Thyroid medication

[Neet29]

Have been on thyroid medication for about 4 months now. The doctor is still trying to get the correct dosage. What I wanted to know was, can breathlessness be a side effect of thyroid medication? Has anyone else had this sort of thing.

[Trixie33]

I get breathless when I am under medicated. You may need a little more. There's lots of people much more knowledgable than me on here who will very likely help. I'm sure their first questions will be how much you are taking and what the results of your last blood test results were.

[Neet29 in reply to Trixie33]

Thank you

[Greenwall]

If the breathless was round before you started meds, have you checked Vit D3, and B12?

[Neet29 in reply to Greenwall]

No it was not around before, and being new to this medication, not sure what Vit D3 and B12 are

[Greenwall]

Hi Neet29

Vitamin D3 is associated with sunshine.

b12deficiency.info/signs-an...

Have you checked the information that is supplied with your meds? As you didn't state which you are on, I can't comment really comment, but breathlessness is not listed for levothyroxine.

[HIFL]

You can be breathless when over or undermedicated. If you're more breathless on exertion, chances are you're overmedicated. You can also check your respiration rate, or the number of breaths you take per minute. Fast tends to be hyper and slow tends to be hypo. Interesting article here: tiredthyroid.com/blog/2014/...

[Treepie]

You Really need to read up on your illness and on the helpful vitamins and minerals.Its a long learning process.I was short of breath on levo and getting angina type pains when walkng up a steep hill .Mostly cured by taking beta blockers.

If you post your test results with the ranges folk may be able to assist .

[Marz]

Low iron can also be a cause of breathlessness. Iron is involved in transporting oxygen around the body. The red blood cells need the iron - oxygen sticks to the iron for transportation.

Low Iron = Low Oxygen = Breathlessness

Just a thought

So have you had the following tested - Ferritin - Folate - B12 - VitD ? If so what were the results ?

[greygoose]

Four months is not very long. It can take over a year to get to the right dose, increasing by 25 mcg every six weeks. But the fine-tuning can take a long time. Especially if you have Hashimoto's disease.

It would greatly help members if you could post your blood tests - with ranges - it is your legal right to have a print-out of them. Let us see exactly what was tested, and what the results were.

But, it's not just about hormones. For the hormones to work properly, your nutrients need to be optimal. So, you need to get tests for vitamin D, vitamin B12, folate (another B vitamin) and ferritin (stored iron). When you get the results, post them on here, and members will be able to advise.

Breathlessness can be caused by having too much thyroid hormone, or too little. In your case, I would imagine it would be too little thyroid hormone, as you have just started on this journey. And the fact that you didn't have that particular symptom before starting the levo, doesn't mean that it is the levo that caused it. It's simply that starting taking the levo can cause more hypo symptoms to manifest themselves - for some reason. Don't know why, but it often works that way.

But breathlessness can also be caused by nutritional deficiencies - B12 or ferritin, for example. So, that's one of the reasons we need to get them tested.

[Coastwalker]

My Husband's breathlessness was down to low iron, once supplementing iron pills his breathlessness went away.

[Olsbird]

I was breathless on a low dose of levo but I also had other side effects. most went when I reduced the dose even further have you any other new issues? I think I just don't get on with levo and still trying to find something I can tolerate at the dose I need.

[Neet29]

Thank you x

[SueHG]

My first symptoms of hypothyroidism were breathlessness and lightheadedness and I had every test under the sun for heart, all negative. All my supplements are fine but my heart rate still fluctuates. It is in the 90s then goes down to the 40s and I am more out of breath when it's low than when it's high.. Try taking your pulse and compare. I'm sure that it means that my meds are still not right. By the way I am on T3. Good luck.

[Neet29]

Thank you, they have just changed my medication again, but I will try taking my pulse and compare,,