Levoxyl and doctor who

Hello... I started taking Levothyroxine last July for slight hypothyroidism. I felt great for the first 6-7 months, but then in January the problems started for me. I was getting severe anxiety which the doctor said was stress and he also thought I was depressed. I knew I wasn't, but he put me on Ativan and Prozac. The week I took prozac was the worst week of my life. I thought the effects I had were from the prozac, but now I know now it was my thyroid spiking, which the doctor never checked my levels during this period. My heart rate doubled, I had insomnia, was gagging, sick, felt like my body was on speed and wanted to die. I was prescribed a beta blocker for my anxiety previously which I had never taken, but decided to take when my heart was racing, which helped me feel a bit better for the week, but I knew something was wrong. I had this happen again recently for about a week (and I was on nothing but levothyroxine). I know what anxiety is and I have never had anxiety or depression my whole life until these episodes that happen when taking this medication. By the time I went to the doctor to get labs done, I had been feeling a bit better and he said my levels were fine. I am now wondering if it's side effects from the meds or if it is spikes in my levels making me hyperthyroid instead. All I know is that I cannot live like this!! I have a 3 yr old and I need to be happy and healthy like I used to be before this medication... no more heart racing, racing thoughts, anxiety, and insomnia. Please help!!

I love this page! I have been taking Levoxyl for about 6 months now and my joints are killing me. Especially my wrists and ankles. It hurts to even pick up a half gallon of milk or hold my kids. I am also so exhausted all the time. I was put on 50mcg when I started the medicine but I was not having any symptoms before I started taking the medicine. I am trying to wean myself off of the pills and am down to 25mcg. I am taking b12 and b6 to help fight the fatigue. I also am having a huge problem with my periods, I get them every 2 weeks, and they last a week. This is not fun at all. I am also getting cold sores like crazy. Before I started taking this medicine I would maybe get 1 a year, if that. Now I get at least 1 a month, sometimes 2. It is really frustrating. My skin has changed, so dry and I look like I have aged 10 years. My hair is brittle. I am looking into a more natural route to take, maybe the Armour thyroid would work.I have been to the Doctor who just tells me that it is not my medicine and could be something else. I know it is not something else. All of these symptoms started right after I started to take the medicine. I am going off of it to hopefully feel better. Thanks so much for all your posts out there!!!

I have been reading all the entries for this website and thought I would pass along some useful information. I have been on Levoxyl for 8 years now and have had lots of the symptoms that all these people have had. I then had an appointment with a great Endo doctor at the *** and discovered some interesting things. There is a number "range" they put all people into when checking your TSH levels, only problem is each person is different and even though the doctor may say your in the range, it may not by the right dosage for you. Unfortunately the only way to determine the correct range for you is to experiment with the dosages and it takes 3 months or more for your body to adjust. Also, thyroid hormones are accumulated in the body and depending how active you are is how you may feel. The hormone pill you take today will not be used by your body for up to 10 days, so if you feel good for a few days at rest, then exercise the next day you may feel drained. It will take a few days for your body to replenish the stockpile of hormones to feel "normal" again. A working thyroid makes hormones as needed, yours now does not so this is why so many people feel fatigued, or racing heart beat if they don't get enough exercise. I also had leg and muscle pain. The medication depletes your body of Calcium and B complex especially B12. My leg and muscle pain have disappeared. I still get headaches, but much less with the B12, and some days I still feel tired but I say again, your body cant regulate its needed thyroid hormone and a synthetic pill is only a substitute.. You will always have some side effects. Hope these tips help someone.

I HAVE BEEN TAKING LEVOXYL FOR 22YRS AND I FEEL LIKE I CAN NEVER GET SLEEP,I TAKE MY PILL IN THE MORNING AND CAN'T SLEEP ALL NITE AND AM TIRED OF IT,I WISH THEY HAD AN ALTERNATIVE.THAT WAY I CAN SLEEP AND NOT BE DEPRESSED ALL THE TIME

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"?

Wow am I glad I found this site! I had my thyroid destroyed in May and started taking Levoxyl at the beginning of August of this year. At first things were going well but after the dosage was increased I started to notice leg pain, numbness in my hands and feet as well as joint pain. I spoke with the doc and he said that it could be related to not having enough hormone and after blood tests revealed very high TSH levels, he increased. Since then the pain has worsened and I even went to my primary doctor who tested for Lupus and RA. I had none of these symptoms until I started the Levoxyl, not one! I feel relieved that others are having this experience too and plan to speak with the doctor about it.

I mostly feel good. I had a thyroidectomy in Jan. 2005 and am on 137 mcg. I developed pop up rashes on my hands and arms mostly and they would disappear overnight. I was getting them every day until I went to a homeopathic doctor who gave me stuff to boost my other gland that suffer when the thyroid (the big dog) isnt perfect. In a couple days the rashes disappeared as well as dry skin. I no longer need lotion. The latest issue I have is my tongue seems too large so that it hurts against my teeth especially when I lay down at night. Has anyone heard of that?

I had my thyroid removed in October, I have been on Levothyroxine for 2 months. In the past 3 weeks I have had a severe headache 24/7, vomiting, nausea, tremors inside, I have been feeling really strange and of course the doctor never even suggested it might be the medication. I am going again tonight to see what he has to say when I bring it up to him. Anyone else out there feeling these symptoms? Please let me know, thanks