Excessive sex drive as a result of thyroid treatment

[Luny555]

Hi,

I am new on this site.

I am a sixty-seven year old. I have had no sex drive for the last few years. About 3 weeks ago, I started taking Synthroid for an under-active thyroid. It was amazing that after a couple of weeks I had more energy than I had in years. Then I noticed, to my delight, that my libido was perking up again. Except it did more than that, I was in a state of constant arousal and started to feel "engorged" and uncomfortable with the continual sensation in my genital area. I did not quite understand what was happening and thought it would pass. But it is now 3 days and it has become painful enough that I had to take some Advil. I called my 2 doctors today and reported what was happening. They both said they had never heard about this side effect of the drug and I believe them and trust them. Needless to say, I am wondering if they think I am making this thing up and I feel pretty embarrassed.

I am lowering the dosage from 75 to 50mg as I loathe stopping altogether because it has given so much energy and has made me feel so alive.

I wonder if there are more women who have experienced the same thing.

[RockyPath]

Yes.

Probably not many want to complain about this, and my experience is it is transitory.

The body is an amazing system.

[Naomi8]

So your GP started you on 75mcgs?it would be a good idea to post all your thyroid blood results on this forum.

I would ask my GP to text my sex hormones.The thyroid & sex hormones interact & it sounds like the thyroid hormone replacement(T4)has thrown things out of whack.

Did your GP suggest you lower your thyroid replacement?

[Luny555 in reply to Naomi8]

We started with 50 then upped to 75. Now I am going back to 50. Although I am considering stopping for a while until the side-effects subside (my breast are also sore). What do you think?

[Hellonwheels in reply to Luny555]

Maybe some progesterone (low dose) cream for 25 days on, 5 days off for a couple months would help. I'm not post menopause, so can't be sure, but my progesterone cream states for non-menstruating women "use for 25 days consecutively, then take a 5 day break. Repeat monthly." But I am in US and it is sold in health food stores here, without prescription---and by no means am I a doctor. However, when my hormones got SO far out of whack, it leveled me out quite nicely without breaking the bank.

[Luny555]

Oh not this way, believe me! It takes over your life completely, you can’t focus, it is a constant fire in your erogenous zone and believe me, it hurts. I have ongoing cramps, It is kind of like a man having a hard on all the time.

Of course, my husband is not complaining for himself but he realizes it is not normal.

[Hellonwheels]

I should have what she's having! LOL, but seriously... Haven't had that issue with NDT/T3 combo. And Synthroid made me feel awful. So darn.