Levoxyl and fatigue

I have been on levoxyl for about 8-9 years now. I have an under active thyroid which I believe is from radiation over my neck area for benign tumors. I have been reading the side effects from people and I am starting to think that most of my symptoms or side effects are from this medication. Slowly over the years I have developed several of the same things people are talking about on this, especially restless leg syndrome, fatigue, chronic pain in legs, trouble sleeping, anxiety, lack of energy, cold feet/hands, lack of sex drive depression, b-12 deficiency, neck and back pain. I am talking to my doctor tomorrow and see if I can go on something else. I am being treated for all these other things that could all be related to the levoxyl side effects. I had none of these other things before taking this medication, what is going on?

I have been on Levoxyl since I was 19. I am now 49 and a yr ago because of cronic fatigue I took myself off. I noticed I was awake again, my back, legs and teeth quit hurting, I went back on it because the blood test came back funky and after just 2 weeks back on it I feel awful. My back and body hurt so severely I cant stand it and Im taking vicodin I had laying around the house. Tonight its almost unbeable and is interfering with my job. There has got to be an alternative to this type of pain..

Levoxyl makes me Tired and fatigue.
Does anyone get tired and crash 2 to 3 hours later after taking any thyroid medication? I get tired need to lay down, I crash my body lays in the bed and this tired feeling goes away after a hour. It used to last 2 hours. I feel like I took a sleeping pill. This is probably due to adrenals from what I read. I have tried all the armour and t3 that I think adds to the tiredness.

ive been on levothyroxine for about 6 years...... for an underactive thyroid gland and i am stunned reading all these side effects as for about 4 years ive suffered from severe joint paint, fatigue ,very low moods , foggy brain, mood swings hair loss, all i want to do is sleep and even then im still tired.
I am 35 and feel about 80 as my back hips legs calfs and feet all hurt so bad.
I have been to the doctors so many times and got no where.
ive been told your in pain because your depressed( who would not be depressed ) but i said i am depressed cause im in such pain.
i remember asking once if it was due to the thyroid or the drug and the doctor said your levels are fine and the drug gives no side effects.
I feel like stopping it right now to be honest.
I only got it after my third pregnancy and i remember reading once it can correct itself as it could be caused by pregnancy ????? any ideas.
ive copied and pasted a lot of these comments and i will be making a trip to doctors to be fobbed off again im sure ....but its worth a try

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.

Boy, this could take a while. Have been on generic Levoxyl for more than 7 yrs(can't say exactly how long since I stay "fuzzy headed" all the time). Anyway, about a yr ago I became so depressed I went off all my meds -- I'm a diabetic on insulin and also have high blood pressure. I felt good!To try and make this story a little shorter, I went on a diet and lost 70 lbs -- went from 310 down to 240. Then I went back on meds. In less than a yr, have regained all the weight I lost. Also, my legs swell and ache so badly it makes walking painful. Hands, wrists and knees throb constantly. Intermittent headaches so bad I have to wear sunglasses just to tolerate indoor lighting. Hair loss is so severe I'm considering a wig. Skin is dry and itchy and lotions help not at all. Any work I have to do I must accomplish before noon because by early afternoon the fatigue is debilitating. I'm currently on 300mcg of Levothyroxine (up from 250mcg 2 months ago) and doctor wants to increase dosage even more. Had no idea there were other people suffering the same problems until I stumbled upon this site. I take the medication as prescribed (with perhaps less than the recommended full glass of water) but plenty of coffee. Discovered on another site that the coffee may be inhibiting the drug's absorption. I feel so helpless/hopeless. Am considering going back off the Levothyroxine but am seriously worried about high T3/T4 levels. Thanks for listening; guess I just needed to vent.

I have been on Levoxyl for years. Have experienced all the side affects this medication has and then some more! My hair loss and thinning, depression, bone aches, headaches, fatigue, and much more...finally I asked the doctor is there was anything else out there in the market which had less side effects....there is a natural product which has been in the market for many years called Armour Thyroid (*******). All I know is that if I continued to take Levoxyl, I will most likely end up in bed for life...I am only 43 yrs old and would like to have at least "normal" energy for my age. There is NO reason I should feel a lot older and I know for a fact it is the medication. I have only been taking Armour Thyroid for just a few days but will report my well being in about the next 30 days. Since I was on 100mg of Levoxyl a day, am taking two grains of 30 mg a day for a total of 60 mg of Armour a day. In about 25 days I go for blood work to check levels, so far I experience a bit of nausea right after I take the "new" medication but it does not last all day. Hopefully, this new med will give me my LIFE back! Thanks for reading.

I had always used the generic form of synthroid & then the generic form Levoxyl. The beginning of April 08' my endo prescribed me the brand name Levoxyl. I take 175mg. everyday. After several weeks I began to have terrible insomnia. It was weird because I initially fell asleep easily but began to wake up every hour of the night for no reason. This went on for weeks. I even tried taking Tylenol PM to help me sleep & I still would wake up every hour if not every other hour & I had very vivid dreams that I would remember. I began waking up in the mornings feeling exhausted from all the dreaming & all the waking up. I believe I became more depressed because I was so tired. Then I read on-line that someone else experienced this while taking Levoxyl. I switched back to the generic Levoxyl & now I can sleep through the night again. I still experience fatigue & have problems losing weight. None of that changed when I switched to the brand name anyway.

I have been on Levoxyl for about 3 years now, maybe more. My mother , father, and I all have Hypothyroidism. Mine was diagnosed at 19 when I started on Levoxyl and now it is around 3 at 75 mcg. I do have alot of these symptoms, including fatigue, depression,insomnia, major migraines, bloating, but my mom and I also have ringing of the ears and I wonder if this is a symptom. I have been to an ear specialist and had my hearing checked, everything is normal he says. Maybe I just have very sensitive hearing and can hear the slightest things? I don't think so, I didn't have this ringing before a year and a half ago!

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 taking Levoxyl for 15 years . About 10 years ago I developed fatigue, unexplained joint pain , leg pain and excesses heart burn. After lots of testing and specialist who could never find anything to cause these problems I was told fibromyalgia. Don't believe it. I never believed it for one minute. This is nothing more than Levoxly posioning. I am strong healthy weight and food concious and always have been. Why do all the people that are diagnosed with fibromyalgia have thyroid? Their all taking Levoxyl.

Since changing from Synthroid to Levoxyl almost six months ago, I've gotten worse. I have much of the same symptoms as the one's i've read ie: headaches, swelling, numbness in fingers, fatigue, body aches, depression, hot and cold, but the latest one is very concerning for me, I never had allergies before, and now, my throat is always itchy, my ears are itchy, and it's making me crazy. Also, my fingers get numb and now at night my hands get very hot and itcy also. Can anyone out there relate? Thank you

I am extremely hot and sweaty, memory loss, fatigue, aching hands, dizzy at times and most recently had a fainting spell (black out) while I was attending a movie -- it started with dizziness and then I became totally burning up hot and wet with sweat so much so that my hair was wet -- this lasted about 1/2 hour and ended with the dry heaves. Please let me know if anyone has experienced this. I had my thyroid blasted with radioactive iodine about 3 years ago (Graves Disease) and I have been hotter than blazes since that time. I am on 112mcg of levoxyl

Within a couple of days of taking this medication I experienced numbness in the top of my right foot and up the outside of my leg to med-calf. I became unable to lift my foot up or point my toes upwards. When I walked my foot dropped down and I would almost trip when I walked. The first two times it happened it went away within the day. The last time was June 6, 2006 and it has remained since then with no sign of improvement. My doc called it dropped foot syndrome which is caused by a problem with a nerve in the side of my leg. I am still on the medication and hoping the problem will go away as I adjust to the medication. The medication thus far has had no effect on my hypothroid symptoms especially the fatigue. The muscles in my legs feel weaker than ever and the foot problem makes matters worse.

Hi all,
Have been on Levoxyl since Fall 2005. In general feel better, but I have very weird G.I. symptoms that m.d. can't explain. Had an upper G. I. recently and all normal except for a bit of reflux. But my prob is sudden fatigue, fullness in stomach-lack of appetite, some nausea. Feels like I'm getting the flu. Then it suddenly disappears. I get this for about a week, every 2 weeks or so. Have NEVER had this b4 and have had these symptoms since started the thyroid meds....anyone else? Just curious.

PS-I take my meds in early a.m. on an empty stomach. No other meds are taken....

I'm 26 and was diagnosed with HYPOTHYROIDISM in Oct 2005. I was put on LEVOTHYROXINE. At firt I felt sick to my stomach, and then started having really bad head akes. My MD lowered my dose and I felt like a new person. Had more energy than my 4 year old. I have had some site effects such as HEART PALPITATIONS, MILD DEPRESSION, UNABLE TO CONCENTRATE, FATIGUE AND SPACED OUT FEELINGS! But the one site effect that I have not seen anyone talk about is "RINGING OF THE EARS!!!!!!" PLEASE IF ANY ONE IS HAVE THE RINGING OF THE EARS...LET ME KNOW, IT IS DRIVING MY @&*!%#^ CRAZY. My MD says its ANXIETY! Give me a break pal, I know my body good enough to know when im NOT anxious. Also my sex drive is flat lined. Please email me if you have these same site effects.. Bless you all

Lowi~ Washington

Hi, Im not much of a computer person. I from old school. Anyway, Im in my 40s and have been on the levox for about a year. I thought night sweats, head aches ,bone aches,and muscle aches were part of my aging factor. My blood levels are good as per my endocrinologist. but I too experience depression at times, constipation, irritability and fatigue as well as mental dullness. Im a very educated women and must admit , I sometimes feel like a total mental moron. Mary

After surgery for a goiter with numerous nodules, I was started on 100 levothyroxine and felt fine. Due to too high TSH level (10+), dosage was increased to 150 and I went to the other end of the scale (.45). and the dosage was lowered to 137. Now my GP has reduced to 125 due to fatigue and depression. Have been at that level for 2 weeks and still have some depression and insomnia. Should I seek advice from my endo?? or keep waiting to see if these symptoms subside. It obviously is not easy to wait but don't want to compound the issue.

I was prescribed levothyroxine by my nurse practitioner for a "slightly" underactive thyroid. I have experienced at times, headaches (feeling like the top of my head is going to blow off); stomach problems, cramping, loose stools; anxiety, sleeplessness, fatigue and a lowered libido. I am prescribed .50 mcg, but I took that dose for 2 months and then lowered my daily dose, myself to .25 mcg. I felt better, but still tired. I didn't tell my NP that I lowered my dose. After a month or so, I upped it again, just because I still felt tired. I have been on the full dose, once again, for a month. I still have some of the previous symptoms, but am due for a blood test this month to see where my levels are at. If they are close to being correct, I am going to ask her to lower my dose or stop it all together and try exercising more. I don't know that this is a horrible drug, but I am sure that it is not something to mess around with, if you don't absolutely need to be taking it.

I am 26, and I had my thyroid removed in November 2003 as a result of having thyroid cancer. I have been on Levoxyl ever since. The first few months, I had trouble sleeping and even taking a 5 minute nap during the day would cause me to be unable to sleep at night. In November 2004 (after a year of adjusting my dosage), they said my thyroid levels were at goal. At the time, I was feeling pretty good (sleeping well, feeling healthy and energetic). But the past month or so, I have been extremely tired and quite moody/depressed. I cry a lot - many times for no reason at all. I had my thyroid levels checked a couple weeks ago, and they said htey at at the goal level. I was talking with a family friend today who is a nurse and told her that I have been extremely tired and fatigue easily. She said that she thinks that the thyroid medications do have side effects that we are not always aware are really from that. Let me know if you have found any solutions to the moody/depressed feelings and emotions and the extreme tiredness. Please email me at ****** if you have any solutions! Thanks!

I have been on levoxyl for about 6 weeks now.

I was placed on this medication after I had my daughter 8 months ago. I was losing my hair and they (the OB and GP) ordered some lab work to be completed - my thyroid was a bit under active. I read some where that this occasional happens after pregnancy, but it would eventually correct itself and all should be good after a few months. (This happend with my first pregnancy also - but they never ordered any labs to be completed). To my dismay, they placed me on this medication.

I noticed for the first 2-3 weeks sever fatigue, I would be motivated in the am, but by the afternoon I was exhausted and needed to nap.

I also tend to have nervousness and anxiety attacks - symptoms that I have never experience prior to being on this medication.

Lastly, there seems to be times where I feel like I have drank 500 cups of coffee and have a huge high, then crash and have a huge low.

Anyone else??

I am a 16 year old female who has been on different thyroid medication for at least 3 years. Along with my thyroid disease I have type 1 diabetes also. Right now I am taking LEVOTHYROXINE. I have taken levoxyl, synthroid, and I cant remember any others. Over the years I have gradually increased my dose to 125 mcg. Instead of losing weight with these medications, I've actually gained 25 lbs, and Ive kept my slow metabolism. Ive experienced bloating, gas, fatigue, spaceiness-like out of it, unable to concentrate, increased appetite, and mild depression. I usaully am able to get fantastic grades, and catching on to things comes easy. But now ive lost interest in friends, sports and overall life. I am wondering if this thyroid medication or my other medication- Metformin has anything to do with how I feel or overeating?

I am 33 and have been on Levoxyl 50 for 6 months for slight Hypothyroid. It seemed to bring me out of the fatigue at first, but now suffering from severe headaches, severe memory loss, insomnia and increased appetite. I just had a dr.'s visit for my symptoms and we did not even discuss the possibility of Levoxyl being the culprit. He suggested that I seek counseling for stress. I am taking myself off the medication and will find a thyroid specialist. KD