was horrible. I was really a mess. They gave me Xanax for the anxiety and ambien to sleep. No fun. The Xanax knocked me out for hours. I felt like I was floating when I took the ambien. After the levo, I tried several other meds, and went back to the NDT I'd been on before the levo. The NDTs had worked prior to the levo, but after the levo, nothing worked right. I finally chucked the meds and tried amino acid therapy. It worked.
try some essential amino acids and liquid chlorophyll for relief from thyroid and other symptoms. I found these to work better than the meds for the thyroid problem. I figured since the meds caused so much bloat and weigh gain and other problems I had nothing to lose by trying something else. I'm feeling much better now after several months of amino acid therapy, but am still a far cry from 100%. You might also do some research to see if there is one specific amino acid that can help with sleep. I remember being where you are. I was unable to sleep for days. Adrenals were messed up as well as thyroid. My whole system was off.
Reading many posts here, the best medication is a non prescription called ThyroGold. Worth every penny because insurance doesn't pay for it.
I tell you my story because if the side effects from the meds are so bad that you feel it will not improve enough to be an effective medication for you, it's better to try some other treatment sooner rather than later. You have to do something to treat the thyroid disease. It isn't easy, it takes resilience, determination and a lot of trial and error. All thyroid patients go through this. Read as much as you can on thyroid disease, read posts here on thyroid. When you have a good day, make use of it, if you can't. Sleep, read more and find solutions that make sense to you.
katherine75184 selina59300
Posted
Same thing happend to me they started me off at 125mg levothyroxine and had all the symptoms you had well see the endo Friday they loweeed it to 50mg and he said if I wanted I still cut the pill in half 25mg I feel lots better I feel like I was so over medicated.. the anxiety was unbearable and my sleep has been off I'm hoping since I went lower dose I can sleep
selina59300 katherine75184
Posted
Thanks katherine75184 for the reply! I'm so surprised at how many people have problems with their thyroid and medications, and how complex it all is! Being over medicated was horrible! I think I'm getting better, still haven't slept much! Hope everything gets back to normal and I find a right level of levothyroxine that does not give me side effects!🙏🏼 I glad you're feeling better! 😊
katherine75184 selina59300
Posted
Keep me updated on what dose is right for you hun .. I mean I'm still kind of stuggaling with my sleep wish I could sleep like I used too.. I hope you feel better soon hun.
selina59300 katherine75184
Posted
Thanks katherine75184 I will! I hope it works out! Seeing endocrinologist tomorrow, I've been waiting!! Me too on the sleep!!! Even after stopping the levothyroxine, it's been about a week, still can't sleep right!! I'm a mom and my lilttlest one is 3, and I'm exhausted at the end of the day but pretty much no sleep!! Hope it can get back to normal soon! My dr. prescribed trazadone but I got anxious about taking it, bc of possible side effects!! Sometimes I'm I really want too! For now I started to drink a glass of wine before bed, seems like it almost helps but not really!! Hoping to get back to normal!! Let me know how your doing on your dose too! Although I've been on levothyroxine for over 20 years, I haven't experienced what I've been going through, so now I'm worrried about getting back on it, although I know I have too!!
katherine75184 selina59300
Posted