Question about Hypo
allielobster
Posts: 10 Member
Hey Everyone!
I was just diagnosed with hypothyroidism in late November (2012). The first month that I started taking Levothyroxine (25mg) I was feeling amazing! I had energy, I could sleep 8 hours and not feel like I pulled an all nighter, and I didn't have to drink coffee multiple times a day just to make it through the day. I went for my blood test in January and they decided to increase my dosage to 50. Ever since the increase, I feel like I've been put on a sugar pill or something. I'm tired again, I have zero energy, and I'm always in a haze. The only thing I noticed is I haven't gained anymore weight and I'm hungrier more often.
I've started eating better so I am losing weight, but my question is: Is it normal to still have old symptoms even when you have been faithfully taking the medication for a few months?
I was just diagnosed with hypothyroidism in late November (2012). The first month that I started taking Levothyroxine (25mg) I was feeling amazing! I had energy, I could sleep 8 hours and not feel like I pulled an all nighter, and I didn't have to drink coffee multiple times a day just to make it through the day. I went for my blood test in January and they decided to increase my dosage to 50. Ever since the increase, I feel like I've been put on a sugar pill or something. I'm tired again, I have zero energy, and I'm always in a haze. The only thing I noticed is I haven't gained anymore weight and I'm hungrier more often.
I've started eating better so I am losing weight, but my question is: Is it normal to still have old symptoms even when you have been faithfully taking the medication for a few months?
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Replies
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(I'm not looking for a professional opinion or anything... just if anyone has observed the same thing at all? I just want to know if I am alone in this...)
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It is common to feel like that. I don't know if it's normal or healthy, but I know I felt like crap a couple years into treatment.0
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I felt slighly more energetic when i "accidently" bumped my meds up 50mg but i was due to go on holiday soon so it might have been happyness from that. Wheni i accidenty bumped it up 25mg there was no change i was my usual miserable self.0
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I liked your post - I was also diagnosed in Nov 2012 and started off with 25mg. I started feeling a bit better - although not what I would characterize as "normal". When my dose was increased to 50mg, I seemed to go back to my original symptoms. Two weeks ago I began taking 75mg instead, and again I feel like I am feeling a bit better. Though exercising more has significantly increased my energy, I am still often cold and have a very difficult time to awaken.
One thing that I noticed was that my 25mg dose was of Synthroid, and my 50mg was switched to Eltroxin. I've read a few places that in Canada they are the same, and the doctor also told me at my last appointment that they're just different brand names, but I asked that my 75mg dose be Synthroid again. Perhaps a switch like this has happened with your medications, even though they are all levothyroxine sodium? Just my two cents.
Feel free to friend me if you'd like; it would be nice to have someone as a friend who's on a very similar hypo journey. 0 -
I'm thinking the same thing as the poster above - that they may have switched you to a generic instead of brand name, or vice versa. If you were on brand name and your doctor didn't specify that on your script, they'll often do refills or new doses with whatever is available. For me they did generic because it would cost me $2, and didn't mention this fact and/or give me the option to choose. I didn't do well on the generic.
The other thought is that your body is struggling to convert the synthetic T4 in the med into the active T3 that your body needs. Does your doctor test both free T3 and free T4? Supplementing with selenium and zinc can help your body with the conversion process, but if your free T3 is too low you might be on the wrong meds for you.0 -
Thank you everyone for responding! I am glad to hear that I am not alone in this. I'll have to check with the pharmacist to see what the brand is. I thought Levothyroxine was the brand! And I'm not sure about the T3 and T4 thing, so I'll definitely ask about that as well. Thank you!!
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This kind of made me laugh thinking of all the things I have gone though over the last few years. It was really hard for them to give me a diagnosis. I levels were all over the place, and my insurence requires to have tests and approval from Primary doc to see a specialist. It took a long time of me telling them over and over about my symptoms and family history (every woman on my moms side hypo and hyper). Finally my gyno did the test that counted. I started off on the 50, but the first two weeks the doc wanted me to take 25mcg to start off slow. I felt wonderful. Once I started taking the 50mcg of Synthroid I was a constaint headache. I could not go to work for a week it was so bad. The doc felt best to go down to the 25mcg. I have been on that level for about 8 months now. It is getting back to the point where I need to get re checked for my levels. Starting to feel all the crazy symptoms again, can't even remember to take meds because of the brain fog. I know from my family that it's the way of the thyroid and your stress levels that can make your levels all over the place. I am just hoping with trying to lose weight and getting re tested that I can start to feel great again.0
