Newly Diagnosed, Synthroid Side Effects

Hello everyone,

I was diagnosed hypothyroid about 4 weeks ago. I've been on Synthroid 88 for 3 weeks. This last week I've started feeling worse than before I started taking the med.
The first two weeks I started taking it I was feeling better each day. Then this past Monday the fatigue hit me like a brick. I then could not sleep well, nausea, nervousness, dizziness, and really bad migrine headaches. I took the synthroid with food one day and it helped the nausea but still having the other effects.

Well I called the doctor on Thursday and nurse told me that doctor said to stop taking it for four days to see if the nausea will go away and I can get back to sleep. I told her about taking the medicine with food and how I was not really suppose to. She told me to do whatever worked.

This whole weekend I have felt like a zombie. Like I said I feel worse than I did before I took it. So today I did not take it at all. Still feel like crap. Add on that I have Irritable Bowel Syndrome.

I've been going to this doctor for years but I feel like I got the brush off with what he told the nurse. Feel like I need another opinion.

Are these normal side effects of synthroid? or am I not getting enough?

I am so frustrated and feel so bad.

I would appreciate any input.

Thank you
DAny

Hi,

Thanks for the welcome.

I don't know if I have Hashimoto's, actually just learning about it. Pretty sure the blood test did not check for it.

Doctor is my regular family physician. Been going to him for a very long time. I believe I have been sick for over a year. He said I was depressed... but never did a blood test until I mentioned it to his nurse by way of heart doc. I have been to a heart doctor because my heart rate will go high when I first get up every day. Over 100 beats and then comes down slowly. Stress test found nothing wrong with my heart. But heart doc said my resting heart rate seems to be on the high side. From 88 to 96. Blood presssure is low... well to me. From top number being 99-114 to bottom number staying around 60-67.

My TSH was 6.980. T3 & T4 was not checked on the blood test. B-12 was very high at 1,998. Was taking 2,000 mcg of B-12 a day. Family doc told me the amount did not matter because it would be eliminated through my kidneys. After I saw how high it was on the blood test stopped taking the B-12.

Bad cholesterol was slightly high at 112, which from my understanding can be from the hypothyroid.

Dany

I am on Synthyriod 88 which I believe is .088 mcg. The one right below 100 mcg. My mom has taken the 100 mcg for years and never had any side effects like I am having.

So do you think I was put on too high of a does or too low? I am wondering if it was too low and that is the reason my hypo symptoms came back alot worse than before I started taking it? Or is it side effects of the Synthyriod? I've read headache, nausea, and dizziness is side effects.

THank you
Dany

I guess I will just stay off the Synthroid for two more days and call the doctor to see.

I asked this question on justanswer to see what a doctor there would say. One said that 88 mcg is not that much and that I am just not adjusting to the effects of the drug. To try splitting it into and taking it twice a day. Then see how I feel a week later. To take Xanax for sleeping. If not better then take another blood test. Well I already take Xanax. I did did split it into lowering the dosage. I can't go around feeling like a zombie. Dizzy, migraine headaches, and sick at my stomach.

Ugg :( Thank you all for talking to me about this. It does help.

Thanks so much for the great information.

Well I called my doc and requested a super low dose of Synthroid... 25 mcg. I read where someone else started on a low dose and then worked up to 100 mcg to avoid the side effects. I thought it might work for me. Then again I probably can't take it all and will have to request the Armour.

I am on my fifth day of being off of synthroid and just started feeling a little at myself. After I stopped taking it my energy was zero and I was having dizzy spells. My parents don't want me to take the Synthroid at all but I feel like I need to give it another try. Nurse told me if this caused side effects they will try another medicine. She did not say what it was. I will be seeing my doctor in September so I will have to wait until them to request any additional blood tests.

Dany

I just remembered something I read about taking synthroid. This is from Alexander Haskell's book
Hope for Hashimoto's. He provides an in-depth description of how T4 works in the body which is
very interesting but I won't copy it here. However he ends the chapter with the following:

Remember, the first goal of treating Hashimoto's is to reduce TSH without creating a situation
of having too much T4. For this reason the initial dose of thyroid medication must be very low,
about one-third to one-fourth of what the normal dose would be for hypthyroidism. The desired
effect of prescribing in this way is to help steady the production of TSH as it slowly declines.
This decline in TSH will slow the thyroid's production of thyroid hormones along with with a
decline in hydrogen peroxide production and thyroid inflammation. Every 7-10 days, after
evaluating the person's symptoms, the thyroid prescription is again increased by another
small increment.

I wish I would have remembered this before. I kind of think you probably have Hashimoto's so it
sounds like you are on the right track, cutting down to 25, and increasing every 7-10 days.
Let us know how it works for you.

Thank you all for posting.

I've been on 12.5 mcg of Synthyroid since Saturday. I thought I would start even lower and then work up. I must say I feel terrible. I went to the grocery store Sunday and could hardly make it around the whole store. My head was woozy/light headed and heart was beating hard. I was doing this some before the Synthroid but seems like I am even worse. I was so give out Sunday. Seems like I can not do anything at all without it giving me out. My heart rate also seems to have increased staying around 90-99. I know that don't seem like much but I can really tell when it is beating hard and fast. I am just so so tired.

I've started back on the B-12 2000mcg just in hope for some relief.

How long does it take for the hypo symptoms to go away? I've been reading several things on Google and some people talked like it took them 6 months to a year to get worked out.

Dany

Mrsbugzy is right, there is research that shows a correlation between gluten and Hahimoto's. But if
you are feeling so terrible on a small amount of synthroid, I wonder if you should quit taking it. Something
doesn't seem right. I would ask your doctor about it again and if they give you a brush-off again, then
you really should find a new doctor. In my opinion you shouldn't be feeling that bad.

Hello,
The most important think with thyroid problems is consistency,
if I were you, I will continue with 12.5 till the next blood work,
and then increase if necessary, this way you can know for sure where your numbers fall.
how long have you been taking 12.5?

S

Yeah, I hate to say this but if your dr only does TSH and refuses to do more, you need a new one. And you might want to check in with your state thyroid support group for referrals, and to pass on this info.

Hi,

Thanks for following up :) I was going to post when I got my blood test back.

Well I went Monday to the GP. He gave me Armour 1/4 grain to take once a day. I was totally surprised because he does not believe in giving it. Nurse said she talked to him about it before hand. So I guess he is atleast willing to try something else. Only thing is he really does not know as much as an Endo. I could tell by the questions I asked. He is a good doc but...
The nurse did take my blood and is getting a full thyroid panel that will test me for the hoshimotos, free t3/t4, and adrenal glands.

I continued to take the 12.5 mcg of Synthroid for two weeks. I went up to 18.5 mcg on the second week and started having side effects by the end of that week. I got so frustrated and I quit taking anything. I've been off any medicine for about 10 days. My period started when I stopped taking the Synthroid.

I asked my GP what if I did not treat they hypothryoidism at all. He said that mine was not that high at 6.980. It was considered mild hypo. If I can't take the Armour then don't take anything at all. He did say I could go to a Endo if I wanted too. Then added that he thought it was more depression than hypo thryoid.

So right now I am just waiting for the blood test results. I am leaning towards no medicine at all.

Feeling some better since off Synthroid but fatigue is still there.

Thanks for checking in :)
Dany

Dany,

Glad you are feeling a bit better...I am not sure how all the numbers work, I just know when I get chastised and told to
take my medicine!!!! lol... I have been on 0.10 for a month now, and my numbers are still out of whack.. so I go to an endo tomorrow. We shall see what this turns up :)
Definately keep up with any anti-depressants. I was shocked when the doc asked me if I was stressed, and I laughed and said no more than anyone else.. So she made me tell her what was up with my life, and after I went into it all without even a lot of detail...she just stood there with her mouth open and finally said "Most people would have been committed to an institution or killed themselves by now!" I was surprised, I thought everyone was under tons of stress..
It is funny how we perceive our stress as no big deal compared to everyone else.. stick with it.
Hope all goes well :)

Hi Dany,

Yes, at this point you might just want to see an Endo and see if he/she can help you. I did think
about you when I read the book Hypothyroidism Type 2 that I posted a thread on. The author said
that he has found that a lot his patients who can't tolerate even small amounts of thyroid hormones
often have problems with their adrenal glands which might have to be treated before treating the
thyroid dysfunction. So hopefully your endo can help with that. Good luck. Let us know what the
Endo says.