Synthroid and endo

After reading so much about Armour, earlier this year I decided that I would like to try it. I was actually feeling very good on Synthroid but wondered if I could feel even better. I was on Armour for a month and got very ill. Dizzy, legs swelling, hard time walking and standing. I went back to the Synthroid and it has taken me about six months to recover. I had a thyroidectomy about 3 years ago and never gained any weight until I was on the Armour, about 15lbs. My Endo says everyone is different with the meds. I really wanted the Armour to work out for me and will be hesitant to try anything else now because of my terrible experience.

Everyone out there, try Armour Thyroid!!! I was changed to Synthroid (because my endo only believed in it) a few years ago, and put on 15 pounds and lost half of my hair. I work out at least 6 days a week, run 3-4 miles a day, and live on salad. I asked my regular MD to switch me to Armour, and in three weeks, my hair stopped falling out, and I'm losing weight. I was losing, yes, I counted, at least 45 hairs a day when I combed my hair after my shower (and I'm not counting the clumps that came out in the shower). Now, maybe when I wring my hair out in the shower, only one will come out and less than 15 in my comb. Ask you doctor to just try it, and if it doesn't work, you can always go back. I swear by it. I'm happy all the time again, where I have just been monotone for the last few years, and I'm thrilled. Good luck!!!

i just started taking synthroid for the first time, i am 54, started me on 25mcg which is a low dose, i noticed after about a month i started getting hot flashes all over again and my appetite was increasing, i am not overweight but i will be soon , I know i gained about 5 pounds in the last month, I do not like this so I decided (forget that) if it going to make gain weight, not sleep, have hot flashes, and i don't have any more energy and even getting more forgetful, it not worth it, I'll see how I feel without it!

I've been feeling dizzy for about a year and half. Recently switched from levothyroxine to Synthroid and upped the dosage slightly. Now I'm feeling worse! My endo seems to think there is nothing he can do for me but get my thyroid under control. Is anyone else experiencing dizziness from the meds? Is there a med that is better for this?

Hello Ladies....I am 56 and diaged Hashimotos disease 3 years ago.At the moment on 112mcg of synthroid....dosage started off low and have gradually worked up....So angry with drs...was seeing endo, but moved and using family practice...so frustrated with weight gain approx 25lbs since diag. Also does the word sweat ....mmmm perspire for all us ladies, mean anything? I can't even wash dishes without breaking out in to a sweat...mmm beads of perspiration....Dry skin, I own stock in Aveeno....Also....does anyone get "boil type" skin eruptions in the nether region...butt, inner thighs etc? Does anyone or has anyone done any serious research on Iodine? I try to eat as well as I can, was doing Weight Watchers and gained weight do ya hear me? I am questioning my idodine intake or lack of....Presently take mulit vit with 150mcg. Considering uping it and dc ing my synthroid...cuz docs have been useless....eat less, (how much more less?) exercise more...I swim so much I look like a freaking prune....Any comments?

I was on synthroid for 10 years after getting treated with Radio Active Iodine. As the years went by my period was all all over the place. They were heavy the first three days and lasted 9 days or more days. I spotted all the way through the month. Other times I was so late that I thought I was pregnant. I had PMS two weeks before I started and was irritable. I had low grade depression. I had anxiety and heart palpitations. My skin was dry and rough. I went to the doctor and had my blood test. He checked for TSH and T4 and T3 levels. He insisted they were normal and that something else is wrong wth me (he wanted to give me sleeping pills, anxiety pills, depression pills) and that it had nothing to do with my thyroid. He sent me to an endo to get a second opinion and he said my levels were normal too. I ended up going to a holistic doctor (paid over 1000 dollars for two visits plus meds) that checked under my feet (yellow) and my reflexes. She checked my reverse T3 and my free T3 and T4. It turns out that my body was not converting T4 to T3 the way they said synthroid (T4 only med) should. My diagnosis was hypothyroid. I was put on Armour and felt the difference in my skin. It was softer and moist! My teeth felt strong compared to before I felt like my teeth were getting loose. My stamina last longer and can run on the treadmil 45 min at six miles per hour. I am less nervous and my low grade depression seems to be lifting. My days are brighter and less anxious. My hair is falling less. I know I have a long way to recovery because my Adrenal glands need some healing and I am still being optimized. I might still need to be raised on the dose that I am in. I will never go back to synthroid! My period has improved drastically as soon as I started on Armour! I am down to 4 days of period and less heavy. I still spot on day 5 and 7 but it is nothing compared to what I went through when I was on synthroid (T4 med only). My gynecologist wanted to burn my uterus to control the menstrual flow. He said that he could also pull it out. It seems like main stream doctors are more interested in treating the symptoms than looking to see what is the problem that is causing the symptoms.

I had my thyroid removed 16 months ago. I had nodules and biopsies, but the biopsies couldn't tell if the nodules were cancerous or not---so I had the whole thyroid removed at my doctor's advice. I have been taking Synthroid and increasing the dosage---now up to 200---and I have gained 37 pounds!! I can't stand myself any more, none of my clothes fit,and I am so unhappy. I had gastric bypass surgery 9 years ago and lost 123 lbs. I had gained 20 lbs, but was stable for 7 years. Then I had the tyroidectomy and -boom- I'm fat again. I am really panicked. I don't want to gain all my weight back. It seems like I get fatter every day. My endo doesn't take me seriously, he says my thryoid is at the right level. I don't know what to do!!!!

I am a female and was diagnosed with Hashimoto's three years ago (looking at old childhood photos I've probably had this all my life) and have taken Levoxyl and Synthroid in escalating doses over time. Initially 25mcg for about a year and that was the endo plan until bloodwork indicated a need for more. I quit taking it after a year as it seemed I was gaining weight. After a few months went to a different endo and he started the treatment again with 25 (I weighed 160 at the time) and now has worked it to 100mcg (I now weigh 178!!!). I thought that with the higher dose I would have more of a weight loss effect (definitely not weight gain) and thought I'd have more energy, better brain function and happier outlook. I am experiencing the complete opposite. The last time I visited the endo and he looked at my weight gain he just said to "stop it". I work out almost every day for 45 minutes to 2 hours, have a job that at times requires arduous work, I eat a very healthy diet full of fiber, low in fat, low in carbs. I'm always hungry and feel like eating to make up for a lack of energy. I come home from work exhausted. This isn't living. I've had it with the Synthroid and any form of T-4 alone. I'm going to see a natural healthcare professional to try Armour because none of the medical doctors I've seen will prescribe it or synthetic T-3.

I've been on synthroid now for about a year. My dosage is VERY little (0.075). My doctor keeps running blood tests every 3 months and assures me I am within the "lower-end" of the norm, but I still feel tired, sleep deprived, wake up with night-sweats and I keep gaining weight...

I am only 24 and have just been told that I need to take this medication for the rest of my life, it\s pretty depressing. I keep asking if there are other ways to lose weight and feel more energized. He tells me that I need to keep taking this medication and has put me on a "sleep hygeine" routine where I go to bed and wake up at the same time every day.

Does this "disease" mean I will always be overweight and tired for the rest of my life? I would like to know if someone else with more experience with this medication can give any sort of advice? Feeling a little hopeless about it and not really interested in complaining to my doctor anymore.

Thanks:)

I have just been switched to Synthroid (by my Endocrinologist) after being on Armour for 4 years. I have to tell all you out there that think "Armour" is the save all drug..and believe me I am not an advocate of Synthroid either because I have not been on it long enough to know what possible side effects I might have..however when I first started on Armour I felt like I did before I had been diagnosed with Hypothyroidism ..then about 1 yr ago I started to gain rate rapidly like 40lbs in 6 months feeling sluggish, off and on skin problems, puffy hands, face, feet,hives, pimples in the back of my head almost hive like,some hair loss that is noticeable to me as I have had very thick curly hair all my life now it is getting noticeably thin and It is making me very nervous...My Endo put me on .75 mcg Synthroid and .5mcg Cytomel which she calls a "controlled Armour"..Armour does not stay consistent with your T4's and T3 levels and that is what cause my thyroid to become suppressed and these are the symptoms I was experiencing...she also put me on Spironolactone which is a mild diuretic to lose the puffiness in my face,hands,and feet and so far so good...Like I stated earlier, I am not an advocate of Synthroid or Armour our any drug for that matter, I just want to find what is right for me and stick with it..and if Synthroid doesn't work for me, then I will try something else...Just remember one very important thing.."You" are the only one who knows how you feel and Dr's are not God they can't fix everyone that is why its very important to read about your disease and find out what things might work for you..I suggest getting this book I bought that was recommended to me by my Endocrinologist called "Screaming to be Heard" Hormone connections women suspect and doctors still ignore written by Elizabeth Lee Vliet, MD...its a fabulous book and I am sure all you women can relate to this book...its all about us....Most important thing is to stay healthy eat a well balance diet and exercise..also find out about the foods that only worsen thyroid problems...

Hello To All,

I too am on this med, I have been on it for 1 year as of July 2008-

35 pounds, brain fog, headaches, eye sight for reading, chest pain and fluttering heart beat. My doctor who is my friend has told me that he will up my dose... "Dear God" any more and I will go nuts. Does anyone know of any study done in a medical journal that theu could forward to me so I can show my doctor.

Please email me at ****** I would be so very thankful.

Thanks to all and be healthy.

I had a thyroidectomy on 4/16/08 and started on the generic synthroid right after that. The reason for the surgery was nodules and pre-cancer cells( I have had breast cancer and mastectomy 12/06. Since starting it, I have had swelling all over my body and was wondering if it could cause it. Since reading all these blogs, I see it is probably the cause. I am taking 75 mg and was wondering if maybe it's to high a dose.(?) I don't go to my Endo for a month but was planning on calling him tomorrow to see if I can half the dose until I see him-Is that a good idea or should I increase it? I'd appreciate all replies. Theresa

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.

My thyroid troubles started in 1993. I am not sure how long before the discovery I had the problem. Mine started as a nodule on one side. I was immediately put on Synthroid and had to go see the Endo every 6 months for a biopsy. In 1995 I became pregnant. I had one more biopsy until after the birth of my daughter. The Endo told me he wanted to see me right away after she was born to do another biopsy. I had my suspisions, but didn't think anyhing until after she was born and went for my biopsy. Well, I had cancer. I went through the whole thyroidectomy, the 3 days isolation with radio-iodine, and every year to every few years after I had to go back and get the radio-iodine treatment, while not the high dose as the first time, it went with the complete body scan. In fact, I am due now, but don't have health insurance. My dose has been switched a lot, I have probably been on every dose from the lowest up to .200mcg, which has been the highest for myself.

Symptoms: pre-thyroid disease, I am 5'2. I was always 110-115 lbs, I was 22 yrs old and 120 lbs. when I married in 1993. I did notice gradual weight gain, probably because of my thyroid problems. I am sad to say that now I am around 180 lbs. I cannot seem to lose the weight unless I go on a total starvation diet. I managed to lose 10-15 lbs over the past summer, but unfortunately for me it has come back over the winter. I tried to stay as active as possible by going to stores and malls to walk around. I do for a fact notice that when my dosage for Synthroid goes higher, so does my weight gain. I was on .137mcg over the summer, and I think that was a good dose for me, that was through the regular dr. The Endo is the one who put me back up to .150mcg. My Endo told me the thyroid is a regenerative organ, so it CAN grow back. I guess they don't want that in case of cancer again, and I guess that is why he keeps me on higher doses.

I personally cannot stand it. I feel it is a horrible curse. I feel very robbed of my previous active life. I have been dealing with this now for 12 years not having a thyroid and being on this medication. I feel angry that I do not have the energy to do things with my 12 yr old and 3 yr old. I miss the way I was before having thyroid disease. I feel very sad when they come up to me asking to do certain things and they (nor anyone else I know for that fact) can understand that I just feel so whooped, and no energy. All I ever seem to want to do is take a nap. I have migraine headaches constantly, I am constantly tired. I cannot concentrate, I have some memory loss. My ex-husband, and my current husband too for that fact think I am just being lazy. Well, that is not so. There are moments when I do feel a burst of energy, but then, I have to use that burst to do the things I need to do around the house.

Pre thyroid disease I was always active, never tired, could do anything. After: TIRED, I was 24 in 1996 and felt like an old lady, dry skin, no matter how much lotion I put on. The tub is full of hair, while it doesn't come out in clumps and I still have thick hair, I have hair all over the place. Irritable, mood swings, happy to angry and the snap of a finger. I can have insomnia some nights, constipation, lots of the same stuff others have listed on this forum. Those side affects are the same no matter what dose I am on. And like I said the higher the dose for me, the more weight I pack on. It is instantanious. Over Christmas, and no, it wasn't from eating all the goodies, I gained a lot of the weight I had lost over summer back, and that was because a few weeks before, the Endo had put me on the .150 mcg.

I have been on synthroid for about 6 months now. Some of the side effects I have been experiencing are numerous.I have hair loss, sometimes I get so ill that no one can stand to be around me, my weight has gone up about 30 pounds, my cholesterol levels went sky high so now I'm taking Crestor, I'm bloated most times, I have episodes where my face flushes and gets so red that it feels like its on fire, and now I've just started experiencing burning and aching of the legs, I'm tired a lot too! My doctor said I would lose the weight but every time I go for check ups and get on the scale it just keeps going up. I would like to know if anyone else out there is experiencing the burning and achy legs because I have been tested for everything and they can't find out what is going on. They of course say it's not the medication.It seems to never be. Does anyone feel me??

I have been on synthroid for about 3 yrs. I am considered subclinical (can't find hypothyroidism with blood test- normal range).
Grant it, the medicine took away the almost angina pain and loss of breath. However, my body seems to have deteriated structurally. I have tremendous lower back pain, that worsened. I have been in pain every day since. I starve, (veggies - then dinner). It's been very, very difficult. Always looking for help.I'm hoping that a natural hormone will change this, I know my husband will be glad; he won't have to hear me cry anymore.

I must say that I HATE this medicine. I have been on it for about 30 years. Constantly like playing a game. Too much then too little. It is driving me crazy. I swear that I have tremors from it. I also have gain lots of weight and my hair falls out everyday. Surprised I am not bald yet. I use to be able to go to the gym for 5-6 days a week and now it is soooo hard to get out of bed in the morning.

I truly wish that there was something that I could do. I have had one side of my thyroid taken out and now have to go and get a ultra sound of the other side. Still cant figure out why the doctor took one side and not the other when the other side had nodules too.

I am so tired of it and just don't know what to do.

I do know that I will be definitely speaking with my endo and even if my levels are okay she has to do something to help me.

Hello, I had a TT two weeks ago. I had hyperthyroidism. I was diagnosed three years ago after ending up in the hospital because I had a thyroid storm. I started taking synthroid the day after my surgery. I feel like a nut job! I don't know if it is because of the medication or because of the TT. Could it be a combination of both. I don't remember my numbers but I know that I was in a hyper state when I went in for surgery. Since I have been home...I can not fall asleep without meds, can not stay asleep, my day starts around 4:30 AM, have night sweats (big time) and chills (although, that symptom seems to be improving), I have been so irritable that I can't stand myself, my husband and kids are ready to kill me. I know that my behavior is totally unreasonable but I can not seem to control myself. I feel crazy! I see my Endo next week, I just hope that I can make it until then. I feel like I need to pack my bags and head to a hotel and spare my family from me! Please someone tell me that this will get better.

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.

Had total thyroidectomy 9 months ago and started taking Synthroid immediately thereafter. For the last 4 months I have noticed significant hair thinning. I have always had very thick, healthly looking hair but now it's just dry and brittle all of the time. I always feel tired and bloated around my stomach area in particular. I have always been a size 4-6 but have inexplicably gained 6 pounds in the last month. Is there an alternative to snythroid without these side effects?

I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism in April of this year (2007) kind of by accident through a routine checkup. I had gained a bit of weight over the past two years, but that was really my only symptom. I was begun on 75 mcg of a generic brand of Synthroid, levothyroxine. Since I began this medication, I have rapidly gained another 15 pounds despite a 1,000 calorie per day diet. I retain fluid horribly. My ankles, wrists, hands and face swell daily. My muscles ache, especially my legs, upon walking across a room. I'm fatigued, short of breath. My LDL cholesterol level has skyrocketed in only three months and now I'm being told I need to be on a statin drug. I cry frequently and feel uncharacteristically anxious and irritable, but this could be due to the frustration I am experiencing with the loss of my sense of well-being. In essence, I felt much better before being placed on the medication. I may, in fact, discontinue the medication totally and see if over time I begin to feel better. Like so many other stories I'm hearing, my doctor seems totally unconcerned.

I have been between 110 - 115 lbs most of my adult life. I tried everything to gain weight, but it didn't work. I was diagnosed with Graves Disease when I was pregnant with my son. I took PTU for the duration of the pregnancy. I was symptom free for about 4 years. About two years ago, I started to experience symptoms related to Graves Disease. I saw an Endo doctor who told me that I have a non-cancerous goiter that needed to be removed. I have thyroid surgery 8 months ago. I started taking Synthroid shortly thereafter. I have been trying to explain my symptoms of Hair Lost, Dry skin and nails, Insomnia, weight lost, lost of appetite, and leg cramps to someone for 6 months. Nobody listens. They just discount my symptoms. Today I decided to do some research to find out if I was alone. I AM NOT ALONE. I've been taking Synthroid for 8 months. My hair is so thin that you can see my scalp. Combing my hair makes me upset because I have chunks of hair in the comb. I too called my doctor and he replied,"I can't believe that your symptoms are related to your synthroid use." Reading these articles helped to prepare me for his responses. I insisted that I didn't want to take Synthroid anymore. He ordered blood work and advised that I have to continue taking this medication. I don't want to feel this way for the rest of my life. I have a 6 years old son who is full of life. I don't have the energy to keep up sometimes. I felt better before my Thyroid Surgery. (34 years old Woman, post Thyroid Surgery for an Enlarged Goiter and Hyperthyroidism). Where is the support????

I have been on Synthroid for about 10 years. I've been taking dosages between 5 mcg's to my current 137 mcg's. I had my thyroid removed 3.5 years ago, due to an enlargement. Fortuantely, it was not cancerous.The side effects I have noticed have included weight gain, depression, anxiety, dry skin, and lethargy. None of these have been extreme, and my thyroid panals (TSH, Free T4, and T3) all come back within normal range when checked.Because I was at the low end of 'normal' my Endo increased my doasge from 112mcg to 125mcg to my current 137mcg. It's stopped my weight gain, and since i've been working out regularly for years, the weight is finally starting to come off.

PLease be careful. I have been on a suppression therapy dose of synthroid for over 8 yrs. I had thyroid cancer and my endocrinologist said I needed to keep my tsh between .3-5.6. For the last yr I have been feeling awful. My heart rate was arnd 145, I had shortness of breath, muscle aches, hair falling out, could barely eat but I gained about 30 lbs because I was swelling up from edima. I had almost every symptom of being hyperthyroid. My endo said I ran on high test!! I thought I was going crazy. I was on 2mcgs of synthroid. My tsh level became .009 and then became non-exsistent(.oooo) I now have dialated cardiomyopathy, and congestive heart failure.
So if you are not on the correct dose you can have very serious side effects. Make sure your levels are checked on a regular basis. If you are not feeling right make sure someone , like a dr listens to you and hears your symptoms. I had repeated ly told my dr how I was feeling and he said I needed to be suppressed. to prevent cancer returning, well after almost dying from heart failure how suppressed should someone be????? Now My entire live is suppressed....