Levothyroxine Is Satan (Top voted first)

I don't feel so confused anymore. Now I know all of you are going through the same thing. My doctor put me on 50mcg of Levothyroxine about a month ago and I have gain 8 pounds! I get short-breathed and winded REALLY easily when working out. I used to go to the gym for 2 hours, now I can't make it longer than 30 minutes. I wake up ALL the time with tingly fingers because my hands have fallen asleep. I have headaches, I feel 100 times more lazy than before...and it's supposed to help your energy, not drain it. I e-mailed my doctor today, this is not making me happy. Not to mention I now have an acne type rash that burns like hell on my chin and I've always had clear skin. If this drug is supposed to make you feel better it sure as sh*t isn't working for me. I feel like a fat lazy a$$ with an itchhy burning rash on my face... stay away from this drug, that's my suggestion. :(

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diagnosed 6 wks. ago given levothyroxine TSH was 6.7 Free T4-was 0.93 . Now 6 weeks later repeated blood test, think doctors a little off as the TSH came back at 1.34 and the T-4 l.l notice the first test being Free T-4 repeated he did a T-4 never a T-3, changing doctors needless to say. I don't have acne maybe cause I'm 69 but I can barely walk pain in feet and legs, soles of feet burning like walking on coals, look 8 months pregnant also was 120 or under all my life now 152 most days if I starve and just drink water and a can of string beans I might see 149 big whoop. Can't breathe always out of puff, might be elderly but I'm a feisty dancing fool ride bikes DID before levo that is, and take my grands and greats wading in the river on tubes now thanks DOC. can't even hardly walk, can't tie shoes so fat only 5 feet and I just want to stay inside. My family 5 kilds are nasty EXERCISE AND STOP EATING JUNK ,,,,,,,,EXCUSE ME I am the one person who cooks healthy fresh food not restaurants and mickey d crap like the young ones of today so that don't wash, when I say me feet hurt and I can't walk the boardwalk in AC I MEAN IT THE PAINS TOO MUCH I need to lose weight whatever but these pills they said once start YOU CAN NEVER STOP WELL GUESS WHAT AT MY AGE AS GOD IS MY WITNESS I am stopping in the a.m of May 2010 at my age I'll survive with a rotten thyroid or die, and I'll only die if my number is called not because I didn't listen to doc. know it all who apparently knows nothing not even the correct tests to give before shoveling out meds,,,,,,,,,,,,, and I'm ashamed to admit this but it might help others I am a licensed retired nurse who should know better, but one day I got a call telling me to go to pharmacy that my levels for thyroid were out of whack and I needed synthroid,,,,,,,,,,,,,so wish me luck.

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OMG! For all of you that have only been on levathyroxine for a year or less and have gained weight - be warned! It does not stop!! In 3 years, I have gained 35 pounds. My doctor says this is because of a hysterectormy 4 years ago. But truly, I have spent 2 hours per day in the gym lifting and doing cardio, then come home completely exhausted. I am in the process of seeing how to get off of this drug safely. My previously athletic figure looks more like a jellybean now, and I cannot stand it. So, thanks to all of you who have reaffirmed that this problem is common. You are not alone!!

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i am 39 yr old female an about 4 weeks ago i was also put on this med,i am barely 5 ft tall i weighed 108 when i started this mdication,i now weigh 112,iv been told there will no wieght gain after its under control an that my pain management dr was surprised i hadnt gained more yet,but when i talked to the pharmacy they said no weight gain,iv googled it an have got both answers,both weight gain an weight loss,so which is it? i have noticed since iv been on this my weight gain has slowed down but i am watching what i am eating an im always hungry as hell....also i havent gotten the red itchy rash im hoping 2 avoid that but my skin feels raw,like i have a sun burn,more so on only my face.... can anybody help me these questions an concerns,,,,weight gain or weight loss?does my skin feel burnt from this medacine or is it just somthing else,,,i have not been in the sun somthing i used 2 love now i can no longer stand the heat :(

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I have been taking Lev for 3 months now. This is my second try at this. I took myself off of it the first time and my doctor fussed at me. One month after begining Lev I began to feel terrible. I have a constent headache. At night I do not sleep. I get cramps all over my body in places I did not even know you could cramp. I get cramps in my back, in my throat, in the middle of my hands and in my fingers, and the worst is when my toes fold under and my ankles twist in. The cramps usally happen in the middle of the night. I am very agressive all the time which is not my nature. My hair and skin are dry and I just feel miserble. I also have gains 18 pounds. Is this all side effects??? It seems like more harm than good. I have tried to research the ingridents of Thyroid medication but I am getting no where.

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I have been on levothyroxine for about 20 years and in that time I have gained over 100lbs in weight to my already 140lb frame at the time. I would eat all the time because I was constantly hungry. I stopped taking this poison a few weeks ago, I have lost interest in food and well in everything really but I am going to persevere without it because despite my Doctor warning me I will be doing lasting damage, I feel that I have gained some modicum of control back. I no longer crave food and despite being tired more often I feel that in the long term the benefits will outweigh the disadvantages.

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I hear you. I have gained 15 pounds in two months and I am only on 25 mcg. I wake up two and three times during the night. Otherwise I am OK, I think?????

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omgosh me too! i just started taking the same thing one week ago and i have never had acne and i have nasty red chin pimples and i think im gaining weight! i feel worse and short of breath. did u find anything else out now that u have talked to your doctor?

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I've been on 50mcg Levothyroxine for 1 1/2 weeks now and so far I am not not noticing a big difference in how I feel except for that I can go longer periods of time without eating now. Before taking this, if I skipped breakfast I would be dragging and shaking before lunchtime but now I'm not like that. I've also had acne all my life and right now my skin is the clearest it's ever been. Not sure if this is due to the meds but I haven't done anything else differently. I'm still feeling tired and drained for no reason a lot and I always want to take a nap. Fingers crossed the levo will correct this. I wonder how long it takes...

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That's no good :( I am sorry to hear that. I think I gained so much because it made me hungry allll the time. I just stopped taking it on Friday. I already feel way better. The meds just aren't right for me. My doctor told me to come back in January for more labs to see if I even need to be on medication.

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OMG! I just thought it was me...I feel better, no weight gain, but I have these nasty pimples all over my chin and around the right side of my mouth. I hate it....will it go away with time? I've been taking this for 6 weeks and I don't go back to the doctor for 6 more weeks

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Hey Michele... I still get the chin pimples and I was so excited the first couple weeks because I felt so much better and never tired but it seems to have worn off now. I also just got a second blood test and my TSh levels are supposedly back to normal now... from 39.42 to 4.6 so I dont know what to do now. I want a higher dose but I guess Im cured already. Its frusterating!

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I feel for all of you. When I first started taking levo, I had the acne too and can gain and lose 5 pounds a week, was diagnosed hypo, and didn't care for the side effects. Now 5 years later, I'm at 175 mcg a day, diag'd with Hashimoto's Disease, and am fine with the minor weight problems. My energy levels are fine now, and acne's not a problem. I think once the body feels semi-normal things even out, though I hope y'all find whatever you need to get through to it. I'm happy I know what i'm dealing with for life and not sure I'd want to know how I'd be doing if I hadn't found out and gotten on the drug.

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Been taking levo, Med 25, mcg for bout a year 1/2. I went from 180 to 217 and still climbing. I was walk and exercise daily. Some days my vision. Is blurry and other days it isn't, because of trying to wing myself off(splitting the pill)doc said it wasn't the levo!I think is was. recently, went to doc and he told me to stop taking them completely because the dose is so low. But when I researched the drug, the info stated that this drug affects your heart, and just taking them can cause problems! Wtf! So I am beginning to wing myself off again, ill see what happens.......help

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I have been off Levo for two months, I feel like a new person, I workout everyday for 30 min, I eat lots of good veggies , I take vitamins. I am now drug free of any thyroid and blood pressure meds. Do not be afraid to stop, I was and now I am so happy. No doctor will tell me what to do anymore. I hate prescription drugs.its all bulls***. Docs are not perfect and don't know you at all..they don't know your body..only YOU do....I feel better than I have in years...I pray everyday, that GOD will heal me me and let my body fight on its on....you can do it, you can be healthy and do it naturally...I do not want to take Levo ever again.....I hated it.. I maybe tired at times , but you can get through and work out and take b complex for energy...I was so scared to stop all meds..but GOD has blessed me with a new beginning..you can do it too.....go for it...eat great, workout, trust GOD and live your life for you.....GOD BLESS...
Jade

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Update, I have been off the Levothyroxine for over a month and I feel great. I am actually losing weight, down to 121 now. I have no vertigo and no pain. I started to take multivitamins and drink protein shakes to keep me full for much of the day.

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Well I've been off the meds for about 6-8 weeks. My spots on my back have cleared up and thankfully no more boils. I am also not feeling tired so will continue as I am and see how it goes.

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Liz...read my post 91. I hope you do ween off of the Levo instead of cold turkey. I take ERFA Dessicated thyroid from canada with zero problems. Levo was my worst nightmare. I would recommend you take a Dessicated thyroid med then over a number of months slowly lower the dose while you slowly introduce iodine and selenium...natural sources. That would be a good balance. That's what my naturopath is helping me do is to get off even the natural thyroid med, but could take up to 6 months to a year. I highly recommend Dr. David Clark based in Durham, NC. He has lots of YouTube videos about hypo thyroid and how to treat it naturally and does long distance apts on phone or Skype. He's been my doctor and his wealth of knowledge is incredible.

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I want to come off of this stupid thyroid med.....it has put 20lbs on me in the few months I have been on it.... 5 months ......I can't breathe....muscles hurt...leg cramps....tingling in arms and hands....head hurts....feels like my head is full of fluid or something....I can hear my heart beat sometimes.....just not feeling right.....Last Thyroid panel: TSH 2.710.......Thyroxine T4 12.4 (high)......T3 Uptake 28......Free Thyroxine index 3.5
Can I get off this 50mcg levothyroxine? It is making me feel so weird.....

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I switched from levothyroxine to Thyroid Complex.... I feel great !! Like all of you, I read a lot of opinions and was concerned to switch....this is my story... I was put on levothyroxine, 100 then 150. I had short breath, headaches and paranoia... one day, after more than 6 months on levo, I had enough and decided to switch to Thyroid Complex, found on any vitamin shop... I stopped levo and started TC the very next day. It's been 2 months now and none of the "dreadful" things that are supposed to happen to you, like missing levo, get into coma, plane crashes on your foot, bla bla bla, and all kind of horror story has happened to me. I feel great and don't have any of the side effects mentioned above. I'm on TC and plan to stay on it. No more synthetic drugs for me. This being said, people have suffered of hypothyroidism for as long as the world exists. For those who say that synthetic drugs are better, that's not true. Doctors were prescribing natural products before the synthetics ever existed. Because millions of people suffer from hypothyroidism, laboratories decided to manufacture the drug. And because of the competition, they also started to "reward" doctors for prescribing their drug. Yes, laboratories pay millions of dollars every year to doctors... that's why doctors prescribe them left and right.. and they spread the word of all those terrible things that "can" happen to you so to get you afraid of stopping the drug. This coma thing is very rare and is a very special condition that's gets diagnosed whether you are on thyroid drugs or not...it is not just because you stop levo that it will happen to you..... if you have thus condition, you would know because doctors would let you know. Making the change works great for me but it's everyone's decision to take. If it doesn't work for you, get back on levo, but I don't see why TC shouldn't work because if you read the composition of TC, it's exactly the same as for levo, except that ingredients are natural instead of synthetic....

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I just stopped taking Levo on Friday for all the reasons you mentioned. Working out and dieting and still not able to lose weight. I've gained easily 30 pounds in the last 3 years.

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