Amour thyroid symptoms and conditions

I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism in April of this year (2007) kind of by accident through a routine checkup. I had gained a bit of weight over the past two years, but that was really my only symptom. I was begun on 75 mcg of a generic brand of Synthroid, levothyroxine. Since I began this medication, I have rapidly gained another 15 pounds despite a 1,000 calorie per day diet. I retain fluid horribly. My ankles, wrists, hands and face swell daily. My muscles ache, especially my legs, upon walking across a room. I'm fatigued, short of breath. My LDL cholesterol level has skyrocketed in only three months and now I'm being told I need to be on a statin drug. I cry frequently and feel uncharacteristically anxious and irritable, but this could be due to the frustration I am experiencing with the loss of my sense of well-being. In essence, I felt much better before being placed on the medication. I may, in fact, discontinue the medication totally and see if over time I begin to feel better. Like so many other stories I'm hearing, my doctor seems totally unconcerned.

I had most of my thyroid removed in 1997 due to a tumor attached to the thyroid. My thyroid was working fine but following surgery I became hypothroid. I started with synthroid and then quickly was switched to levoxyl. I have been suffering with arthritis symptoms for the past 5 years to the point of last spring being put on methotrexate. I Have pain in my feet and have difficulty walking most of the day...especially in the morning. I have joint pain and swelling in one knee, one wrist, and a couple of joints in one hand. Methotrexate is a chemotherapy drug used to treat rheumatoid arthritis. I have been diagnosed with RA but it does not show up in any blood tests. In addition, if you look at the signs and symptoms of RA I really only have around 50% of them. I just found this website and I am shocked to find so many people sufferning from the same arthritis symptoms while using levoxyl. I stopped taking the drug (levoxyl) two days ago after insisting my doctor remove me from this drug and switch to Amour thyroid. I took several of the emails listed on this website to help convince my doctor that there is a problem with this drug. I will post an email in a couple of weeks with any improvements in my condition. By the way, the methotrexate was not working!!