Nightmares due to overmedication?: I have started... - Thyroid UK

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Nightmares due to overmedication?

Dea11 profile image
7 Replies

I have started adding 5mcg T3 late at night, as part of the process of finding my optimal dose for hypothyroidism. (I take 50mcg Levo and 10mcg T3 in the morning & 5mcg T3 in the afternoon)

Last night I was restless and had terrible nightmares around 3-5 hours after taking the late night dose and figured I'm taking too much/at the wrong time.

Has anyone else had nightmares when overmedicated?

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Dea11 profile image
Dea11
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7 Replies
RedApple profile image
RedAppleAdministrator

Dea11, If I take levo or any other thyroid med at night, I definitely have bad dreams. Night time dosing doesn't suite everyone, so it might well be time of day rather than being over medicated. Or of course, a combination of both 😔

beh1 profile image
beh1

Night time dosing of T3 keeps me awake for hours. I usually take second dose at 2.30 ish, no later than 4. Annoyingly we just have to do trial and improvement on ourselves.

MichouVP profile image
MichouVP

I haven't had dreams in years and have upon 2 occasions recently taken night dose and yup, nightmares. For me too much T3 causes my hands to shake a little bit when i hold them out straight.

humanbean profile image
humanbean

I don't take thyroid hormones at night because they make it hard for me to get to sleep.

On the other hand I've read that some people can't sleep without thyroid hormones. So I don't think there is a fixed timing that suits everyone.

Before I was treated for hypothyroidism I had had no dreams at all for many years, and before my dreams stopped I had lots of nightmares.

When I started treatment I started having dreams again, and quite a few of those were nightmares.

I think that for me it is too low a level of thyroid hormones that can create lack of dreams, or having nightmares.

Perhaps the proportion of T4 and T3 you are taking is wrong for you? 50mcg T4 is just a starter dose for most adults.

Dea11 profile image
Dea11 in reply tohumanbean

Thank you, humanbean My FT4 was 80%+ in the range on the 50mcg Levo, but T3 only 30% into range, so my endo suggested adding T3. Started with 10mcg a few months ago, and now he's increased it to 20mcg per day. Don't feel better, unfortunately. I haven't been taking all my regular supplements, so I'll restart those for a few weeks before tweaking the thyroid stuff. Still hoping I'll be able to figure it out! 🤞

humanbean profile image
humanbean in reply toDea11

Started with 10mcg a few months ago, and now he's increased it to 20mcg per day.

That's a very big increase in T3 in one go. It is usually suggested that people use smaller increases e.g. 5mcg per day. Some people with good cutting skills use even smaller increases.

Another thing is that some people do better taking T3 all in one go, others prefer split-dosing.

Did you feel better with the addition of T3?

Some people on Levo with high levels of Free T4 find that their levels drop when they start taking T3 as well.

Dea11 profile image
Dea11 in reply tohumanbean

I also thought that's a lot to add at once, so I added 5mcg first for a week (in the afternoon) and now also 5 at night - hence the nightmares. I'll stop the night time dose so that I'll be on 15mcg per day for now.I don't feel better with the addition of T3, but my symptoms fluctuate anyway so it isn't easy to tell.

Yes, my FT4 dropped when I added T3.

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