Pulsing in ears - increase in Levothyroxine - Thyroid UK

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Pulsing in ears - increase in Levothyroxine

Smartypants1 profile image
21 Replies

this might sound like an odd one but I increased my dose of Levo from 50mcg to 75 two days ago. Tonight I can hear my heartbeat in my ears….after googling I think it’s pulsatile tinnitus. Do you think the two may be linked? Just seems like a bit too much of a coincidence and it’s making me feel quite anxious.

thanks lovely people!

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Smartypants1
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21 Replies

weirdly I had this on 75mcg levo too…this dose was too high for me and it went away after I lowered dose but everyone is so different that may not be the cause for you.

I also read that low iron/ferritin which I also have can cause that type of tinnitus too.🤔

Smartypants1 profile image
Smartypants1 in reply to

That’s interesting. I’ll see how it pans out x

SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator

what are your most recent B12 and folate results

What vitamin supplements are you taking

Tinnitus often low B12

Smartypants1 profile image
Smartypants1 in reply toSlowDragon

Hi SlowDragon

Ferritin 32 (10-322)

Iron 11 (10-30)

Folate 11.2 (5.4-24)

B12 473 (211-911)

I’m virtually vegan now after eliminating dairy (still eating eggs) so I did buy the B12 and B complex recommended on here. I haven’t started those yet as I started on the iron first and will introduce them all slowly. I also have some vitamin D to take too as this was 43 ((50-250)

Thank you so much

SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator in reply toSmartypants1

So these are all too low

Suggest you start separate B12 now

Add vitamin B complex in a week or so

Guost profile image
Guost in reply toSlowDragon

Yes I have that too. Try to reduce it to 65 see if that helps xx

HealthStarDust profile image
HealthStarDust

I has a strange bubbling behind my nose, and a cracking sensation at a lower dose. Eventually, I also had an ear infection.

Smartypants1 profile image
Smartypants1 in reply toHealthStarDust

Yes, my ears don’t feel right. They’ve been a bit painful for a couple of weeks

arTistapple profile image
arTistapple

I acquired pulsatile tinnitus at 75mcg too. Unfortunately that was about two years ago and it’s still with me. Apparently 75 mcg is a ‘difficult’ dose. It’s a sort of transition dose, where the Levo takes over from your thyroid and before you reach an optimal dose. I now take 100 mcg but no change. Others have reported taking T3 has helped. So far I have had no success with T3, although it looks like I need it. I use a ‘white noise’ machine to get to sleep. Not ideal. It’s tuned out mostly during the day because distracted by stuff to do and other noise.

Smartypants1 profile image
Smartypants1 in reply toarTistapple

What a nightmare. I’ll try white noise. My daughter uses it anyway, so I might have to jump in with her 🤣

The only other thing I’ve done differently is started on an iron supplement about a week ago. I wondered if it might be that but apparently it’s linked to anaemia so if have thought the supplements would’ve made it better not brought it on!

arTistapple profile image
arTistapple

It’s so difficult to do right from doing wrong with this blooming illness. Have just spent the night in A&E because I did not rinse my CPAP machine properly and it took me two hours to realise. I hate being this stupid.

McPammy profile image
McPammy

Definitely related. It happens to me and my sister. If I lower or even miss one dose then it goes away. It’s a warning sign that T4 level is too high.

Smartypants1 profile image
Smartypants1 in reply toMcPammy

I did wonder if it was too high but on 50mcg my TSH was still 2.8 and I still felt really tired (two mornings in the office wiped me out last week). I’ll monitor it for the next few days and speak to my doctor if it carries on.

McPammy profile image
McPammy in reply toSmartypants1

TSH of 2.8 doesn’t sound like over medicated though at 50 mcg slight under. So increase to 75mcg may have pushed you too high. It is a 50% increase. Maybe 50 one day then 75 the next and keep that regime and see how that goes. These symptoms are normally warning signs that levels aren’t quite right. Sometimes it’s dizziness, hunger, feeling weak, skin eruptions, headaches. There’s so many symptoms mainly as thyroxine is in every cell of your body and it has to be right to be symptom free. Even then it fluctuates when you’re least expecting it. It’s a chronic and life long condition.

Your TSH shouldn’t ever go above 2.5 or you’ll feel symptoms. My private endocrinologist explained this to me. Best to aim for around 1.00

Smartypants1 profile image
Smartypants1 in reply toMcPammy

Great idea about alternating. I’ll try that. Thank you x

posthinking01 profile image
posthinking01

Hi there sorry to hear you are suffering from this - I had this when I first started levo and it is very uncomfortable - I once saw a very eminent 'thyroid' specialist who told me that when I started taking levo which speeds up the metabolism - if I had any vitamin and mineral deficiencies etc. etc. it would now find them - as the body would need more of everything as the metabolic rate when up and starts to show the problems I may have - he was so right !

It could be you have an ear problem i.e. you have had a cold and the ear is showing its discomfort and making itself evident as you have sped up the blood flow within the ear.

It might also be related to iron/ferritin deficiency but please be careful with iron it can cause its own problems - I tend to take a child's dose which is gentler on the system because we don't need high amounts which can be dangerous.

hoffmannaudiology.com/blog/... (ignore the advertising etc. but the article is relevant)

tinnitus.org.uk/understandi...

Another angle could be a vitamin deficiency as shown in this link - I would suggest a good quality multi vitamin might help (not Holland and Barrett but professional products like Nature's Best who are part of the Lambert's Group).

pulsatile-tinnitus.com/caus...

Not diagnosing your problem here but just thought the links below might help understand what is happening. Hope all this helps.

KR's

A

SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator in reply toposthinking01

I once saw a very eminent 'thyroid' specialist who told me that when I started taking levo which speeds up the metabolism - if I had any vitamin and mineral deficiencies etc. etc. it would now find them - as the body would need more of everything as the metabolic rate when up and starts to show the problems I may have - he was so right

Yes that’s brilliant explanation

Smartypants1 profile image
Smartypants1 in reply toposthinking01

Amazing, thank you. And thanks for the links. That’s my bed time reading sorted x

humanbean profile image
humanbean

I don't know if this applies to pulsatile tinnitus, but "ordinary" tinnitus is alleged to reduce with good levels of B12 and folate.

Smartypants1 profile image
Smartypants1 in reply tohumanbean

Thanks Humanbean. Just started on the B12 drops recommended on here and I have the Thorne basic B waiting in the wings x

Smartypants1 profile image
Smartypants1

thanks so much everyone for your replies. I honestly don’t know what I’d do without this group xx

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