Feeling worse

[JCMartin]

Hi, now on 50 Levo and my breathing is worse and my mood has really been low. Is it just because its only been 3 days on 50? Do i just ride it out for a while? I was feeling so positive but now rather distraught as the prospect of it not working. Havent told anyone im feeling worse as they are proably sick of hearing my troubles and were so please i was on the mend. I can cope with all the symptoms except the breathing - so fed up with being confined. Sorry, moaning again. Also i have 2mm Thyroid nodules - they are leaving these? Is this usual?

[SlowDragon Administrator]

is 50mcg the same brand as 25mcg

You could try splitting the dose ……25mcg waking and 25mcg at bedtime or early evening

It’s extremely common to feel worse (sometimes much worse) before symptoms start to improve

It takes minimum 5-7 days for each dose to get “in your system “

And 6-8 weeks before retesting thyroid levels

[JCMartin in reply to SlowDragon]

Thankyou. I will perservere. I may try splitting. The 50mcg is different its accord. Was tempted to try 5-HTP or Tyrosine in the meantime. Any thoughts on alternative antidepressents and Thyroid meds? Not taken anything for depression before - but feel like i am falling apart slightly. Definately part of it is the lack of excercise.

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to JCMartin]

Which brand was 25mcg ?

[FallingInReverse in reply to JCMartin]

Falling apart… lack of exercise… I can relate !

Depression and anxiety are SYMPTOMS of your low thyroid hormones. Your depression is not the root cause to be treated.

As your Free Ts improve, that symptom will improve also.

Of course there are people on here who have been and/or are on anti-depressants, and will have more first hand knowledge there. And of course there are people who are both clinically depressed and hypothyroid who need both treated.

In my opinion and own experience, I am letting the thyroid hormone replacement do its job for the multitude of symptoms that can all be traced back to low Ts.

[JCMartin in reply to FallingInReverse]

Thank you. I feel i keep pretending to my family/friends that i am much better - which probably is not helping me. I think this is because i am trying to convince myself (if that makes sense). I do always try and be positive but feel like its all catching up with me at once. Like many on here its been a long journey. I have felt ill since June.

[FallingInReverse in reply to JCMartin]

Me too.

First - remember … MOST people end up feeling better. The ones who are here are still on their way. And then many of them too will roll off feeling better.

Remember also - let this board and the awesome people on it be your guide. It is a long road, but at least we know we are going in the right direction.

Yes, we reset the clock of our expected timeframe … but do not give up hope. You’ll have everything you need here to figure it out.

In the meantime - stay on new dose for 6-8 weeks. Post if any symptoms worry you. You will find more patience in you than you thought you ever had !

[JCMartin in reply to FallingInReverse]

Thank you for your kind words. I appreciate all the great support on here.

[FancyPants54 in reply to JCMartin]

Many of us here have struggled with this condition and the things it does to our lives for many years, June is really not a long time. Most of us don't get diagnosed within 6 months. Just calm down and relax into your treatment. You can't rush it. You don't need other meds, but you need to be kind to yourself and accept that 50mcg of thyroxine is a starter dose and you will likely need several more dose increases before things really start to improve.

A good plan for now is to stop telling people you feel better, and tell them that you have learned that it will take months of slow dose adjustments to hopefully find your personal sweet spot when you will feel well again. Meantime rest, don't force yourself to do things that take energy. No outings or sports or physical impact stuff. You will only make things worse and delay recovery if you do.

Many people feel initially better, then worse again as they increase meds. By the 8-12 week mark of an increase the dose will have settled and if you still feel worse it's time to book a blood test and get the next increase. And with 50mcg doses, it's enough to pretty much switch off your own thyroid but not enough to replace the dose properly so you could well be lower in hormone now than you were on 25mcg. But there is nothing to do to improve that position other than to wait and test and increase 8-12 weeks after increasing to 50mcg. If you feel really awful you could test at 6-8 weeks.

You can get there, but it takes patience and time. Lots of time. And understanding from family and friends. Some of my friends are totally heartless about my position. I never mention it now. But they treat my obvious and visible issues as if they are invisible. I've given up expecting anything else. I accept them for what they are. But deep inside I know I won't be putting myself out for them again as I have in the past. They will get from me what I get from them. Superficial help and attention. My husband is magnificent though. You do have to tell people that you have a hidden illness, that you are working hard to get better but that it is going to take a long time and before then you have very little energy to live on. You can do it. Take this forced "downtime" to read books on hypothyroidism. We have to learn all we can for ourselves. Our doctors don't help us much.

[JCMartin in reply to FancyPants54]

Dont get me wrong i think i have struggled for many years - but since June my breathing has been bad and ive been in and out of hospital. I think i was misdiagnosed with menopause historically due to my symptons and eventually give HRT. I wonder if this was nescessary now. I will of course stick with it - its the lack of excercise which is the hardest now i now i am eventually going to recover. Historically i sat on my bed watching my heart shoot up and down wtg for it to eventually stop. Not being diagnosed is the worst. Wtg for a heart CT and loop recorder to be fitted - but i am positive. One step at a time.

[FancyPants54 in reply to JCMartin]

HRT is necessary for all of us I think. We certainly need to try to balance both sex and thyroid hormones.

[JCMartin in reply to FancyPants54]

Yes but i am still getting my monthlys so they may have jumped the gun. But sticking to it now i have it.

[FancyPants54 in reply to JCMartin]

I certainly would stick with it. It will give you an easier perimenopause journey. Peri can start 10 years before meno and it's a massive roller-coaster ride of hormones that fluctuate by the day. Sometimes by the hour. Smoothing that out is a good idea if we can.

[JCMartin]

It was the Tevo which definately didnt agrre with me.