Radioactive iodine treatment symptoms and conditions

I've been taking levoxyl for 8 years now with mostly good success. My endo doctor recently upped my dose due to lab results (I think the test results were bad). Now I feel horrible. Headache, dizzy/lightheaded, blood pressure increased, tightness in throat, and muscle cramping. I've been to many specialists concerning the dizziness - everyone says I'm OK; cardiologist, ENT, and neurologist. The symptoms started a few weeks after the dose increase, and have worsened in the last week or two (about 2.5 months out).

Hi all,

I am 53 and from the UK. I was on Lisinopril for 13 years. First 5mg, later 10mg then a few weeks ago 20mg as my BP was 169/90. Afetr 8 days of taking this dose I felt strange and felt as if I was about to fall down when walking. Also had a feeling I was kinda walking sideways if that makes sense. Anyway, went for check-up with health worker at docs surgery and after 8 days on this stuff instead of my BP being reduced it was up to 210/120. The health worker took my BP 5 times and looked cncerned while trying to reassure me not to be concerned. She went of to consult the senior practice nurse and made me an appointment for the next day to see my GP. The next day I told my GP how I was feeling and he said he didn't know why my BP had gone higher on the double dose of Lis but to continue taking it along with nother drug he prescribed called Amlodipine 5mg, a calcium channel blocker. After another couple of days I felt very ill. Palpitations, dizzy, and a feeling every ten minutes or so as if my chest was puncched from the inside, a very uncomfortable feeling indeed. I decided on a process of ilimination and stopped the Lis but kept taking the latter drug. Almost imedietly I felt better even though my BP was round about 146/85. I started to realize that symptoms I had for 13 years were probably due to the Lis. Symptoms including, waking suddenly, literally choking on acid as my throat closed in a spasm, Strange nightmares, food sticling halfway down my gullet causing extreme discomfort etc. On top of this, nearly two years ago I was diagnosed with auto immune disease and had radioactive iodine treatment on an overactive thyroid, an overactive thyroid that instead of making me lose weight, made me put it on. A while later I was diagnosed as having type two diebetes which I tried to control with diet. Now since stopping the Lis my blood sugar readings have never been better, in fact I wonder now if I was ever diebetic at all. The most upsetting thing is, I now wonder if the thyroid malfunction was caused by the Lis. I feel much better like a veil has been lifted from my mind, no longer moody or having foggy thinking. I hope I have not gone on too long. I wish you all luck with your meds. I have started taking Hawthorn berry capsules which it's claimed help to lower BP naturally. My BP today is 140/80 but does fluctuate.
Lawrence

Hello,

I am a 37 year old user of Levoxyl since February of 2006; thyroid was overactive(Hyperthyroid), received radioactive iodine treatment for that and now my thyroid is underactive(Hypothyroid). My side effects have been severe headaches that last all day and now I am losing my hair by the root. I am starting to get upset about my hair loss. Dr has not answered/responded to why my hair may be falling out. I need to know if anyone else is having this problem and if you have any suggestions as to what I can do to save my hair. I can deal with a headache. Please Help!!!! DZireous@aol.com

I have been taking synthroid and cytomel for years now. Had hyperthyroidism (Grave's disease), had radioactive iodine treatment to leave me without a thyroid. About 6 months ago, I started getting hives. Doctors at first thought it was stress. I am not allergic to anything. The only medicines that I take on a regular basis are synthroid and cytomel. I think it might be because of these drugs but not sure. I have made an appointment to see my internist.

I am a 55year old female. Had total thyroid removed on March 2 because of papillary carcinoma. I take 25mcg of Cytomel, three times a day. I have been on it for a week.
I get very bad muscle aches, and slight headaches mainly at night. They are however, beginning to ease up a bit. I will have a radioactive iodine treatment in about five weeks. I don't know what to expect. Help!

I'm a 25 year old female and I was diagnosed with Grave's Disease during my pregnancy at the age of 21. The following year I was treated with radioiodine and subsequently was placed on synthroid. Since I have been on the medication (3 years now on varying doses) I have experienced severe to moderate anxiety, alarming hair loss, loss of appetite, piercing headaches, dry skin, fatigue, leg pain (mostly at the joints), dry mouth and eyes, and I feel I react very slowly (thinking and physically). THe most predominant symptoms at the moment are the dry skin which has never gone away, I still notice my hair hasn't stopped falling out at the rate it was when first starting the medication, sleeping isn't very restful, anxiety attacks and tight chest. I have told my doctors both primary and endocrinologist of my symptoms and was basically told to put on lotion (which I do religiously), see a psychiatrist, and buy a better mattress. I could almost make out a question mark hovering over my primary doctor's head as she thought of what could be the source of my afflictions.

When i had my yearly visit with my endo recently, he became agitated by my question asking and basically brushed me off. He told me point blank "There are no side effects with this medication". I asked, "None?" and he insisted, "None." I found out later that week (He's an Associate Professor at a local University) by a research statement I found on his website "Review of Graves' Disease outcomes comparisons, antithyroid drug therapy vs. radioactive iodine treatment". He's funded by the makers of Synthroid. Needless to say, I'm calling around for a new Endocrinologist. In his haste to administer radioiodine, (he said my white blood cell count was very low due to the PTU i was taking for Hyperthyroid, mind you, I had an infection not too long before his findings) he may have miscalculated how much radioiodine I should be given and now I am taking varying doses because he can't seem to get it right. I just found out today that soy bean decreases absorption of levothyroxine sodium. I have been taking my synthroid with soy milk for the past few months, which may account for my thyroid hormonal change. I'm thoroughly disappointed.