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Taking levo at night has not improved symptoms!!

Posted , 6 users are following.

emma2612
emma2612

Hi! After reading various posts regarding taking levo last thing at night improving some symptoms (eg dizzyness/ brain fog, fatigue in morning), I gave it a try after feeling so fed up with my symptoms!

 I have been on 50mg of Levo for nearly 6 weeks now, and changed to taking it at night the past couple of weeks and have had no improvement in symptoms (in fact the opposite the past week!). I've been struggling to wake up and get myself out of bed, once I'm up I'm on the sofa again, terrible disorientating feeling in my head and generally just feeling fed up with it all! 

I was just wondering whether anyone else tried switching levo to last thing at night and it hasn't worked for them?? 

0 likes, 16 replies

16 Replies

  • christine1956
    christine1956 emma2612

    Posted

    Hi Emma

    I started taking Levo at night and found after a few weeks symptoms improved slightly but in the past few weeks after my dose was upped from 100/75 on alternate days to 125 my symptoms have improved so it could be you need a higher dose

  • jennifer16462
    jennifer16462 emma2612

    Posted

    Do you mean 6 weeks from a diagnosis? I think maybe you should have given it more time taking it in the morning. If you are still at the beginning of all this, your body is still adjusting and you may have several changes in dosage before your symptoms begin to improve. I gave it 6 months before choosing to swap to taking it at night time and it worked for me. But it’s not for everyone. Are you having your bloods/ levels done every 6 weeks?
    • emma2612
      emma2612 jennifer16462

      Posted

      Yes 6 weeks since being diagnosed! I'm such an impatient person, think I was expecting to feel all back to normal straight away after taking the tablet! I understand it's going to take time, it's just frustrating when you feel so fed up! 

      I've just had bloods re-done and seeing my doctor for results tomorrow. Is there anything I should be asking? It's all new to me so I don't know whether I'm getting everything across to my doctor properly/ and me understanding how results/ levels work.

      Thanks for your reply. 

    • jennifer16462
      jennifer16462 emma2612

      Posted

      Don’t worry, we have all been there. Its an awful feeling. Did you get your test results last time? If not always ask for them so you know how they are improving. I’m presuming they did tsh , t4 and antibodies on your initial tests. Did you have other bloods done like iron, b12, vit d etc?
    • emma2612
      emma2612 jennifer16462

      Posted

      Yes all other bloods came back ok. 

      I will make sure I get copy of TSH levels tomorrow as I don't quite understand the range/ how it all works etc. 

      I've had a very sore throat, aches and pains around neck and glands raised a bit so they have also tested for glandular fever? 

  • christine1956
    christine1956 emma2612

    Posted

    I am not an expert on how long you need to take meds for you to notice an improvement,  but to wait 6 months seems too long.

     

    • emma2612
      emma2612 christine1956

      Posted

      I really do hope it's not going to take that long!! I'm an early years teacher and I've already had to take 3 weeks off work! 

    • sweetmelissa
      sweetmelissa christine1956

      Posted

      6 months is about right...  Our bodies took years, sometimes decades to create all the damage done.  So, it will take a long time for our bodies to undo all of this damage.  With all of the dose increases, our bodies have to get use to each dose raise and the change of hormone levels that come with it.  After we get to our optimal dose, which will keep our TSH level around 1.00, then we will very slowly start to feel better..
    • jennifer16462
      jennifer16462 christine1956

      Posted

      I didn’t say 6 months to notice an improvement.  I said I waited 6 months to change to taking at night. I gave my body time to see if the symptoms would improve . After noting that the meds were not improving my brain fog, I looked into other things and saw people discussing taking at night. I think the initial 6 weeks is just getting use to having the levo in your system.  If you think after having the diagnosis, having bloods every 6 weeks with possible changes in dosage, you have to give yourself time to monitor your symptoms to see if they are improving or are the meds making you feel worse. And let’s not forget most feel worse when starting levo. It took me 18 months to find my correct dosage and feel better. But I didn’t sit around for the first 6 months
  • cathy35794
    cathy35794 emma2612

    Posted

    I know people debate this issue looking for solutions, but honestly I more believe it is related  to the a vast number of companies all in mainland China  that make it.. Despite what we are told the potency of doses can vary from company to company and refill to refill. I contacted my pharmacy to find out where mine had come from cause I used a generic as many people do and I was put off. Mylan was in fact investigated cause they distribute many generic drugs of all sorts. That was my personal experience
    • jennifer16462
      jennifer16462 cathy35794

      Posted

      Which ones are made in China?! My brand is actavis and is manufactured in the UK
    • cathy35794
      cathy35794 jennifer16462

      Posted

      I'm in the USA and I couldn't find any online sites about the medication that says they are made here . Not  to say there isn't, but Mylan is the biggest and they make and distribute generics not just thyroid pills. A lot of companies who sell in the USA are headquartered here and print literature would state they are distributed by a USA company, but that in no ways means the USA is where the product is made. I am not trying to be negative or contrary, but I am beginning to realize some of us are very naive (like me) about the products we are being sold and they very well could be contributing to the problems some of us have and still are having. When I type in where Levothyroxine is made one of the sites that came up was Alibaba.com and the list was endless. In the USA Mylan and Lannette Co., Inc are 2 that distribute, but where is their source? Mylan was investigated at one point. I don't have answers just questions.

    • jennifer16462
      jennifer16462 cathy35794

      Posted

      Ah right. I did a search in our UK ones and they made here. It’s funny thought because many people are not too fussed . The ones who take NDT often source it from overseas.

      But I do get where you are coming from 

  • christine1956
    christine1956 emma2612

    Posted

    I would also advise you to take a note of the tablet manufacturer and how you feel with each,  as the fillers in the tablet varies with each manufacturer and you may find one makes you feel better than the other.
    • sweetmelissa
      sweetmelissa christine1956

      Posted

      I agree..  I'm lactose intolerant and I know Levo itself has lactose in it and while it isn't enough to bother me, it may bother someone else..  Great point Christine!

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