Hello everyone so for the last few days I have noticed I get blurred vision eye pain. I know it is a side effect of Levothyroxine Sodium , just not sure if anyone else has the same problem. I increased the dose to 100 mg which my doctor said is fine. Just not sure if it is to do with it or not though.
Update I am being reffered to Eye Clinic today 03/01/20
Blurred vision can be caused by being undermedicated. Have you recent blood results?
Hello lalatoot good evening no not yet still trying to get my medical records thinking about paying via medichecks for full thyroid test. It is like stingy gunky eyes with blurred vision and eye pain like someone stabbing you in the eye balls. Only other thing I had was sneezing lately nearly blows my head off.
When undermedicated my eyes are stingy and watery first thing. They are blurry and feel fat. Once my levels improve my eyes just feel light and as if pressure has been removed. The bags under my eyes also go down.
I know it is a side effect of Levothyroxine Sodium
How do you know?
Hello greygoose good evening Looked it up online can be common blurred vision and eye pain to do with Levothyroxine, but I am thinking I also might have allergies to something not sure trying to find what causes it or worsens the symptoms. I know I have dry stingy eyes eye pain runny nose and sore throat and sneezing so might be an allergy oh well another trip to the doctor yet again.
Or it might be some sort of bug - there's a lot of it around!
I've never heard of that as a side-effect of levo. But, very often, what are listed as side-effects, are actually symptoms of taking too much or too little. So, if it's not a bug or an allergy, it's probably due to you not being on the right dose of levo, yet.
Hello greygoose good evening Thank you , you might be right about not on the right dose still feel not right and do have bags under my eyes. but seems like allergic conjunctivitis so going to have to get medication from the doctor. I don’t know one thing after the other lately. I know I had sinusitis a year ago very badly. I guess allergies and hypothyroidism are common. Went to the kitchen and had a sneezing fit then spent a hour in the bathroom sneezing.
Being hypo intensifies allergies - or triggers new ones. 
Hello greygoose good evening Oh dear that's not good not more allergies. Only things I take besides the Levothyroxine four hours from Levothyroxine is my B12 supplement Vitamin D3 supplement Zinc supplement and Omega 3 and propranolol and Paroxetine SSRI. So not sure what it could be if allergies apart my dog. I think I am going to have to figure out what is causing the allergies.
Well, I hope it's not your dog! But, it could be the fillers in any of those pills.
Hello greygoose good evening Hard to say which though might be the supplements or the Levothyroxine. Think I am going to have to just take the Levothyroxine in the morning but don’t take the supplements and see what happens. If the same thing happens then it’s the Levothyroxine if nothing happens then it’s the supplements. Process of elimination as they say.
Or, it could still be a bug. Or, under-medication. Don't lose site of those two possibilities.
Hello greygoose I won’t but I could be allergic to acacia in the Levothyroxine or lactose or maize starch but not sure how to check really or what tests are needed. Going to take the Eltroxin this morning before breakfast and the propranolol at night before bed away from each other and keep out supplements for the minute and see what happens. If still not right during the day than the Levothyroxine could be the problem if nothing happens on just the Levothyroxine than it’s not that but if it does then I will know. and if the propranolol if it’s not the propranolol then it’s not that but if it is causing the problem than I will know and if neither is the problem than it’s the supplements.
Ah, yes, it could be the acacia. Lots of people are allergic to that.
Hello Den1987UK- I just wanted to mention to you that propranolol is a thyroid suppressant.
Hello The-will-of-Jill okay that is good to now been on it for years 14 years for anxiety and panic attacks and night terrors before diagnosed with hypothyroidism this helps thank you.
You're welcome. I hope you get relief from your eye and allergy issues, etc etc soon
Hello The-will-of-jill thank you
It does cause muscle weakness and since your eyes need muscles to focus clearly then yes I would say blurred vision is a side effect
Hello Skylane could be but checked on web md website including advanced list of side effects and blurred vision and eye pain comes up on both propranolol Angilol and Eltroxin Levothyroxine Sodium Mercury Pharmaceuticals. So hard to say which it could be just trying to take the propranolol at night and Eltroxin before breakfast in the morning away from each other and leave out supplements today to see which is causing the problems. I know that fillers and ingredients in certain medication can cause problems.
Sounds like conjunctivitis! I would go to the pharmacy and speak to the pharmacist......
I had blurred vision when I was hypo last year. I even went the opticians thinking I was going blind and he looked at my retina and reassured me everything was ok. Now I can see clearly and my one eye no longer twitches or looks as swollen as it did (it seemed to bulge and I was worried about TED) I wear glasses for reading and sometimes I don't use them now because I don't need them and I am 60. Blurred vision, ringing in the ears and aching muscles are all signs of hypothyrodism and I had them last year but not now I am in remission. You are also on a low dose imho. Have you considered purchasing your own NDT and self medicating? I have found that NDT sometimes suits thyroid patients because it contains both T4 and T3. I used Thyroid S the year before last and got up to 1 1/2 grains (1 and 1/2 tablets) before I had a flare up and had to stop taking it.
this is all very interesting. i suffered from stinging watery eyes for years, ringing ears and aches since my 30's and never got to the bottom of it. i was diagnosed hyperthyroid 8 years ago due to large nodules which i was treated with RAI. I wasnt put on any medication for a further two years and then levo which did nothing for me and my dry stingy eyes continued - not all the time - it just flared up now and again. i am now self medicating with NDT and believe i am now on the correct dose and have just realised since reading these posts that i have not had sore eyes for the last 9 months which would indicate that it is due to thyroid problems or not being on the correct dosage of meds. makes me wonder if i had a thyroid problem for years but never knew and it makes you wonder how many people actually have a thryoid problem but dont know about it either
Hello thyroidnodules good afternoon sounds a bit like me anxiety nerves tingling and numbness tinnitus vertigo depression it’s awful I know that. I also might be allergic to something like either acacia or similar not sure what tests can be done to find out.
I’ve been advised not to take zinc when taking levothyroxine. Apparently it effects the levothyroxine
Are you low in zinc?
Would say from my experience it is definitely levothyroxine causing your eye problems...I have had same syptoms as you have for last three years..eye pain.fuzziness and bags and it doesnt matter what you do -it is not going away..know it is levo as I dont take anything else at all..have recently started taking vitamins but its still there!!!have had five pairs of new glasses in past year and its still there ...its less pronouced in the morning..but after taking my levo within a couple of hours its back..eyes feel swollen ans heavy as though you need a sleep after partying!!!bu there was no party..worried about TED and saw eye specialists last year and nothing is wrong...so Levo responsible without a doubt.
Hello Hurtlocker good morning I know I get nausea head aches vertigo blurred vision fast heart rate and pulse and muscle weakness it feels like you’re in a cloud when I take the Levothyroxine.
Maybe it is undermedicated if same as me when i felt i had leadweights on eyelids i stopped to skeep in laybys!! On no meds at that time🤷♀️
I suggest you get your eyes checked out to eliminate things like glaucoma. Also is the blurring in both eyes or just the one eye? Is it blurred all the time or is it intermittent? These are things you need to flag up to the optician/ophthalmologist if applicable.
Hello tcpace good morning Had eye test a 3 months ago
Slight pressure behind the eye was noted and asked to keep a copy of the opticians results.
Right eye
Sph +0.75 Cyl -0.50 Axis 170.0
Left eye
Sph + 0.75 Cyl -0.50 Axis 27
Not sure what the results mean
But do have glasses now both long distance and focus for reading etc
I've had this a few times, it happens when I'm quite under-medicated. I had it twice last year but as soon as my levels improved it went away.
What did optician say please as wouldn't recognise about doses
First couple of times it happened I went to optician who said they could find nothing wrong and to come back if persisted. Wrongly, I stopped going as they couldn't see anything and just waited until meds increased and it went away again. Sorry, I'm sure this won't help you much.
Hello Jeppy Same my optician keeps saying nothing wrong no pressure eye health fine even though my eyes have focus issues and dry eyes. Now have glasses for focus reading etc and long distance aviation rim glasses with special dark tinted lenses.
I've been thinking the same.. I've had blurred vision andni wear glasses for reading and distance and it's a new prescription and surely my sight hasn't changed in 5 weeks....
Hello MjM 2015 good morning I have the Same thing as yourself blurred vision vertigo nausea and fast heart rate and pulse and blood pressure and feeling like in a cloud of fog. I have had to have new glasses for distance too.
Not to scare, when my prescription changed quickly I had a cataract. But on reflection I wasn't seeing colour as clearly
Good morning. I have the same thing and asked the doctor and he said " it has nothing to do".
Hello Xiflo I think it is to do with the fillers binders or ingredients in the Levothyroxine but not the T4 itself or my other medication propranolol could be causing it.
Blurred vision can occur if you are under medicated and so not necessarily linked with Levo by name. It happens aswell on NDT. if you are under medicated then the muscles holding the lens in place can be saggy and not holding the lens in the correct place. I’ve recently found out it can also affect the movement of the eye in the socket! I went to the optician after an issue with my new glasses so was given more extensive testing which showed I was t able to move my eye ball as easily as I should. Unknown to the eye experts id also temporally lowered my thyroid dose so after putting it back up I’m almost back to what it should be. So firstly I should get your meds checked and then take it from there. The gunny stuff though sounds like an infection caused by eye make up, eyelashes or any thing that gets into the eye so lids can stick together through that. I bought some Blephasol from the optician. You don’t put it into the eye but wipe the lids and lashes and it removes the gunk. I’m told it can come back but not much of an issue once you know how to deal with it.
Hello silverfox good afternoon okay thank you I think I might be allergic to the acacia in the Levothyroxine or allergic to the propranolol but not sure do get muscle stiffness muscle cramps and bad physical nerves tingling in feet and hands when taking Levothyroxine or propranolol. So having to go back to the doctor this afternoon.
Well good idea to work through every suggestion anyway as we probably are very different from the next patient and there are many things we know could upset us. Like any thy answer on a forum they are suggestions as we can all have different suggestions to different problems. It does make sense though if we have no ideas to look at the things most likely and so prioritise.
I've been wondering the same thing.
Just to add my own experience...
This year lots of ups and downs with my thyroid levels and at the same time blurry vision.
My ophthalmologist just changed my prescription saying it couldn't be anything else. I now have a multitude of different glasses but I only really need the readers not the distance ones!
Just beware of changing glasses. They are expensive and may not be necessary.
Hello notdoingwell good afternoon I know it’s well expensive. Think I might be allergic to the acacia powder in the Levothyroxine.
Den, you may be right about allergies. Sinus can make your eyes feel like that. May be a sinus infection brought on by allergies. Best wishes for quick recovery.
Hello BonnieG123 good afternoon thank you I know hypothyroidism and allergies go hand in hand and does happen. I think it might be the acacia powder in the Levothyroxine ingredients.
The most insidious indirect cause of some thyroid symptoms are trigger points forming that refer pain or discomfort to other parts of the body. There is some evidence that high cortisol levels contribute to myofascial trigger point activity. This aligns with the fact that those with a TSH higher than 2.0 (therefore lower-than-adequate T3 levels) will tend to have higher cortisol levels than a person with a TSH < 2.0
In the case of blurry vision, the SternoCleidoMastoid (SCM) muscle is potentially the culprit. "Because these muscles are responsible for positioning the head in space, they are intimately tied to vision and hearing."
The way to determine this is to pinch the SCM muscle, starting from the top and working down to the bottom on each side. If there is noticeable pain when pinched, you can assume that some of the symptoms you're experiencing, including eye issues, could be the result of having formed trigger points in the SCM muscle, which can cause a diverse number of symptoms.
TP therapy is effective and can resolve a number of seemingly bizarre pain symptoms that might occur throughout the body.
CAUTION: You have to be careful about pinching any muscles in the neck area, since there are veins and arteries in the vicinity. There are some good references online as well as books on trigger points that are a beneficial addition to your thyroid library.
I have it too. Too much AND too little thyroid hormone can cause it, though apparently the reasons are different. I take eye drops called Systane Balance which does help. In the UK you first have to be examined at the optician's. They should give you a recommendation for them which you have to take to the doctor to prescribe. Chemists sell them over the counter but they are quite expensive. You can also get special eye wipes but I don't think the doctor will prescribe those.
Hello Jnetti good evening got a doctor refferal for Optometrist eye clinic tomorrow and Doctor arranging MRI on thyroid and neck specialist and nerve specialist neurology. Have also got to re register for EMIS Online Access because the service was not yet avalable when I signed up in 2015 at GP Practice to access my Medical Records online .That's terrific lol Also have a MRI booked privately for brain scan on the 11th of January.
Hi im sorry been unable to read all replies but just want to say i had blurry and iv had eye stabs now and again
Ive picked up with reading it naybe a hadhi swing time? Coukd this be linked? Moreso than directly to levo
I wasnt on levo when at its worst as was undiagnosed and was when i put on lots of weight so hypo linked id say
I was in very stressful job and needed new glasses prescription a few times as got cateracts too
Hooe it has conclusion soon
Hello Jeppy good evening. Yep you could have hypothyroidism and diabetes as well. Had eye test today and no pressure or inflammation and eyes apparently look healthy and okay. So doing full vitamin blood test via medichecks and also having brain scan done and MRI done on thyroid and have an appointment for neurologist at neurology. Hopefully I can pin down and find out what is wrong.
Oh that's relief for,you And you are having a thorough mot Have you experienced a feeling of pressure too I've had achy head too
Hello Jeppy good evening. Yep head aches are not good and migraines and brain fog and now have ear infection so now have vertigo and light headedness on top. My nerves are bad and anxiety and depression and get tremors and have high blood pressure and fast heart rate and pulse and carpal tunnel syndrome. I was on 50 mg Levothyroxine for 1 1/2. Years and felt good and okay. Now feel terrible and unwell was then increased by my doctor to 75 mg but have increased to 100mg Levothyroxine and due another blood test on 25 February to if the dose increase helped but still feel not right. Might have to speak to my doctor and increase to 125mg
Eye pressure too? No
....i had vertigo carpel Den.
As akways, are vitanins ootimal?
When i had caroel and pre eclampsia iv read is connected to low D. Hows your b12
Lol im sounding like a doc
Sorry youve had this blip its disheartening i know but it will settle as it does
Are adrenals ok and other thing is work on gut health
DrP rated this very highly
Good luck
Hello Jeppy good evening Thank you getting adrenal glands checked and vitamin levels checked on Tuesday and Ultrasound on thyroid on 16th of January and MRI brain scan and ultrasound on Kidneys.
Wow im really pleased for you to be able to eliminate these
Hello Jeppy yes it is good to do all the tests one reason for brain scan is that my mum has pressure on the brain Arnold Chiari Malformation.
Ps. If helps to split levo dose into two over 24 hrs give it a go as I couldn't tolerate it in one go
....if you said you went from 50 to 100 that's too much as need to go up to 75 first for six weeks then retest
I get eye pain and worsened vision when my dose is too low; it improves with increased meds.
Thnks. Im fretting
Understand
..may i say the flip side is once your euthroyd you have quality sadly many of us struggled for years undiagnose
Wont make you feel better i know
Are you Hashimotto autoimmune
Hello Jeppy Might be not sure doctor still doing tests. Rare thing is my brother who is 9 years older than me has the exact same condition as me recently diagnosed with hypothyroidism.
But auoimmune im sure is genetic,
Had you other conditions i had psirosis vitillugo pre eclampsia.
Have you gad antibody checks
Hello Jeppy I have high blood pressure hypertension and carpal tunnel syndrome and Raynauds poor circulation and Polycythemia blood disorder and acne. Doctor still checking antibodies.
And helpful to check thyroid ones too, hashimotto. As then can maybe take out gluten, helped me a lot
Bit by bit aye, im sure youll feel different when the results come in
I dint know much if all those labels but coukd root cause be hypothyroud
Have you seen extensive list if symptoms on the site pages
I know and the more we naturally stress doesnt help us when energy goes out of boots but we turn the corners and things improve again
When get bloods on here will help im sure
...def. and you mystnt fight! Its law to have them just say this as assertive as can a lot of dics. Sorry docs ( o dear im without specs in my phone) lot of surgeries put your results on line now with password anyway
Hello Jeppy unfortunately my doctor does not like telling the truth very evasive but I have to fight to get what I want done not literally fight but try to explain and reason with them. I am always being told it’s normal lol
Tell me about it
I had endo letter in file that says get her tsh between 0 and 2
Unbelievably after six week bloods and tsh nearly 4 tge doc reports back ‘ normal no action’!!!!!!!! Unveluevable the lack of communication
Why dint docs know this 🙈
Hello Jeppy I know it’s like they want you to suffer instead of get better and feel good. For 2 weeks I was up and down my gp practice and doctors more times than I could count trying to get things sorted out. I was thinking of moving in at one point joke lol
That will all change as you get informed here im sure
And maybe change your doc and ask for endo
Going out now
Good wishes!!
Hello Jeppy Thank you hopefully things will get better eventually .
Best wishes to you too
Bye
O yes re that other one you could search Hashimotto swings as in this event the tsh goes up for a while (I think it's to do with thyroid offloading cells into bloodstream).
It sorts itself but read that some people have their doses adjusted without waiting for it to settle so this is counterproductive - my endo yesterday wasn't on board with this as good as he seems. But he did comment it is far less likely to happen if taking levo 🤷♀️
Hello Jeppy yep doctors will say anything to get rid of you these days as I know myself. It does not solve everything Levothyroxine helps with some things but not everything it won’t get rid of Raynauds or carpal tunnel or hypertension high blood pressure and other issues those are part of hypothyroidism but are separate things and conditions that ultimately have to be treated separately from hypothyroidism even though hypothyroidism causes them. I get burning feet syndrome something chronic my feet ache every night and feels like I walked barefoot across hot coals. I hate it that and Raynauds and carpal tunnel and dropping things occasionally anything just slips out of my hands and at 32 it’s horrible. Oh and all my joints pop and click including finger joints that ache.
I'm not a doctor but , have you looked at the list of all the symptoms and conditions hypo can cause
Is carpel due to fluid around medium nerve, or is it from a trauma
I've had both, the trauma one was sorted with homeopathic treatment and it recovered in two weeks
The other was fluid I believe in pregnancy
Unsure what Reynard is
Hello Jeppy I think I have the one with median nerve damage due for operation for it which scares the hell out of me apparently they cut where the thumb is making an incision then repair the median nerve you will have a scar on thumbs apparently. Raynauds is poor circulation where your fingers and hands and feet turn blue due to cold weather so have to avoid very cold temperatures. Can lose your fingers and or toes if not careful Raynauds can be due to smoking I quit last year hypothyroidism or propranolol beta blockers which I was on but not now. I have been through hell in my life had fights broken nose multiple times fell through a garage roof got back up walked off from it. Been in hospital loads of times and got stabbed in thigh ten years ago knife had to be removed in hospital the pain was unbearable. Now I am paying the price it seems. But I have saved lives too so I suppose that’s a good few deeds.
Its the frystration abd stress invilved as we feel we have a battle
Hello Jeppy funny one was that my doctor said that FT4 at 18 is normal oh I laughed my head off lol
Sorry need a range but think may be ok🤷♀️ Are you confusing with t3
Unsure but thought the top third of range for t4 is ok so 18 is and no they rarely do t3 even my last endo not interested in t3 that is why we have it done in Medichecks. It should be in top third for wellness the site will ask you for it when you post on results with you B12. D ferritin and folic acid resukts too, also the antibody check (all can be got on medichecks if not got them )
And if you use Search box you can see other posts just put the subject in, it can be helpful to read back
Dashing dash lol
Hi everyone. I'm new here, I am diagnosed with hypothyroidism and using meds for 6 months now. I started to get blury vision as well. Do you think it's worth to mention to my gp? I'm having another blood test on Monday as my moods are very low. I'm always tired and have muscle pains everyday.. i'm only on 75 mg a day.
Hello Ambrazina good evening welcome to the forum . Sounds like the same problems and symptoms I get. I was diagnosed 2 1/2 years ago . I have muscle spasms , muscle aches , muscle twitches , muscle cramps , headaches , papitations ,brain fog and memory problems thinking problems , joint clicking and joint pains and anxiety and depression and muscle wastage . I also have high blood pressure Hypertension , Raynauds Disease which is a type of poor circulation and arthiritis which makes the fingers finger tips and hands and toes turn white or blue especially in cold weather . All these symptoms and conditions and many more symptoms and conditions are caused by Hypothyroidism look on Thyroid UK website for a list of all the symptoms and conditions. I also have allergies and glucose intolerance and polycythemia blood disorder and recurrent infections and hair strands falling out and all this for a guy at 32 years old and my brother has the same condition hypothyroidism can and does run in families apparently . As for the blurred vision could be the levothyroxine or the hypothyroidism or like me both causes it I would say to get an appointment with a opticians as I did and now have glasses for reading and long distance because of focus issues were found at opticians . Getting an opticians appointment is a really good idea . I would also get blood tests done for full thyroid function TFT , Thyroid levels free thyroxine FT3 and FT4 hormone levels and antibodies TG and TPO tested for Hashimotos a type of hypothyroid auto immune disease the higher the anibodies the more chance you have Hshimotos. Also get a blood test done for Vitamin B12 D3 and Ferritin and Folate and also Vitamin K2 to make sure vitamin levels are not low. Also you would need a blood test for Celiac Disease if no Celiac Disease go Gluten Free to avoid leaky gut. Also avoid Soya at all costs and alcohol and smoking . Once you know the blood results post them on the forum and we can help and advise you further .
Hope this helps
Thank you
Den
Thank you! Is that something that gp would do or I nesd to go somewhere private?
I saw an optician when I had blurred vision just to check there was nothing wrong with my eyes. My vision is no longer blurred now and I sometimes forget to use my reading glasses because I don't need them. When I was really ill I was unable to drive because of my eyes.
Hello Lora7again good evening yep same I forget my glasses and door keys and names lol it's terrible . I now have glasses for reading and long distance.
Hello Ambrazina good evening your GP should and can do the relevant blood tests for vitamin levels and thyroid function and thyroid hormone levels , but if not you can do the blood tests through Medichecks £29.00 pounds upwards they have special deals on Thursdays. Some doctors and GP'S won't do it because of cost unfortunately like my GP who will not do anything and believes everthing is normal lol , nothing is normal about having a thyroid condition or disease so do not let them tell you otherwise.
Hope this helps
Thank you
Den
Hi I know this is an older post, but just wanted to add that I also have blurry vision when I take Levothyroxine. Was taking various kinds of desiccated thyroid hormone (mostly Naturethroid) without any problems, but every time I switch to Levo I notice it within a few days. It is listed as a 'rare' side effect of the medication. So yes, I agree with others that either the Levo is causing the vision problems or it is undermedication that is causing it.
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