My Synthroid medications was increased from 50 mcg to 75 mcg five weeks ago since I was feeling a bit chilled and my body temperature in the a.m. was a bit low. I do not have dry skin, nor brittle hair (some hair loss but has stabilized over the years). I have been on 50 mcg for many many years. I also have asymptomatic Hashimoto's with a reading of 68 (down from 99 possibly from cutting down Gluten). My levels:
Oct. 2018 (on 50 mcg Levothyroxine - generic)
TSH - 1.48
T4 Free - 1.4
T3 Total - 86
My does was increased because of these new readings:
March 2019 (still on 50 mcg)
TSH - 3.46
T4 Free - 1.4
T3 Total - 99
Because my TSH went from 1.48 to 3.46 my Endo Dr. put me on Synthroid (brand) 75 mcg. Since then my voice has gotten hoarse. I still have insomnia, foggy mind, difficulty concentrating (which can all be attributed to severe sleep disorder), nervousness and sometimes racing heart. I feel perhaps I was over medicated. I also, was just put on 200 mg of progesterone to help with my sleep. I live in the US where perhaps the care is not up to par as it is in the UK. I am getting my TSH tested again after being on 75 mcg now for 5 weeks. And because this is America where we are shuttled from one specialist to another, I am seeing an ENT dr. about the hoarseness since my Endo didn't seem concerned. (A functional dr put me on the Progesterone)
So, my TSH went from 1.48 to 3.46. Is this a large increase? Enough to warrant a higher dosage of Synthroid? I don't feel better on the increased dose. And am concerned about the hoarseness.
I read that hoarseness can be a symptom of hypothyroid however, when I was on a LOWER dose, I did not have this symptom. If anyone has had something similar I would love some feedback.
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bessygo
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You think the thyriod care is better in the UK?? 🤷♀️ Not many of us would agree with that 😬 irregardless, usually we are more au fait with FT3/4 results and if you put the ranges of your results in brackets then you can determine the results better.
75mcg still isn’t a very large amount considering that most of us start on 50mcg.
Hoarseness is one of my major symptoms when I’m underactive . No one over here seems to give it much thought, but for me i think it’s a thing. When I’m better medicated it goes away. So based only on your TSH level, which is higher than optimal and the hoarseness I’d say you’ve got some wiggle room and should increase you’re meds. I think ENT would be a waste of time.
Unfortunately when I was first having problems which included in loss of voice or very husky I was sent to an ENT specialist. It led to a delay of several months in diagnosis of the fact that one side of my thyroid being completely blacked out when I had the nuclear scan. I then underwent several more different nuclear scans which then revealed an adenoma on my parathyroid gland as well as several nodules on my thyroid. I became underactive and then diagnosed with Hashimoto's thyroiditis and as a result of the adenoma and nodules being on the same lobe half of my thyroid was then removed. Parathyroid lump benign thank goodness. Please do not delay in seeing an endocrinologist - I did tell my doctor and the ENT specialist I felt it was my thyroid that was the problem but was told it was not. Since then I have been diagnosed also with Sjogrens syndrome as well so please get all the help you need.
Thank you for your reply. I don’t think I have Sjögren’s syndrome for the very fact that once I’m on the correct medication my hoarse voice disappears. I’ve had a huge array of blood tests over the years and they come up clear, it’s always thyroid in my case 🤗
"Dr. put me on Synthroid (brand) 75 mcg. Since then my voice has gotten hoarse." - have you compared the excipients in the Synthroid and the generic Levo to see if there is something in the former and not in the latter, to which you might have an intolerance? As well as editing your post to add the reference ranges, can you also add the results for your FT3 levels if you have them, which we tend to use in the UK, in preference to Total T3 as that doesn't tell you what amount of T3 is available to the cells.
I get hoarse from time to time fairly regular. I found out I had silent acid reflux disease besides being hypothyroid. I never really felt better on synthroid only. My dr added T3 and that made a world of difference. Feeling much better
Did you have any symptoms from the Silent Acid Reflux? I have no digestive problems at all...plus I sleep with head raised because I have glaucoma which is usually recommended for those with GERD. I drink a lot of Alkaline Water so maybe I don't have enough acid in my digestive system? However, all my micronutrients that were tested came up fine. This all started with the Progesterone which I am off of now for a month....and my ENT said that my vocal chords didn't have enough mucus fluid to keep them supple..but it wasn't anything to be concerned about. So many drs....so few definitive answers.
Hi bessygo! It's the increase in meds, at least for me, it ALWAYS comes back to the meds. I'm in the US as well and I've recently had a complete thyroidectomy (February 11, 2019) prescribed Levothyroxine 125 horrible side effects ensued, then 100 again horrible side effects (to include coughing again with hoarseness). Prescribed Synthroid 25 was doing fine side effect symptom wise but hypo, due to lab results on 4.16.19 endo doc had me increase to 50 and I've started to cough (sometimes with phlegm). I know it's the meds because I have never had this problem prior. I don't smoke, never have and I'm not on any other prescriptions.
Each time I've stopped taking the meds, all of the side effects go away. I've stopped taking the 50mcg until I see her on May 1st and hopefully my cough/phelgm and hoarseness is completely gone. It takes several days or more for my side effects to go away and the cough/hoarseness sometimes longer. When I see her I will have been off the meds for six days when I see the endo doctor again.
My TSH level was 2.29 after being increased to .75 mcg. Hoarseness hasn't gone away. So our choices are to take a lesser amount of synthroid and have more symptoms of hypothyroidism? (my TSH on Sept '18 was 1.48 on .50 mcg , then was 3.46 on Mar. '19 so I was put on .75 mcg and now my TSH is 2.29) Was hoping it would go away. Been on the .75 mcg for almost 2 months so I don't think that's going to happen.
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