Accidentally took 2 does of thyoxine...

[Suzievos]

Anyone else done this? 🙄

[Heloise]

How much of a dose are you on? Unless it's a high dose I doubt that you'll have many effects. Just skip your next dose.

[Pastille]

You should be fine. Some people take a weeks dose in one go so it won't harm you. You might find a link in search.

[PMRandRA in reply to Pastille]

Read the insert in the box.

[PMRandRA in reply to Pastille]

What?? A weeks worth in one go ? Not dangerous? I beg to differ!

Please read the insert to Levothyroxene!!

[melville999 in reply to PMRandRA]

I totally agree with you.Anyone mentioning a weeks dose taken in one go needs to he aware this can be fatal.

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to melville999]

PMRandRA and melville999

There are articles that don't agree with you

"Once weekly thyroxine treatment can be a safe, well‐tolerated, and effective therapy for patients with non‐compliance."

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

And

"HYPOTHYROIDISM

Use of a weekly dose of levothyroxine may be effective in patients that have difficulty taking daily medications"

thyroid.org/patient-thyroid...

And

""Once weekly L-thyroxine replacement was well tolerated and there was no indication of acute toxicity or hypothyroidism symptoms compared with daily therapy," according to researchers Satish Wasoori, MD, and Manoj Naik, MD, of Park Hospital in Guragaon, India. The new study echoes some findings from previous research."

endocrineweb.com/news/parat...

[melville999 in reply to SeasideSusie]

the first one is 2 cases.not exactly evidence based medicine is it?.for folk who perhaps don't understand the importance of the medication.The patients were supervised and great it was best for them.The inly other study 1 patient quoted at me tonight based on a western population also an exception,in France.if it worked we would be doing it cos one tablet per week is much easier than 7 .it would save the NHS BILLIONS.

[melville999 in reply to SeasideSusie]

The second paper you have quoted is a group of patients 20 in each group.They are youngish,fit Indian women,unlikely therefore to have heart problems which are significantly prevalant in the UK.So interesting as it is I would be loathe to advocate applying the findings of this study ti a uk population.The paper is commented on by Americans' who say it would be helpful where compliance is poor.but these people are exceptions.also the American ones may have the capacity,as they will of course be paying for it,to have closer medical supervision to monitor for adverse effects from a single weekly dose.sadly,I dont think the endocrine or GP facilities in the UK appear to have any extra capacity to do that but who knows.

[melville999 in reply to SeasideSusie]

Thirdly,the person posting this has missed a single dose,very easy to do,I have certainly done it.That has nothing to do with one off weekly take all your dose in one non compliance people.Most ,if not all people whose posts I have read seem to try to be pretty compliant with medicine that actually seems to not help ad much as it should.So it is effective medicine that us the real issue.

[Pastille in reply to melville999]

I was in NO WAY suggesting that this person take a weeks dose. I was merely trying to put her mind at rest after taking a double dose by stating a fact. I don't personally know anyone on here or anywhere else that takes a weeks dose at once. My only intention was to reduce her panic, that's all. I'm sure anyone who was considering to start taking their dose weekly would certainly look into it and speak to their doctor. No where in mine or shaws post is taking a weekly dose recommended.

[melville999 in reply to Pastille]

it can kill you.particularly if you have undiagnosed ischaemic heart disease as is common in the uk.This being on a forum like this is extremely dangerous.

[shaws Administrator]

I agree with Pastille, quite a few so I have read take a full week's dose once a week.

[PMRandRA in reply to shaws]

Good grief!

[melville999 in reply to shaws]

but reading it on a forum doesn't make it safe.The people who died doing this aren't posting here are they?

[shaws Administrator in reply to melville999]

As far as I know no-one has died otherwise they wouldn't have been prescribed a once a week dose.

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/resear...

academic.oup.com/jcem/artic...

PMRandRA melville999 Pastille bsooner

[melville999 in reply to shaws]

yes they have.seen it.

[shaws Administrator in reply to melville999]

I wouldn't take mine once weekly.

[melville999 in reply to shaws]

the numbers in the new Zealand study are so small it is laugable.Furthermore they excluded people with any serious medical disease and particularly cardiac disease.This would not be considered valid scientifically and I would be ashamed to quote this in reference to defending any point.

[bsooner]

Check with your pharmacist or Dr.

[Singoutloud]

The dreaded brain fog! I wouldn't worry too much. It's not fast acting. You won't even notice if you miss a dose to even it out

[SlowDragon Administrator]

It's not a problem, just skip tomorrow's dose, but get a weekly pill dispenser. Then you won't do it again

[malancy]

I think most of us have done it at sometime or other. Skip the next dose and carry on as normal.

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK]

When testing levothyroxine on healthy volunteers, they usually use a dose of 600 micrograms. Relatively few people take over 200 micrograms so that would usually be between three and six daily doses in one go. In people who are already making sufficient thyroid hormone and don't need any extra!

I'd always recommend caution and care, but levothyroxine is one of the safer medicines. It doesn't usually have the same sort of nasty effect from what seems a minor overdose like paracetamol.

[melville999 in reply to helvella]

healthy volunteers.most people won't have been screened for ischaemic heart disease on this forum.a weeks dose taken in a one could kill them.

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to melville999]

I do not here, and never have suggested that taking a full week dose in one is desirable or sensible. Indeed, I have posted saying I thought any doctor or nurse doing so was out of order.

[melville999 in reply to helvella]

I am responding to a post by shaws administrator 15 hours ago.any Uk doctor or nurse would be under investigation if they were found to give advice advocating taking a weeks dose of levothyroxine in one dose.It is important that people don't adopt this as a self treating idea.I assume shaws administrator would wish this to be a safe forum?

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to melville999]

I have always assumed that New Zealand has standards broadly comparably to those in the UK. shaws posted a clear link to a study in New Zealand.

I consider the idea abhorrent and that it should never be done. But it is done. In the UK. At least in 2007:

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

Perhaps you'd like to find the investigation those involved were under?

And there is even a very recent report from France (this year):

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/286...

[melville999 in reply to helvella]

Two cases,in 2007,supervised.screened in one case for angina,checked for malabsorption,10 years later this study is being quoted.... of 2 cases.Reading them they designated this was the only way these two women would achieve a balance.They were medically supervised patients also.No I cannot see that a paper with two cases 10 years ago would make it acceptable for a forum not to be responsible and discourage people from taking a weeks dose in one.

[melville999 in reply to helvella]

The French report one case.Yes for someone who is non compliant due to perhaps cognitive reasons of not understanding the importance of their drug a supervised once weekly dose may be the only way to stop them dying.but for the motivated people trying to find a way to improve the treatment of this grim illness which I agree is very badly managed across the board I do not think adopting an idea of taking it in a once weekly dose is safe.3 cases total would not convince a court of law.

[Daffers123]

I think depends how sensitive you are to meds. when I adjust my dose upwards I notice very quickly if it's too high (heart races, anxiety etc). I certainly couldn't take a weeks T4 at one go. As advised below just miss next dose.

[kuresakaji]

Yep I have. Just skip the next dose.

[Eddie83]

It's unlikely you will notice a double dose of T4, since its half-life is about a week.

[melville999]

I wouldn't ever take a weeks dose as a one off.once saw someone die doing this.If you have undiagnosed heart problems it could kill you.I fully understand taking two doses in one day because with brain fog this is easy to do.I would get in a system like put a tick in your diary when you have taken it each time.I took half dose the next day rather than totally miss it out.Also drank a bit of extra water,probably no point to that tho.

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to melville999]

Have you any documented reports of severe effects of taking a week dose at once?

It always helps to provide references.

Most overdose reports of levothyroxine are of taking substantially more, and, thankfully, most result in recovery. Though they often require very considerable medical effort in the most serious cases. I can't remember seeing a case report comparable to taking a dose for seven days in one go.

[melville999 in reply to helvella]

well as a doctor I would be breaching confidentiality.Yes I have seen patients die due to overdose of what would be their weeks total no more.if it were in the literature it will be under case studies.I am sure no one has got it passed an ethics committee in the UK to do a proper study as to whether or not a weekly tablet would be better than a daily dose.Its pretty obvious why.Of course it would be more convenient for people to eat one tablet ...but then the risk when they forget that??!.It seems fairly interesting that you so aggressively pursue this point ,which is ethically dangerous.As a graduate in medical law also the attitude conveyed in 'defending' your very dangerous point is,at the very least worrying.

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to melville999]

Is it not the case that a coroner's court can expect accounts from the medical staff attending?

There is evidence that daily dosing can be easier for some people than other times - whether that is twice a day or once a week. Every day the same seems easier to remember and to get into the habit of.

I have asked for information in the form of references because they can be passed on. Unfortunately I simply could not find anything relevant. Asking you, who clearly has far more experience of deaths in these circumstances than anyone here has ever acknowledged, for help in getting hold of it doesn't seem aggressive to me.

It strikes me that helping to provide the best possible information to those here could be seen to be ethically appropriate.

[melville999 in reply to helvella]

I think the way you run this website is dangerous.

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to melville999]

Please help us by providing information.

[melville999 in reply to helvella]

I think references are useful if they are scientifically sound and not open to miss intepretation.If you quote case studies they are exceptions' to the rule.Studies on different populations do not also extrapolate onto UK based populations.If some one reads today,on this forum shaws post of quite a few I have read take a weekly dose it is not substantiated by any of the references provided which are of case studies.Someone today may have taken away the idea to try it to see if it makes them feel better.Are you going to know if they died?

[Hather]

As I take mine about 5 am I always put my Levo besides a full glass of water, so I know if it's nearly empty I know I've taken it, maybe that might help

[PMRandRA in reply to Hather]

Good one Hather. I wrap mine in foil and keep it in a special place to have at 5 a m.

[Joyia]

I keep my packet of levos in a corner of my kitchen near the kettle, once I have taken my dose I leave the packet out on the side for a little while before replacing back in the corner, this way if I see the pack lying on my worktop I know I have taken my dose.

[Rebbo]

Yes, I did the same a couple of months ago. After speaking to my doctor when I realised, he

assured me that a one off double dose wouldn't cause any harm. Hope this helps

[webar4780]

I was taking 100mcg levothyroxine, and did that! That pesky brain fog! I was fine. If I remember correctly, I did miss a dose the next day. No adverse reactions.

My sister went abroad on holiday for 2 weeks, she forgot her levothyroxine. Worse than what happened to me, she forgot she forgot to pack it! I know! Well, she was having a great time holidaying with her friend.

On the 13th night, she literally collapsed in the street, she just sat down and says she couldn't get up! Her friend had to get her into a taxi, she slept all night and next day, almost missing her flight home. These days, she has a reminder on her phone, and a note reminder inside her case! Lol.