Levo brands and tinnitus /hearing issues

[FIT2018]

Has anyone had any experience of particular brands of levothyroxine triggering vertigo, tinnitus and hearing loss?

I'm trying to rule out all possibilities.. Any experiences gratefully received..

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Your previous post shows low B12

Have you recently had change in brand of Levothyroxine

Different brands are not bio equivalent. Teva especially has upset many patients

If you have change in brand bloods should be retested 6-8 weeks later

Always make sure to stay on same brand of Levothyroxine if at all possible

[FIT2018 in reply to SlowDragon]

No I haven't as far as I am aware, I am just trying to get a grip on all the variables as I plod my way back to some kind of health. I've taken all your kind advice on the other med post, will reply to that later. Many thanks for your feedback ..

[JaniceJ7]

Do you have latest blood test results with ranges? Someone more knowledgeable will give you the correct info but I think I've read being under medicated and/or low Vit B12 can result in tinnitus.

[FIT2018 in reply to JaniceJ7]

Hi JaniceJ7 I have posted these elsewhere and you are right - I am low in B12 and am trying to get to the bottom of this. Thanks for your reply

[FIT2018]

Yes, I am aware of this, however, I have my good days and bad days, which suggests to me that with the correct balance of everything, I might achieve a more stable "good day" norm... It's never gonna be perfect, but I would be happy with what I have today, which is to be able to hear, all be it with a high level hiss in the background. Yesterday, I was stone deaf all day with pressure in my ears like being underwater at 30m... so it's moveable and I want to be sure that all the moving parts are considered.. brands being one of those variables..

[FIT2018]

OK, that's the kind of comment I was interested to hear. And expands the question out to Levo V other T4 meds with regard to hearing loss and tinnitus/vertigo. Will enjoy torturing my GP with that one....

[FIT2018]

Did it help? Stop the tinnitus and hearing loss?

[Blairer]

this is very interesting as since I started levo I have had major problems with hearing in right ear (screeching and problems with right shoulder). I am beginning to wonder what else does low thyroid trigger.

[FIT2018 in reply to Blairer]

Well, wonder indeed as 15 years of ENT specialists never made the connection and I was put on thyroid killing meds to deal with the vertigo and tinnitus... that was caused by low thyroid (grrrrrrr)

I am not entirely convinced that it is Levo that is at fault, as I have increased this medication... but what I HAVE done is respond to the side effects of hypo, which in Vitamin B12/D deficiencies (caused by hypo) which seriously DO have an effect on tinnitus and hearing issues. And things are improving... for the first time in 15 years...

You are in the right place to be asking these questions, everyone here is massively helpful and has probably been through what you are experiencing, it has been a real shocking awakening for me, in a really good way. Your ear ringing is NOT normal...

[MariLiz]

I have had tinnitus from before my diagnosis of underactive thyroid. However getting my low B12 treated has meant that it has improved recently. It is still variable though, and definitely seems worse if I am overtired.

[FIT2018 in reply to MariLiz]

The most common bit of advice I have had here since joining, with regard to tinnitus, has been low B12... Which my blood tests have shown to be very low indeed. I am supplementing now and I am sure that this is one of many reasons why I have seen improvements, as there clearly is an undeniable link.. I get it worse with stress... which suggests a link to hypothyroid condition as stress negatively impacts thyroid function (tired is also stressed!)

[MariLiz in reply to FIT2018]

I hope supplementing helps. I have needed injections for B12 as I have issues with absorbing it via my digestive system. Also quite common amongst us thyroid patients. It can mean we are low in other vitamins too, for example, my VitD levels were needing treatment.

[FIT2018 in reply to MariLiz]

Yep, I am on VIT D, B12, VIT K2, magnesium, Zinc, soya free, gluten free diet, higher dose of Levo... what I am trying to do is eliminate as many factors as possible that , might be contributing to the particular problem I have of tinnitus and fullness in the ears/hearing loss. Starting with blood tests, decent advice, change of diet/life style, vitamins etc... I am optimising everything I can until I am left with fewer things to blame!

1: Lack of T3... solution.. introduce T3 to regime

2: Bad reaction to Levothyroxine itself as a medication... solution... move to another form of HRT (NDT/T3)

My sneaking suspicion is that Levothyroxine as a drug, has caused me a lot of problems over the years and I won't know for sure until I try something else. However, I have made SO MANY drastic changes to my life since coming on here, due to great advice received, I need to proceed at a measured pace, despite my overwhelming desire to rush ahead...

I hope to experiment with adding T3 to my current regime subsequent to further T3 blood tests - and if this doesn't improve things, either move to T3 only or NDT... will be looking for further advice when I get to this stage

In the meantime, I'm just doing my best to do everything right - like Sherlock Holmes!

"Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth."

[MariLiz in reply to FIT2018]

Good luck with your continued efforts to solve your tinnitus symptoms. It seems a shame that we have to do so much detective work ourselves.

Hopefully, in time, you will solve it, in true Sherlock style?

Best wishes

MariLiz

[FIT2018]

So, have you made a direct connection between Levothyroxine and the hearing problems/tinnitus/vertigo?

I feel I have had a similar journey, leading to hearing aids..LOUD pulsatile tinnitus and cyclic hearing loss (good days/bad days)

I am trying to decide whether it is actually LEVO that is to blame or just badly treated HYPO that has caused me such suffering.

I am improving with better treatment for the Hypo - diet, vitamins, lifestyle changes etc... but I just have a nagging suspicion that Levo is, in itself, as a medication, to blame as a hypo medication, and you sound like you have had a similar experience.

NHS/GPs don't have a clue. My audiologist emphatically denied ANY link with hypothyroid/levothyroxine and loss of hearing, tinnitus and vertigo.

The only explanation I have for that is that they clearly have not learned to use the internet yet and play 78rpm gramophones at home...

ENT experts have no idea either by the way... been there, done that for 15 years...

[FIT2018]

I'm sorry for that and thank you for this information.. I hope I can avert a similar outcome and am looking hard at alternatives to Levothyroxine, which I suspect is at the heart of the issue. Good luck with this and thank you for sharing your experience..