Worried: Started Levothyroxine yesterday

Hi all. I was put on 50 MCG of Levothyroxine yesterday.

I registered here because I really need to vent somewhere and didn't know where else to go with this. Thank you for listening, or for letting me post here even if you don't listen!

I've never known about having any thyroid issue before yesterday, but my entire life starting around age 13 I've battled weight. I eat healthily, exercise (walking, bike everywhere, cardio exercise videos etc.) and have been everywhere between a perfect weight, and 260 lbs, and back and forth many times. Doctors have commented on it during my low weight times as if I'm some very inspirational exerciser, but I didn't change my lifestyle during my high weight times either.

I'm 29, I was diagnosed at 16 as having Pernicious anemia (low B12, I used to get injections but now take a daily B12 pill), have had low iron for a while (was put on iron pills recently but told to stop them for a while to see if levels stay up) and was recently diagnosed with type 2 diabetes (November 2013, put on Metformin).

My previous doctor suspected I have PCOS and I'll be checked for that at the beginning of next month.

Yesterday, on a checkup for diabetes my (new) doctor noticed in my medical history something with my thyroid being low for a while. I'm Native American and doctors at our clinic rotate regularly, so I have a different doctor often, and won't have this same doctor in a few months. I don't know why previous doctors never mentioned my thyroid.

He also said he suspects I may have Addison's Disease (and/or an adrenal or pituitary problem?) and will check that on my appointment at the beginning of next month.

He put me on 50 MCG of Levothyroxine the same day (yesterday). My appointment was in the morning and I had been fasting for my blood test, so I took my first dose yesterday, second this morning.

As a very anxious and worrying person, I've been afraid since November that Metformin would cause me some random side effects like heart problems or something/anything else.

Now I'm afraid that Levothyroxine (or Levothyroxine with Metformin, or any other combination of things) will cause random issues.

In November I went to the emergency room feeling faint and worried I was having a heart attack (which turned out to be diabetes) and in their attempts to find out what was happening (they thought it must be heart too because of my age) they did an EKG and said my heart was fine.

Should I calm down and not worry about these medications?

The doctor told me that he thinks I'll feel great soon as they eventually raise the Levothyroxine dose and adjust it. He said I'll stop having all the symptoms I've had (thinning hair, uncontrollable weight gain/loss, months between menstruating), which I've noticed are also symptoms of PCOS which I'll be tested for soon.

Could he be right? Could this pill help me, and not cause ten other issues? Should I relax and be happy that he found this problem and that I have Levothyroxine, and wait for my exercise and diet to finally work as expected?

Again, I'm sorry for the rambling and paranoia. I've never had any doctor mention my thyroid before, I've never been diabetic before.

Thanks for the reply!

I don't know anything about test results or any reference range, they didn't do any tests like that. He saw something in my history of blood tests for diabetes or anemia I think. He did a reflex test and kept repeating it, telling me I was "almost a classic case" because my wrists and knees would move slowly back down after he tested them, that's the only thing he did aside from looking back through my history. He said he was surprised no other doctor had done anything about it.

My next appointment is September 2nd, he said they'll do blood tests then. Could I ask for the numbers and reference range then?


My last appointment had been in April and that doctor had never mentioned any thyroid issue or done any related tests, all past appointments were about diabetes or anemia. Would the test results you mention be in those blood tests even if they weren't testing for that?

I've taken my Levothyroxine first thing an hour before I eat or drink anything in the morning for all 3 days so far and will continue to do that

Post Edited (Emelya) : 8/21/2014 8:04:28 AM (GMT-6)

Maybe the tests will be done at the next appointment, and that's the reason it's less than six weeks?

I believe it's generic Levothyroxine, it has no brand listed on the regular medicine bottle.

I get my prescriptions from the same tribal clinic where I have my doctors appointments and receive my other medications (Metformin for diabetes, B12 vitamins for anemia). My Metformin changes shape and appearance monthly because they're generic as well.

I could ask if I could be prescribed a brand name and pick it up at the nearby pharmacy instead, but I don't know if that's possible at the tribal clinic.

I don't know how the non-tribal doctors work here in the US either, but there was no blood test before I was diagnosed with low thyroid and put on Levothyroxine the same day.

I assume he must have been going by some other past tests? There are years of blood tests on paper for my anemia, maybe that? He kept repeating the reflex test, so maybe that too?

September 2nd I'll be having blood tests and will ask for TSH and Free T4, I'll also ask to be switched to brand name, but I don't know if any of these things will be given to me.

Thank you so much for all your replies.

Right now I don't know enough to ask much (obviously haha)

My only concerns right now are maybe just being afraid of the Levothyroxine. I was having shortness of breath and have felt like blood was rushing to my head after standing up yesterday, and worried it was from the thyroid medication.

I don't think 2 days of the med would have affected me yet so it's probably just me panicking. :(

He didn't say anything about TSH, I've never heard of TSH until you mentioned it in your reply to me

He said he could see that my thyroid was low, and because of the reflex test and something in my old bloodwork history he suspected I may have adrenal problems and Addison's Disease. I think the next appointment may be to check for something like that, I wasn't told much.

He mostly told me that he thinks the Levothyroxine will help me and a lot of things I didn't know were symptoms will start to go away.

I have bad hair and skin, any time I brush my hair I have to clean the brush out because of how many hairs fall out, and I'm very overweight no matter how much I exercise or how well I eat. I'm on a 1200 calorie consistent carbohydrate diet for diabetes and have lost 2 lbs since April, and before that none since November.

You may want to read the "thyroid basics" and "what do my tests mean" discussions at the top of the forum for general information and links to information about the thyroid.

We are not doctors here, only fellow patients, but TSH goes counter intuitive, low TSH means you are hyperthyroid and need not be treated with Levothyroxine, high TSH means that you are hypothyroid and need Levo to be prescribed, so prescribing levo if your TSH lower than 2 makes no sense, BUT as I said we are no doctors and you should follow what your doctor said !

Hi,
If you need this medication then the more you are close to the proper dose for you the better you will feel, if you don't need it then you will start to develop symptoms of hyperthyroidism.

Basing treatment on symptoms would be great in case your TSH doesn't correlate well with your thyroid status, this is why the Free T4 test is important, it will show the actual level of the thyroid hormone.

Good luck,

That doesn't sound like a common side effect of levo - it usually doesn't really have any real side effects. I suppose it could be from one of the "inactive" ingredients in the pill, or could also be something like anxiety. You probably should check with your doctor.

Yes, it normally takes four to six weeks to notice any effect from a medication changd.

To me it sounds as if you were prescribed an unneeded medication, and yes four days is enough to start to feel tightness in the chest and palpitations.

If you can't wait till next visit and tests then call your Doctor and describe to him what you feel !

Good luck,

Post Edited (hypoHashimoto) : 8/23/2014 12:26:10 AM (GMT-6)