Hi everyone just wondering if any one else have experienced being over medicated on levo thyroxine.
I have been on 100 mg since I was pregnant for hypo thyroidsm. I have had my son and I'm experiencing terrible symptoms.
Always irritable angry don't want to leave house I'm tired and sick of it.
Doctors on thurs to reduce dose also stopped taking my tablets in the mean time
You need to look at your blood results, it’s difficult to know if you are over-medicated on those symptoms- they sound like under-medication to me. I have been over-medicated and you know immediately if you are - for me the strongest sign was that my heart would race at the slightest exertion - getting up off the settee sent it up to 120bpm! I usually had a resting heart rate of mid-50s. I also had a strange syrupy sick feeling - almost like I’d had too much sugar.
I would be cautious about dose reduction without having T3 tests. Most of us are trying to get more Levo out of our GPs. They are all very happy to give us less and this often leaves people with no chance of getting well. 🤸🏿♀️🥛
We do need you to post your blood results. I was overdosed on Thyroid S last year my hair started to shred and my nails lifted off their beds so I stopped taking it. I felt too ill to be angry but I am very quick tempered at the moment and I am having to bite my tongue if someone annoys me.
Good point - hair - mine was shedding faster than normal when I was over - the shower plug was a nightmare. My blood levels clearly showed me as over the range on T4 and most importantly T3 when I was tested. 🤸🏿♀️🥛
If I go over medicated I go very weak. Even my speech goes slurred and trying to walk is difficult.
I don’t get hyper symptoms like most, I go very tired and weak. Then on reduction of medication I bounce back in a couple of days.
I have cortisol issues also so this might be linked.
I bought all my family a watch that records blood pressure and heart rate, these are great indicators of your thyroid. If your bp is high and your heart rate is racing then you could be well under medicated and your body is having to work too hard - every time you try to do anything you'll get these symptoms. Yes, a pregnancy can upset your hormones, and theoretically you may need less as you get older, but not this much and this actually sounds like under medicated. You should ask to see a consultant as your gp has no idea! One other idea occurs, as I'm pre-diabetic, I also use my watch to warn me if my sugar is too high that is high bp and low heart rate, it's always indicative. Pregnancy can start that off too, so ask to get your sugars checked too. All the best, don't let them fob you off.
Any chance you could send a link to thexwatch I have been thinking of buying one and not sure which one to get our which brand to look at!
Me too
Agree with above. You may be needing an increase rather than decrease. I had increase during pregnancy further increase after. Check your bloods and don't let doc just say it's in range. Get the labs and the ranges before you let them change your dose.
I thought I was once and I asked my doctor to reduce my dose. He was very reluctant, wanting to go by the blood tests, but willing to give it a trial. Within two months I was back on my usual dose at my request.
Doctors seem to be the least knowledgeable as they appear to only look at the TSH result. If it is very low they assume we've become hyper thyroid and lower dose but we need a TSH of 1 or lower.
Ask for a Full Thyroid Function Test (our body cannot function, especially brain and heart need the most T3 (converted from levothyroxine i.e. T4).
You need a Full Thyroid Function Test (not just TSH and T4) ask for the following if they've not been checked.
First and most important all Blood Tests for thyroid hormones have to follow this procedure:-
The earliest possible blood test,
fasting (you can drink water)
and allow a gap of 24 hours between your last dose and the test.
(I am assuming you take one daily dose?)
Request, TSH T4, T3, Free T4, Free T3 and antibodies (if you've not had antibodies tested before).
Always get a print-out of your results, with the ranges and post for comments.
Ranges are important as labs differ in their machines.
I am sorry you've been feeling so bad but the majority on this forum have/had problems initially.
p.s. if GP wont do all of these you can get a private blood test. Make sure hands/arms are warm and that you follow procedure above. They are home finger pin-prick blood tests so make sure arms/hands are warm. Many members have had to go this route.
Yes, I was over-medicated on 100mcg Levothyroxine but with a more typical sign: palpitations and A Fib. Your symptoms could mean anything and if your doctor does a blood test, s/he'll probably find that you're 'fine' (especially if you stop taking it meanwhile) and suggest you continue on that dose. I went to my GP four years ago about reducing Levo because I'd started getting a lot of palpitations; she refused as my TSH was still quite high. I ended up in Papworth for a week after an episode of uncontrolled rapid atrial fibrillation and have been dogged by that condition ever since (bouts in A&E with pulses of 120-180 per minute). It's exhausting and frightening. Also, an endo who'd been in the process of starting me on a combination of T3 with the Levo decided to back out of it as T3 is considered THE drug to cause A Fib. As far as I can tell, they do not admit that Levo can also cause it, but Levo definitely caused mine. I had to eventually take things into my own hands: I take a combo of T4/T3 and am quite afraid to increase my dose of either, but especially T4 (Levo), and any time I do, I get worse symptoms. I am also now on three different heart drugs that leave me permanently fatigued. Getting rapid A Fib has been a horrible, life-changing consequence for me being on too much Levothyroxine. I suggest you insist on getting not just your TSH checked but also at least your T3 and T4 levels as they will give you a better idea of what is really going on.
I suspect poor conversion due to mineral and vitamin deficiencies. For example, low b12 and low magnesium can cause depression / anxiety and irritability. As your t4 levels rise you need an equivalent increase in the things that help conversion as they can become depleted with the extra jobs they have to do. V important to get bloods checked.
Whenever I go on holiday abroad to somewhere sunny, or I’m out here in the sun for a week or so I become over medicated - I have a ’tell’, my nails on my little fingers lift from the nailbed - its just as well I have that indicator as all the other symptoms are, for me, pretty identical to being under medicated... I’ve started reducing from 175mg to 150mg over the summer and I’ll probably have to increase again shortly. I don’t bother the doctor with these facts as they’d simply not believe me - and no doubt reduce the dose down permanently as my TSH is considered low. Personally I prefer to actually feel well than have a TSH result over rule the clinical obs!
I was over medicated. Couldn’t sit still. Couldn’t fall asleep. Went thin. Mind not working rationally.
Symptoms of over and under medication can be so similar and may even overlap if you are over medicated on T4 yet not converting enough to T3.
We have called this “wired and tired”. But you really can’t tell where you sit unless you have the complete bloodwork including Free T4 and Free T3 ( and reverse T3 is helpful).
Were you hypothyroid before pregnancy? Pregnancy increases the need for T4 so you might be back to your pre-pregnancy requirement. Pregnancy may also have depleted your vitamin/mineral levels so someone should be checking all that for you, too.
In my opinion (admins feel free to disagree) because of the long half life backing off or holding levo for a few days up to a week won’t cause harm. If you’re already under medicated it may make you feel more awful; if you’re over medicated it may improve things but it could alter test results if your doc does bloods on Thursday.
Patti In AZ
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