Levoxyl and dry skin

I am 34 years old. Back in 1985 I had most of my thyroid removed, due to a tumor attached to it. Since I was 10 until my late 20s, I was on Synthroid. By age 19 I had 3 knee surgeries to remove arthritis. I have suffered most of my life with joint pains, dry skin, weight that is like a roller coaster, and being tired most of the time. In my 20s I was put on Levoxyl. I has been on Levoxyl for several years now. Since being on Levoxyl I have been fighting anxiety, racing heart, joint pain in fingers and ankles, sudden dizziness to the point where i have to sit or pass-out. I feel like I'm 80 and not 34. After reading this site I am printing all this out and taking it to my doctor. No telling how much damage has been done after all these years.

I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's Thyroiditis (hypothyroidism) about 9 years ago. My teenager was diagnosed 2 years ago. I have done a good amount of research and have also learned a lot through experience.
*The most critical thing is to NOT accept a generic brand of thyroid replacement. My GYN, family doctor, and my endo (who specializes in thyroid) have told me that generic pharms are only required to match the original drug's ingredients/strength by 75%. As my GYN said, if you're in the business of making a profit, and you can get away with putting in 25% less of the expensive (and unfortunately, the essential) ingredient, that's what you're going to do!
*Measuring T4 alone may not reveal hypothyroidism in the early stages, and it will probably not show everything that is going with your thyroid. I knew something was not right, but my old GYN (got rid of her) tested T4 only and said I was fine. I went to an endo who measures 1/2 dozen indicators, including antibodies and thyroid uptake, and I was correctly diagnosed. He also diagnosed my son early on, albeit, my son was exhibiting numerous symptoms. Which brings up another point -
*Everyone exhibits a different degree of different symptoms. So don't be surprised if your thyroid levels are higher or lower than you thought they would be based on your symptoms.
*Find a doctor that will work with you. I had a doctor that insisted my dosage was correct, even though I was still feeling very tired, had dry skin, etc. I finally found a doctor that acknowledged that there is a range of "normal" thyroid function. He upped my med a little, and I've felt much better.
*Know the signs of too high of a dosage - restlessness, eye and muscle twitches, trouble sleeping, etc. Our endo has us come in 1 month after prescribing a new dosage to make sure it is enough or not too much. If I was exhibiting hyper symptoms, I would not wait 1 month to be rechecked.
*Hormonal changes of any kind can wreck havoc on your thyroid - whether you're a male teenager or a peri-menopausal woman. Your thyroid levels can change quickly. If my son or I experience any new symptoms - fatigue, rapid weight gain, unusually dry skin, muscle aches/pains, etc. - I make an appointment w/ the endo. My son's thyroid had plummeted the last time I took him in, and the endo adjusted his med. Illnesses (flu, pneumonia, etc.) can effect your thyroid levels, as well as stress, so have your levels checked after going through a serious bout.
*Once you have your dosage correctly set - watch your appetite! Hypothyroidism can reduce your appetite, and once you've got that corrected, your appetite comes back. Keep a food journal to track your calorie intake.
*Have an annual thyroid ultrasound to make sure your thyroid is not enlarged and to look for nodules (very common w/ hypothyroidism.)
*TAKE YOUR THYROID 1ST THING IN THE MORNING BY ITSELF 1 hour before you eat. I had a friend who was taking her calcium supplement along with her thyroid every day and later found out the calcium was basically canceling the thyroid. Her doctor should have warned her about this, but I think they assume we know these things. Vitamins, herbs, cold medicines, certain foods, and other medicines/supplements can greatly interfere with your thyroid replacement.
*Women with hypothyroidism should take a calcium supplement (take one with magnesium for better absorption) because we are at greater risk for osteoporosis. I take mine at night, so it does not interfere w/ my thyroid replacement.

Been taking this for 18 years. No Doc could figure out what was wrong. I have too many allergies. Knee's ache, retain water, moods are way off, dry skin, hair loss, I am now taking armour. I feel fantastic and am losing weight. My skin is oily. TYG

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 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

iam so glad that i have found this site i thought i was going off my head i have hashimotos thyrioditis have had bad anxiety deppression chest palptations tingling and burning in hands arms legs feel aggitated all the time extreme tiredness NON EXSISTENT SEX DRIVE vaginal dryness sore eyes headaches everyday something new iam 36 feel like iam 106 feel like life isnt worth living got 4 children cant do anything with them got no enthusium for life been on tabs nearly 3yrs had heart monitored for 24 hours nothing found also tested for arthritis diabetis ms what next at least now i know that iam not going off my trolley please email about amour thyriod hair very thin sweats ibs very dry skin wieght loss

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 have a pitutary brian tumor and I have been taking Levothroxine for about 7 years and I need to know what happen if you quit taking this pill? I have been thinking about it, to see if I feel like my old self again. I am only 38 and I have extreme about of hair loss, hungry all the time, dry skin, no sex drive, no memory, the shakes, weight gain and can't lose any. I have been the same weight since the removal of the tumor. Ihaven't lose a pound and haven't gain a pound but I sick of being fat and can't lose a pound. No matter what I do. And I am always tired . I sleep about 90% of a day. I am to young to feel this way everyday. I feel they should of left the tumor in there so I could of still been myself for a little longer. Than to live like this each day. I just want to know what will happen if I quit taking this Levothyroxine?
Let me know, please. Thanks!

I WAA DIAGNOSED WITH HYPOTHYROIDISM 3 MONTHS AGO AND WAS PLACED ON LEVOXYL. PRIOR TO TREATMENT I WAS EXPERIENCEING MUSCLE FATIGUE, OVERALL FATIGUE, WEIGHT GAIN, SHORTNESS OF BREATH, JOINT PAIN AND LOSS OF MENTAL ACUITY. SINCE TAKING THE DRUG, I FEEL MY MY MENTAL CAPACITY IS BACK AND A LOT OF MY FATIGUE IS GONE, HOWEVER, I AM RETAINING HUGE AMOUNTS OF FLUID EVEN WITH A DIURETIC, DRY SKIN, HAIR LOSS AND MOST RECENTLY A RASH WHICH STARTED ON THE FRONT OF MY CALVES AND IS NOW ON MY NECK, ABDOMEN.

I took 50mcg of Levoxyl for 6 days and stopped on Sunday due to side effects. I am a 56 year old female 5'4' and weigh 108lbs. My only hypothroid symptoms were dry skin and nail problems, minor depression and semi high cholesterol. Each day the side effects got worse until I felt like I had severe PMS and had just had 4 cups of strong coffee. Sunday night I only got about 3 hours of sleep even after taking an over the counter sleeping pill. I notified my DR. on Monday AM and told her I had to stop taking it. She said to stay off of it for at least 1 and maybe 2 weeks and then she would try me on Synthoid 25mcg.

For me, Levoxyl was an evil drug and I would not wish the way I felt on it on my worst enemy. I was at least glad to find this site and learn that others had the same problems. Otherwise I might have felt that I was going crazy.

I had experience dry skin before starting levoxyl about a week ago, but I feel like it's gone from bad to worse. My eyes swelled up so I looked like a monster for several days. Now that's better, but I have horrible, cracked skin around my lips. Is this a completely different dermatological problem, or could it be related to Levoxyl?

I have been on Levoxyl (50mcg) for two weeks. I had terrible symptoms before--tingling hands, feet, and face; weight gain; joint paint; loss of concentration; extreme fatigue; and dry skin. I'm already feeling better. Is it possible that the people who are having bad side effects have been misdiagnosed or given the wrong dosage?