very sick when take synthroid

[stella marie]

SINCE 4 YEARS AGO I HAVE HASHIMOTO'S THYROID  DISORDER, NEVER I FEEL WELL AGAIN SINCE THEN!
I AM 50 YEARS OLD ,I USED TO DANCE AND DO EXERCISES, AND ALSO ALWAYS VERY HEALTH CONCIOUS, EATING GOOD FOOD, I DON'T HAVE PROBLEM WITH WEIGHT.
MY PROBLEM IS I JUST CAN'T TAKE ANY SYNTHROID DOSE , I USED TO TAKE 50 MG, BUT NOW EVEN 25MG, MAKE ME SO SICK, LIKE THE FATIGUE IS EXTREME, MY JOINTS , MUSCLES, AND EVERYTHING ON MY BODY HURTS SO MUCH,AND THAT DAY I TAKE THE HORMONE I ALSO NEED TO STAY IN BED BECAUSE MY ENERGY IS SUPER LOW AND FEELING SO DEPRESSED!!  AND I CAN'T EVEN GO OUT MY HOME.
I CAN NOTICE THIS IN ALMOST 4 HOURS AFTER I TAKE SYNTHROID, AND WHEN I STOP ALL THE PAIN AND FATIGUE IS ALMOST GONE, SO HERE DOCTORS TOLD ME I NEED TO TAKE SOME NATURAL CORTISONE(HYDROCORTISONE) MAYBE 1 OR 2MG DAILY, BECAUSE MY ADRENALS ARE MAYBE LOW ,AND THEY CAN'T STAND EVEN LOW DOSES, THEY DID TEST FOR THAT BUT THE CORTISOLS ARE NORMAL, BUT IF I DON'T TAKE NOTHING FOR THYROID I STILL WITH HORRIBLE FATIGUE AND SOME FIBROMYALGIA , DEPRESSION AND NO ENERGY.
PLEASE!! CAN YOU TELL ME WHAT TEST OR WHAT THING NEED TO DO TO RESTORE A LITTLE BIT MY LIFE??   I AM SUFFERING A LOT AND ALSO MY FAMILY BECAUSE I AM NOT THE PERSON I WAS. I DID RECENTLY A HORMONE PANEL FOR ESTROGEN AND PROGESTERONE, NORMAL THE SAID, SO PLEASE, WILL BE GOOD TO TAKE SOME NATURAL CORTISOL AND THIS WAY MY THYROID WILL ACCEPT THE SYNTHROID?
                                                                    GOD BLESS YOU ALL AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR ANSWER! STELLA MARIE

[Mark Lupo, M.D.]

I would not recommend cortisol if your cortisol tests were normal.  But with all these symptoms, would be best to have an endocrine consultation.  If you have true hypothyroidism from your Hashimoto's (remember, not all Hashi patients are hypo and need meds), then you will need to find a way to tolerate some levothyroxine -- perhaps a slow titration from 1/2 of 25mcg/day and move up from there.

Again, would suggest an endocrine consult.

[agent8j]

If it's not cortisol, it could be aldosterone. Do you tend to have low pressure?  If yes, ask your Dr if he/she checked your aldosterone and renin levels.  They should have done that when evaluating you for adrenal insufficiency.

best wishes, jami

[OldMother]

i took synthroid (by Rx).  it made me feel ghastly.  i wasn't as aware as you that it was the synthroid, because i never skipped a dose.  eventually i stopped taking my prescription for other reasons, even though my doctors insisted that for my health i had to continue, and unexpectedly then i almost completely "recovered" my better health.  i've heard about cortisol helping also.  i am interested in how this turns out.  bless you stella