Synthroid and t3

I've had numerous side effects from Synthroid, but the ones that finally scared me off the drug were the thoughts of death, dying and suicide.

These thoughts came as casually as thoughts of what I'll wear tomorrow, which was more frightening. They also came unbidden. First, I was thinking about death generally. About a month later, I began thinking about dying, and the whole process of dying. Then, when I started thinking about just walking in front of a train, I got on the Internet and did some research.

Synthroid was the only medication I take daily, so I stopped taking it at once. And about a week later, the thoughts of death, dying and suicide stopped. My doctor refuses to prescribe natural thyroid, so I'm out of luck until I find a doctor who will help me.

Hi I have been on syn for about 5 years now and it's made my life a living hell. I had so much hair shed it was insane. I finally saw a hormone therapist and she put me on synthetic t3s it worked ok but I started breaking out and I was still very tired and hair was still shedding. So now I'm going to finally go on armour and pray this is the final and last med that will help me and my hair. Can I switch from syn straight to armour right away?? Or do I have to let the syn get out of my system. Do you know why the synthetic T3's didn't work?? Please email me at ******

Also wanted to add that those on syn have to take iodine too

I have only been on Synthroid for 2 months, but my appetite is out of control. I read that gaining weight might be a side effect of Synthroid. You would think that you would lose weight with it since it makes your thyroid run more efficiently. My TSH is 4.3, still normal, so I don't guess I really need it yet. I am going off of it and going to the health food store and take Thyroid support.

I have been on synthyroid for at least 7 years, and I still constantly battle fatigue and mood swings. All the doctors thought it was in my head and the last one suggested anti-depressants which I wouldn't go for. I feel depressed because I wake up tired almost every day or at least after 2 hours of being awake I can still just lie down and sleep! It's awful when just the thought of having to walk a block takes huge effort. I used to go to the gym every day but now it takes so much effort to do the smallest thing. I finally have a new doctor who has started to additionally give me Liothyronine (T3) which has given me new hope. I seem to feel better. We are still tweaking the dosage, first it was too low, now too high, but I am hopeful with the right "combo" we can get it right, if not I am considering going to a homeopathic doctor or just going off the stuff entirely, except I am not sure whether that will be worse.....If anyone has any advice or comments, please reply!!!!

Hello, I have been on synthroid since 1999. I am hypothyroid with hashimotos. Endr. docs couldn't seem to get any levels right so I went to my Intergretted doctor . and he put me on 1/4 grain armour so I took anywhere from 50mcg to 100mcg of synthroid in the AM and 1 armour at night. It worked but after a short while I felt terrible. Then I had to start taking high blood pressure presc., it was about 170/116 after I had some shots in my back for pain, never had hp. before these shots. In Sept. of this year I stopped the Topralxl because I felt my heart was pounding out of my chest which I was in hospital for they said I was having a heart attack, had anigram, but I didn't have a heart attack and and angigram came out good. Then this summer they put me on 2 Topralxl. My heart was pounding with 4 extra beats so with a ultra sound{echo]of my heart and 24 hour halter it was all good, so I figured it had to be something I am taking. So that lead up to the stop of Topralxl which I researched and took a few things from Health Food store and got my pressure down to 140/80. My heart quit racing and beating so hard, but still felt depressed, puffed up, confused, teeth felt loose, urinated a lot, gained weight, rashy on my neck, tired all day, did not sleep good, eyes were always red and watery, skin and hair dry, blemishes on my face{ I am'56 yrs. old] just didn't feel good and the list goes on. Came across this site and read them all. Realized so much from you all. Sythroid only has T4 which your cells should be able to covert T3 out of that. T4 stores in your body and T3 is used up as the day goes on. But some peoples bodies don't convert the T3. Several people have talked about TSH which is your thyroid stimulating hormone which comes from your Pituitary Gland. When you thyroid or your meds. don't give you enough thyroid of what you need the Pituitary kicks in there to tell your thyroid gland to to produce more. It's not good for your TSH to be high so Docs. put you on a higher dose of Sythroid or whatever you take for the pituitary to stop producing TSH. So I want to say I am not a doc. but have felt so terrible and researching what I could I quit my Synthroid on the 29 of Dec. and started taking my armour thyroid 1 AM, 1 late afternoon and 1 PM on my own cause I figured I am still getting my T4 and T3. I went to my Endr. Doc. yesterday and told him I went off my Synthroid and just taking Armour. and told him I felt so terrible, after stopping the Topral heart felt great but the rest of me felt drugged, I just felt desperate and horrible. So again it had to be something I was taking. Well I have to say that I feel 100% better than I was. I am much more alert with my surroundings and whatever i am doing, sleep so good, teeth feel good, no rash, urinate normal, not confused, face cleared up, eyes not red or watery, pretty much I already feel normal again. Working at my job is not exhausting, my neck, which I didn't mention before quit hurting. In a whole it was the right thing for me but maybe not for everyone. I just felt that it was slowing taking me out. Blood Pressure, Thyroid issues are to be concerned about but seems like a person should feel better not worse with the meds. So this is the information I have learned and I'm sure there is much more. So good luck to you all and listen to your body and talk to your doc.about how you feel. It can be very scary when you are diagnosed with something but we are all different in what our body needs and our side effects.

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?

Why is it OK with the DR. if synthroid makes us gain weight?!!! I've been hyperthroid before and lost weight...why does the med make us GAIN weight...I've tried EVERYTHING....We must demand they do more research..something just isn't right..but what do they care as long as our blood work LOOKS right! We should have the same rights to meds that work as the rest of the population.

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.

I have had Hashi now since 2000, i got it when I was still in high school. They though that was rare that this would occur at such a young age. No one in my family had it, well not quite yet. I was the first to get diagnosed. My gyn mentioned that there is a link between autoimmune and preeclampsia. I had a terrible preg. I take synthroid now well the generic. And I do not feel much better at all. But people who use Armour should be careful. My endocrinologist strongly disapproved to this. It is Pig tyroid. This is from a site "The prevailing opinion is that everyone converts all the T4 needed into T3 automatically, and that drugs such as Armour and Thyrolar are outdated and old-fashioned at best." Also does not mention much on Hasimoto patients like myself. I would like to try it though to feel better. The side effects are higher as well. Esp long term.
Unfortantly, what works for one, does not always work for another person. So though some have problems with there synthroid others do not. Also it takes a while for you to notice a difference with this. IF you take it regularly at the same time and follow instructions on eating as well as not take it with vitC then you should be experiencing something. If not then you really need to get a new endocrinologist. Regular doctors are not made to deal with these issues, though they try, you need to see a specialist. Just remember that you know how you feel and if Synthroid is not working for out then change.

I have been on Synthroid for about 15 years for hypothyroidism. A few months after starting on it, I became sluggish with just no energy and my once thick hair was getting thinner and thinner. I told my doctor but she shrugged it off saying it was just my age (which at the time I was 45). She being the doctor, I assumed she was right. But awhile ago I started doing research and found in The New England Journal of Medicine that they were finding that Synthroid caused hair loss "in some people". It suggested using a thyroid hormone that used both T3 and T4 rather than the single one that Synthroid is. I went back to the doctor and she put me on Armour Thyroid. I have been on it now for 3 months, and my energy levels are way up, no longer sleeping my life away. My hair has not started growing back in yet, maybe it never will after all this time, but just feeling better is such a plus! (Of course I would feel a LOT better if my hair would thicken up again).

Through relentless pursuits in trying to stop my hairloss, tiredness, inability to lose weight and increase metabolism, my doctor agreed to allow me for 6 months to take a natural T3 supplement from a local apothecary. I FELT GREAT. The hair loss and tiredness stopped. However my body temperature still was low. 6 months later I agreed to a blood test and the "numbers" revealed I was out balance. Mr Dr. would not OK another Rx for the T3 supplement. Now that a few months have passed, again the hair loss and tiredness is returning. I am going to transfer to a Dr. who supports the T3 supplement. Did you know that there is no T3 in synthroid. However Armour has both T3 and T4.
There is a syndrome called Wilson's Temperature Syndrome. Search it out. A small group of endocrinologists are treating the body temperature (symptoms) rather than the numbers.

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 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 was taking sythroid for enlarge thyroid. I begin to feel irritable, and experinced extreme hair loss. I'm drinking tahitian Noni juice and it has been great for me. My doctor can't believe how my tsh and t3 levels has changed for the better.

Those of you that are feeling terrible side effects with synthroid, check out (with you doctor of course) adding T3 (cytomel) to your medications. Synthroid is T4 which some doctors claim that's all you need but often that is not the case. With sythroid alone I get very sick.

I have been taking synthroid for 10 years and for 9 of those years everytime I get a dosage the doctor thinks will get my readings to a safe level, I begin to have heart palpitations to an extent that I pass out. At first I was rushed to hospital several times from passing out in public places. I also have leg cramps, coroited artery aches and the inevitable weight gains. Finally my doctor sent me to an Endro this week and he claims he has never heard of side effects and tells me to increase me dosage slowly. My readings are suppose to be between 4 and 5 and they are 26! He treated me like I was a hysteric and told me not to breath so hard when I am having palpitations. Someone mentions a balance between T3 and T4 can someone explain. I am so happy to know there are others like me out there. Sally

I've taken Synthroid since 1969. The only time I had side affects was when the drug was reformulated (without my knowledge) and the dosage I was taking became Toxic to my liver. My hair started falling out, my leg muscles became enflamed and I didn't feel well.

Most of the symptoms I've read here indicate incorrect dosages. Today's doctors treat lab tests more than patients' symptoms and the lab tests most doctors use don't reveal whether T4 properly converts to T3. Typically, they run a TSH and if you're lucky, they might throw in a T4. There are many other drugs on the market that block T4-T3 conversion (i.e. birth control and anti depressentants type medications are two of the big ones) as well as other environmental factors. Clinical studies have proven that soy protein blocks thyroid hormone production/obsorption at the cellular level. It's hard to find food products today that aren't loaded with soy. Don't take my word for it though. Research for yourselves. Hair loss can be caused by too much, too little or Synthroid not actually working at all due to other factors.

Good Luck! At least everyone here was diagnosed as having a problem. There are millions out there that go undiagnosed who are suffering from much worse symptoms than us.

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.