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Why do doctors love levothyroxine?!

Posted , 7 users are following.

Tutu123
Tutu123

Hi, this is a combined question with a rant attached!! I've been on high doses of levothyroxine for the last eight years and as the doctors kept increasing the dose the worse my symptoms got and they eventually diagnosed chronic fatigue syndrome (which I am dubious about).

They have now decided I don't need as much medication (if any) as there doesn't seem to be anything wrong with my thryoid (just a little small due to the meds). I find it a strange coincidence that I'm on much lower doses and starting to see a very slight improvement this week.

Whenever I suggest to my doctors that levothyroxine is making me worse or that NDT/natural hormones might be a better way to go they always brush it off saying it's not the case!

Is it possible for the medication to make you worse? I'm sure I've heard others with similar experiences of levothyroxine

1 like, 42 replies

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  • winter123
    winter123 Tutu123

    Posted

    It made me worse. I was already tired most of the time but it didn't compare too when my NP prescribed me 75mg levo. At first I was nauseous but after a few weeks of taking it I noticed my heart would race even in my sleep which caused me to wake up, I slept until 2pm, my throat was stiff or closed up more, I felt sick like I was poisonings myself. I stuck with the first 2 months and when my checkup came I told her I was not taking this anymore even though my labs came back to normal range. I told her to switch me to nature's throid and she was a little hesitant but told her I wouldn't take levo anymore and explained my symptoms. She then said yes and that she would decrease my dose as well. I now take 16.25 nature's I just started so maybe I'll wrote back after few weeks and update how this is going.
    • Tutu123
      Tutu123 winter123

      Posted

      Yes please do let me know how the nature thyroid goes. I kept telling the doctors I was sure the levothyroxine was making me worse and was told it doesn't have any side effects (hmmmm! Would have to disagree!!) as I have dropped more of the levothyroxine I have felt happier in myself and able to stay awake a bit more. Really hoping to come off it entirely but am told I won't be off it for at least a year (if at all). Will be switching to NDT if I can't come off it totally. It's wrecking my life.

      Something that will make people on here laugh...I saw a financial advisor today and I mentioned I had an under active thyroid and he said "my wife had that. It's just treated with tablets isn't it?".. Hmm for some people it's that simple!!

    • winter123
      winter123 Tutu123

      Posted

      Yes I will keep you updated! I had read of people who have lasted years on it including you and I don't know how yall have done it. I never felt worse in my life with levo. Thankfully my NP is very familiar with thyroid disorders and didn't fight me on the switch. I read somewhere "levo just changes numbers not symptoms." So I hope this swith makes it better.

      Yes they think oh you just take a pill everyday and honestly I thought that once with my brother he has hypo too but now I'm like I don't know how he even got up for work.

    • winter123
      winter123

      Posted

      Ok so I have been on nature throid for a lititle more than a month. I know it hasn't been that long but I can already feel the improvement. I don't feel "sick" everyday and I have more energy than what I did before. I'm on a low dosage 25mg compare to levo mg. I was on 75mg levo so I thought this was odd but my NP said she wanted to start me off low and go from there because I was having chest/heart problems with levo. I have my appointment in one more month I hope I continue to feel better.
    • Tutu123
      Tutu123 winter123

      Posted

      That's good to hear. I am thinking of switching too. Wish I could come off the meds totally as it's ruining my life at the moment. I suffer with heart pounding too and it's really uncomfortable.
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