I have put off taking levothyroxine for ages as I am really sensitive to medication since the Covid vaccine in 2021. Due to worsening muscle weakness and aches and pains I decided to give it a go. My Dr prescribed 25mcg of Eltroxin (I'm 69). Two days ago I started taking 12.5mcg to see how I felt. Within an hour I had a fairly mild headache which went off after a few hours but I still felt strange. Yesterday morning I had bad anxiety but this went off over the day. I took another 12.5mcg yesterday and within half an hour the headache returned only worse and lasted all day. I had much worse anxiety which kept me awake most of the night. This morning the anxiety symptoms are so bad I feel like I'm going mad. Is it normal to feel such bad side effects straight away? I feel like I can't continue with the medication now as I feel so bad but don't really want to give up as I had high hopes for it making me feel better.
Feel terrible straight after starting Eltroxin - Thyroid UK
Feel terrible straight after starting Eltroxin
Thank you so much for your quick reply. I suspect the radiotherapy I had for breast cancer in 2020 harmed my thyroid. I have been looking at consulting a functional medicine practitioner for a while but was hoping that the levothyroxine would help. I will definitely go down the natural route now as I can't carry keep having such awful side effects of the medication.
What happens when we are hypo is that our vitamin levels get low as hypo causes low stomach acid. Then we cannot absorb vitamins well from our food.
It was suggested in your last post that you get key vitamins levels checked : healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...
Low vitamin levels alone can cause multiple symptoms plus intolerance of thyroid hormone.
25mcgs is a very low dose of Levo and you might find it easier tostart on the usual recommended amoutn of 50mcgs. You then restest every 6-8 weeks and titrate upwards each time until you feel betetr and TSH at or just below 1.
Have you recently or could you ask your GP to test levels of ferritin, folate, B12 & D3? Private tests are available, see link for companies offering private blood tests & discount codes, some offer a blood draw service at an extra cost. thyroiduk.org/testing/priva...
There is also a new company offering walk in& mail order blood tests in London, Kent, Sussex & Surrey areas. Check to see if there is a blood test company near you. onedaytests.com/products/ul...
Only do private tests on a Monday or Tuesday to avoid postal delays.
It's ideal if you can always get the same brand of levo at every prescription. You can do this by getting GP to write the brand you prefer in the first line of the prescription. Many people find that different brands are not interchangeable.
Always take Levo on an empty stomach an hour away from food or caffeine containing drinks & other meds. Many people find taking it at bedtime works well for them.
Do you do tests as per the protocol recommended here?
Recommended blood test protocol: Test at 9am (or as close as possible), fasting, last levo dose 24hrs before the blood draw & no biotin containing supplements for 3-7 days (Biotin can interfere with thyroid blood results as it is used in the testing process).
Testing like this gives consistency in your results and will show stable blood levels of hormone and highest TSH which varies throughout the day. Taking Levo/T3 just prior to blood draw can show a falsely elevated result and your GP/Endo might change your dose incorrectly as a result.
Thanks for your reply. I've read in several places that if you are my age (69) the starting dose should be 25mcg. I have got a private blood test for vitamins and minerals which I will send off this week. I don't understand how if I've got intolerance to thyroid hormone, from low vitamins, that taking 50mcg instead of 12.5 will help. Surely that will make my side effects worse.
levo replaces your own thyroid hormone, it doesnt top it up. So if you're taking less than your own thyroid was originally putting out then you get further symptoms.
They are not strictly speaking 'side effects', just revealing further hypo symptoms.
50mcgs is a safe dose so long as you don't have heart issues.
Likely you will find it easier once vitmin levels are raised closer to optimal.
Back to square one
Feel terrible on T3 bought online - wondering if it is authentic?
Starting Thybon
Changed from eltroxin to nature thyroid.
