Do Steroids interact with Thyroxine Meds? - Thyroid UK

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Do Steroids interact with Thyroxine Meds?

LAHs profile image
LAHs
2 Replies

Need your input. I recently hurt my back and caused sciatica. I could hardly walk and after a week I went to the docs who put me on steroids. They worked the first day and then as you ramp the dose down the pain crept back. The literature does not spell out any drug interactions between Steroids (Dexamethasone) and Thyroxine (Activis Armour NDT) which, I think, probably means "maybe".

Now coincidently I had a refill of my thyroid meds just before I hurt my back, that would be about March 1st. I am suspecting my problem could also be attributed to altered thyroid meds from Activis - I don't know.

My questions are these:

Has anyone had adverse reaction to taking steroids while on thyroxine meds?

Has anyone had a recent batch of Activis Armour NDT and experienced hypothyroidic symptoms, especially leg pains?

I am in very bad shape at a the moment and would appreciate any input, thank you.

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Clutter profile image
Clutter

LAHs,

Barrister reported that her TSH became suppressed after a steroid injection. There are no know interactions between Dexamethesone and Levothyroxine in Drugs.com database.

drugs.com/drug-interactions...

Have you had a recent thyroid function test to check you are taking an optimal dose of Armour?

LAHs profile image
LAHs in reply to Clutter

Thanks Clutter, I am probably back on an optimal dose of Armour at this point, I am going to have a blood test ASAP to see if there is any effect from the Steroids. I did complicate the issue (or cause it) by reducing my dose to see if my pituitary gland still worked - it's been zero, sometimes 0.002 since my TT and thyroid meds for the past 10+ years. My conclusion is that it is not working very well! I induced severe hypothyroidism (only briefly) but my TSH only reached 1.07mIU/L (0.40 - 4.50) I think I could have caused my muscle weakness by my self induced hypothyroidism - which checked my pituitary function.

I suspect my TSH will be reduced to zero again - but whether it is due to marginal pituitary performance or the steroids may not be clear - perhaps FT4 and FT3 will hold some information.

I do strongly suspect steroids do interfere with the transportation of T3 to the cells via TBGs because now I am ramping down the steroids I am aware of my thyroid meds pattern kicking back in - particularly late afternoon to bedtime (around 10pm). I never want steroids again!

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