Synthroid and anxiety

Headache, confusion, swelling, sore throat, weight gain, anxiety, heavy bleeding.

Wow! So glad and sad to find other sufferers. I wish our doctors would listen to us and take us seriously! Why are they stuck on forcing Synthroid on us? At this point, I think I'd rather not take any Synthroid. I stumbled upon this site while looking for something I might take to counteract the effects of Synthroid. I had to halve my 112 mg pills because of the side effects: frequents headaches, bloating, weight gain, irritability and anxiety, dry mucus membranes (eyes, nose, throat, etc.), allergies, muscle fatigue, achy joints. Of course, my doctor is slowly upping the dosage again, because my TSH is chronically high, but I feel like sh*t, physically and mentally. I used to feel so much more normal and like myself before I was diagnosed and "forced" to take Synthroid.

A couple of other symptoms I didn't mention before are I still get cold a lot and ibuprofen is my best friend because of all the aches and pains. But running on 3-5 hours of sleep a night with the occasional 7 hours has definitely diminished the quality of my life.

I was diagnosed as having Hypothyroidism in 1-07. My TSH was 83 and I was sleepy all the time, moody and anxious, hair falling out, gaining weight, heavy clotting peiods, etc. I was 51 and it was all blamed for a while in perimenopause. I have been on Synthroid .50 since then and some things are better like hair loss and sleepiness. My last check a few months ago was 1.3. What I hate most of all is waking up after a few hours of sleep and I feeing like I am on some kind of speed. My mind is wide awake and jumping from one thought to another, sometimes sweating heavily with my heart racing. I was diagnosed 10 years ago with Inappropriate Sinus Tachycardia and was on Beta blockers for a while. I have a new doctor now and never discussed this with her. The anxiety is awful sometimes too . I start to get fears of not being able to swallow or breathe but can keep it under control. An average night of sleep is five broken up hours of sleep and every now and then from exhaustion I will get close to seven hours. I am foggy headed a lot but I never hardly yawn or feel sleepy in the daytime.

I suggest to anyone that has Hashimoto's Thyroiditis (type of Hypothyroidism) to have a blood test done for Celiac Disease. There has been research done linking Celiac Disease and Hashimoto's Thyroiditis. Celiac Disease can be controlled by a gluten-free diet (wheat, rye, and barley free). In the US, not many doctors recognize/know of this link. I have been hypothyroid for 20 years (had Hodgkin's Disease (cancer) - radiation/chemo at age 16) I have 2 sisters with Hashimoto's Thyroiditis and were iron and B12 deficient. I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's Thyroiditis 3 months ago with iron and B12 deficiency. I have been on a gluten-free diet for 2 months now. My dosage of synthroid (levothyroxine) was 175 mcg and now is down to 137 mcg. I hope that I am one of the lucky ones that will have their antibodies to their thyroid normalized (no more synthroid!) I have a couple of days left before my next blood test and I hope that it goes down more. I am feeling better now than I have in a very long time. I have attached a link for those of you interested. It is an endocrine article from Finland outling the link between Celiac Disease and Hashimoto's Thyroiditis (among other things). I hope that this helps some of you. http://edrv.endojournals.org/cgi/content/full/23/4/464

175 mcg Synthroid, post Total Thyroidectomy due to bilateral papillary thyroid cancer. Increased appetite and increased bowel activity have been noted as well as a weight gain....even though my level of medication would normally be categorized as hyperthyroid(low TSH is indicated for post cancer treatment) recent tests have indicated elevated blood sugar as well("pre diabetes") some times I wonder if I shouldn't have just risked the cancer.....

hello everyone
i am a full time college student and I believe that i have some side effects from synthroid. As i was reading everyones blog i notice that some people feel the same way that i do. At times i feel that i'm normal but if something upsetting happens i get really tired, depress, and I have a never time concentrating at school and home. My body hurts all the time. especially my joints and i feel that i don't want to do anything. I have about a year left until i graduate and its the going to be hard. I cry sometimes for no reason. help! i'm going to talk to my doctor but if any body else feels the same way please reply.

Hi i have been on synthriod for 10 years now and until 2006 i started having serious surges in my heart rate as well as my hair constantly falling out. i have been to my (endo) doctor so much about all these problems all the tsh test and blood work are fine and normal he says, but you know I really wonder had i not ever gone on this synthroid in the first place would my body be doing this. the papitations i get are so bad, and worse when i eat and settle down in the evening. nobody knows or understands me, but you all who post on this forum because you are all going threw the same thing too.

I started taking the lowest dose and began having burning all over and itching. Does this last forever???
I am a teacher and need to be fully functionally every day!!!
Help, any natural alternatives? Just started on 3 days ago??

I have been taking synthroid for 20 years due to a nodule. It shrunk the nodule almost imediately but my eye, ear, nose and throat dr. insisted I continue to take sythroid. Today I had an regular appointment to check levels and he said that we are going to take me off synthroid. That a recent school of thought is that Synthroid doesn't need to be continued after the nodule is reduced!! I inquired several times about going off synthroid thru the years because I had alot of side effects. Hair loss, anxiety, heart palpitations, chest pain, sweating constantly, insomnia....all of the symptoms described by others on this page. I am kinda pissed but relieved to finally get to STOP TAKING IT!! Ask your Drs. about this if you just had a nodule and take synthroid for shrinking the nodule!!

Been on .15mg sythroid for 2 years. Had thyroid removed due to cancer nodule. Just recently started having lower back pains, neck, and leg cramps at night with anxiety, also my fingernails keep splitting.

I have been taking synthroid for 13 years. Had heart palpitations and irregular heart beat - ER dr put me on heart medication. I am seeing psycholgist for anxiety. He suggested that medication can contribute / cause my anxiety. Was doing research on-line for side effects and found this website. Good to know others have had similar side effects. I doubt I need to be on the heart medication since it seems that the synthroid may be the reason for the heart problems. Is there another thryoid med out there for hypothyroidism? All the dr told me was that it is a synthetic form of what my body normally produces - I had no idea it could have side effects or even contribute to other problems!

I've been on levothyroxine for 3 months now. I have anxiety at night while trying to fall asleep. In the morning my hands feel so tight and are a bit swollen. My right knee and calf have started now too. My feet hurt when I get out of bed. After about 10 mins of walking they feel better. My face is also a bit puffy in the morning and I look tired all the time. I have pains on the right side of abdoman, just under my ribs....Is this normal? Could it be my liver from the meds?

I want to know if anyone else has had the feeling in their head that they feel foggy or can't concentrate also headaches. Just in general a weird feeling in your head that u almost feel like your not here does that make sense to anyone??? Anxiety??? help! My dosage is .075.

I'm wondering if synthroid is the answer for hypothyroid? I mean, pretty much all our guts give out over time... How many people actually go into a coma and die from hypothyroidism? I took synthroid and had to get off it after just one week! I was slamming doors around here, screaming, out of control, miserable. I've talked to plenty of women at work who have lots of trouble controlling their dosage. I've read some other comments here: BEFORE I took synthroid, I had aching legs and feet, thickness in my throat, weakness, tiredness, can't concentrate. I only take a tranquilizer for eight years, same dosage, for anxiety. I'm thinking there HAS to be another way to treat hypothyroid. What if my kidneys are giving out and synthroid is overloading it, and THAT is the primary disease, with the hypo business secondary. I can see kidneys giving out, what with all the stuff we eat, yearly innoculations for flu, and so on. Anybody have any thoughts on (1) How many folks actually die from hypothyroidism via coma, and (2) Is hypo the primary condition, or is kidney primary, and (3) What is with my feet and legs hurting and aching all the time?!?! Gail

hi everyone...

i have been taking .075 synthroid for a lil over a year now....i know that that is not a high dose but i have still had some side effects...i have forgotten to take mine from time to time and the side effects ae just as bad as if i had just started it.....i have nausea,dull headache,anxiety(moderate to severe),and insomnia....has anyone else ever had this?

THE SIDE EFFECTS I HAVE IS LARGE WEIGHT GAIN CANT SLEEP AT NIGHT AT ALL GET UPSET EASY AND ANGRY NOT VERY MUCH PATIENT I TAKE MYSELF OFF FOR A WHILE BUT MY ENERGY LEVEL DROPS SO I GET BACK ON I HAVE ANXIETY ATACKS ALSO I TOLD THE DOCTOR ALL THESE THINGS HE SAID IT IS IMPOSSIBLE AND NOW I READ THAT ALOT OF YOU HAVE THE SAME SIDE AFFECTS

Well I took my first dose of synthroid today. I ahve had a headache all day, i have flet sick to my stomach and the worst of it all I feel strange in my head alomost like im not here.. Is this normal? Or is it my anxiety? ******

I've been taking synthroid for a week and find myself extremely irritable and nervous. Does anyone else feel this way? Will this go away? I'm filled with anxiety.