Levo sideffects : Hi hope everyone is well. I... - Thyroid UK

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Levo sideffects

Salkas profile image
5 Replies

Hi hope everyone is well. I know I'm not quite on the right dose of levo yet I'm on 50mg and in the initial dosaging stage so have a while to go. What I'd like to know. Is it common to feel detached?

Since increasing my dose 2 week ago to 50mg I started feeling detached, mood low. I know hypothyroid causes low mood and increasing meds might cause an increase in sides until I get the dose right. Did anyone else feel detached? Numb? Hope it improves soon. Thanks.

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Salkas profile image
Salkas
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I think anything is possible when your under medicated/in a dose increase window. Someone on here said they try to take absolutely no notice of how they feel for 6 weeks after a dose increase. I take that to mean, you can over analyse every thing you feel in that time (and I know it's a roller coaster!) But hopefully it will settle.

In my experience, yes depression and anxiety are very common on low doses when your under medicated. I find it helps to think that it's not 'you', it's not permanent and you might feel better later/tomorrow/next week

Salkas profile image
Salkas in reply toDahliasanddaisies

Thank you for the encouragement

SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator

When on low starting dose (which 50mcg is) your own thyroid output reduces as TSH drops and you become/feel more hypothyroid

Get bloods retested 6-8 weeks after being on 50mcg

Likely ready by then to increase to 75mcg

Please add add and that you are male on your profile

We tend to assume female

How old are you - standard STARTER dose is 50mcg unless over 65 years old

Guidelines of dose Levo by weight

approx how much do you weigh in kilo

Even if we frequently start on only 50mcg, most people need to increase levothyroxine dose slowly upwards in 25mcg steps (retesting 6-8 weeks after each increase) until eventually on, or somewhere near full replacement dose (typically 1.6mcg levothyroxine per kilo of your weight per day)

cks.nice.org.uk/topics/hypo...

bnf.nice.org.uk/drugs/levot...

nhs.uk/medicines/levothyrox...

Adults usually start with a dose between 50 micrograms and 100 micrograms taken once a day. This may be increased gradually over a few weeks to between 100 micrograms and 200 micrograms taken once a day.

Some people need a bit less than guidelines, some a bit more

TSH should be under 2 as an absolute maximum when on levothyroxine

gponline.com/endocrinology-...

Graph showing median TSH in healthy population is 1-1.5

web.archive.org/web/2004060...

Comprehensive list of references for needing LOW TSH on levothyroxine

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu....

onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi...

If symptoms of hypothyroidism persist despite normalisation of TSH, the dose of levothyroxine can be titrated further to place the TSH in the lower part of the reference range or even slightly below (i.e., TSH: 0.1–2.0 mU/L), but avoiding TSH < 0.1 mU/L. Use of alternate day dosing of different levothyroxine strengths may be needed to achieve this (e.g., 100 mcg for 4 days; 125 mcg for 3 days weekly).

you need TSH, FT4 and FT3 at next test plus Very important to test vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12 at least once year minimum

have you had vitamin levels tested

Please add results

Presumably you have stopped multivitamins?

What vitamin supplements are you taking now

Suggest you get a separate vitamin D and separate magnesium supplement

Likely to need daily vitamin B complex …..but ideally test first

Salkas profile image
Salkas

Thanks. Will have a look at updating my profile. I'm 41 years old 92 kilo. Quite a bit of muscle so I'm heavy.

Is there any scientific evidance anywhere saying that the thyroid has less output when on levo? Just so i can use as ammunition if endo says anything so I can explain that. Thanks

arTistapple profile image
arTistapple

Yes. I definitely felt that. I had tried everything to get a doctor onboard. No dice. It was almost a pure fluke finding out I was hypothyroid. A test taken about three years before during hospital visit was noticed in my file by a visiting registrar GP and I was called in for a discussion. I thought by then I was just quietly dying.

By 75mcg I realised something ‘bearable’ was happening. I started on 25 mcg then 50mcg.

It’s a (not) funny old journey. Stick with it and learn from watching the Forum in action.

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