Hello! My dose of levothyroxine has been increased from 25mcg to 50mcg since December 4th. The last week or so since my increase hasn’t been great. I’ve had a dull constant headache and my sleep hasn’t been so good. Also feeling a bit anxious and jittery? Is it normally to feel like this after an increase, with it settling down after a while? I know I am only on a starter dose so can’t see how I could be taking too much…
Thank you 🙏 in advance!
yes it can do
Which brand Levo were you taking for 25mcg
Which brand is 50mcg
Many people find different brands give different reactions
Are you taking Levo waking or at bedtime
You could try splitting the dose
Taking half waking and half at bedtime
Hello SlowDragon ,
Thank you for your continued support ❤️
For 25mcg I was taking both teva (2x12.5 tablets from my initial baby dose prescribed by a very ignorant private endo) and then I was taking eltroxin 2x25mcg for the last almost 2 weeks to make up my new 50mcg dose. Eltroxin was prescribed by my private thyroid specialist. Now I am back with my GP after seeing an NHS endocrinologist willing to help. My first prescription sent over to my chemist from my GP has resulted in me getting now a different brand - Accord. Today I took my first Accord 50mcg tablet, so maybe I’ll fair better on this one than I did on Eltroxin? Could also be early days on the increased dose, sounds like I’m not the only one on this forum who has felt not so good after an increase. So I’ll give the new dose a few more weeks to settle before doing anything. I may try splitting my dose if still feeling rough then.
I am a bit concerned about what comes next now I’m back with my NHS GP. They didn’t want to help me in the first place, and now I’m on 50mcg I’m worried I’ll be left of this dose indefinitely, so long as my TSH is within range, which seems to be all that they care about. Apparently my blood levels won’t be reviewed until next June, but I am still so far off a full replacement dose for my weight. At about 140lbs I think I should be on about 100mcg?
Thank you again! 🙏
Apparently my blood levels won’t be reviewed until next June,
this is wrong
You should have bloods retested 2-3 months after each increase and if dose is not increased then, retested again in a further 2-3 months to see if levels are stable or dropping…..then dose increased if they are
You will need to be proactive and arrange to get tested, pestering GP for blood test if necessary
ALWAYS test early morning, ideally before 9am if possible, only drinking water between waking and test and last dose Levo 24 hours before test
Hello SlowDragon ,
Yes, totally wrong 
I know I’ll have a fight on my hands, but I’ll keep pushing forward, even if it means finding a new doctor or going back to a thyroid specialist.
Really curious to see what my levels are at when I test late January! I’ll post an update then.
Thank you for your continued support ❤️
Can an increase of Levothyroxine make you feel worse initially?
In a word, Yes. You may wish to try cutting one of your tabs in half and trying 37.5 mcg, in a gentler titration, working up to 50mcg at the end of January. Age is another factor... are you a senior or were you born in '78 😂 ? It's usual for a starter dose to be 50mcg from the get-go, except for the aged and others with heart issues. You also need to make sure that your vitamin/mineral levels are in a good place - optimal not 'normal' for your levo to work well. And take it on an empty stomach with a glass of water.
Hope that helps 🙂
Hello Rapunzel ,
Thank you for your reply 💕
It gives me hope that feeling this way is normal after increasing. I did a week leading up to my 50mcg dose on 37.5 as I had some 12.5mcg pills left over from before, but perhaps I needed to go even slower. I was born in 78 
My vitamins are normal but not optimal. I am taking daily vitamin D and smaller doses of a b complex and b12 spray (the recommended dose made me feel really weird?!) but my plan is to get private bloods ran late January for all thyroid hormones plus vitamins to start fresh and really attack my vitamin levels then. It’s been an overwhelming year dealing with all my hypo symptoms so baby steps is all I can do at this time.
As of today I am on 50mcg pills (I was taking 2 x 25mcg up until today) - do you mean cut in half and take 25mcg one day and 50mcg the next day to make it 37.5?
I take my levo on waking with water and don’t eat/drink for an hour after.
Thank you again for your support! ❤️
now I’m on 50mcg I’m worried I’ll be left of this dose indefinitely, so long as my TSH is within range, which seems to be all that they care about. Apparently my blood levels won’t be reviewed until next June, but I am still so far off a full replacement dose for my weight. At about 140lbs I think I should be on about 100mcg?
Aw hun, if only it were that simples. Truth is we're all different. I do recommend looking in your local pharmacy for a little booklet called Understanding Thyroid Disorders by Antony Toft. Within these pages, at least in the version I bought a number of years ago, Dr Toft, previous big important person at the British Thyroid Association, says something along the lines of, once adequately replaced, the hypothyroid patient should have a TSH around 1. Some people need a suppressed TSH to feel well.
Now, I didn't know this little nugget until years after my GP, doling out thyroid meds like luxury sweeties and witholding an increase, then adding 25mcg to my tiny 50mcg T4, told me to rejoice and go away - I was 'in range'. I was at the very top of the 'normal' range - 4.87 so far as I remember. What I needed to do was produce this little booklet and show him the error of his ways. Then beat him about the head with the book. Oh, wait - that last bit was just a dream.
I wish, wish, wish that it was a simple matter of being weighed and given an appropriate dose but thyroid hormones are necessary but dangerous. You have to go up slowly or you might miss your personal sweet spot.
What I meant re splitting the dose is taking 1x 25mcg and then using a pill splitter to take another 1/2 of a 25mcg tab... so 37.5mcg a day. You might also split the dosage...25mcg on waking on an empty stomach, then the other 1/2 a 25mcg tab in the afternoon. You have to work out how your body wants its thyroid hormones by trial and error. Don't throw money at it and think it will help (done that, read the book, saw the film, got the T shirt...)
Just a reminder that although we are a (more) knowledgeable group than your average GP, none of us are medically qualified...you have landed in a group of people happy to share their own personal experiences and, people like SlowDragon who have had real tussles on their wellness journey, all in her bio and not an awful lot of her journey seems assisted by GP's advices...
Thyroid issues suck, big time. But the support you'll find here is a massive help.
Then beat him about the head with the book. Oh, wait - that last bit was just a dream.
I think we all have this dream!!😂
Hello Rapunzel ,
I will definitely look out for this book! And I’ll try to refrain hitting anyone over the head with it 😂 although it could be tricky containing myself at my local GP surgery!
I now only have 50mcg tablets so taking a 37.5mcg dose isn’t as easy. I’m going to wait a few weeks to see how I’m feeling, and may try splitting the dose to 2 doses then if required. I’ve actually been feeling a little more settled the past few days. The headache seems to have resolved and sleep a bit improved. Still have anxious moments though!
Thank you again for your support, I appreciate this forum so much! ❤️
I definitely notice a difference when I increase. I get an uncomfortable feeling in my gut a bit like panic/anxiety, not major though. It seems to occur in the evening when I'm sitting watching TV etc. It goes away eventually but it can take a few weeks. I've just increased my levo from 100 to 125mcg but because I only have 100 tabs I split one and take the half every other day. Hopefully it will settle as I'm a couple of weeks in.
Hello Espeegee ,
Thank you for your reply 🙏
Although I’m sorry to hear that you are going through similar trials right now… I am happy to hear that this is normal when titrating up on levothyroxine! The uncomfortable feeling in the gut… the way you describe it… is exactly what I’ve been feeling! I really hope we are both a bit more settled on our new doses soon 🙏
Appreciate your reply and making me feel less alone! 💕
Do you think I need an increase in my T4 dose???
why does T3 make me feel worse?
Can one lowered dose make you feel unwell days later? 
