Levoxyl and medicine

Reply to jackclavey. The same compound a healthy thyroid makes? Not even close. Even the FDA doesn't say that. They call it a "Synthetic" compound.

I'm really glad you can take levoxyl if you need it without any side effects but it's highly arrogant of you to assume the rest of us have systems that react to these chemicals like yours does. If that were the case there would be no need for 90% of the medicine we have on the market. With your comment you are basically calling all of us dimwitted and delusional. It must be nice in your world but in mine one size drug does NOT fit all.

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 have been on Levoxyl for about 2 1/2 years. Before I was on levothyroxine, but my new endo said the generics don't work, so he insists on the name brand. I've been taking it in the morning on an empty stomach, and have been battling extreme daytime fatigue ever since. At first I thought it was because I was unhealthy. I had LAP-band surgery, and I use a CPAP machine for my sleep apnea, and I lost 50 lbs, but I've hit a plateau that can't be explained by my food intake, and the fatigue is so debilitating. My GP is adjusting my anti-depressant to see if that makes a difference, but so far no. On my own I decided to start taking the Levoxyl at night before I go to bed. It's only been a couple of days, but I have noticed a marked improvement. I'll talk to my endo about it, and hopefully he'll be at least willing to consider the change.

On a side note, anti-depressants are the best medicine ever discovered. If you are feeling at all depressed, talk to your doctor. Whether the Levoxyl contributes to it or not, the anti-depressants help. I never want to go back in that black hole again.

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 have been taking Levoxyl for approx. 5 years following having a total ablation of my thyroid due to follicular thyroid cancer. I am constantly tired, have joint pain, trouble sleeping and continue to experience weight gain. The doctor continues to tell me this is not from the medicine and to improve my diet. My vision has also gotten terrible over the past two years. Has anyone else experienced this and do you know of anything that helps?

I have been on Levoxyl 100 mcg for 9 months and I never related this rash with the medicine I was taking. I have tried changing my shampoo, bar soap, laundry soap trying to figure out what I am allergic too. I still have this rash-red bumps that sometime itch and when I scratch they seem to bring out more redness. My doctor prescribed me cream but the rash is still there.
I have headaches but I think they are sinus related.

After an ER trip where I discovered I was a hypo, I've been on Levoxyl 50 mcg for just under a month. I recently informed my doctor on the phone I was experiencing swelling directly under my chin after I took the medicine in the morning and it lasted all day. He told me to stop and come in and see him immediately. It's the weekend and I can't get in until Monday. It's the 2nd day I've been off the hormone and today I have numbness in my cheeks, they are swollen, I can't eat much and feel really depressed. I've been in pain for so long and now it's just getting worse. I don't know if I should take the hormone tomorrow morning to see if I feel better or stay off as advised by my doctor. Reading everyone's comments is helpful, as it's very difficult for my family and friends to relate to me during this time and seem to think I'm over-reacting all the time as the pain never goes away. Levoyxyl seems to make me feel better, but I still have a lot of back and neck pain, as well as sensitivity to light, headaches and jaw pain. I'm 215 on a 5'5 frame, I eat quite healthy, avoid all the trigger foods for the thyroid and try to be active, but I can't seem to loose weight. I'm really not sure what to do with myself and am loosing hope.. I'm 24 and feel like I'm 84.

I've been on the same dose of Levoxyl (118 mcg) for 11 years and I have none of the side effects that have been described. My mother and grandmother also have hypothyroidism, but my mom take 110 mg of synthroid, also prescribed by the same doctor that prescribed me. When I was in the 4th grade my thyroids swelled to the size of golfballs, so much so that you could see them when my head was up, and I was extremely tired and had hot and cold flashes- scary for a 10 year old! My doctor recognized it immediately, and put me on Levoxyl. About a year ago, I gained 15lbs for seemingly no reason, but then this summer I lost about 20lbs. The only difference was taking the medicine 1 hr before I ate anything. I saw someone said that after taking the medication she would get hungry, which I also have, but this makes sense, because Levoxyl is in essence trying to up your metabolism and by doing this you are burning more calories and thus become hungry. If you let this hunger pass, about 20 min later you are no longer hungry and feel great! I still get slight hot flashes, but not too noticeable. I would recommend just as other on here have, that the dose that your doctor may give you may not be 'your' number, and to give it time. If you change your dose, give it 3 months, not 5 days like I saw above! If you have to wait 6 months for 2 dose changes isn't that better than hurting your whole life? GOOD LUCK!

My mother and I have both been diagnosed with Hashimoto's Thyroiditis and we both take levothyroxine. We both experience extreme pain and she has been diagnosed with fibromyalgia. I have not been diagnosed with fibromyalgia but I experience the pain body also. Another thing. I have been losing my hair. No reason, it's falling out from the root and I have some serious thinning. Memory...what memory. I can't remember anything. Has anyone received advise from a MD? 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.

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"?