Unacceptable side effects of Levothyroxine
Posted , 191 users are following.
I was described Levothryoxine 2 years ago and my GP has increased it until I am now taking 125mcg.I have never had so many various symptoms in my life - severe weight gain including puffy face and eyes, very itchy dry skin, brittle nails, thinning hair but the major items are the pains in my joints and muscles - especially in my knees and my hands. The doctor said I have carpal tunnel syndrome and also now have high cholesterol,,,,,,, When reading other peoples' experiences it would appear that many people have all of these symptoms so why is it that GP's do not take this illness more seriously. I recently asked if I could have a full blood showing all readings and also if I could be prescribed Armour and was told no. It also scared me to find that several pharmacists in major chemists haad never even heard of Armour. Has anyone felt like they have had enough and just stopped taking Levothyroxine and what was the result?
41 likes, 1182 replies
julie1968
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steph56 julie1968
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ttc steph56
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carole76433 ttc
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I am very irritable most times , bad tempered , bad dreams and generally feeling depressed again. !!!! Just wish I could feel better again ???
I do seem to be losing weight again thank goodness but that could be the kelp I'm taking with my Levothyroxine ?.
But as you say we are all different ? C
carol11091 julie1968
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carol11091 steph56
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maxime01419 julie1968
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claire66933 maxime01419
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I'll try taking it at night - see if it sorts out my stomach problems and anxiety.
christine1956 claire66933
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can you tell me if it helps taking it at night
Rosiebranston christine1956
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Hi, my Doctor told me to take Levo thyroxine at night when I started getting side effects of insomnia. One year on and I think I am finally getting to the bottom of these side effects I experieinced. I started getting side effects to Levo a year ago, eventually because there wasn't any alternative I tried NDT, this was better but when I tried to increase the dose again I got similar side effects; insomnia, agigtation, nausea, this was tablet form though. So I goit referred back to the Endo for the second time, this time he put me on a combination of T3 and Levo, within a week I was getting side effects from the Levo and had to stop it. Back to Endo; he increased the T3 10mg to three and day and knocked off the Levo. A this time I had also reacted to other medication and had come out in a rash and sore watery eyes, until I stopped one of the meds I was taking. This is when I found out what the cause was. The chemist had problems getting T310mg and gave me T3 20 mg cut in half to tide me over until they got the 10 mg in. The T3 10mg was capsules, the T3 20mg was in tablet form. Within two days of taking the half 20mg tablet I had an extreme reaction, severe rash, watery sore eyes, nausea, aggitation, insomnia and genreally feeling exhausted and very ill, had to stop taking it. This happens with medication in tablet form, not capsules. It appears to be the chemicals they use in reducing it into tablet form. A few years ago I had a similar reaction to Morphine after an op, I can take Morphine in liquid or injection but not in tablet form. The 10mg T3 capsules will be ready tomorrow and I am hoping that I don't react to these, certainly when I was on two 10mg capsules a day I was OK, so hoping now that an increase to three a day insn't going to give me side effects, but it is wait and see time.
MtViewCatherine Rosiebranston
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Rosie, OMG!
I tried levo in capsules, compounded to avoid allergens. This was better than Synthroid... Pills have binders, colors and other additives. But, after years of the specially compounded levo, it still didn't work and I was still having side effects. No more for me.
Rosiebranston MtViewCatherine
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If the T3 works and I dont react I'll stick to that. I've had to come off other medication as well that I'm now reacting badly to.
barbara98940 Rosiebranston
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Rosie, if T3 doesn't work, try ThyroGold. I'm allergic or intolerant to loads of things. Are you allergic/intolerant to maize starch? Aka corn. Look it up - it can even be in sugar because they refine it using corn. I itch all over my body if I have it. I now react to so many things my diet is severely restricted, but I'm ok with ThyroGold - it's beef based as it's a bovine NDT (Natural Desiccated Thyroid).
barbara98940
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It's always good to have a 'Plan B'.
Rosiebranston barbara98940
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Going to have to try it, can't afford thyrogold, I'm retired on a pension.
barbara98940 Rosiebranston
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Sorry to hear that. However, just in case anything changes, I'll give you an idea of how much ThyroGold you would need and how much it would cost. From my experience I reckon 100mcg thyroxine = 600mg thyrogold. If you are in the UK and you do order, remember that to collect your parcel you will need to pay 20% VAT + £8 handling charge to royal mail. It costs me about £1 a day (I need 450mg in summer and 600mg in winter and buy in bulk thereby saving 10%).
However, maybe the following could be your Plan B? The NHS do have the option to provide compounded tablets. This is where special pharmacists (e.g. hospital pharmacists) make up the tablets without fillers. It's expensive so they understandably don't like doing it unless absolutely necessary. But if you're in the UK it's probably on par with being prescribed T3 as recently ther e was an article which said the NHS was having to pay hundreds of pounds when the tablets cost pennies. All the best - I hope it works out whatever you do.