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.
If you are lacking thyroid hormones then the only way to remedy that is with taking replacement thyroid hormones. No amount of complimentary medicine will help.
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.
Hi, I understand what you're saying about levo replacing my own thyroid hormones but what I'm asking is, is it usual that the very bad effects would happen so quickly - inside an hour? I haven't taken any more of the tablets as I couldn't continue feeling so bad although I still have the headache but severe anxiety has lessened.
Oh dear...It's not nice is it..I'm 72 and was started on 100mcg.I feel exactly the same and also have severe sweating.I had bloods today and added ones that were suggested on here...results in a couple of days.I would suggest that you try and tolerate all these side effects for a bit longer as when your hormones start to level you hopefully will feel a bit better..It's not a nice journey but in the long term I would hope your doctor would understand and do what is necessary to help you feel better.
I feel for you as I'm in the same situation.
There are so many lovely peeps on here than can give you better advice the I can..Try and stay as positive as you are able.Take care 🌻
Thanks for your reply. Unfortunately I've had to stop taking the tablets as I would have ended up in hospital if I carried on feeling so bad. It gave me a bad migraine as well as the massive anxiety. Even today I still feel like Ive been hit by a truck. I'm going to get my vitamins etc tested and go from there. Can I ask how long you've been taking the 100mcg and still having the side effects?
Yes I get the migraines and extreme anxiety and panic attacks..The pain in my body is excruciating due to undiagnosed Thyroid causing Osteoporosis and many more symptoms..It's horrid..but we need this medication due to the thyroid not working any more.Im not 100% sure how long I've been on it as I'm a bit fuzzy right now but I've had 3x 6 weekly blood tests to monitor it.I'm told once the balance of the medication levels out the symptoms become much less...There are a couple on here who had no side effects at all!
Take care and keep us up to date 🌻
Some people are intolerant of Levothyroxine and I've read that there is a natural alternative your doctor can prescribe. I certainly wouldn't have put up with the side effects as long as you have. It sounds awful.
I too had a spike in anxiety levels when I was initially diagnosed and began Levo. I had to try several brands of Levo, to find one that I could tolerate. I initially found it to split my dose throughout the day.
Getting key vitamins optimal supports thyroid health. SlowDragon ’s posts are extremely useful in this subject.
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