How Dangerous is a long term Levothyroxine Over... - Thyroid UK

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How Dangerous is a long term Levothyroxine Overdose?

17 Replies

Summary - Overdosed on Levo for two years, suffering severe hypers. These stopped when dose finally corrected but now, I have had to leave work, sell my house, and give up my pass times having been diagnosed with Heart Failure, are they related? Full Story Below......

Having suffered acute memory loss after brain infection I changed GP's to get the level of attention the hospital told me I needed. During the transfer, my Levo dose was accidentally increased from 150ug to 250ug. For the next two years I suffered regular hypers, nausea and sweating etc. but every few months I would collapse and be taken to hospital by ambulance. I have no idea what was done with me but I was usually released the same day, a few ideas were considered such as seizures, I lost my licence until I could get this cleared by a private specialist who basically considered the hospital doctors suggestion preposterous. Unfortunately, he had no answer for me. After two years and a lot of stress, pain and suffering I went to a different hospital when I felt similar symptoms starting. On this occasion it turned out to be a stomach bug but the doctor asked me if I was on Thyroid medication, I confirmed this and he told me to stop taking it immediately and see my GP as my levels were through the roof. I did this and on investigation the mistake was uncovered, my GP insisted this was not responsible for the symptoms I was having and even suggested they might be caused by Huntington's disease, I had chosen many years ago not to be tested for this. I changed back to my original GP and have not had any further instances of said hypers since lowering the dose.

I noticed however that my health did not completely recover. Although there was a massive improvement after getting the dose correct, physically and mentally things were gradually becoming harder to do and I eventually had to quit my job and sell my house. By the end of 2019 I could barely breathe and was taken to hospital where a specialist kept me in and wanted to do some tests on a shadow on my lung. Unfortunately, before he could do this, a night doctor decided to move my bed at 4am thus disturbing my rest and due to the change of environment (it was much colder) my ability to breathe. This is another story but basically, I was forced to sign myself out to avoid a dose of oral morphine to which I have a severe allergy. He forced me to do this despite me having a BP of 220/120 and I was discharged into the winter cold with untreated Pneumonia, no means of getting home and before 5am. The police eventually brought me back to the hospital as soon as my wife found out and alerted them, but I was given an antibiotic and sent home, no test on my lung shadow.

This brings me to a couple of weeks ago. Still feeling very unwell I finally got up the courage to contact my GP and get some tests done due to the Virus threat. It was Friday and I had an appointment for Monday morning, but I decided to order a new BP Monitor as mine was broken. The Monitor arrived from Amazon on Sunday afternoon and I checked my blood pressure several times. I had thought my blood pressure at the hospital was due to the anxiety I suffered at the hands of the hospital doctor that morning and in any case was not in any fit state before now to even look at a doctor. It was only the fear of Covid 19 and my love for my wife that convinced me to make this move.

My BP was 208/137, I phoned the out of hours service and was in hospital that evening. They spent a week doing tests and discovered the shadow was still there and that it represented fluid on the lining of the lung. This was to be dealt with at the outpatient’s clinic and, with my BP satisfactory, the hospital had me ready for discharge that Friday. Before discharge however I suffered a spell of dizziness and spots before my eyes. A quick ECG was ordered, and I was rushed to the cardiac intensive care. You can imagine my face as I was told I was having a heart attack. The Cardiologist held my hand as she told me and asked if I would like to contact anyone, I phoned my wife but I had to get the doctor to talk to her as I couldn't tell her.

The rest of the evening passed, everything was a blur and I was having gadgets, needles and stickers put everywhere. I don't know how much time had passed but we were well into the next day when another Cardiologist came and told me that there were no markers for me having had a heart attack but that I was suffering heart failure and had lost a third of my heart capacity. They wanted to keep monitoring me and said they were now going to keep me in and do the tests on the fluid in my lung. Due to previous experience, not just the one in December last, I have a fear of hospitals and my anxiety was rising. This got worse when they moved me onto the lung ward I was in before Christmas, and I really struggled. I spoke to the lead nurse and explained my circumstances as well as what they could do to make life easier for me, this is something I have learned to do since my brain injury back in 2014.

The fluid was to be taken from my lung at my bedside, the needle would be going into my back and local aesthetic was to be administered. The first attempt failed when the needle collided with a rib resulting in great pain and me apologising for my sudden movement because of said pain. The second attempt was a success with several vials of fluid removed for testing. Unfortunately, the fluid was not what the consultant was expecting so we are still barely over the starting line. Something to do with the wrong proteins I think they said. I did have a discussion with a couple of doctors about a possible relationship between my two year overdose on Levo and my heart failure but they were adamant it was not related, following my experience at this hospital over the past 5 months I am not convinced they are being entirely truthful.

I would love to know what others think!

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17 Replies
jimh111 profile image
jimh111

So sorry you had so many problems. I only know about the thyroid side. Taking excess levothyroxine can damage the heart in the long term. I'm not sure about an extra 100 mcg over two years but clearly it was affecting you. Some patients need these high doses some do not.

You refer to going 'hypo' can you claify what you mean? We usually use 'hypo' as a shortened form of hypothyroid but I'm not sure you mean this.

It would be well worthwhile asking for copies of your medical records, especially thyroid blood tests. Purely as a patient I don't think the excess levothyroxine caused your heart problems but they certainly wouldn't have helped. This is an amatuer opinion from a patient.

in reply tojimh111

Thanks for your response. Sorry I used Hypo I meant Hyper, mix them up all the time.

A few months after the dosage increase I started having strange dizzy spells and visual disturbances simultaneously. This would occur once a month and last for about 5 days with each episode lasting about 5 minutes, the period between episodes varied from say an hour to several hours. I would then be clear of them for around 3 weeks. Every second or third spell (say every quarter or so) I would suffer a complete loss of consciousness and be rushed to hospital, most times I would be awake but unresponsive and some times out cold.

Since the overdose was discovered, and corrected a few years ago, I have not had a single such episode. Last year I started judging my Levo requirement by how I feel on a particular dose over a two month period, 50ug was too low and neither the doc or myself were happy, 75ug was a lot more comfortable for me but my doctor felt it was still a bit low so I have just started on 100ug. I would like to get to a dose of Levo where I feel most comfortable then see if other supplements might help finish the job, not sure I will get my way though. I will edit my original post, thanks for making me aware of my mistake. Stay Safe!

jimh111 profile image
jimh111 in reply to

If you feel 100 mcg is too much feel free to drop it to 75 mcg. Patients often have difficulty getting doctors to prescribe enough but the opposite can happen. Doctors are sometimes inclined to target the middle of reference intervals but the interval covers the range in which 95 percent of the population will fall. So, some people will naturally fall near the top or bottom of the intervals or even a little outside. We are all different so find your ideal spot.

Sharoosz profile image
Sharoosz in reply to

You might try 75 on weekends and 100 on weekdays and see how you feel. One of my previous endos had me on a slightly lower dose on weekends for a time (until I went to another.) Or split a tablet and have 88ish.

in reply toSharoosz

When I was originally diagnosed I ended up on 175, this was eventually dropped to 150. For some years I just followed what my GP told me to do then in 2014 I suffered a brain infection and had to change surgeries to get the after care I needed. Unfortunately during the change over my thyroxine dose was increased to 250 and due to me having no memory at the time I was unaware. This had dire consequences for me for two years and while the main issue is the damage to my heart the discoveries I made while going cold turkey from the overdose got me thinking. I realised there was a comfort zone at a certain level (75) where I felt relaxed but my test results were off the chart. I did some reading up and discovered that treatment for this condition is more an art than a science with so many tweeky bits, like playing a musical instrument. Real hormone, synthetic hormone, T4, T3 and loads of other stuff that doctors who should know better ignore, equivalent to a motor mechanic replacing the oil in your car with cooking fat and saying "Do rightly". Why do we accept this, these people get paid enough to do the job right, there is a difference between keeping someone alive and giving someone a life. I am in no doubt this overdose is responsible for the damage to my heart and now I have to explain to my wife that I might only have 5 years left to live, I am only 60 and she is not even 50 yet. The doctor never even said sorry and other doctors don't want to know me in case they get mixed up in this mess. I just want my life back, I want to be telling my wife I love her when she is 60 and beyond.

in reply to

I have the opposite problem because at the last increase TSH became suppressed and T4 over range, yet reducing the dose made me feel worse though it took a few months to be sure. Also, the slight palpitations that appeared after the last increase have got more frequent, though an ECG was normal last week.

How to tell if I actually became overdosed last time and reduced too late to prevent the palps getting worse or am still underdosed, or need T3 or what! :-O

But you have had a truly terrible time, no comparison. Do hope you feel better very soon

in reply to

Kinglouie, my doctor recently put me on 100mcg one day and 75 the next. As long as you have a system in place to take the right dose on the right day it works well. All the best to you after all you've been through.

FrostyKnickers profile image
FrostyKnickers

Hi, I'm sorry your doctors have been so useless mine were too.

I might be being radical but why not get a full medichecks panel done? You can order online and do the test at home. It is possible that being on a dose of T4 that is high and not being converted to t3 has caused at least some of your problems despite what the doctors have said.

I didn't get well until I found Stop the Thyroid Madness and although some will disagree, at 58 I have more energy than many of my much younger colleagues and probably work a lot more hours too.

Good luck

Just a wee update. I went to my 9.15am appointment with the heart nurse this morning, my first appointment following my diagnosis with heart failure. This was made by by my GP at his request but I was turned away by a receptionist who gave no other reason than "we can only have 4 patients in at a time". No problem, I will just go home and die then. So what do I do now, I am pretty certain the doctor doesnt know he did that.

in reply to

Was that at the GPs or in the hospital? If at the GP's ring them first thing to explain why you couldn't keep your appointment.

If no joy, write to the practice manager to complain.

Same sort of thing if at the hospital.

After all, if they give you an appointment and don't cancel there is no excuse for letting you down like that

in reply to

I am used to it, it normally takes 6 to 7 weeks to get an appointment and most of the receptionists are really obnoxious. What gets me in it was the doctor that called me to make the appointment. I was there 10 minutes before my time but waited in my car as a few people were standing right at the entrance not distancing themselves. I was sitting only a few metres from them right in front of the door when I phoned to let reception know I was outside, a lot of good that did me. Receptionist didn't even ask if I had an appointment.

in reply to

So you were given no opportunity to tell them you had an appointment?

Have you rung the surgery? It sounds as if the receptionist was to blame for not checking you had an appointment. If no success write to the practice manager. It's their job to sort out things like that.

I am so sorry to hear your struggle with this.

in reply to

Appreciate that, thanks. I don't mean to be seeking sympathy, just still venting my anger I guess. What I am trying to do is discover if there is any way to get evidence that might prove the Thyroxine overdose caused the heart damage. I am in no doubt as I was fit as a fiddle and very active in 2014, even managed to pass several annual HSE Diving medicals up until a couple of years ago when I started struggling.

in reply to

If you find a way to prove, let me know as I am looking for the same thing. My blood tests did show I was pretty severely overmedicated (the doctor didn't notice and didn't alert me for 6 months! OMG!) You should have access to your blood test that show hyper and perhaps a good lawyer could find an expert who could testify on your behalf. I have visited with three top medical malpractice attorneys and was told the same thing by each - that you have to 1) need surgery or 2) have permanent damage. I don't have either but I have suffered terribly for 2 years (the year I was overdosed and the last year as I am still trying to heal). Good luck - no words for how frustrating this is!

in reply to

Mine is a bit more simple to prove, I was on 150ug for quite a while when I changed surgeries to get help with a brain infection. My records show a sudden change from 150ug to 250ug immediately after the move and there is no blood test to warrant the change. How this went on and was missed for two years despite me collapsing and being taken to hospital on a dozen occasions who knows. Problem is trusting the courts here regardless of the evidence, difficult getting a decision against the British Government /NHS.

in reply to

Yes no blood tests needed to show your increase was a mistake. I can completely relate as I went to emergency room several times in my 6 months when I was overmedicated. Hope you can get fair treatment from the courts - totally understand how that goes.

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