How long does Levo stay in the system?

[Churchie]

I stopped taking Levo (100mg) ten days ago and wondered if anyone knew how long it stays in the system?

[Clutter]

Churchie, Your last dose will be pretty much out of your system after 8 days although it can take up to 8 weeks for every last vestige of thyroxine to clear your system.

Why have you stopped taking Levothyroxine? Hypothyrodism is a lifelong condition and thyroid hormone replacement should be taken for life.

[Churchie in reply to Clutter]

Thanks for your reply Clutter.

I came off thyroxine as it made me feel so ill. I had first appt with endo last Tuesday and told her how it had made me feel and she thought that it was best to clear through the system and then see where tests came in.

To be honest I am not entirely sure I have got hypothyroidism when I read the symptoms and health some people seem to suffer from. It's true I did have some of symptoms (mildly) but felt 100 times worse on thyroxine than I did before I started medication.

The diagnosis and treatment of this condition does seem to be so variable and uncertain.

[Clutter in reply to Churchie]

Churchie, your TSH >10 and low FT4 were overtly hypothyroid. If Levothyroxine made you feel worse it may be that you are intolerant to some of the fillers in the particular make you were taking. There are three generics available in the UK, Mercury Pharma, Actavis and Wockhardt. Wockhardt has the least fillers but is only available in 25mcg doses, I think.

Some people don't do well on Levothyroxine (T4) alone but do well on Liothyronine (T3) and T4 combination therapy. T3 calms the adverse side effects, including pain, I experienced on T4 only.

[Churchie in reply to Clutter]

It was actavis. Do different pharmacies have different brands then? How would you get another brand. I think I will wait to see what the endo says to do next, didn't get impression that my GP understood the how the blood tests married up with my symptoms. Might be another couple of months before I get to see her so is there a big risk for that time length of time going without? Although been referred to thyroid surgeon in meantime so they may have some answers.

Thank you for your response though. I appreciate you taking the trouble.

[Clutter in reply to Churchie]

Churchie, tell the pharmacist you want to try Mercury Pharma or Wockhardt next time you collect a script. If they don't have it in they can usually order it for next day.

2 months off meds shouldn't be dangerous but you might feel very symptomatic and unwell during that time. People often feel better when they come off Levothyroxine for a few days but will inevitably become unwell.

GPs and endos often think symptoms can't be thyroid related when bloods are in range. My thyroid surgeon was the same.

[Churchie in reply to Clutter]

Thanks. But can the opposite be true? That you don't have symptoms when your bloods are out of range. My symptoms before I started this were very mild and I would never have visited the doctor if it wasn't for the routine blood test ordered by the opthalmologist. 3 months on and I am in a much worse place than I started.

[Clutter in reply to Churchie]

Churchie, yes it is possible to be hypothyroid without symptoms for a while. Without medication the symptoms would eventually become evident.

It may be that the Actavis didn't suit you. If MP and Wockhardt also make you feel unwell it may be the fillers and you may need liquid thyroxine which is filler free.

[Churchie]

Thanks for that, I hadn't heard of liquid thyroxine.

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to Churchie]

Always worth looking at the TUK medicines page:

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/treatm...

Rod