Tummy cramps like heartburn

[Gullysully84]

Has anyone els had bad tummy cramps being on Levothyroxine .eating and drinking gives my heart burn . This is a new thing with me now I’m on anti-acid tablets as doc thinks it’s acid reflux...

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Gut issues are extremely common when not on high enough dose of Levothyroxine

This is usually due to LOW stomach acid. Not high acid

Thousands of posts on here about low stomach acid

healthunlocked.com/search/p...

Links about low stomach acid

articles.mercola.com/sites/...

thyroidpharmacist.com/artic...

stopthethyroidmadness.com/s...

healthygut.com/articles/3-t...

naturalendocrinesolutions.c...

7 months ago you were only on 50mcg Levothyroxine this is only a starter dose

How much Levothyroxine are you now taking ?

75mcg or 100mcg?

Levothyroxine should be increased slowly in 25mcg steps upwards until TSH is under 2 (most need TSH well under one and the MOST IMPORTANT results are FT3 and FT4. FT4 should be in top third of range and FT3 at least half way in range

Recommended on here that all thyroid blood tests should ideally be done as early as possible in morning and before eating or drinking anything other than water .

Last dose of Levothyroxine 24 hours prior to blood test. (taking delayed dose immediately after blood draw).

This gives highest TSH, lowest FT4 and most consistent results. (Patient to patient tip, best not mentioned to GP or phlebotomist)

Your previous post showed that you were very Anaemic

What did GP prescribe?

What are most recent iron, ferritin, folate, B12 and vitamin D?

These need to be optimal

Vitamin D at least around 80nmol and around 100nmol may be better

Ferritin at least half way in range

Folate and B12 near top of range

What vitamin supplements are you currently taking?

Are you now on strictly gluten free diet?

And/or dairy free?

[Cooper27 in reply to SlowDragon]

Yes, low stomach acid has the same symptoms as high stomach acid, so I agree it may be low.

You can do a simple home test, first thing in the morning mix 1tsp of bicarb into 100ml of water & down it. If you have next to no burping within 3 minutes, your stomach acid is actually low.

I'm lactose intolerant and find dairy can also cause that burning sensation across the abdomen, so consider that as well.

[Gullysully84 in reply to SlowDragon]

Hi I’m still only on 50 as test come back my thyroid was back to normal.. but she ask me do I want to take high dose ,I said no as all was ok , but theses tummy pains are horrendous, I actually though it was pancreatitis.. not taking any supplements still but I am going to be taking iron, I’m getting bloods done for vit D .. I wanted to come off the Levothyroxine tbh .,

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Gullysully84]

Levothyroxine is not a medication it's a replacement thyroid hormone....one you can't live without

Suggest you get hold of last test results and come back with a new post

When correctly treated

TSH should be under 2

FT4 in top third of range

FT3 at least half way in range

All four vitamins need to be optimal

You are likely under treated and hypothyroid as direct result of being on far too low a dose

Levothyroxine must be taken on its own on empty stomach and then nothing apart from water for at least an hour after. It's an extremely fussy tablet and low stomach acid makes it difficult to absorb

List of hypothyroid symptoms

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/about_...

[Gullysully84 in reply to SlowDragon]

Ok wen all my test come back I’ll put the results here ... it’s just so confusing wen you don’t have the backing of a doctor that doesn’t feel it’s a big deal , I just get given different meds for thinks they might think it is .. I feel like I’m never going to get to the bottom of it all ... thank you for you help ....

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Gullysully84]

Thousands of us have been in similar situation. Hypothyroidism is actually complex disease as it causes such wide variety of symptoms

Sadly medics believe "just take this pill" and get better

Getting vitamins optimal is frequently critical

Always get actual results and ranges on all blood tests and keep good record of dose on at each test and main symptoms

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Gullysully84]

See from your first post you are on treatment for epilepsy.

There may be a link

seizure-journal.com/article...

Also epilepsy drugs may affect Thyroid levels

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/283...

[Gullysully84 in reply to SlowDragon]

Yes I am still taking them but been seizure Free for over a year prop two years , are you thinking to come of the epilepsy meds ?? Iv just started this morning omeprazole 20mg ... for acid reflux

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Gullysully84]

Definitely do not change any epilepsy medication

But this may possibly be why you need thyroid hormones as well....at correct levels

[Lora7again in reply to Gullysully84]

50mcg is a starter dose.

[milkwoman]

What brand of Levo are you taking? It could be the filler ingredients causing your stomach issues. I, myself, am very sensitive to fillers and can only tolerate one brand of Levo (Tirosint). I’m in the USA so this brand may not be available to you.

I’ve read on this site that folks have had issues with different brands. Here’s a link to just one thread discussing this:

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

If you search Thyroid UK you will find many more discussions on this very subject.

[Gullysully84 in reply to milkwoman]

Hi there I’ll have a look and let you no , I have found that silica gel is working for me it’s early days , but seems to be good so far .

[Gullysully84 in reply to milkwoman]

So the brand is North Star ..

[milkwoman in reply to Gullysully84]

Folks have had issues with Northstar. You might find this thread interesting:

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

[helvella Administrator in reply to milkwoman]

Just in case anyone is unclear on the branding/manufacturer:

Northstar is Actavis product in a different card outer pack. Packaged for McKesson Corporation/Celesion/AAH distributor/Lloyds pharmacies.

Similarly, Almus is also Actavis. Packaged for Alliance distributor/Boots pharmacies.

[Lora7again]

I am lucky I do not suffer with any gut issues but I have to be careful at this time of year because of the rich foods. Just eat everything in moderation and don't over do it with the wine or spirits.