Stopping Levothyroxine

[louteasdale]

I had thyroid removal surgery last week because I had cancer of the thyroid. I'm currently taking 100 micrograms of levothyroxine but I just wondered what would happen if I were to forget to take my pills for a long period of time?

[galathea]

If you stop taking thyroid meds and you don't make your own you slow down, your organs fail, you go into a coma and you die.

ITs not quick though..... 6 months, a year.

The reason the prescriptions are free is because without the meds you cannot exist.

Xx G

[gabkad in reply to galathea]

Very true. I wish somehow the doctor would have emphasized this.

Your response reminded me of this: You will die after 60 days of no food, 6 days of no water and 6 minutes of no oxygen. I'm going to add '6 months with no thyroid.'

[ROMM53]

Poor you, hope you are feeling ok.

If you forget to take your thyroxine you will become overtly hypothyroid, definitely not a good idea, as it sounds like you've had your entire thyroid removed. For full list of signs and symptoms have a look at the Thyroid UK website.

It can be a real struggle/nightmare getting to the right dose, though! Post on here for loads of advice and support.

[Marz]

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/about_...

Lots more useful information on the above Thyroid UK website - vitamins - private testing and so much more......

[shaws Administrator]

The consequences have been spelled out above of missing doses. I am sorry you had thyroid cancer and it will have been a relief to have your thyroid gland removed.

The main point from now on is to be adequately medicated with thyroid hormones. We do get into a routine which becomes second-place we don't think about it.

You either take levo upon wakening, with a glass of water and eat about an hour later. Some take it at bedtime with a glass of water, but they must last have eaten 2 hours before (longer if had a fatty meal) as food can interfere with the uptake of the hormones.

When you have your blood tests, leave approx 24 hours between taking levo and the blood test, take levo afterwards. Have the test as early as possible as well, because the TSH is highest then and many doctors only take notice of theTSH and not the patients symptoms.

I hope you feel better soon and that levothyroxine is gradually increased till you're well. Always get a print-out of your blood test results for your own records and so that you can post if you have a query. Always make sure the ranges are stated.

[Clutter]

Louteasdale, if your TSH is supposed to be suppressed post thyCa the risk of cancer recurring increases when your TSH rises except when you have to stop taking Levothyroxine for 4 weeks for radioactive iodine ablatement (RAI).

After 4 weeks without Levothyroxine and 2 weeks without Liothyronine (T3 replacement for patients awaitingRAI) your TSH will have risen to >30 and your FT4 and FT3 will drop below range so you will feel profoundly hypothyroid and ill. It takes 4-6 weeks after resuming Levothyroxine to suppress TSH again and for FT4 and FT3 to recover but symptoms like dry skin shedding, hair shedding and breaking nails can take up to 6 months to recover.

I think death is quite likely to be within 3 months of not taking Levothyroxine as your brain, heart, lungs, kidneys and liver start to fail and you succumb to infection and pneumonia you will be unable to fight off.

I set a daily reminder on my phone and mark it completed when I've taken it so I don't forget to take thyroid meds or forget I've taken them and take a double dose.

Do you know whether you will need RAI?