Decrease in meds because overmedicated

[Keelah98]

How long does it take to feel better after recovery from being over medicated? Meds were decreased on December 20th, 17 and still having all the hyper symptoms. Has anyone else ever been overmedicated? What did you use for the anxiety?

[Glynisrose]

NEVER adjust your meds based on blood tests alone always demand a full physical first. How do you feel? Thats more important than numbers.

[greygoose]

Are you sure they are hyper symptoms? A lot of symptoms cross over, and can also be hypo symptoms. Do you have a copy of the labs on the basis of which, your doctor reduced your dose? Does he just test TSH? It can very often happen that your TSH is low, so the doctor thinks you're over-medicated, but your Frees are also low. But we would have to see the results (with ranges) to know.

[Keelah98 in reply to greygoose]

My T4 was high it was 1.47 ( 0.65-1.34)

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to Keelah98]

How long had it been between taking your last dose of levothyroxine and having the blood drawn for that test?

[Keelah98 in reply to helvella]

Same day maybe a few hours

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to Keelah98]

There is a peak for maybe six or so hours after taking levothyroxine. The general advice here is to try to leave 24 hours between last dose of levothyroxine and having blood drawn.

That would explain your high FT4, which no doctor takes into account.

[Keelah98 in reply to helvella]

Well my doctor said I have been over medicating for like 6 months. My TSH was almost non detectable and my T4 elevated. I had RAI in 2003 due to Graves and have been hypo every since. In Dec 2016 I became hyper due to taking to much levothyroxine. I was on 200mcg and now on 150mcg. My T4 is 1.41 scale is 0.65-1.34. I have all the hyper symptoms. I have been so anxious I think I might need some xanax and anti-depressant or something. My doc is decreasing my meds slowly I can't wait to feel like my self

[greygoose in reply to Keelah98]

Even so, you need to know your FT3, to know if you're over-medicated. Could be that you don't convert that T4 very well.

[shaws Administrator]

There's no information on your Profile but on your previous post I see you had RAI so you have no function at all from your thyroid gland.

I have a gland but didn't improve at all on levothyroxine and most doctors know nothing about clinical symptoms, the aim of which is to improve them through thyroid hormone replacements - it doesn't always work if dose is too low. If they adjust doses according to the TSH - the aim of which is to have a TSH of 1 or lower (not anywhere in the range).

I'd ask for some liothyronine (T3) to be prescribed and take both at same time.

You have to get a print-out from the surgery of your latest blood tests with the ranges (these are important) and post on a new question if you don't have them today.

When going for a blood test it should be at the very earliest possible, fasting (you can drink water). Also allow a gap of 24 hours between your last dose and test and take it afterwards. This helps keep TSH at its highest and may prevent doctor adjusting dose unnecessarily. Tick off your symptoms below and sometimes it's difficult to tell if hyper/hypo if we are having a reaction to fillers/binders in the hormone replacement.

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

To get well we have to read, learn and ask questions. It can take a little while for our body to settle down and the symptoms.

[amala57]

Hi keelah98 I had graves for more than 10 years and had RAI 18 months ago. My bloods are all good exempt my antibody levels are really high. Also my vit D and b 12 are low. I have hyper symptoms on some days. Other days I feel just dreadful. Mixed symptoms of hypo and hyper Hair loss etc. Just recently my thyroid eye disease has flared up again after being stable for some years. My only hope is to get my vitamin levels up. If that doesn't work I'm going to try NDT. Most on this site are Hashimotos or just under active. Not so many with Graves. I sympathise. I say don't lose hope!

[amala57]

Hello again I've just remembered that I read somewhere that gluten intolerance can cause anxiety. This confused me too as now not sure what is causing my anxiety! My thinking is that I have to go gluten free to find out!

Good luck!

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to amala57]

Here's that link on gluten and connection to anxiety / depression

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...

For me background anxiety just switched off almost like a light switch within days of going gluten free. Continual reduction in symptoms and slow reduction in TPO antibodies over time.

[msglutenfreeuk]

Same thing happened to me on October last year. I reduced after doc recommendation/bloods showing overmedicated, felt ok for a few weeks, then hyper symptoms returned so I kept reducing until I stopped altogether as hyper symptoms were awful. Dec blood tests showed that I was then really hypo, despite having the hyper symptoms. Doc didn't know you can have hyper symptoms whilst being hypo, she tested for antibodies after I pushed for it which came back positive so Hashis confirmed. I've since read that the hyper feelings can be the attack ion the thyroid releasing stored thyroxine which causes a flood of hormones and the hyper feelings. I believe this is what happened to me as I have started on Levo again and haven't had any more hyper symptoms. Hyper is awful though, I was climbing the walls!

[Raventhorpe]

How were you feeling before your dose was reduced, if you felt fine I suspect you were not over medicated,gp panic when they see a suppressed Tsh and reduce dose.the sure way to fined out is to get results from receptionist at docs, it's usually easy enough just ask for them.mine were fine with letting me have results had to wait couple of days.I also gave graves diagnosed 19yrs ago had RAi 7yrs ago and gp reduced my dose last Aug due to suppressed Tsh and have not felt well since. Alot of symptoms of hypo are very similar to hyper have a look at symptoms for hypo on home page.a also very important to get vits at good levels as we are very often not good at absorbing them.