Thyroid medication symptoms and conditions

ALSO, I'm 21 and take thyroid medication for hypothyroidism.

I have been taking this pill for about 2 years now and have had many of the symptoms you are all describing. If you miss it for one day, you start to bleed. If you are on any other meds (I am on thyroid medication), you may have adverse side effects. After reading all of these posts and experiencing these issues for so long (My doctor told me that it was because I wasn't taking the pill at the same time every day), I am finally going to try something else. I think it's b.s. that you start bleeding after missing one pill or are off an hour in taking it. Any suggestions for other birth control that others are happy with?

I've been on levothyroxine 150mcg for about 3 months before that it was 100mcg and so on. I have gain lots of weight and tired all the time. depression also, headaches. I hate this gaining weight, sleepy all the time and depression is from gaining weight. I thought this med is to up boost my thryiode but it doesn't seem to be working. my dr. said I'm on the highest dose there is. I don't know what to do any more. I was thinking about taking myself off this but not sure what will happen if i do. I hope there is someone out there that might be able to let me know if they are going through the same things what they are doing and how they feel now.

For the last year and a half I have taken Levothyroxine Sodium 50mg, now increased to 75 mg. I have gained a great deal of weight and developed arthritis in both knees. Some days my knees hurt so bad I can hardly get out of bed. Since my medication was increased to 75mg. I have been itching like crazy. It is not continually, but at times I just go into an itching fit. Please help! Is there any other thyroid medication that works without all the bad side effects?

Have been on Levoxyl for the past two years and have been having EXTREME hair loss. Would like to hear from anyone having this side effect who has had success with an alternative treatment....either a different drug or an alternate treatment such as Armour, etc. Is coming off Levoxyl cold turkey as dangerous as everyone says it is?

I have had great experiences with Levothyroxine. I am no longer tired, achey, grumpy, constipated. I feel great. I am only 27 years old and got my hypothyroidism from having my first child. I am excited that my levels are now normal after 3 months (TSH was 25.89). I was on .50 mcg now I am on .75. Feel great!
I am a medical technician and have found that a lot of people who start on a certain medication for hypothyriodism, such as Synthroid - do not fair well if they have to switch. My doctor always says NOT to switch...not EVER. She repeats over and over again to check my prescription every time I receive it. That means checking the pills against each other, because hypothyroidism medication is one of the highest missed - filled prescription. If I were anyone who has had to switch, I would demand to be put back on your original meds. Have your physician write up your symptoms with the new meds and make a recommendation to the insurance company that you NEED synthriod.

I was prescribed Loestrin FE 1/20 TAB for clotting and having menstruation more often than I should (once every two weeks or so). My first experience resulted in leg pain, after six days. This ended with a Doppler scan to check for blood clots. Well, that was cleared so back on to Loestrin I went. When I picked up my prescription I asked the pharmacist (yes I had already asked my doctor) during consultation about interactions with the other medications I take on a daily basis. Prednisone 10mg tablet and Armour Thyroid 240mg. I was told, not to worry, no issues. Eleven days after starting Loestrin again, I called my doctor because of nausea, vomiting, fatigue, indigestion (like I've never had before) and feeling "foggy." I was told these were "not typical complaints" that they heard. I then checked for interactions on line and found that both the prednisone and Armour Thyroid have interactions. With Prednisone it's side effects can be made more severe than they would be without the Loestrin (never had a side effect in the eight months I was on it, until the Loestrin). I experienced With the Armour Thyroid Loestrin binds to it, preventing the absorption of the thyroid medication. This explains all of the symptoms I was having. Please, beware that you must check on interactions yourself, do not rely on your pharmacist or physician to be aware of these.

MY STORY

My Mirena was removed on 29th May 2008.

I had the Mirena put in four years ago,I had terrible pain the day after, it was that bad I was going to go to the hospital Emergency to get the thing out but I put up(the worst thing I done in my life, Im paying for it now) with it and it and the pain got a bit better,had a lot of bleeding (spotting) for the first six months and then it finally went away. For the first year I thought Mirena was Great but then the problems started.I started to gain a lot of weight,facial hair,Very sore breasts, I also had a lump removed from my left breast a couple of years ago, but I didn't know until recently that it was most likely caused by Mirena. Some of the other problems I had, My stomach bloated, I look like I'm six months pregnant ,I have a cyst on my left ovary,dry skin,acne,strange depression,headaches,and the Worst of all I had to have my Thyroids REMOVED on 1st Nov 2006 and I'm pretty sure that was caused by Mirena as well, so now I have to take thyroid Medication for the rest of my life,I had the Mirena removed as soon as I done some searching on the internet for my unexplained medical problems, mainly my weight as I had weighed about the same my whole adult life and now I had put on a few stone and now I have to try and lose it,as for my thyroid I have trouble getting the Meds right its a real pain,blood tests all the time.I just don't feel I have much left in my life,depressed,sick all the time. I eat well as I have high cholesterol so its not that I over ate,I noticed you do feel a lot more like eating sweet things. I found a site called ****** and found out there are thousands of woman,girls with the same problems as myself and that there is a class action law suit going on to Sue. Its worth having a look at this site it helped me a lot.I feel so bad I don't go out anymore I don't see friends or family I'm to depressed about my weight now. I am in the process of trying to find out if there is a Class Action Law Suit in Australia.If anyone knows of a Class Action in Australia could they Please let me know. After having the Mirena removed about 6 weeks ago I thought I was doing ok only a bit of spotting,but about 3 weeks after having it removed I got my period and the pain was unbearable,I was in agony stomach cramps and I bleed so much I thought I was going to die from blood loss,also the scariest was the huge blood clots,very scary,must of been four years of period in 1 week I couldn't believe how bad it was, I felt really sick and weak,but thank goodness its eased off now after a week. I just hope now I might slowly start and feel like my old self. Im also on medication for heart palpitations,I get Heart palpitations (SVT) a few times a week,I had my heart palpitations just after my thyroid removal op and was put on ecg and my heart rate was 176 Beats per Minute I was rushed to Intensive Care and I had to have an injection called Impending Doom (It makes you feel you are going to die) to slow my heart rate,it worked and I was kept in intensive car for 3 days,very scary thing to go through I hope I never have to go through that again,my heart palpitations got worse while I was on Mirena and now I also take Magnesium to help control them as well as Metoprolol which I have been on for some years and I recently read that if you are on Mirena it increases the side effects of Metoprolol.

So if you have had any bad experiences with Mirena please let us know,it will help others with their problems, hopefully. I just wish I never got Mirena and my advice is DON'T its not Worth the risk,if the Doctors had of told me about the BAD side effects I would NEVER of had it put in. Sorry about going on so long, Good Luck to you all,

Thanks Net.

google mirena-side-effects.****** (a mirena help,info site)

UPDATE

I have had it out nearly 3 months now my painful breasts feel normal again,I haven't lost any weight yet, but will soon hopefully,I do feel a lot better but still get some of the symptoms back just before my period.

I get sooo mad when i think of what Mirena done to me and all the other women and how bad some of their side effects have been. I get mad when i read some of the other ladies stories and the terrible things they have gone through ,

Perforations,Miscarriages,IUD's lost in their body,

Hystorectomy,and the rest. I want to wish them all the best, and we WILL get Better and Bayer ,Mirena will PAY some day for what they have done to US..

I have been on Levoxyl for about 9 years and have felt awful. I have had weight loss, dry hair, thinning hair,dry skin, muscle aches, migraines and the list goes on. I just got out of the hospital Monday after 4 days of testing of my heart and lungs. I was admitted for racing heart. The doctor's conclusion was anxiety! They said that Levoxyl has nothing to do with my rapid heart rate. The endocrinologist prescribed taking levoxyl .050 on day and .075 the next also a beta blocker, Xanax and Zoloft. I can not take any of these meds b/c they make it almost worse. I KNOW it is not Anxiety and it from the Levoxyl but what do I do?? I am a mess right now can not be in this condition with four young kids and a husband. None of the doctors would say it was the Levoxyl and instead prescribed more and told me to check up with blood work in 6 weeks. I took the .050 yesterday around noon and by 7:30pm my heart rate picked up again and continued until 4:30 this morning. I can not sleep more then 2 hours at a time and wakeup feeling like I am crawling out of my skin. PLEASE let me know of any solutions.

I needed Metoprolol Tartrate for a very high heart rate for graves desease, I was in the 115's+ lowered too 8o beats per min. Which is great!
BUT, having some horrid side effects.
BAD night chills, intolerance to cold. Shake for 3+ hours then sweat. Feels like I was hit by a train after then I get very nauseasous and light headed
Sleep is bad, toss and turn all night and have a greater fear of the dark
ALSO, my bones hurt all the time!! Never did before, had tests done nothing there.
This is the only drug I could find that didn't make my heart flutter and feel all funky. Its a great drug for just that. All the side effects suck..bad

Hello To All,

I too am on this med, I have been on it for 1 year as of July 2008-

35 pounds, brain fog, headaches, eye sight for reading, chest pain and fluttering heart beat. My doctor who is my friend has told me that he will up my dose... "Dear God" any more and I will go nuts. Does anyone know of any study done in a medical journal that theu could forward to me so I can show my doctor.

Please email me at ****** I would be so very thankful.

Thanks to all and be healthy.

I am just slightly hypothyroid and could go without meds, but decided to try meds, and endocrinologist suggested Levoxyl 50 mcg per day. First day on the drug, felt exhausted by night time, next morning, usually jump out of bed for workout and was extremely tired at the gym, no energy, was starving during the day even after breakfast which is unusual for me, and exhausted by evening, and third day woke up with swollen glands and exhaustion, knew something was up. Decided to research the side effects and found others with similar symptoms and didn't like long term effects so I am going off the drug and hoping I caused no damage to my system. My doctor's reaction was "impossible" that the drug could cause this. My reaction was, "no thank you, I think for myself, know my body, and know this drug caused this reaction." I was feeling fine before 3 days ago, and how could so many have similar symptoms if it isn't the drug.

I suggest to anyone that has Hashimoto's Thyroiditis (type of Hypothyroidism) to have a blood test done for Celiac Disease. There has been research done linking Celiac Disease and Hashimoto's Thyroiditis. Celiac Disease can be controlled by a gluten-free diet (wheat, rye, and barley free). In the US, not many doctors recognize/know of this link. I have been hypothyroid for 20 years (had Hodgkin's Disease (cancer) - radiation/chemo at age 16) I have 2 sisters with Hashimoto's Thyroiditis and were iron and B12 deficient. I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's Thyroiditis 3 months ago with iron and B12 deficiency. I have been on a gluten-free diet for 2 months now. My dosage of synthroid (levothyroxine) was 175 mcg and now is down to 137 mcg. I hope that I am one of the lucky ones that will have their antibodies to their thyroid normalized (no more synthroid!) I have a couple of days left before my next blood test and I hope that it goes down more. I am feeling better now than I have in a very long time. I have attached a link for those of you interested. It is an endocrine article from Finland outling the link between Celiac Disease and Hashimoto's Thyroiditis (among other things). I hope that this helps some of you. http://edrv.endojournals.org/cgi/content/full/23/4/464

I was diagnoed back in november with Hashimoto Disease and had a complete thyroidectomy in December. I have been switched three times since Dec. 07 (only April 6 '08) to different doses of Synthroid. I still experienced weight gain and cannot lose weight, irritability, depression, hair loss, exhaustion... I decided last month to stop taking it all together and was wondering what effects this may have on me. Any clues as to the effects of NOT taking the medication after having a my thyroid completly removed?? I feel the same (depressed, irritable, still losing hair, exhausted...) but am sure this is probably not a good thing to not take any medication when I don't have a thyroid anymore.

I'd like to say that I think the Old version of Synthroid that existed
before 1982-83 was MUCH better than what is produced today,
I'd done quite well on Old Synthroid from 1975 to 1982 after
RAI treatment for a bad case of Grave's disease when I was
eleven years old....but when Synthroid was changed to be
more "cost-effective" for its manufacturer, my life was basically
destroyed--and I haven't recovered since then, despite trying many
different doses of various thyroid drugs.

Symptoms I've gotten since Synthroid changed in '82 include:
Severe breathing trouble that really limits what I can do every
single day; extremely dry skin in certain places--like legs and
feet; much poorer memory and thinking ability; much drier hair
and too much hair falling out; tendency to get chest pains whether
dose is too low, too high, or "normal," have had a lot of trouble with
blood pressure at times; getting red in face; too much weight gain
for what I eat; lymphedema (much swelling in legs and feet),
inability to sleep well; always feel congested or blocked up;
vision problems like black spots floating before eyes; sensitivity
to light; double or triple vision at times; involuntary eye-twitching
at times. I'm sure I've forgotten some things, too....

A very odd thing about Synthroid since 1982 (and the other drugs
that've copied it, since that time) is that it tends to give me
symptoms of both high and low thyroid trouble at the same
time, while also causing new symptoms that I'd never had in
the first place. Old Synthroid was much more clear-cut for me.
If the dose was too low, I'd have typical low thyroid symptoms
only (too tired, dry skin, etc), and if too high, I'd get only typical
high thyroid symptoms (too nervous, insomnia, racing heart, etc),
Much easier to adjust and work with than today's Synthroid.

At any rate, I was left with little working thyroid gland after my
intitial Grave's treatment, so I am (unfortunately) very dependent
on GOOD thyroid medicine to help me. In my opinion, I haven't
had any good stuff to take since Old Synthroid left the market
in 1982-83. Haven't been well to accomplish much since that
time--feel like I'm getting punished for being a thyroid patient,
which is ridiculous, really--because I know better medicine once
existed, and I want it again!

Have tried many avenues to get someone to produce Old Synthroid
again, but no luck--I'm not rich, famous, or politically connected,
so no one listens to me. But if anyone out there reading this can
help in some way, please feel free to contact me--maybe we can
work together to bring back a better treatment that would help at
least some folks out there who are really suffering. S.D.

I just started using a prescription of Welchol. After two days, I am seriously thinking of discontinuing taking it. I am not prone to anxiety at all, and since I started using this, I have some anxiety and I am generally uncomfortable. Some gas and constipation. My heart rate is up a little. I really don't like this feeling of anxiety at all. I am taking Synthroid and Benicar.

Hi, I wish I would have found this site a long time ago! I had Mirena put in in Dec 2005 after the birth of my son. I was nursing and was told that the birth control that I could take and would not interfere with my milk was "not as forgiving" as regular pills (and, I definitely did not want to get pregnant again at that time) So, I went with the Mirena. It seemed great in the beginning. I had the strings trimmed a little after my husband felt them and got freaked out and then everything seemed great.
It's funny how this has worked out for so many of us because after having a baby, your life is so changed and your body is so out of whack that it's hard to say what could be causing it. I ended up becoming extremely hypothyroid after having my son (I wonder if Mirena may have had anything to do with it!??!?!) Even though I take thyroid medication now and seem to have it very under control, I still have no sex drive, have tremendous mood swings even though I am on antidepressants, my acne is worse than it was when I was a teenager, and what I consider to be worst of all, tremendous eczema! Last summer I became so covered in eczema, my face, neck, chest and arms, that my mother said I looked like a burn victim. I was insanely uncomfortable and extremely self-conscious. After going to all kinds of doctors who only kept prescribing topical creams and steroid pills, I started going to an awesome alternative medicine nutritionist and realized that there was something internal going on causing my skin to react like this. After seeing him for months, we came to see a pattern between my eczema flare-ups and my period. I always seemed to start getting really itchy around the time of ovulation and we also discovered that during that same time I would be gluten-sensitive. I had all the tests done and I do not have Celiac disease.
I can't believe that I am only reading about all of this now. Thank you all so much for confirming my hunch that it might be the Mirena. I am going to call my Gyno today and have it removed.

I have been on synthroid for about 6 months now. Some of the side effects I have been experiencing are numerous.I have hair loss, sometimes I get so ill that no one can stand to be around me, my weight has gone up about 30 pounds, my cholesterol levels went sky high so now I'm taking Crestor, I'm bloated most times, I have episodes where my face flushes and gets so red that it feels like its on fire, and now I've just started experiencing burning and aching of the legs, I'm tired a lot too! My doctor said I would lose the weight but every time I go for check ups and get on the scale it just keeps going up. I would like to know if anyone else out there is experiencing the burning and achy legs because I have been tested for everything and they can't find out what is going on. They of course say it's not the medication.It seems to never be. Does anyone feel me??

I was prescribed 25 MCG tabs of levothyroxine (generic for Levoxyl) by my MD for my hypothyroid. (I was tested at a 4.5 reading -- just below a normal 5 reading). After 60 days of taking levothyroxine EXACTLY as prescribed (i.e.; on an empty stomach, 1st thing in the morning with a glass of water; no vitamins for at least 4 hrs afterward), I started to have symptoms that I've never experienced before: my hands began hurting so bad with joint pain; my lips felt numb; and I was sweating more than I ever had in my life. I decided to stop taking the medication due to these symptoms, and in about 7-10 days from stopping, ALL these symptoms had disappeared and have not returned to date. I relayed this information to my MD who told me that my symptoms had nothing to do with Levothyroxine and that I needed to continue taking the drug. It's more than strange to me how some MDs will not listen to his/her patient -- even more so now that I've read other info on the internet where many other people have had these same side effects taking levothyroxine!! On my own, I am now looking into taking an all natural alternative that I found on wellness resources called "Thyroid helper". I will not take Levothyroxine again if I can avoid it by taking an alternative. Has anyone else out there had success taking "Thyroid Helper"?

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've been on synthroid for 9 years. started at some low dose and gradually went up to112 mg. get extreme itching all day everyday if i don't take allegra for that.not a rash just itching. that doesn't bother me as much as the fatique. every joint in my body aches all the time. sure there are better days but fo rthe most part it's bad. tried physical therapy and chiripratic care but no avail. they ended my sessions. my legs get sooo weak and my feet burn lower back really aches. sometimes muscle cramps. i'm very negative towards my loving family and it hurts me to do so. can't seem to keep upbeat. soo tired all the time.
is it the syntroid? i used to be very energenic and a doer. now i have spurts of activity in the morning , but then i just can't get motivated. help me any suggestions?

I think what a lot of people are posting here are more side effects of thyroid conditions rather than side effects of thyroid medication. After my RAI treatment I started on a generic brand of levothyroxine. I even got my doctor to let me try Armour Thyroid since many people do well with it rather than Synthroid. Armour didn't work well for me, but it definitely is the only way to go for some people. After months of misery, things finally smoothed out. I was a royal pain in the butt to my doctor because I questioned everything. The biggest side effect for me going from hyper to hypo was edema. A clinical name for water retention. It wasn't so much the bloated feeling that bugged me. It was the pain in my hands and feet from the water retention. I have never, ever had a problem with carpal tunnel syptoms even though I have always used my hands a lot for work and I play the guitar. I had to add a small dose of dieuretic to control the edema and relieve the hand and feet pain. Sometimes it does flair up depending upon what I eat and how much I sweat, but that's what goes along with this type of illness. It's not just a magic pill that makes you feel "back to normal". You have to be demanding of your doctor to try other things to get you to feel right. You even have to pay attention to how you feel at different times of the year to figure out how to adjust what you take, eat, or do to feel better. I have noticed that with all things remaining constant, how I feel in terms of energy level and edema is related to the season. The body is weird that way. I still have side effects from the treatment from time to time, but I finally figured out what seems to work best for me. Maybe things could change over time, but I've learned that medicine just doesn't have a black and white treatment plan that works the same for everyone for thyroid related conditions. To sum it up, question everything your doctor tells you, demand to try things that you think would help you feel right, pay attention to what your body is telling you and adjust, and fire your doctor if they treat thyroid problems as black and white. Your doctor is not the one suffering from the condition, you are. It's your life and there's nothing wrong with being demanding about wanting to feel right.

MT SIDE EFFECT THAT i HAVE , SINCE I HAVE HYPOTHROIDISM HAVE BEEN UP AND DOWN LIKE A ROLLER COASTER. i CAN TELL ALL THE TIME WHEN MY LEVELS ARE OFF. WHEN THEY ARE TOO HIGH OF TOO MUCH THYROID MEDICATION IN MY SYSTEM, I FEEL VERY NERVOUS, IRRITABLE. SHAKEY FEELING INSIDE LKE I CANNOT CALM DOWN IN SIDE. MUSCLE CRAMPING, AND BAD HEADACHE. WHEN MY LEVELS ARELOW , I AMY VEY TIRED AL DAY LONG AND JUST WANT TO SLEEP. i ALSO GET A VERY DEPRESSED FEELING AND WANT TO CRY ALOT, BECAUSE I DONT FEEL RIGHT. WHEN THE LEVELS ARE REALLY LOW I GET DIZZY, AND WHEN i TRY TO DRIVE MY CAR I CAN NOT CONCINTRATE VERY WELL AND i FEEL LIKE I AM DRUNK.. THE FEELING IS AWFUL, AND MAKES ME FEEL LIKE I AM NOT IN TOUCH WITH REALITY.

AFter taking Levoxyl for almost 6 months, I suffered severe anxiety--couldn't sleep, cried all the time, at times couldn't leave the house and other times couldn't stand to be at home. I suggested to my dr. it was the Levoxyl, but he didn't agree. So I took myself off and finaly felt like my old self. Now my thyroid is low and they are wanting to put me on synthoid. Is it any better? I can't go through that again and Is there any natural thyroid medication I could try?