Unacceptable side effects of Levothyroxine

25mg is extremely low dose of medication, I can't say what will happen but can't see how 25mg is actually doing any good really, but Doctors only go on blood tests!!!!   They don't appear to listen to how patients actually feel.

Wilma, I agree with Rosie. If you have a thyroid problem that us minor, you can often control with dietary changes, which are difficult at first, but you'll feel a lot better. 

My my case has gotten to extreme disease, and I needed higher doses of meds. The problem is that as the dose us raised, the side effects of the meds increase. A lot, I've tried everything. Go with a paleo, high protein, glutenfree diet. No cheating on th gluten. Look into supplements as well. Also amino acids were super helpful for me getting off the meds.

Hi Wilma, 25mcg may sound a little, but it is a very powerful drug and it may cause serious health problems if you come off it when your body needs it. If you do decide to come off it, you need to make the dietary changes FIRST then if your symptoms warrant it, slowly reduce the thyroxine dose by a quarter of a tablet every 2 weeks. Use your basal pulse and the overdosing form that can be found under 'Question and Answer' menu on the ThyroGold website.

i don't understand why you need to avoid soy.  i have seen several people say to avoid it----but no one says why.   do you know why?

Good question. For me, it's because I'm intolerant to it (it brings me out in itchy spots). I'm sure I read it's a good idea to avoid it, but can't remember where.

Hi Chris, my experience was that the side effects worsened as the dose was increased. One of the side effects is worsened thyroid disease.

My mother suffered horrible declining health following her thyroidectomy. Because of her age, NDT was not a good option because the high T3 can cause heart palpitations. So she was on levo. By the time she got treatment at each stage, it was too little, too late. For her the levo seemed ineffective. I tried her on some natural bovines and she's doing better after a month on the ThyroGold, and other supplements.

I'm trying amino acid therapy, which seems to help enormously, but I may need to go back to taking thyroxin.

Ive read hundreds of posts on this site and very few people seem to make headway. However, one gal who feels she's doing well on the levo also takes cytomel, a T3. She posts often. You can follow her if you like: ihavenonickname.

Because of my years of horrible experience, as well as my mother's and so many others I've seen on this site regarding the levo, I can only recommend extreme caution with this medication.

Hope that gives you some help.

Thanks Cafherine.  Given I am new to not having a thyroid and taking a thyroxine I shall be insisting that I have regular blood tests and assessments.  Hopefully I get all this balanced out and reach some sort of stability.  In myself I feel ok it's just the feeling of blacking out when I move my head to the right or left, that's not the way I want to remain.  I will update this post in a few weeks after I've seen the endo and my doctor following the next set of blood tests.  All the best.

You're welcome. If your only noticeable side effect is blacking out, you're fortunate, and have a good chance of making it work with this medication. Other people have posted similar side effects. Someone recently posted dizziness and lightheadedness. 

I would recommend getting your ears checked and a visit to a good chiropractor, as excess fluid in the ears can cause symptoms during movement. Inflammation in the neck, due to nodules or surgery can prevent fluid from properly draining from the ears, or can even cause infection due to lack of drainage;  either could result in dizziness and other symptoms during movement. I've found gentle chiropractic treatment to be helpful.

I sure hope they either take you off the Levothroxine or adjust the dose. That's very scary. I'm sorry that you are going through this difficult time because of the medication. I've never experienced anything like that because of mine. I'm on 100 mcg. I've been on this dose for almost 20 years. Since the hypothyroidism diagnosis, I've been diagnosed with lupus and fibromyalgia, there are more but I don't bore you with my health issues. All I know is the doctor says my thyroid is stable. When I took myself off it three years ago, I lost almost 20 pounds. Now my weight is up again. I don't know if it from this medication or my Prednisone and Gabapentin, both of which are known to cause weight gain. I'm just way too fat for my short stature. Everything hurts all the time.

I'm sorry, I'm rambling again.

I hope you find either the right dose or a different medication that works better for you.

Bobbie, so many people here say they developed fibromialgya and RA after taking levo. Myself included. I wish I'd gone off it immediately.

I have a cooy of a letter sent to me by my local NHS Trust in respect of a request for T3. It's basis is the cost of T3 against T4 Levo and the "lack of evidence" bla bla bla. I will remove the names to protect the innocent (laughing) but am willing to share it's content with any one who PMs me. I am actually taking T3 prescribed by a consultant in the Royal Calderdale Hospital and having got through the side effects I feel much better for it. Anyway, please let me know.

I too have been diagnosed with lupus as well as hashimotos hypothyroidism. I suspect I would have been diagnosed with fibromyalgia too except I have found my aches and pains are due to extensive allergies and intolerances. Try sticking to a diet of roast chicken, carrots, cabbage, brocolli and kale for a week (for every meal including breakfast) and see if the aches and pains go. Try keeping a food and symptom diary. When analysing it, remember that intolerances can result in symptoms up to 3 days later. To give you an idea of just how much it's possible to react to: I can't eat: corn (it's in an enormous range of products, golden syrup, glycerin, glycerol...), grains, yeast, dairy, soy, potato, fruit (gives me horrible muscle pains), rice, seafood...the list goes on. I'm now on ThyroGold because I never felt well on thyroxine - my GP - always had to dose me so my T4 was at the top of the range for me to feel vaguely ok. Since being in ThyroGold I've lost weight and my muscles work - I can now run upstairs instead of dragging myself up them painfully. Hope you find what's causing your aches and pains. All the best.

I have just written to a Thyroid specialist asking him if he know of anyone in the medical profesion that  is aware of the side effects of Levo. I want a medical profesional to have access to this site, to see the suffering. 

I am going to stop takeing it now, as I feel terrible, arm and legs deep bone pain, that it now wakes me up. I feel like an 80yr old. 

If you need thyroid hormone and don't take it, you will have serious health issues and die. Try swapping to an NDT. I'm on a bovine one called ThyroGold which can be brought without a prescription over the internet. I've been on it since June 2015 and feel great. Blood tests are all in range. My experience suggests 100mcg thyroxine = 600ng ThyroGold.

Yes, "lack of evidence", an absurd statement used by non-scientists. Science is subjective, and extremely easy to draw incorrect conclusions even by the best. Seriously, anyone who's worked in science would never consider using a statement like this.

T3 seems to help but should, of course, be used with caution because if too high it triggers adrenal anxiety, resulting in adrenal exhaustion. Of course the same happens with low T3.

i went off the meds and am trying amino acid therapy. It solved a bunch of other problems including the food sensitivities. My stomach is a lot better, though I still completely avoid gluten and and most dairy. I hoist horribly with ice cream, but can tolerate a little cheese and yogurt. Not sure if I'll go back to a natural bovine med. hoping I don't have to. For now the amino acids are better than the levo, no worse than NDTs.

Hi Catherine, Sorry, Christmas preparations delayed my reply. I'm really glad ThyroGold is working for your mum. Hope you had a lovely Christmas. x

Research ThyroGold. I'm on it and even though I have to pay for it myself, I won't swap back to thyrixine.

I suggest you experiment with diet to see whether the fibromyalgia improves. I get bad muscle/joint paints if I eat fruit, lamb, pork, wine etc. Try a week of chicken and vegetables (not potato) for every meal and see if it improves, then slowly reintroduce a food every 2-3 days. What have you got to.lose? I did this and have finally worked out all the foods that cause me a problem. Sugar is one of them.