Levothyroxine Side Effects (Page 7) (Top voted first)

I was recently diagnosed with an underactive thyroid. I have been taking levothyroxine for almost two weeks. For the last four or five days I have had a weird feeling. It is hard to explain. I don't really feel dizzy but I get a strange feeling in my head. I guess you would describe it as a head rush. Has anyone else had this feeling and will it go away as my body adjusts to the levothyroxine?

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Just want to say that my first language is french so bare with me for my english story. Ten years ago I was diagnose with a goitre and a toxic nodule. I was suggested to have it radiated with radioactive iodine which I did cause I didn't know any better. I was put on synthroid for life. Two years ago I started to feel strange symptoms in my body such as trembling, dizziness, anxiety so I have read about natural thyroid which I wanted to try. I probably felt symptoms before that but I was to busy working 3 jobs at the same time and studying (being hyperactive I could work day and night). After 10 years and a lot of readings, my doctor agreed to put me on desiccated thyroid. At the beginning I could already feel a different in my blood circulation with the natural thyroid. I always had cold feet and hands. Now this was extraordinary since they were now warm. WOW. As time went by, I was feeling better until April 11, 2014. Before I go on, I think it is important to tell you that the pharmacist was the one adjusting my dose of natural thyroid which I leaned that she couldn't be the one dosing. As the diagnostic results came in, my results were telling me I was hyperactive for many blood examinations. My Tsh went up to 15 T3 and T4 outside range and I starting feeling like crap. Anxiety, panic attacks, trembling, having problem speaking, confusion is what happened after 10 months of being overdose and also going through a lot of changes in my life, sold the house, living at some friends temporarily, one of my boys had to live in our apartment building because there wasn't any place for him (he is 20 years old), at work, the environment wasn't very positive, the lady that we bought the house didn't want to sell even after signing the papers etc. My body collapse on April 11 2014. I was sent to a hormone specialist and she stopped the meds completely for a week (I was overdosed) while my doctor prescribe me levothyroxine 100mg even being overdosed. I am not a medication fan ! My doctor decided to put on back on levothyroxine sodium and when taking levothyroxine, I had stomach cramps and burning sensation in stomach but I figure it was because of the change (from dessicated thyroid to levothyroxine) so I wanted to give it a chance. The trembling stop after 3 weeks on Levo, the results were getting back to normal after 4 weeks on levothyroxine, the TSH was still high but the hormone specialist said not to worry. Everyday after the 4th weeks being on Levothyroxine I had new symptom coming in. The worst one for me that I couldn't figure out is this feeling of losing consciousness for a fraction of second. It feels like the head and body disconnected. It is a very scary feeling. Talking to people about it, got me a strange reaction or looks on people's face. The other bad feeling is pain all over (muscle ache). Forgot to mention the cervical pain were terrible. Everyday I would cry not knowing what was going on. I couldn't do any chores cause my muscles would weakened right away. I use to be a active person, always smiling, helping others, taking challenges and now I can do nothing except stand on my feet or lie down. I look around me and see people I know that abuse medications and alcohol and eat junk food everyday and enjoying life, I exercise, eat well, stop drinking red wine, and I am living hell and they are active. Thursday I am going back to see my doctor and will ask him to put me back on Natural desiccated thyroid and to closely watch me and test me to make sure I won't go overdose. I have read so many testimonies of people getting very sick on Levothyroxine and I also read that it is a very dangerous medication being under surveillance by FDA pharmacology branch which I don't remember the name. There is also a book explaining in detail and in a simple way to guide you with thyroid problems which is called The Thyroid Madness. Thanks to these website of testimonies that helps you not to feel along. I am going through hell and hope with these informations that you will read more and get information on possibilities to treat the thyroid. Your body will tell you what is good for you but you have to listen to it. He is the best doctor you can get for telling you what suits you or not PLEASE LISTEN TO IT ! Some people feel good on Synthroid and some don't. Some people feel good on desiccated thyroid and some don't. I think it comes down to the reaction of your body and to your beliefs, I personally don't like medications as it does intoxicate the body. I believe in natural medicine. I also think that my beliefs has an impact on what I will put in my mouth. Healing occurs on many levels, thoughts, body and consciousness. Speak out your beliefs and if doctor seems to know it all, change your doctor. I prefer choosing a doctor that is open minded but they are rare cause remember that they get $$$$ from the pharmaceutical companies. I had 2 doctors a hormone specialist and a family doctor and they were doing blood samples which came back with different results......now I am between and trusting DOCTORS with my HEALTH and they are not even agreeing on results.....I felt VERY ALONE. This is why my advice is get informations, read THE THYROID MADNESS so you will understand better the thyroid fonction, look for the wonderful document on the web on Panic and anxiety attacks which has help me decreased 95% of my panic attacks and control the 5% of the little one I'm still having. Bless you all!

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Hypothyrodism could give you those symptoms of strange feelings in head or body kind like wave feeling. Neck problems are very common for this condition. At first on Levothyrox I hab numbness, tingling in left arm, heart pain like pinch, dizziness, joint pain in wrists, elbows, knees, ankles, very hot feet and muscles weekness. I had cervical x-ray, brain CT scan and everything came back normal. I was overdose on dessicated thyroid and doctor put me on Levothyrox but this tuesday, I am going back on dessicated thyroid but has mentionned in Stop The Thyroid Madness wonderful book, adrenals and iron level needs to be balance before taking dessicated thyroid cause you will be in for quite a ride of unwanted symptoms. I am now ready to go back on dessicated thyroid and live a better life, a life in heaven instead of a life in hell ! Buy yourself a wonderful gift: Stop The Thyroid Madness which explain in a simple way what's happening in your body at hormone and cellular level while diagnose with hypothyroidsm and all the mistakes made from doctors not knowing in detail what is really going on. Even endo's don't know the impact of pharmacology and the impact on body which CAN get your condition worst! Your body is the best doctor there is cause he tells you the truth of what is really going on and what it needs.

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Sorry to hear about such severe side effect to your Levothyroxine. The side effects are different for everyone and have various levels of severity. When you first take Levo.. you can be quite anxious and nervous about how the medication will work. It can take a few weeks for it to work properly. The important thing is getting on the right dosage which also works in contradiction to getting on the right dosage because your body is adjusting to the medication. You just have to let your doctor know right away and if you feel too uncomfortable with taking your Levothyroxine than discuss what alternative medications you can take.

thyroid.about.com/od/thyroiddrugstreatments/tp/thyroidhormonereplacement.htm

Do some research on Levothryoxine alternatives. There is a lot of information out there but make sure it's from reputable sites.

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I started taking levothyroxine 50mcg almost 6 weeks ago for underactive thyroid. I felt better before the medication. Since taking the meds I have felt worse. On top of feeling worse I am getting new symptoms such as a warmth in my mouth and the back of my throat but not painful like a sore throat just uncomfortable. Pain and stiffness in my hands and wrist. My throat get tender and uncomfortable when touched. I am very fatigued with little to no appetite and all this started shortly after I started the meds. I go back to the doctor in a couple weeks. Has anyone else had any similar symptoms? I know I'm not losing it...at least I hope not!

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Angela.I understand what your going through.Same here your not losing it.I started taking 75mgs of Levo about 2weeks ago,Now I have more probs then before.I feel warmth all over me sometimes.Around my thyroid the most.Pains in my joints,in my legs so much where I cant stand.It seems like the Levo woke up all the systems of being hypo and said get to work.Iam new at this to.My doc says its just side effects.To keep taking the Levo and I will get better.Doesn't feel that way sometimes.Going to see another doc,just to see what else I can do.But just stay strong and know you can get this under control .Hang in there :)

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Liz, I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism during a physical, routine blood work. I had no symptoms and I have been on Levothyroxine 50mcg for 6 weeks and I feel horrible, I actually felt better before the medication so I can definitely relate to what you're going thru. All I keep hearing is stay on the meds it will get better... Coming off the meds seems pretty good when you feel terrible! Hope that you get to feeling better and get to the bottom of the issue, but you are not alone!

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Hello, I started with hypothyroid 6 years ago and was put on 75 mcg's of the generic and after a month thought I was going crazy with weird feelings and ended up in the cardiologist office thinking I was about to have a heart attack. After all the tests there was nothing wrong. They switched me to the actual synthriod and my levels are normal and I feel so much better. The pharmacist told me some people can not tolerate the generic form. Hope this helps!

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I was diagnosed with underactive thyroid last month. The doctor did not know whether I should be on Levothyroxine or not, as he told me that the thyroid was okay but that it was more to do with the "hormonal" imbalance to the brain, but suggested I try Levothyroine 50 mg for approximately six weeks in any event to see if they would make a difference and then have further blood tests to establish whether the thyroid had regulated itself. However, since taking this medication, I also have a strange feeling - a sort of dizzy feeling in my head, I look and feel tired all the time - partly due to my insomnia I know but I just feel different - my weight is escalating and I have palpitations at night. Also, my feet and knee pain has worsened over the last two weeks and I believe it could have made my Osteoarthritis worse. I haven't seen any benefit since taking this medication at all and if after six weeks I still feel the same, then I will speak to my GP - and suggest I stop taking the tablets. I just have a gut feeling that they aren't doing me any good.

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Sorry this was for loss of hair. Vitamin D, Biotin, Vitamin K, Magnesium and Pottasium.

If you are suffering tingling and sore joints and carpel tunnel syndrome you are not taking enough medication - may have to up it a little. Good luck! Terrible disease.

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I agree with your suggested test - although a month may be too long. I too had terrible arthritis a couple of months into taking Levothyroxine and, like you, I felt that I would soon be totally disabled if I continued with that medication. I had one desperate month when I felt that if I did not change things right away I would no longer have the energy to even drive to the doctor's office yet alone tell him yet again that there was something terribly wrong with LevThx! Even now, when I am fit again, I cannot bear to think about it. I limped to the insurance office of the HMO and demanded proper care since I was paying them (actually, my insurance premiums were not the major objective). Then I had to closest thing to "divine intervention" that I have ever had. The lady in the insurance office had had the exact same problem! She immediately phoned her doctor and got me an appointment! I was put on Armour thyroid immediately and most of my debilitating symptoms disappeared within half an hour. HALF AN HOUR after two years of terrible suffering!
Look, you need T3 as well as T4. Either you are able to convert this for yourself (in the liver with all the catalysts present - you will have to get those measured) or you must take T3 via cytomel or get on Armour which will provide T4, T3, T2 and T1 (and probably T0).
Also, write to the FDA and tell them what Levothyroxine is doing to you, if no one tells them they will just let this drug company and uninformed doctors keep doing the same stupid thing - generating terrible health in you and then putting you on other drugs to "cure" arthritis, high blood pressure, insomnia, depression and chronic fatigue.
Change doctors if you have to and keep changing them until you find an intelligent one who has read more than one book on the endocrinology system and who isn't a slave to the ATA, which is where this mono therapy of T4 only has its origins.

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Ive been of thyroxine I hated it havnt told doctor I reckon im still withdrawing from it,, constipation hair loss,,, tummy pains horrific,,, etc,,,, foggy head Im hoping im doing the right thing knocking off cold turkey its just an experiment....

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Levothyroxine is toxic junk and should be pulled from the market. There are hundreds if not thousands of people reporting terrible side effects after being put on this drug. But do you know who else has hypothyroidism? Hillary Clinton! Do you think she takes Levothyroxine? Of course not. She was prescribed NDT, Natural Desiccated Thyroxine (Armour to be exact). I think you should all go back to your doctors and tell him/her that you want NDT, if it's good enough for Hillary then it's good enough for you.

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My insurance did not cover armour cost me 21 aonth would rather pay than die on levo also if ur Dr tells ur insurance co u have side effects on levo they might pay for armour

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If u are on levo u van look forward to weight gain I games 25 in 6 months know another who gained 100 over a year get off levo bad stuff also messes with heat beat

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I just stopped taking my 50mcg of levothyroxine that I'd been on for nearly 7 years. My joints started hurting after about 6 years of taking it without noticeable side effects. It got to the point that I was about to apply for disability - after x-rays, MRIs, physical therapy, stretching, heat, etc. However, my joints still hurt after a couple of weeks without taking it. It may take longer for some than for others. I'm going to give it a couple of months to see if the joint pain goes away. After that, I'll decide whether to try the Armour desiccated thyroid after I read all about it.

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I get that to dizzy and now I'm itchy around my eyes and under my chin I've been on this for years and years I just wonder if they need to switch my med

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I am on 112mcg and have experienced the same thing in my right eye. I would best describe it as a weight on my eye, irritation and a feeling as if the right eye lags and takes a second to catch up to whatever I'm focusing on. I went to the eye doc and she said that any thyroid issue could effect the eyes slightly won't help. I am going to start taking eye vitamins which I just bought on amazon and will update if you are interested.

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Ive been taking levothyroxine for 6 weeks now and i am experiencing some awful dizzy heads when i get up from bed/chair, it seems to spin in my head for about 30/40 seconds then stops,is this normal for anyone else

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Im just started it n yes i feel funny

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There is a condition known as Thyroid Eye Disease (TED). I would recommend going to an eye doctor since he would be the only type of doctor to have heard of this. Before you take any action, read up on this topic because Thyroid problems are the most little known problems understood by the medical profession.
I also like to recommend that you get on NDT rather than Levo, Levo has so many side affects that you could spend the rest of your life trying to solve.

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