Synthroid and medication

I have been on Synthroid since 1983--varying dosages. Side effects have included: weight gain, heart palpitations,adrenalin misfires, extreme reaction to heat (sun burns) and body feels hot all the time, fingers go numb in cold weather. Just recently have not been able to regulate dosage--fluctuating between hyper/hypo. I would like to try a new medication with few side effects. Anyone had any luck finding a different med that works?

I have been on synthroid since 1982 after RAI to treat Graves. I had 1 child since then and was early 20's but around 30's started having weight gain and fatigue etc. I stopped the meds in 1992 on my own for several months then dr was very scolding and said never do that again. Ever since I went back on I have been gradually worse and worse. Went from 105 in 1982 to 192lbs now. I feel so helpless and lack of care from doctors in trwating me. 1996 had hysterectomy and both ovaries removed which has caused even greater imbalance of the estrogen and thyroid. I pray that I can find a cure that does not require medication like synthroid. Tried Armour in 2005 but did not get better. Lost a little weight but now I found it again and more. The only doctors in MN that I believe can help do not take insurance and I am single parent of 2 children and cannot afford to pay out of pocket expenses. I have already spent close to $1000 to the naturopaths but they sold me way too many supplements, I cannot even take all them its too much plus they both said lose weight. I have no energy or mind skills to implement a structured diet and exercise plan. Anyone know a doctor in twin cities, MN that takes insurance Preferred one that can help me with bio-hormones? Tmaya

Ive been on synthroid since Saturday august 23rd and I noticed Im more nervous like I want to climb the walls and im sweating profusly. I have lost over 100 lbs since February and I had blood work done on tues august 19th and the doctor put me on 25 mg. Im suppose to go back in 6 weeks and get my level checked again but Im going to call the doctors office tomorrow and tell them what is happening. If this is what is going to happen Im not staying on it. Im only 42 and I am battling deg.disc disease which hurts enough and sciatia.

I had always been 160 lbs since 8th grade, which was a fine weight for me bacause I'm tall and muscular. When I was 25 I gained 20 lbs over 3 months with no change in diet or activity. So I went to the doctor because hypothyroidism is very prevelent in my family. The blood work showed I was borderline hypothyroid, so the dr didn't suggest starting any medication. So I started working out 4-5 times a week for at least 1-1 1/2 hours per day. I also got on phentermine to help jump start my diet. After doing this for 2 months, I had gained 5 lbs. Which is crazy because anytime I needed to lose weight, I had no problem dropping 10 lbs in 2 weeks. I was frustrated but ignored it for a while because I got pregnant shortly after that. During the pregnancy, my throid was checked again and was normal. I weighed 248 lbs the day I went in to give birth. 2 weeks later, I weighed 210lbs and a month after that I was 200lbs. Then I went back to work,(where I walk continuously all day) and I could not budge my weight below 200 lbs no matter what I did. So I went back to the dr and I was slightly hypothyroid again. I opted to go on generic Synthroid 25mcg. I then gained 37 lbs over 4-5 months. So I went to another dr. to get on phentermine. I started the phentermine and lost about 27 lbs. I have been off phentermine for a while, but have been working out vigorously working out and watching my diet and couldn't lose another pound. So, I thought the synthroid might be making it harder to lose weight. I stopped taking it and have lost about 10lbs in the last month. I think there is definitely a connection in synthroid and my inability to lose weight. But I still can't get below 200lbs and I still feel sluggish. I am only 28 and don't think I should attribute this to age. I can understand age causing weight gain of 5-10 lbs per year but not 155lbs in May '05 to 183lbs in Nov '05 then to 200lbs in Jul '07. Please give me any suggestions you might have. Diet, medication, activities???

Welcome to my hell!

If I could choose to have my thyroid back, I take it and take my chances with the cancer. Well lets see... I take .300mcg of Synthroid and generally feel good only when I forget to take my medication for a couple of days. After about 3 days, I start feeling tired and will eventually start crashing for 10 to 12 hours at a time. OH! Ive heard that it takes weeks to level out, but I can feel the difference in about 3 days. Of course, the doctor says that's not possible, but then - he is holding my thyroid hostage.

I have gained 30 lbs. Have headaches frequently, get moody, AND now I get bloated when I eat. Im ready to try the Armour thing that Ive read about. Cytomel makes my heart race.

Im pretty sure that smoking helps! I read that it lowers your TSH levels.

Im just tired of feeling like sh_t all the time.

Hi,
I am 50 years old. I was diagnosed with as hypo at age 39. My doctor prescribed Synthroid at 25mcg and I have (proudly-ha!) worked my way up to 125mcg. I was always one of the "lucky ones" who could eat any and everything and my weight stayed the same. I am a busy mom of two and a first grade teacher, so the 33 lbs. I have gained since age 39 has not been due to diet changes or sitting around with a bag of chips in front of a TV all day. I also questioned my doctor about this and he just brushed it off. Well, I am tired of not feeling good about myself. My life is in good order except for my weight. I want someone to take this seriously. Should I see a specialist rather than my regular internist?
Wow! I think I just lost a little weight telling you great people about this!
jf

I been on Synthroid now for 10 years. Almost right after I started the medication i started to have headaches. I had / have headaches every single day , all day long. Before the Syntthroid i NEVER had headaches, EVER. It has been 10 years and i still complain. I have spent so much money and wasted time on exams and doctors. All the doctors tell me is that i am stressed or its sinus or something else . Which i don't think i am . I have CT scans a few times. I am not crazy, i know what i am saying. Doctors don't listen. I looked on online and saw that headaches are a side effect. I went back to my doctor and explained. The doctor(s) insist that the Synthroid is not a cause of my headaches. With headaches every single day a person can not function normally.

I ran across this website and in a way i felt better knowing that this symptom is real and other people are experiencing the same thing. On the other hand it upset me that all these people are complaining and no one is listening.

Is there no solution?

I was diagnosed with graves disease last year, I had a really acute case that turned me into a total nut job.
In October after going through several thyroid storms and the doctors not being able to keep me stable with medications, I had a full thyroidectomy in October.
I started on .100 mcg of levothyroxine and then the dosage was gradually decreased, I started having a lot of random body aches, mood swings, lots of muscular pains and no energy.
They ended up raising my dosage and detected that I had a large vitamin D deficiency, after several treatments of taking 50,000 units of vitamin D, and also adding my levothyroxine dosage I started feeling better. I still have mood swings here and there, and feel sad periodically, but the last month or so I've been feeling more fine than I have in a long time. They have me on .170 mcg of levothyroxine for two months now. Last week I started getting headaches more frequently, and one of the times I got this nose bleed.
This past weekend I got a headache, and then later that night I had another nose bleed.
I don't usually get nose bleeds or this many headaches so I'm a little concerned.
Also the last time I was getting headaches and constant nosebleeds was when I was really hyperthyroid.
As far as the doctors go, I'm in between insurances and quite honestly I've been frustrated with both my pcp and endocrinologist...

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 Hashi's and have been on Synthroid for about 2 years. I was recently on 75 mcg and was teetering on the brink of being hypo again so my doctor increased my dosage to 88 mcg last week. Ever since I have been on the new dosage, I have had the worst insomnia. I wake up covered in sweat (in air conditioning) and I feel caffeinated all the time ( I don't consume caffeine). I feel strung out! Is my body just getting used to the new dosage or am I being over medicated? I don't want to complain yet to my doctor if this is just my body getting used to the new dosage but this really is terrible.

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.

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 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

I've been on Synthroid for 8 months after gaining 10 pounds in two months. The symptoms started to appear when my Mom was very ill. Doctor said it was caused by stress and started me on 25 mcg of Synthroid. My reading at that time was 5.56. I had blood work done every 4 weeks,and the numbers are going down (1.8 last reading), but so is the quantity of my hair, which I see all over my white tile. My weight hasn't budged even though I am dieting. My doctor upped me to 100 mcgs. My blood work is not good - low white count, low lymphocytes, borderline anemic. Mom died, and I didn't get any better. I feel sick all the time and it's difficult for my husband to understand how bad I feel. I've tried to get my doctor to prescrive Armour, but he doesn't even return my phone calls. When I see him in the office, he keeps telling me it takes time. I hate living this way and want to stop the pills completely.

I was diagnoed back in november with Hashimoto Disease and had a complete thyroidectomy in December. I have been switched three times since Dec. 07 (only April 6 '08) to different doses of Synthroid. I still experienced weight gain and cannot lose weight, irritability, depression, hair loss, exhaustion... I decided last month to stop taking it all together and was wondering what effects this may have on me. Any clues as to the effects of NOT taking the medication after having a my thyroid completly removed?? I feel the same (depressed, irritable, still losing hair, exhausted...) but am sure this is probably not a good thing to not take any medication when I don't have a thyroid anymore.

I'd like to say that I think the Old version of Synthroid that existed
before 1982-83 was MUCH better than what is produced today,
I'd done quite well on Old Synthroid from 1975 to 1982 after
RAI treatment for a bad case of Grave's disease when I was
eleven years old....but when Synthroid was changed to be
more "cost-effective" for its manufacturer, my life was basically
destroyed--and I haven't recovered since then, despite trying many
different doses of various thyroid drugs.

Symptoms I've gotten since Synthroid changed in '82 include:
Severe breathing trouble that really limits what I can do every
single day; extremely dry skin in certain places--like legs and
feet; much poorer memory and thinking ability; much drier hair
and too much hair falling out; tendency to get chest pains whether
dose is too low, too high, or "normal," have had a lot of trouble with
blood pressure at times; getting red in face; too much weight gain
for what I eat; lymphedema (much swelling in legs and feet),
inability to sleep well; always feel congested or blocked up;
vision problems like black spots floating before eyes; sensitivity
to light; double or triple vision at times; involuntary eye-twitching
at times. I'm sure I've forgotten some things, too....

A very odd thing about Synthroid since 1982 (and the other drugs
that've copied it, since that time) is that it tends to give me
symptoms of both high and low thyroid trouble at the same
time, while also causing new symptoms that I'd never had in
the first place. Old Synthroid was much more clear-cut for me.
If the dose was too low, I'd have typical low thyroid symptoms
only (too tired, dry skin, etc), and if too high, I'd get only typical
high thyroid symptoms (too nervous, insomnia, racing heart, etc),
Much easier to adjust and work with than today's Synthroid.

At any rate, I was left with little working thyroid gland after my
intitial Grave's treatment, so I am (unfortunately) very dependent
on GOOD thyroid medicine to help me. In my opinion, I haven't
had any good stuff to take since Old Synthroid left the market
in 1982-83. Haven't been well to accomplish much since that
time--feel like I'm getting punished for being a thyroid patient,
which is ridiculous, really--because I know better medicine once
existed, and I want it again!

Have tried many avenues to get someone to produce Old Synthroid
again, but no luck--I'm not rich, famous, or politically connected,
so no one listens to me. But if anyone out there reading this can
help in some way, please feel free to contact me--maybe we can
work together to bring back a better treatment that would help at
least some folks out there who are really suffering. S.D.

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 30+ years. It has steadily been increased throughout the years. Last April 2007 I ran out of medication and was going through a stressful move. I hadn't been on the medication for about 6 weeks. Once I got my new doctor they checked my levels and instead of putting me on the same dosage of .175 they increased it to .2mcg. I gained 10 pounds overnight. I looked like I was pregnant, mood swings, aching joints, insomnia, etc. I went back in 2 weeks to have it rechecked. That was the second problem. It takes 6 weeks for the medicine to level out in your system. So not only did they increase my dosage after telling them I had been off of it for some time they retested my levels too soon. So it was again increased to .225...more weight gain...another test...another increase .25mcg. Now my neck is swollen and I have an enlarged gland, hard to swallow, shortness of breathe, 43 pounds of weight gain, severe anxiety, acid reflux, gerd, on top of the other symptoms mentioned above. In 8 weeks of increments I have been retested and the dosage has gone down and as of last week it was finally decreased to the original amount of .175mcg. It has only been a week but I have lost 2 pounds. Oh Lord please let it keep coming off! My neck isn't as swollen and my 5th doctor who finally could see the light explained that I was having a thyroid storm. It is very important that when your levels are checked you wait 6-8 weeks to let the medication level out in order to get a true reading. He also said that you need to take your meds on an empty stomach...which I knew...sort of. I took my synthroid on an empty stomach but I also took my other vitamins with it which can effect the absorption of the synthroid throughout your body. He also gave me a beta blocker to help with my symptoms until my levels even out. It is called metoprolol succinate (Toprol-XL) 50mg. My gut doctor put me on Paxil as well to help with the acid reflux and gerd which he felt was caused by the anxiety due from the synthroid levels being off. I hope this info helps but it makes sense to me.

I have read a lot of these blogs and I am seeing that many other people have the same side effects. I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism when I was in 6th or 7th grade I think and I am now a high school senior so about 5 years taking Synthroid. the doctors said that my antibodies had completely destroyed my thyroid gland so I wasn't getting any of the hormones I needed which became very noticeable when I started gaining weight and loosing energy in 5th grade. I haven't really seen any weight gain in a while but I still look like I am overweight. I am 5'6 and 130 lbs so I am about average. Side effects that are also occurring are rapid mood changes, one minute I am happy and something sad happens or I think about something and ill be tearing up. I feel depressed a lot. I am currently on 150 mcg. also during 9th and 10th grade I was put on this drug to stop my puberty so that I could grow more while on the Synthroid I guess it helped a little with height but I still look like a freshman. I don't know if I should stop taking it or keep taking it because I stopped for about a month once and started getting really sick, I would get really bad nose bleeds at random, had constant migraines and felt sick to my stomach. I started taking the Synthroid again and felt fine. I really don't know what to do.

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.....

I am only 18 and recently diagnosed with hypothyroidism, after gaining around 12 lbs over 3 months. At first they just put me on a diet, but after some blood work, I was put on Synthroid to even out my hormone levels. I feel mostly depressed, moody, lethargic... REALLY LETHARGIC! and I haven't had my period in 3 months now! it's starting to worry me... I do have cramps, but no period!!

No one really explained me the disease, though. The nurse just gave me the medication and dismissed me. I wasn't aware of the effects of the disease, or the side-effects of the medication. After how long should I expect my period? The doctor just keeps recommending pregnancy tests. It's time for them to take some time, and pay more attention to their patients' needs and concerns!

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.

I stopped taking Synthroid after 4 days due to extreme joint pain (9-10 on a scale of 1-10), confusion and emotional roller coaster that's very unusual for me. Like most others, my doctor and a specialist were of no help. I looked online and found that joint pain can be a symptom of hypersensitivity to inactive ingredients.

I discovered that Levoxyl doesn't have the side effects for me that Synthroid does -- in fact, so far I feel great! I suspect I had a hypersensitivity reaction to an inactive ingredient because those ingredients vary greatly from brand to brand. In fact, I wonder if folks who get better with Armor are simply getting better by getting off Synthroid? Maybe others who may be having trouble with Levoxyl could have better luck with a different brand?

It's such a small thing to try, just changing brands, before going through extremes of changing doctors, taking handfuls of other medicines, or suffering through unreasonable side effects. Has anyone else had that experience that switching brands cleared up their side effect problems?

I started synthroid about 6 months ago and I am unhappy. I complained to my OB about my lack on sex drive. He tested my thryroid and said it was the cause. I have always struggled w/ my weight but had it under control. Since I started a low dose of synthroid, I have gained 4 lbs (I am only 5' tall so this means none of my clothes fit) despite running 30 miles per week and watching my diet. My once thick hair is getting thin and my sex drive is no better. Also, my stomache is often bloated.

I have been taking Levothyroxin (Synthroid generic) for about 5 months. I started on a low dosage and have been taking 75 mcg (which turned out to be the right dosage. I turned 59 years old in July and I had been gaining weight.Nothing startling--a few pounds a years that added up to about 50 pounds over time..I am losing weight now. The side effect I am most concerned about is a an inarticulateness I seem to have developed since I started taking the medication.I can't sepak civilly to my son who also turned 20 in July. I just want to scream at him all the time.

Is this a side effect of Synthroid? I don't think I have been losing my hair, fortunately, but it is dry and brittle...

I have been taking Synthroid for at least 10 years. I am on a very high dosage now175mcg. I have been on a lower dose but my counts were still low so my doctor put my dosage higher. I have been having a tremendous amount of body aches including finger joint aches and right flank problems. I have taken x-rays and various tests to determine what the pain is but I feel that after reading much of the side effects from this web site, much of what I am experiencing is from the Synthroid or Levothyroxin. I now feel that I need to take matters into my own hands and do more natural healing. Many doctors don't connect the dots to determine the real cause of your concerns.

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've been on synthroid since October 1996. My ankles are always swollen. That didn't start til I started the medication. My Endocrinologist keeps telling me that it has nothing to do with the meds. My TSH levels are constantly being taken. He says to cut down on salt. I don't eat much salt and besides, I know people that practically eat whole pigs and they don't have swollen ankles. Has anyone experienced this? Any suggestions, I'm desperate!!!

i've been on synthroid for 9 years. started at some low dose and gradually went up to112 mg. get extreme itching all day everyday if i don't take allegra for that.not a rash just itching. that doesn't bother me as much as the fatique. every joint in my body aches all the time. sure there are better days but fo rthe most part it's bad. tried physical therapy and chiripratic care but no avail. they ended my sessions. my legs get sooo weak and my feet burn lower back really aches. sometimes muscle cramps. i'm very negative towards my loving family and it hurts me to do so. can't seem to keep upbeat. soo tired all the time.
is it the syntroid? i used to be very energenic and a doer. now i have spurts of activity in the morning , but then i just can't get motivated. help me any suggestions?

I have been taking Synthroid since Jan. 2006, am on 100mcg per day and all test results have been 'normal', I have been told to take this medication in the morning an hour before eating anything, if I do this...I have headache all day, I can't eat after an hour because I am so sick at my stomach there's no way. I feel hungry, but feel like if I eat it's coming right back up. Am having serious joint pain in hips, knees, elbows and wrists, my neck hurts really bad as well. I wake up to arms asleep anymore and just feel like I haven't slept in months...am very weak and very tired all of the time.

I have found that if I take my pill at night this gets a little better, but holy cow, don't tell your Dr. your taking it before bed...no, take it of a day. (don't know why this is a major thing?)

Anymore I feel like I am walking around with flu symptoms constantly, and the Synthroid hasn't done anything weight wise with me, because I was so HYPERthyroid before the RAI, I was very thin and looked like a bag of bones, have been waiting and excited about putting on weight...at one point I stopped taking the Synthroid and let myself go HYPO just so I could gain weight, it worked and I got up to about 130 pounds, was very HYPO so they told me critical that I get back on meds...I lost it again because it makes me so sick I can't eat.

NO-ONE can tell me the Synthroid is not the cause of this problem, if I stop taking it I feel WONDERFUL, but my test reults are bad. After a while of course my feet become numb and I end up having some bad hypo symptoms, have tried breaking pills in half....oh Lord no, need it all...

Have been told they are thinking about raising my dosage again anyway, I can't do this, I will break down in the office if they try to raise it. Right now my TSH is fine but my T4 is 'a tad bit' off. I am already an emotional wreck, if they raise my dosage I am going to try and go a different route with this, am on my 3rd Dr. at this point anyway...

I've been taking synthroid for several years due to radiation caused thyroid damage. I appear to be quite sensitive to Synthroid. I get a total rush from a 77 mcg, but have no such effect when taking a 50 plus a 25. I've been told it is due to the dye in the 77. If my doses are too low (50 mcg), then I feel great for a week or two, but become foggy mentally and after a few weeks have sharp pains in the joints and muscles. At higher doses, I become irritable, have shortness of breath (77 mcg) and have burning sensations in the kidney area.

I find that regular exercise (walking 1-2 miles/day) moderates these effects greatly and stabilizes the emotional swings. The amount of medication that I need to balance between these two extremes varies depending on the amount of exercise I get.

Hi everyone
I've been on Levothyroxine since August 2006. Eversince being on them I actually feel worse. I've always weighed 7 and 1/2 stones and I've actually put on half a stone since last August. I watch what I eat and I exercise regularly. Recently I had an increase in my thyroxine to 75mcg and my tummy bloated so badly I looked pregnant. GP has dismissed all this and said he didn't know what it was! I spoke to a rude woman on the phone at British Thyroid Foundation who was extremely rude and unhelpful. She said it wasn't the medication and blamed it on my thyroid! How can it be me when my weight has always been the same? I've never had problems like this before and the more sites I've visited on the net, I've actually found that so many people are unhappy on thyroxine and a lot of them experience bloating and weight gain. so something definately is taking place inside us and the Doctors are ignoring it. Its this medication thats making us worse and we are their guinea pigs and in the years to come they will admit they are in the wrong. There are so many thyroid sufferers and it's all about fobbing us off on cheap stuff. Well all those who don't care about us may it happen to them so they realize how and what we have to go through every single day. I am looking into alternative natural medications and am trying to also change my diet to help. We are stuck cos thyroxine is for life. We are all in the same boat and we have to raise this issue. A good website is thyroiduk.com
The good thing is we are all doing our research into this matter and more we are knowledgeable in this matter the better it is for us. I know Armour works for a lot of people but I can't take Armour.
From an unhappy hypothyroid sufferer.

I HAVE BEEN ON SYNTHROID FOR A FEW YEARS NOW. MY HAIR CONTINUES TO FALL OUT AND ALWAYS CLOGGING THE DRAIN UP. MY HANDS STAY NUMB AND I AM GETTING FATTER THAN I WOULD EVER EXPECTED TO BE. I HAVE GAINED OVER 100+POUNDS. I WANT TO GET THE GOITER REMOVED BUT THE DOCTOR SAYS NOT NOW. MY DOCTOR SAYS I AM GOING TO BE ON THIS MEDICATION FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE. WHY?

SICK OF THE MEDICATION, ANGIE FORM GEORGIA

My thyroid was destroyed in Sept. 1987 by radioactive iodine. What I know now, I wish that I knew back then. I have been hyper most of my life up until this date. Was always able to go into any store buy clothes without trying them own, knowing that they would fit perfectly; lots of energy, raised two boys by myself and even worked on a college degree. Was very active. Had to go in for surgery for my gallbladder; 24 hours later, they didn't know if I was going to live. Put me on the gieger counters to test my thyroid, was so hyper that I broke every piece of equipment in the hospital. After my thyroid was destroyed, I packed on 60 pounds and have not been able to lose it to this day. Am extrememly tired. My whole system is so messed up that I am looking to alternative methods to see if I might get some help there. Told my doctor about my problems with weight, tireness, and bowel problems (which the medication has effected), he looks at me as if I am nuts and don't know what I am talking about.

Now that I am menopausal, the sympthoms have been amplified. I know of several people that have had problems with gaining weight and others that never had any problems with the medication. GO FIG!!!!

i have been on synthroid for about 15 yrs still feel tired at times had my dosage decreased from 125 mcg to 100mcg
due to the fact that i had to much synthroid in my system
i will continue taking the medication,the only problem i have
is the occasioal headache and feeling tired.

Has anyone had a side effect regarding loss of sex drive? I'm just trying to figure out if it's an effect of the synthroid or another medication, and none of the research shows one way or another.
Thanks

I have already entered side effects but I forgot to mention that I am taking a pill with two medications in it one is called levothyroxine and I am also taking 50 mcg of this medication.

I started taking 0.05 mg of Synthroid a few weeks ago because my thyroid test results were on the low side of normal. I get so tired and some weekends spend one whole day in bed. I'm on an antidepressant that usually works really well for me, but I'm wondering if the Synthroid is "overriding" it. Since I started the Synthroid I've lost a few pounds, but I am more tired than ever!!! In fact, I'm permanently tired and haven't been able to get out of bed the last couple of days and called in sick. I also feel like the Synthroid is making me feel depressed. I'm considering stopping this medication on my own.

I'm a 25 year old female and I was diagnosed with Grave's Disease during my pregnancy at the age of 21. The following year I was treated with radioiodine and subsequently was placed on synthroid. Since I have been on the medication (3 years now on varying doses) I have experienced severe to moderate anxiety, alarming hair loss, loss of appetite, piercing headaches, dry skin, fatigue, leg pain (mostly at the joints), dry mouth and eyes, and I feel I react very slowly (thinking and physically). THe most predominant symptoms at the moment are the dry skin which has never gone away, I still notice my hair hasn't stopped falling out at the rate it was when first starting the medication, sleeping isn't very restful, anxiety attacks and tight chest. I have told my doctors both primary and endocrinologist of my symptoms and was basically told to put on lotion (which I do religiously), see a psychiatrist, and buy a better mattress. I could almost make out a question mark hovering over my primary doctor's head as she thought of what could be the source of my afflictions.

When i had my yearly visit with my endo recently, he became agitated by my question asking and basically brushed me off. He told me point blank "There are no side effects with this medication". I asked, "None?" and he insisted, "None." I found out later that week (He's an Associate Professor at a local University) by a research statement I found on his website "Review of Graves' Disease outcomes comparisons, antithyroid drug therapy vs. radioactive iodine treatment". He's funded by the makers of Synthroid. Needless to say, I'm calling around for a new Endocrinologist. In his haste to administer radioiodine, (he said my white blood cell count was very low due to the PTU i was taking for Hyperthyroid, mind you, I had an infection not too long before his findings) he may have miscalculated how much radioiodine I should be given and now I am taking varying doses because he can't seem to get it right. I just found out today that soy bean decreases absorption of levothyroxine sodium. I have been taking my synthroid with soy milk for the past few months, which may account for my thyroid hormonal change. I'm thoroughly disappointed.

Hi... i dont know if it's the synthroid... a few days after i took it, it seemed like i have more energy.... a week after: i felt like throwing up and i did, also had diarahhea. again, i dont know if it's because of this medication. now (almost three or four weeks now)-- my lower back hurts. i have a hard time positioning myself on the bed, and moving.

I've been on sythroid for 2 months and gained 9 pounds despite the fact that I strictly follow a Weight Watcher diet (and have remained on it successfully for 6 years...until 2 months ago) and exercise 5 out of 7 days a week. The doctor said it is not from the medication, but I'm getting off of it anyway, as I'm only on it to reduce the size of a nodule.

stomach cramps, diarrhea, headache and muscle weakness and fever. I have been on this medication for two weeks.

I have been on Synnthroid for 12yrs now. I have not had any side effects directly from the medication. Several people I know have experienced minimal weight loss from first starting it. As for hair loss, my hair loss was from the actual hypothyroidism, not from the medicine.