Unacceptable side effects of Levothyroxine

If I didn't take it I would be dead because my body would eventually shut down and I would be in a coma before dying. I have been on this drug for 30 years, My thyroid was removed as it was very over active and I'd never felt so ill before they removed it. I am tired a lot and my muscles are weak but I honestly think if I stopped smoking and did a little exercise it would combat this. I wonder if people on here are also taking any other medication as the pill might not interact together, just a thought. I am 52 years old and I am on 125 mcg a day. Please dont stop taking the meds, you and the Dr need to find the exact ammount for you to take.

Hi I have been on Levothyroxine now for just over 2 months and  actually starting to feel a lot better, but initially I felt so ill with terrible symptoms, but now I'm starting to feel so much better .

Hi Elaine

My situation is identical to yours although I had radio active iodine to get rid of my thyroid gland, also severley over active, taking the prescribed medication is essential to keep our body functioning as it should, what seems strange to me is I had been taking 125mg for over 20 years but recently my blood tests have been showing that my medication need increasing, I don't know why the change after all these years on same dose,I feel perfectly healthy apart from sleeping problems, feel tired but just can't get to sleep, I just don't want to up the dose and gain weight.Any feedback you have would be appreciated.

Steph

Ive been reading all these thing people are writing. It seem like many of them are attributing levothyroxine to be the cause for sleep apnea or tge need to see a dentist. But in reguards to your issue. I feel ya. I didnt want to raise my dosage either. Its so hard to lose weight. But if your levels are off, your not gonna feel as good as u can reguardless of what u do. Honestly your levels should be checked every 3 to 6 months. It takes 4 weeks of not forgetting to take your meds to get an accurate test. Synthroid makes me sick so I have to take levothyroxine. Ive taken 50, 75, 88, and now im on the 100. Been eating differently and swimming for 3 months. Lost 35 pounds and feel great. Had labs the other day. First time ever my thyroid is under control in 12 years. Been at the 100 dosage for about 7 months. Do u snore or wake up constantly. U might have sleep apnea

No I don't suffer with sleep apnia thank goodness , just feeling irritable some of the time, and started feeling depressed again lately I've made another appointment to see the doctor to see if I need re testing ?.

Good news is I'm losing weight now , but that could be attributed to the kelp I'm taking a long side it ??.  C

Dont forget its radio active. Means it has a half life. Means it will continue to kill that thyroid. Subtlely over a long period of time. Ive increased over the years from 50 to 75 . After 12 years I just moved to 100. Changed my diet finally along with swimming and the new level. Everything is good now.. but I feel ya. Always worried about level change and weight gain or shaking.

Ya smoking throws off test results.

I feel great as well but had to make big changes to my life style. Have a friend who's been taking it now for about 30 years and has never had a problem.

Hi Elaine

I take other medication with my Levothyroxine I take MST slow release morphine,cal ochre vit D,glucosamine ,venaflaxine 150 mg,zinc,kelp, black cohosh to help with the sweats. At first I was taking them altogether but now I take my Levo then wait for an hour or so then take the rest. I feel sometimes as if my health is slipping away from me as I've just been diagnosed with a melanoma had it removed and now I have to go back in hospital and have my scar extended to make sure they have it all and some of my lymph nodes taken for a biopsy, so it seems my body has given up the ghost!!.

Also I have spinal stenosis , a hip replacement, hiatus hernia, need I go on!!! But I am still able to work thank God and my job is very strenuous !!! So I'm grateful for that !!!

You're right. It should be banned. It doesn't work and causes major problems. Everyone I know who's taken it says it doesn't work and switched to a NDT.

Hi, I'm confused by people saying they put on weight when increasing thyroxine dose. . When I increase my dose of levothyroxine, my metabolism speeds up and, providing I don't eat more, I lose weight.

Isn't kelp a natural source of iodine (a nutrient to make thyroid work better)? If by eating it you feel better, maybe your dose of thyroxine is too low.

I can only tell you what I think based on my experience. The synthetic , levothyroxin, appears to work great in blood tests, as well as to suppress our own production of thyroxin. So the body sort of recognizes it, when it's freefloating in the blood. However, my guess is that it doesn't work as far as action, molecular interactions, in the process of metabolism... doesn't work as well as the natural, or our own T4, or our bodies can't convert it to T3. Maybe a combination of things.

Regardless, it doesn't work the way it should, while suppressing our own thyroxin, which does work. But now we have less of what was actually working. Resulting in the amplified effects of hypothyroidism, while at the same time presenting perfectly beautiful blood test!

I also suspect that this druf has side effects that increase with the dosage. I was on a very large dose. The negative efects got worse as I increased the doesage, buy the benefits of the actual drug decreased as the dose got larger. So in essence, for me, it was less and less effective, the more I raised the dosage.

Obviously any doctor or pharma company can read all these postings. There are thousands of them on the negative and ineffectual results from levothyroxin. Draw your own conclusions on what that says about doctors and pharma.

Good luck!

Totally agree. Thinkthis is why when you start to take thyroxine you can get more problems, because it slows down or stops your own thyroid from doing its thing, makes it lazy, takes it over.   Just read a book by a well known naturopath that said this is the problem with the synethetic medication. It can be like throwing petrol over a fire.

Wow! "like throwing petrol on a fire"! That describes it pretty well! Thanks!

Carmel, you're totally right about the use of the meds slowing down the thyroid. In addition to suppressing the thyroid, the meds suppress the pituitary function, which messes everything else up. I've gone completely off the meds now with a very interesting combo of supplements. Hoping I'm finally improving rather than the downward spiral I was on.