Does Levothyroxine Cause Acne (Page 3)
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I have been taking 25mcg for about 6 weeks and feel much better, no weight loss, but no gain. I have developed acne on my chin and around the right side of my mouth...is this a side effect? Anyone else had this happen?

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86

doc took me off levo about 8 months ago,THS had come down to 5 from 7.5 but i didnt follow up 6 wks later to see where it was at after being off of it so i became a detective to see if the meds caused it, i was fine before that as far as acne. evidently all butter, oil, nuts, fats etc are causing the break outs. i'm 55 with hot flashes etc so i know my hormones r out of whack & doubt they will settle down as this has been going on for almost 6 yrs now. gramma had goiter & others in family have thyroid issues so i just dont want to end up having surgery on my darn throat. hormones including thyroid are a very complex thing that i dont think they totally understand yet so i will go back for my yrly bloodwork in a few months & just keep reading. lots of info out there. i know tons of people believe the levo was causing the acne but i think when your hormones are all out of whack, we have to adjust the way we eat accordingly. fat is the problem for me. bacon, all of it. i saute my veggies in broth instead of oil & grill any meats & eat lots of beans & veggies, poached or boiled eggs. minimum fats. hope this helps. oh and braggs apple cider vinegar really helps the itching & quick healing of the acne that does come out.

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85

An NP put me on 50 mcg after the first blood test, then I got headaches and acne on my face and back, and I missed a period. After 6 weeks, we tested my blood again, which showed TSH = 0. Apparently the high dosage had shut down my pituitary. I switched to 25 mcg, but when I got a second opinion from another provider, she recommended 12.5 instead. This dose has my blood tests in the right range, but the acne is still on my face and back. Has anyone found any good solutions?

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84

I am having the same exact problem, acne on my cheeks and forehead. I called the doctor to ask why and she said I am having allergic reaction to the medication. So they switch me to a different pill( but the same name)...and nothing is better. I'm so sad

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83

i'm heading back to the dr tomorrow morning for this awful cystic acne. been on levo for 4 months, they just upped it to .75 mg 2 wks ago & big breakout. i'm going to ask for armour but we'll see. i use braggs apple cider vinegar helps dry it up tremendously & cut the itching. I had to cut all oil & butter from my diet, seems to help, until i figure out whats going to work to prevent goiter without tearing my face up so bad.

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82

Yes!! it happens to me i have been om 25mg for about a year now. I did stop taking it for about a month and cleared up. Doctors will say it is not a side effect but lots of people experence acne

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81

OMG. I'm 44 years old and have been trying to figure out why I can't get rid of the cystic acne I developed about three years ago. Interestingly, that is the time I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism and got put on levothyroxine. I came upon this site as I was researching Armour thyroid which I'm going to start tomorrow.

I'm very interested to see if my cystic (scar-causing) acne goes away.

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80

I was told I had Hypothyroidism and put on Levothyroxine. I never had acne, not even as a teenager and now in my mid-20's it is terrible! I have cystic acne that is painful, and it is scarring and there seems to be more everyday. After about 2 months I stopped taking the thyroxine and instantly my acne got better but of course, I felt terrible, all my hypo symptoms came back so I started taking it again at a lower dose, no luck. Now 4 months later I've been doing a lot of research on raw thyroid. Most doctors won't prescribe it because it is not FDA approved and therefore pharm companies won't make money. It is also a little harder to find, but you don't need a prescription and Wal-Mart has it online (only). This is not a solution for everyone but it is working for me, my hypo symptoms are gone and my face started clearing up within two days of switching. Different things work for different people but do your research!!!

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79

yes, I'm so glad I found this site. About a month after taking 25 mg. of Levothyroxin I began breaking out on my face, mainly my cheeks and lower part of my face. It is so frustrating because I cant get rid of it. I do feel so much better on the medicine, but my face is driving me crazy.I've never had acne and I am so upset about . It's nice to know others are having the same problem. Every day it's a new spot...UGH Going to mention it to my doc and see what he says. I'm already on a low dose, so not sure what to do. He'll never convince me that it isnt the medicine though.

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78

Levothyroxine appears to increase testosterone levels. i have read that men with low T use levo to increase and based on their labs it works. iodine and potassium iodide may be a good alternative for some with thyroid issues. thats what i'm using. i stopped the levo due to the acne and other side affects. DR. DAVID BROWNSTEIN look him up. for the acne you could try antibiotics, and retin-a, salicylic acid 10%, and glycolic acid 20% (EBAY). rotate acid peels to avoid building up a tolerance when you use just one.

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77

For those of you who discontinued use of levothyroxine, how long did it take before you saw improvement in cystic acne?

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76

I TAKE 4MG OF POTASSIUM IODIDE AND IT HELPS ME. TRIED KELP COULDN'T CONVERT IT. DR. ASKED ME TO STOP I GAINED 15LBS IN 6 WKS. I'M TRYN T4 AND T3 SEPERATELY AND TOGETHER THEY DEFINITELY HAVE DIFFERENT EFFECTS. YOU HAVE TO GO WITH WHAT WORKS FOR YOU AND HOW YOU FEEL NOT JUST THE LAB TESTS.

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75

I HAVE EXPERIENCED VERY HYPERTHYROIDISM AND HYPO. THE TEXTURE OF YOUR SKIN CHANGES DRAMATICALY! COURSE,THICK HYPO SKIN SO MUCH YOU CAN'T EVEN SEE YOUR PORES AND TRAPS ALL OIL CAUSING CYSTIC ACNE AND LIPID DEPOSITS. ISOTRETINOINS, ANTIBIOTICS, TOPICALS YOU MUST ATTACK ON ALL FRONTS [INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL]. CHOLESTEROL MEDS FOR LIPIDS, TRY T3 OR POTASSIUM IODIDE FOR THYROID INSTEAD OF T4. DR.'S SEEM TO BE TRAINED TO DO MINIMAL. SO IT'S UP TO YOU TO RESEARCH AND INSIST FOR HELP OR TESTS. MAYBE SWITCH DR.'S

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74

What lifestyle/diet changes did you make? I am about the same age as you with the same type of thing going on and after doing everything I can think of to get rid of this horrible, painful cystic acne I keep getting along my jawline and neck (that only showed up a few weeks after beginning the levothyroxine). I have yet to talk to my doctor about this problem, partially because I just recently decided I've done all I can do for my complexion and partially because I am worried she will just throw some antibiotics at it and fix it temporarily.

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73

I too have been on synthroid for twelve years! A few months ago, I started experiencing bad breakouts. It occurred to me one day that it maybe had to do with my thyroid. What is your current status? Has your acne gotten better or worse after quitting synthroid? Did you go back to taking it?

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72

I was put on levothyroxine and broke out with cystic acne on my face, neck and chest. I would wake up in the morning and around my eyebrows would be very red and itchy. Doctors said it had nothing to do with the meds but I asked them to put me on armour thyroid anyway and it clear up right away. Recently I ran out of my armour thyroid and started taking the leftover levothyroxine until the armour script gets filled and right away starting breaking out in all the same areas as before. So my conclusion is that it definitely is the levothyroxine causing this

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71

Hi I was on synthroid for over 2 years and got really bad acne like cysts. I stopped taking jan 2014 and felt 100% better no breakouts nice hair lots of energy, but guess what got my blood tests back today 10.75 and wants me to go on more meds. I want to try the natural route like iodine supplement. Don't know what to do.

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70

I have been on Levothyroxine for 12 years. My current dose is 125mcgs and I have bad acne across my nose and cheeks and on my chin. I have always had clear skin until recently. Nothing helps it, including birth control pills, except fresh squeezed lemon juice. I Googled homemade acne remedies and everything I read said lemon juice. I squeeze the juice from a fresh lemon and put it in a small bottle and keep it in the fridge. Every night I wash my face and then use a cotton ball to apply the lemon juice, then apply moisturizer. It cleared my acne up noticeably in three days! Now that I have been off of my meds for about 2 weeks, the acne has cleared up even more. I'm going to start taking it again tomorrow and I expect the acne will come back, but I will keep using the juice.

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69

Try nmixing a paste of baking soda and apple cider vinegar. It worked great for me! I could tell a difference the very next day! I made a paste and scrubbed my face with it; rinsed it off; patted my face dry; then applied paste to direct spots for overnight. You'll have to wash your pillowcase, but boy, it is worth the trouble! At least it was for me. Good luck!

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68

Yes it does cause acne! And the longer you are on it the worse it gets. I have been on it for the last 4 years. I NEVER had a skim problem and slowly but surely I started to break out and we are talking very deep cysts and very painful. All my doctor would say was to see the dermatologist and was prescibed antibiotics that would help a liitle but it always can back. I changed all of my makeup, soaps lotions you name it I tried it! In the past 2 months I have drastically changed my diet with the help of a naturopath and she has done wonders! Went with a diet of tons of veggies and protiens. Nothing out of a box, can or package You would think that the diet would have helped my acne, but no. We finally figured that it had to be something that I was taking daily and lo and behold the levothyroxine came into play. People I am getting off of this drug and finding an alternative. A natual alternative! I have been cutting my dose of .075 in half for the last 4 days and my face is clearing up drastically!!!! My regular doctor can go to hell. As she writes out the rx's with no problem while sipping on a diet Coke and tells me that I would need this drug for the rest of my life. Well people you dont need it with the right lifestyle changes. Find yourself a good naturopath or fuctional medicine doctor and they will steer you in the right and all natural direction. Good Luck and hope my rant on this website helps!

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67

I had the same symptoms as most of these posters - red, ugly, painful cyst-like acne; mine were on my chin and around my mouth. I am on the lowest dosage and I am feeling marginally more energetic, so I am continuing with the Rx. I will happily share with you what cleared up the cysts: make a paste of apple cider vinegar and baking soda. I scrubbed the area with this paste and then dabbed more on the spots before going to bed. They were gone almost overnight!! It was noticably better the next morning, when I scrubbed again and dabbed again (since I was home the next day, I could just leave it on without having to worry about how it looked). After just a couple of days, the cysts were gone!! I hope this helps anyone who may be reading.

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