Levoxyl and doctors

I have been on Levoxyl 0.112MG for about 18 years. I do have some of the symptoms described by others, hair loss, hot flashes, etc. , but I think the alternative to this is a lot worse. If I do not take it for long periods of time, it gets to the point where I am freezing cold and the bags that develop under my eyes are embarrassing. I think the problem with most of you that are having very bad side effects is the dosage. If the amount is off just a little bit you can feel like you were just run over by a truck. I went through this many years ago. I would suggest continuing to change the dosage until you get it right. I wish I did not have to take it but it is absolutely necessary in my case.

Wow, what an eye opening experience it is to read all these posts! I was just about at the end of my rope thinking something was horribly wrong with me. Now I firmly believe it's the Levoxyl that is wrong.

I went on thyroid meds about a year and half ago for just slightly under active thyroid. I was actually lulled into it because the Doctor assured me it was a completely safe medicine and taking it would help me lose weight. Always a welcome thing. So I started on 50 mcg. I noticed some degree of improvement. I was sleeping better and having more energy during the day. Next checkup, the levels are in the normal range but just barely. So he doubled the dose. Two weeks later I broke out in a horrible itchy rash. I actually thought about the meds but then I didn't change meds, I was just taking more. I called the doctor and he said, "No this medication won't do that." So I change detergent, soap, everything I could think of and nothing worked. Finally I said, enough and I skipped a dose. During the day the rash got a lot better. Next morning I took another one and within and hour I was itching like crazy again. I stopped taking them, waited a week and called the doctor again and told them. His reaction was "You have to take this." I said, No, I don't and I won't. He actually argued with me that the rash could not be caused by the meds. Now I realize at that point I should have called another doctor but he's in my town, convenient, yada, yada, yada. Anyway he called me in another med which he said was the same active ingredient but different brand. Enter Levoxyl. I've been on 100 mcg for 3 months during which time I have felt progressively worse. Most of these things I didn't attribute to Levoxyl until later. Initially I noticed I was having the hot/cold flash thing. I have no comfort zone. I'm either flushed and sweating or chilled so my nights are spent constantly either searching for cover or kicking it off. Next thing I noticed is that my breasts would swell. Naturally that was a concern but about the time I would decide I needed to see about it, they would be normal for a few days. Sleep? What's that? Tired all the time. Started having confusion and forgetfulness. I even told my co-worker I thought I was losing my edge. I was all of a sudden forgetting things I had done automatically for over 15 years. Then the really scary stuff started. I would wake up in the middle of the night with my heart racing and feeling like I was in a fight for my life. I was afraid to go back to sleep. Joint aches and pains across my upper back, my knee. Tingling in my feet. It just keep getting worse and worse. Still didn't think of Levoxyl. Then Monday of this week I didn't have a pill to take. I forgot to get it refilled. Monday at lunch I told my husband I felt better than I'd felt in months. Tuesday took the regular dose. By noon the mental fog was back, back was hurting and I just felt like crap. Tuesday night went to bed early because I was so tired. 11:40 woke up with the worse anxiety attack I've ever had. Heart was pounding and I was breathless. Wednesday morning I got up and the light came on. I did not take the pill. Entered Levoxyl in google and found this site. I am so angry at my doctor I can hardly stand it. I even went to the official Levoxyl website and all these side effects are listed except for the swelling breasts and confusion but I've noticed several posts here that list those. During those two days I didn't take the freakin' pill both problems improved greatly. This morning, I reluctantly took half a pill. I plan to to that every other day for a few days then skip two days, then three, until I'm off of it. I don't know at this point what I'll do about my thyroid but I won't take this stuff and I won't ignore feeling like crap again. This is crazy. Where is the FDA? Oh yeah, being entertained by the drug companies. What a shame.

Thanks to everyone who has taken the time to post here. It is a sad commentary when we can't rely on our doctors to take care of us but we sure can't. If he had just told me about the bone loss, I would never have started this drug in the first place. My Mother suffered with that and that is something I would not trade for a few lost pounds and a little more energy. No thanks.

I just started taking Levoxyl 25mcg. My doctors says my levels are slightly off and I have mult. nod. and this will help them from growing bigger. After taking my first pill I feel a lump in my throat that doesn't want to go away. didn't feel that way before taking the pill.

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!!

weight-gain/ alternatives have been availalable.."Amour-thyroid" about.com any alternative medicine sites! Thy-Aid..etc,Synthroid does nothing for thy,roid issue Everything starts there! Bio-denticals deals w/ harmonal...read and learn..FDA lies! Alternatives have "Cured" ask "Breakthrough" Susann Sommers book w/ doctors! Larry King! Truth re: real cures for thyroid,not HRT's..yet another that has killed and/or close to from...Side-effects..alt's do not have side-effects.soon,if enough people stop being lazy and so afraid to take what will keep them alive and happy only then will ALT'S push the bad FDA approved poisons away! Both MUST be explored,but the FDA make billions w/ doctors who get kick backs from each script they write for the infamous SIN-Throid,made my life a horror..hypothyroid issue does not need syn! There are better natural things! Headaches,never get the right dose! Right thyroid tests? Endocrinologists will use those bio-denticals bec- hormone & Thy go together,for all of the idiots out there who think their doctors are sooo good,slowly they are killing them in many ways!

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.

All I can say is WOW! I did a search for Levoxyl side effects because in the 2 weeks since my dosage has gone up (200 mcg) I have had a constant headache and my entire body just aches, especially my hips, legs and knees. I have a hard time sleeping because I can't get my knees in a comfortable position. I do have arthritis which has not really bothered me in over a couple of years and this is not the same as my arthritis pain. It is more of an overall achiness and it feels like my bones are sore. I am also having eye twitching occasionally, but I am not sure if that has anything to do with it. What should I do?

Thank you all for posting your experience with Levoxyl. My mother started to take this med about a year ago or so. She has experienced all of the side effects listed in postings. I thought she was going crazy. She actually found this site and e-mailed it to me. WOW!!!!!! We have been in and out of doctors (numerous) and hospitals for testing. All test results came back with nothing being wrong with her. She actually just went to Catholic Medical Center in NH (this hospital specializes with heart problems) last week because she too thought she was having problems with her heart. Thankfully all is o.k. She has now taken herself off the Levoxyl. It is amazing what we think will help us can do so much harm to a person. Good Luck to anyone who prescribed this medication. DO YOUR RESEARCH FIRST!

D.NH

I was diagnosed with Hypothyroidism and Hashimoto's Disease 12 yrs ago after my daughter was born. I've been taking Levoxyl 100mcg all these years. Recently I switched to Targets pharmacy & I let them talk me into buying the generic. What a mistake. I've been on the generic for 3 1/2 months & I feel like I have been hit by a truck! I thought I was coming down with the flu. I don't get out of bed, I shuffle out of bed. It's like I have the body of an 80 year old. I also noticed I was hungry all the time. I've been having dizzy spells and my dry skin came back. I have been very tired. I've been taking a nap everyday. The only good thing that came out of it was I started sleeping better, but it's not worth going through all of this. I switched back to the name brand today. I've read where some of your doctors prescribed antidepressants. I started getting very irritable & anxious after my daughter was born, but I thought it was because I was a first time parent. Now, I'm thinking it was the levoxyl. I am slowly weaning myself off of the Wellbutrin. The less medication I take the better. One thing I did was start a personal program with Women to Women a few years back. Once I did, I noticed my fatigue went away. Before I was having to take a nap everyday & didn't want to get back up. I also noticed my memory got better. It's a very interesting website.

I was put on Levoxyl for 20 years. Hair kept falling out, muscles aches, acid reflux, plantar fasciitis, carpel tunel, tired, cranky, brain fog. I could barely walk and had developed a stutter. I was to be tested for Alzheimers at 45. I was told there was no other drug for hypothyroidism and it wasn't the Levoxyl doing these things to me.

Well I found another drug thanks to the internet and Yahoo Natural Thyroid Group. It was Armour. I have been on Armour for about 2 years now. All those problems I had on Levoxyl are gone. Completely GONE! Wasn't the Levoxyl huh?

extremely depressed after a week of taking levoxyl. Also face is swollen, eye swollen and red and face and eyes burn. These were the same symptoms after taking synthroid after a week. What's next? I am close to being suicidal after having survived lung cancer, surgery, chemo and radiation. To get another primary cancer and have things slide downhill after such a remarkable recovery, I can do nothing but cry after making the decision to have a cancerous thyroid removed that could have served me for years and years since it was such a slow growing cancer. I should have followed my instincts and just left it alone. Now all I want to do is lie on the couch and cry.

I too was a picture of health even with my TSH being off. My old doctor retired and a new one prescribed the levothyroxine.
I never have felt so rotten in my life. Extreme fatigue to the point I am given up many activities I've been involved in for years. Headaches and joint and body pain. I feel like I was hit by a truck!
I stopped the meds and felt fine..cept my cholesterol went up to 262 and my tsh 7 something.
The doctor scared me back on to the levothyroxine.
I am desperate. I wish I knew what to do.

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 don't know if my dry skin is from the Levoxyl or not. I'm on 25 mcg's and have been for about four years now and am seeking to be off of it as it is the only medication I'm now taking with regularity. As an asthmatic with a slight hypothyroid condition, I've just done "what the doctors ordered." Now at the age of forty-four I'm starting to do some of my own research and be my own advocate. I don't have answers for anyone but I strongly suggest you do some reading at the ****. Just plug Dr. Mercola in a search engine and you should find it. What a wealth of wonderful and informative reading. Watch the "Allopath" video. Food for thought. Physicians treat symptoms and while I'm glad that many meds are there, I'm thinking that the first line of defense AND offense ought to be a look at one's daily nutrition and exercise as well as hydration levels.
Blessings

I have been on Levoxyl 125 mcg for about two months after my thyroid was "killed" with the radioactive pill. Ever since I have been on this medication, I have constant headaches and feel sick on my stomach all the time. I had to go to the ER the past week because of the intense vomiting. The doctors tell me it's not related to my thyroid or the medication. How can this be? I didn't feel this bad when I was hyperactive thyroid. My wife has had to take care of our 18 month old all by herself ever since I have been taking this medicine. I feel like I am missing out on my life! This is terrible!!

5-12-08 Was put on 25mcg in Mar. 08. because of Hashimoto Disease &
Hypothyroidism. At first had more energy & no symptoms. After a month
severe pain in joints especially in hands & left wrist. Muscle spasms in
thighs, calves & shoulders. Neck & back pain. Also headaches. Am
bloated all the time and can't seem to lose weight. Force myself to stay
active, but difficult to do. Irritable because of pain. Oh yes, on l-7-08 my
TSH was 4.270 & 4-29-08 my TSH was 4.430 & Dr. doubled my Levothyroxine to 50mcg & after that above symptoms doubled to
excruciating. After reading this web site no one mentioned extreme dry
mouth, throat & nose with a metallic taste in their mouth as I have. Let
me know if anyone has had this problem. Thank God for this site & thank
all of you that confirmed my problems was not in my head like doctors
want you to think. Thanks M.

I was diagnosed with having hypothyroidism, and after having FNAs done on the two nodules that were found during a screening of my thyroid - it turned out that I also have Hashimoto's Disease. I am currently on the lowest dosage of Levoxyl - and have been for about two months, and I have never felt so bad in my whole life. Yesterday I cried the entire day - for no reason. I have migraines several times a day. I get dizzy and have hot flashes and I feel so ditzy lately, forgetting the littlest things. It is a very frustrating way to live, being married with two small children. It is hard for me to explain this to anyone, and I unfortunately take some comfort in reading that I am not the only one living with this. I keep wondering if I will get better, not only for me, but for the sake of my family.

Hello Everyone,

I am just amazed by how many people have the same side effects and how many doctors don't listen! I started taking Levoxyl in Nov 2007 after having RAI on Aug. 30th, 2007. I've never been in such pain. Most of it has subsided, but now it feels as if someone divided my body in half and my right side only gets minor muscle aches and joint pains and muscle spasms. But the left side of my body, from my neck to me toes...my muscles feel tingly, knotted, sore, burning points, spasms, itchiness, hives and it come and goes almost constantly. I am currently taking 125 mg. But the weird thing is that before this happened, I would get torturous menstrual cramps. Ever since I started Levoxyl, I get NO cramps - at all! I am trying to find info regarding Levoxyl and how and if it affects hormone levels. Can anyone help me on this? Thanks!!

I have being taking thyroid medicine since 1994. I was diagnosed with Hyperthyroidism and prescribed Synthroid. It didn't work. Instruct to take radioactive pill. Now, diagnoses change to Hypothyroidism. Prescribe Levoxyl. Endocrinologist said I would lose weight, but instead I have gone from a size 8 to 16. I feel really bad when I miss my doses. Really anxious when I take it every day. I am noticing that I have moles growing out and spreading all over my body. Switch back to Synthroid three months ago. That when start experiencing a great deal of hair loss. Decide to switch back to Levoxyl but a lower dose. The hair loss has slowed down a little. But, hair is growing slowly. I am having problems focusing and some memory loss. I really don't know what to do. I have change endocrinologist twice. I really think that Levoxyl and Synthroid have bad side effects on human after long term usage. I am miserable because I can't control my weight. I know that it has something to do with this medicine. If anyone know of some other medicine that would Hypothyroidism in check without all of the side effects that I mention. Please share it with me.

Flu-like symptoms raised temperature, swollen glands, aching joints, rapid heartbeat, interrupted sleep, nightmares, night-sweats, raised basal temperature and body temperature, sensitivity to cold, immediate change in menstrual cycle.