Synthroid (levothyroxine)
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I'm taking 137 mgs right now but when my thyroid was down the Dr. gave me a different mg level, but I can't remember if this is what it was, but it sure gave me energy and I lost weight, but then he changed it and said that I'm where I should be and if I continued it I would get osteoarthritis as the dr said that I'm right on the borderline. I wish I could remember the mgs, because I felt so good and didn't have any problems on that mg level and I ask him if I could go back on it and he said no.

Thank You
Linda

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I had both thyroid glands removed in 2017 (no cancer just many nodules). They put me on 100 mgs of Synthroid for three weeks till my body had reactions. Then they dropped it to 50 mg with my t4 being normal but my TSH was 18 so the doctor increased it to 75mcg. I have been on it for 3 weeks and it gives me severe jitters. So can it be too high of a dose?

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Re: lin (# 2)

What is more 0.125mg or 0.15mg? I'm horrible with math. My dr changed it recently. I have never lost weight on the 0.125. I went from 125lbs to 240lb in the last 20 years since my first child. I'm miserable and just tired of life this way. I eat healthy enough and walk when I don't hurt. Anyway just frustrated.

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Can you please confirm that synthroid and levothyroxine 25 mcg are similar products? Thank you.

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I've been taking brand name Synthroid 75 mcg every other day. Does that affect your thyroid which has already shrunk?

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Naturathroide. Might be what you all are looking for??
My girl friend takes those and gave her energy, my endo would not give me those, not enough testing, etc...... FDA has fingers in everything. I gained 35 lbs since I started natural hormones, as in yam pellets, I am always tired. Lazy to the point of no drive to do normal stuff. My home is suffering and so is my since of well being.
Good info, thanks

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Linda, your doctor has a record of your medicines and dosages. If he will not tell you, go to the pharmacy and get your records. I did exactly what you did. I was on 125mcg Levo and my cooperating doctor let me crank up my dose until I felt well - and that level (130mcg) got me losing weight. (Then my doc retired!) I then ran into the same problem as you and many others have. My God your feel well! and you are losing weight!, we must lower your dose - so they did and it almost killed me.
Conclusion: stop taking this Levo crap and get on amour thyroid (or any other NDT). Big Pharma wants to push Levo because they make a lot of money from it, it doesn't matter if it doesn't work for (I think it is about) 50% of patients.
The problem is that you are not converting the T4 from Levo (which is 100% T4) to T3 but hardly any docs will do blood tests to find out why (the answer is probably Ferritin or Selenium deficiencies). They will not even test for T3 let alone all of the factors which may be making you a bad (or feeble) converter of T4 to T3. Probably the high dose of Levo (T4) that you were on caused you to feebly manufacture enough T3 to let you operate as normal.
To avoid this nightmare get on Armour thyroid even if you have to keep changing doctors 'till you find one that will prescribe it for you - this is what many of us have had to do. I myself have to do a 400 mile round trip once a year to get my prescriptions refilled but it is worth it.

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STOP USING SYNTHROID! THEY DON'T USE THIS IN EUROPE FOR A REASON. IT IS POISON! INSIST ON A NATURAL ALTERNATIVE LIKE ARMOUR OR NATURETHROID. My wife made the switch a year ago and her nose bleeds have stopped and she feels much better. Do your own research.

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Can levothyroxine at levels higher than 100mcg cause nosebleeds? My 80 year old mother was taking this dose up until a few weeks ago when her doctor raised it to 112 mcg. She's had a few nosebleeds, one of which sent her to the hospital ER.

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I've been on .15mg of synthroid for yrs and all of a sudden, my Dr. says I'm over medicated. She puts me on .125mg, I was tierd all the time, but fuctional, then she puts me on .137mg and I'm gaining weight rapidly and I'm having gullstone attacks.
I was just fine on .15mg, felt great, now I feel like I'm complaining about my health, JUST DONT FEEL LIKE MY OLD SELF.

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I believe that armour is now back on the market. There are also other natural thyroid medicines. I live in Wyoming and the naturpaths (with a D.O) use dessicated cow thyroid. Unfortunately, I cannot remember the name of the medicines. If you have enough money to see a naturopath, look on the internet for a naturopathic doctor with a D.O. or a D.O. who precribes naturopathic medicine. You could also do a search for dessicated thyroid medicines.

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Hello. I have been taking synthroid since I was in my 20's. I currently take 137 mcg's. I developed osteoarthritis in my 30s. However, my TSH never got lower than 3. I don't believe that "too much" synthroid is the cause of osteoarthritis. I do think that taking synthroid or levothyroxine or similar thyroid hormones for long periods of time DOES cause osteoarthritis if your thyroid has lost enough function that you need a dose higher than 75 mcg's for a long period of time. This is what a naturapathic doctor told a friend. She has never taken more than 50 mcg synthroid and supplements with natural thyroid medicine. She has had hashimoto's disease as long as I have and does not have osteoarthritis. I would suggest to anyone out there who is taking more than 75 mcg synthroid to reduce your level back to 75 mcg and find a naturopath that will supplement with natural thyroid meds.

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my osteoarthritis definitely got worst since I started to take Synthroid I wish there were an alternative If anyone knows of one pls let us all know

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I am on Synthroid 50mcg. I believe I have been hypothyroid for many years, but my tests always came out borderline normal. My doctor finally put me on 25mcg after I had a TSH in the 20s. Then raised it to 50msg when I still didn't feel good, but won't raise it again because I am at TSH3.74. Recently I was told my cholesterol and triglycerides were dangerously high and they put me on a statin. The 3rd week on it, I reacted very badly. We were on vacation away from med help so I stopped taking it and the worst symptoms cleared by the time I got home. Doctor's office is ignoring my request to be referred to an endoctrinologist. Incidently, I went over my cholesterol results with a friend who is an RN, and found out my dangerously high triglycerides were only one number above normal (150) and my cholesterol is also just barely in the bottom of the moderately high range. I found an endoctrinologist in a nearby city recommended by my insurance company, but he won't see me without a referral from my primary doctor. I'm in a small town and I haven't heard of any other doctor's offices that might be any better. Any suggestions.

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I have the same problem with the osteoarthritis which is getting worse all time. I asked my dr to change me to the Armour hormone, but she refused saying it has been discontinued. Does anyone have any info to the contrary? I need something different. I feel that since I've been on synthroid so long it isn't working good anymore.

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does levoxyl 50mcg have
sulfa in it at all? I am allergic
and have a rash on my arms
& legs and it keeps me awake
most of the time

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I would like to know if the thyroid pill levothyroxin 100mcg tab mylan has sulfur in it. the doctors at the hospital seem to think that i am alergic to sulfur, due to a suden break of nose bleed and bruises and rash over my body. does this mean that I should not take any or eat or use anything that has sulfur.

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Have you tried taking any of the dessicated pig thyroid medicines like armour? I had osteoarthritis and have been taking synthroid for years. I have been looking into this and have found out that it may be synthroid period that is causing osteoarthrits (as in is doesn't matter on whether or not they suppossedly give you to much). I am trying to find anyone who will prescribe anything else. It is kind of baffeling that there is only one drug for hypothyroid disease and several for things like erectile disfunction. Maybe it is because thyroid problems happen primarily to women. Did you know that synthroid is the third top selling drub in the U.S.?

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To hear this makes me so angy. I know what this is like. Perhaps you were feeling better and/or (God forbid) losing weight! It's almost like these doctors would rather see you FAT with numbers that suit THEM, than to see you feeling/looking good! Everyone is different. I am a firm believer that even if your particular thyroid levels are high or low, it depends on the INDIVIDUAL and how they FEEL. Thyroid function is by FAR from an exact science and I wish these doctors would listen to their patients instead of ignoring them and ONLY looking at level numbers. Without a doubt I would change doctors until you find one who will work WITH you instead of AGAINST you.

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Well, there is, of course, no way for us to know for sure, what that dosage was, but I am betting you just hit a dosage that worked better for you than your current one. Whether it was a higher or lower dosage, our bodies do sometimes do better with a certain amount of something, which is why doctors should titrate the dosage according to what works the best for you and makes you feel the most improvement.

If your current dosage is not providing these results, then he is remiss to keep you on it, if he does not wish to lower or raise the dosage to whatever it was when you felt good, then he should try other meds to see if something else works better for you.

My suggestion, if you doctor will not work with you, and no one wants their meds to make them feel worse all the time, I mean that sometimes happens for a few weeks when you start a new med, but should not be an ongoing indefinite thing, then you might want to try seeing a different doctor who will listen to you a little better and pay attention to your needs.

Unfortunately many docs develop a god complex, they think they always know everything, and do not believe you could possibly know what works better for you and what doesn't. I have been to some doctors like that myself, and I have to tell you that I do not go back for another appointment.

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