Levothyroxine

[Salkas]

Hi sure someone will get this and understand. My TSH 3.8

Free thyroxine 17.6

Free t3 5.3

Either I'm making it up in my head or I'm experiencing these symptoms from levothyroxine

I've been on thyroxine about 10 week so in initial dosing period.

I have tried 2 brands and experimented with changing the two brands every few days to suss out the symptoms.

I'm just about to increase to 50mg daily as I started on 25mg due to having anxiety so I'm taking the increases slow.

Almus brand I notice I get more abdominal bloating. Lots of gas but apart from that don't feel too bad on it, I just can't tolerate the bloating as it is uncomfortable especially after food.

Mercury pharma the bloating is not as bad but I feel slightly sedated. Which I'd not good as I have adhd and sedated makes me fit for nothing.

I tried taking them in the morning.

I tried taking them at night.

I also tried taking them in the middle of the night when I wake up to use the bathroom.. problem is I feel my sleeping more impared when taking them through the night. Again adhd gives me poor sleep anyway.

So I'm lost and frustrated as I don't know what is what or if I'm just anxiously creating these symptoms.

[StitchFairy]

No you're not creating or imagining this. The problem is more because you're on too low a dose. Try to get the same brand each time because changing brands is a bad thing for most people.

[Salkas in reply to StitchFairy]

Thanks. That's what I'm trying to work out. Which brand is right for me as I get differnt symptoms with each. So do you think gastric bloating is due to brand or too low dose? Likewise for the sedated feeling

[StitchFairy in reply to Salkas]

Could be due to both. But I would assume it's the low dose, at least for now. Stick with one brand, stick with taking it at the same time of day. Chopping and changing won't help and might make life harder than it needs to be. It take such a long time to get to the right does when you properly start to feel more normal.

[Salkas in reply to StitchFairy]

Thanks for the advise

[Regenallotment Ambassador]

yep try one thing and leave it at least 8 weeks before making any comparison, swapping and changing will be as awful as changing dose 🌱

[Salkas in reply to Regenallotment]

Thank you

[Jazzw]

25mcg is going to cause you more anxiety rather than less. It’s just enough to turn off the remaining function of your thyroid, so effectively you’re on even less thyroid hormone than you would be if you weren’t taking it. It doesn’t top up, it replaces your own hormone production.

The symptoms you’re describing aren’t from the medication itself, they’re from being even more hypothyroid than you were before you started.

Whichever brand you try next, start on 50mcg instead. That’s still a long way from being a big dose—it’s actually still a very low dose.

[Salkas]

Thank you. Yes going to go onto 50mg. The reason why I started on 25 is the first time I started I took a 50mg tablet and had panic attacks. I suffer anxiety disorder anyway. The slightest thing can trigger it off. Hopefully it will improve then. Thanks