Posted , 111 users are following.
Hi, I am 32 and have just been diagnosed with an underactive thyroid. Been put on 50 mg but after about a week starting to get muscle aches, upset stomach. Did anyone else experience this? also feel really tired!
10 likes, 194 replies
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Guest
Posted
when i was diagnosed at 18 it irritated the hell out of me that i would have to take tablets for the rest of my life, in fact i don't think i really grasped the severity of the situation, i would skip doses for anything up to 1-2 weeks at a time and obviously feel dreadful, i always found it amazing that i could remember to take my contraceptive pill but not my thyroxine lol! i tried to join the army not long after and failed the medical due to the fact that i had to take the tablets, their doctor told me i should stop taking the medication and see if i really needed it and if i didn't i could join..... anyway i had a chat to my gp who had some strong words to say about the whole thing needless to say i didn't join. it took me a long time to get to grips with things, i can't say i am the best person at always remebering to take my tablets i occassionally forget for a day or two but i know my body, i get this strange sensation of looking through a haze or binoculars, typical thyroid symptoms. i always feel the cold, have cold hands and feet, and still get tired sometimes, no matter what the doctors say i think most of us still get some symptoms but greatly improved and you can carry on with your life, i promise it will get better. read as much as you can but from the right sources and talk to your gp.
the main thing i wanted to say is that hypothyroidism can cause depression. there is areason we are all on thyroxine and not herbal remedies...... think about your family and most of all think about you, just give it some time.. x
Binna
Posted
I have read all the comments on this post and have something quite unusual to report. I understood from all the literature that I have read that I would be on thyroxine for life. My levels were all over the place TSH was low, T4 was going low too, GP thought maybe a pituitary problem. So I was finally referred to an endo consultant earlier this year, after two years of taking thyroxine. He considered that I was 'NORMAL' and my original levels were never below the blood test levels (I was borderline). His opinon - my GP had made a mistake, (bless her, she was treating me for the symptoms and looked at me as a whole person and not just a blood test number). And here's the rub, he told me to stop taking Thyroxine straight away and have another blood test in 6 to 8 weeks time!
So I did as I was told, had the blood test and back in April I was 8.3 T4 and 4 TSH. The lowest T4 I've ever been, but both results were just within our local labs 'NORMAL' level (which had been reduced from 11 to 7.5 for T4 probably due to funding and having a huge elderly population). I did not go back to him as I found him to be unsympathetic and obviously a number cruncher. I have tried homeopathy, acupuncture and kelp in the last few months. My symptoms have not gone away totally, but I am holding my own. However, I am worried about what is going on inside! Cholesterol, blood glucose, other hormones? Last week I went to a different GP, (as the diagnosing GP had left the practice a while ago) and she was brilliant. I smugly told her that my periods were now regular every 28 days, although they weren't before Thyroxine, (oops spoke to soon). I am having bloods done tomorrow, so will see if the positive thinking and alternative therapies have worked.
I really don't want to go back on Thyroxine, I certainly improved when I first started taking the drug, however later on I went down hill even though I was taking 175 regularly.
I don't think there is any real answer to a thyroid problem. My advice would be to look at your family ancestry and try to eat in the way they would have done many years ago. That probably means low carbs for most people! Look at yourself holistically, check out any food intolerances, try to get out and take some form of exercise even for at least 20 mins, even though that's probably the last thing you feel like doing and generally listen to your body. I do believe that you can take Thyroxine and do all the alternative stuff. Ultimately for me, I would like to take animal thyroid if I can get hold of it, rather than a simulated hormone (sorry to all you vegetarians) but it's got to be better than taking something that is manufactured by a drug company.
I wish everyone with this problem the very best of luck, take control ~ don't leave it all to the Doctors!
Binna
Dee
Posted
Was really interested to find this site and to read about your experiences.
I was hyperthyroid 3 years ago and after developing \"rare\" side effects from carbimazole had radio-active iodine which resulted in hypothyroidism.
Talk about one extreme to another !!
Am STILL trying to stabilize myself....as a registered nurse I feel I should be better at it !! Am amazed at how my mood is affected and was concerned when reading some of the comments posted that I am definitely not the only one to experience this.It can get so bad that I fear that I am at risk of true depression .
Has anyone had a feeling of tightness or a \"lump\" in the throat ? A scan of my thyroid was normal which made my doctor look at me as if I was mad !OH WELL !!!![/b]
anne-marie06632 Dee
Posted
Guest
Posted
Today I feel, and am sorry to use this language - 'crap'. I am down and depressed. I went away to the Lake District last week for a holiday and was nauseous and had vertigo. It's the kids summer holidays and I am so depressed and in my own world that I can't give them a good time. I won't go to the gp cos I don't want to hear about anti depressants.
I am going ahead with the herbal stuff in september and am weening myself of this thyroxine. I will keep you all informed of my progress. I know you'll all be thinking I'm a nutter and am not educated enough to know about the thyroid. Perhaps, you're right but I've not been right for a while and I'm doing this to experiment, may be it will work for me. If I go really downhill I will let you all know and you can all say 'we told you so' and I'll slap myself from you all!
Once again, thank you for all your concerns. I will keep you all informed.
Carmenh Guest
Posted
Hi,
I have recently been diagnosed with hypothyroidism and have been told by my GP and naturopath to take thyroxine but before I do I'm trying to do as much investigating and reading on the side effects etc. could you please let me know how you're doing now that you've weened yourself off the drug and what alternatives you're taking?
Thank you,
jpnuman Carmenh
Posted
Hi
I was dianosed with under active thryroid and put on thyroxine 25 mg and after a month I felt worse tired, weight gaining badly and sick a couple of times. They increased it to 50 mg and I gave up after taking it for nearly 2 months due to the side effects. I didn't see the point of taking something that was giving me further problems that I did not have before it - the weight gaining was a major issue for me as I had lost alot of weight cutting back myself so to see it go on so rapidly was not good also I felt as if my body had been put on remote control that I had no control over what it was doing. I also still suffered with tirednesss and aching joints every time I tried to get up in the morning which was a killer when trying to go to work. Bloating was also an issue. The GP has ok'd it for me to stop and see after 2 weeks as he said I may get very tired again. 2 weeks is up - I fee a little tired but have been suprised how
much better I feel since stopping this. However, I have from researching the net that I discovered that since taking Kelp Tablets from Holland and Barratt (3 x days with meals) that my tiredness has not been anywhere near as bad. Aching joints has gone away the only aching I have had which has been my knees with the heat has been a problem but I have had knee ops to both so I am putting it down to that. I am peri-menopausal to and I realise that unfortunately this can cause alot of thyroid problems. Although I have stopped it just to let people know my thyroid count was border line and when I had a blood test while taking levethyroxine it was coming down to normal but slowly.
Only time will tell now and I am due a 2 month blood test on 12th October as advised by my GP to check how it is doing. If it does get bad he is going to refer me to a spoecialist through my works health care if needed. I think GP's tend to just hand out tablets too quickly and this is a bad one for alot of women as I think it tends to clash if women are also going through the menopause at the same time. Weight gain around the stomach area is a bad one for menopausal women but I felt it got worse whilst taking Levothyroxine.
Hope this helps folks - will post when I know more in October
Noddydog jpnuman
Posted
Hi, I feel like you that I don't want to take something that will cause more problems than it fixes. I am well past menopause by 16 years and have been borderline UAT for over 10 years . I have been managing it with Organic Kelp and Vits/ Minerals ans don't have symptoms. I do get a bit tired sometimes , but then I am 63. Now it has gone over borderline and still resisting Thyroxine my GP has written to get me an appointment with an Endocronologist. Still on the wating list for an appointment nearly 4 months later. Will post again if and when I get an appointment.
jackfrost
Posted
Sorry to hear that things are not going well..if you are insistent on taking the alternative route try the website “ stop the thyroid madness\". I must add I have nothing to do with this site and I myself am on the thyroxine. However I believe we are all different and need to listen to our bodies…..so before you set off on your own have a look at this site and make your decisions from a position of knowledge..
Jack
jackfrost
Posted
Just a thought for you and the others that think they may be having side affects from the thyroxine.
Synthetic T4 (Eltroxin, Levothroid, Levoxyl, Oroxine, Synthroid, Unithroid) Most brands contain lactose as a filler.
Levothroid and Levoxyl do not.
Symptoms of Lactose Intolerance
Common symptoms are nausea, cramps, bloating, gas and dihorreha which can begin between about 30 minutes to two hours after eating or drinking foods containing lactos
Are any of you Lactose intolerant, might be worth checking with your doctor!!!!!
Could be what is making you unwell.
SES
Posted
MS-
Yeah I agree with Jack Frost, you should ask your doctor this if you could have Lactose Intolerance, as there is a possibility?
The thyroxine does take a while to get into your system so looking at other angles could solve your anxieties? Talk things through with another doctor, they might have a more sympathetic approach too.
Regards
SES
falconry
Posted
I have received little or no interest or help on this issue from any GP's or Endocrinologists who often tend to be very dismissive and patronising. They just brush and worries aside giving them no importance and I am made to feel as though I am taking up their precious time.
In the USA this is at least taken more seriously and there is an opinion there that Levothyroxine in particular is known to cause these syptoms and that Synthroid is preferred. However, Synthroid is not available in the UK, (at least that is what I have been told by GP's) so it seems we have to put up with Levorthyroxine and its awful side effects!
To stop taking the medication is highly dangerous so should no be done without the supervision or consent of a doctor. It looks like we are stuck with this awful situation!!!
seekinacure falconry
Posted
sandra47474 falconry
Posted
Noddydog sandra47474
Posted
Thanks for your input, I feel really down about this problem. I am fit and healthy now and don't want to go onto Thyroxine. It is hard to tell the doctor that you don't want it especially when they are such a good doctor that you respect and has always care well for you. My results were TSH levels 11.26 T4 levels 11.5 and Cholesterol 5.9 & 3.1
sandra47474 Noddydog
Posted
jpnuman sandra47474
Posted
Hi,
This is exactly the same as me when I stopped it felt so much better and yes same as you aches and pains stopped.