DO I really need this medication,

[vivi4629]

I have been taking Levothyroxine 75 mcg now for a month and if anything I feel worse...I went to the Dr. because of anxiety issues, & he ran some blood work & part of the blood work included a tsh and a ft4, my tsh was 7.00 and my ft4 was 1.09..The labs range is way behind the times and it is 5.0 5.5...I ask for more testing & was told there was no need of any more, we have no Dr.s near & my insurance is being dropped this year...So what ever I have done I have to pay for....My question is, can I safely go off this medicine now or can I cut it in half as my dr. said I could & try that...I am at his mercy...I am taking inderal for my fast heart beat and high bp & that is what I think I really need to be concentrating on & getting this anxiety under control, not this thyroid thing...I've posted before questiioning this now I find myself posting again....

[Mark Lupo, M.D.]

If the levothyroxine was started for the TSH of 7 and a normal T4 then it is reasonable to stop the medication.  About half of patients will normalize the TSH on their own without medication --- if the thyroid antibodies are negative.  If your antibodies are positive (check TPO and Tg antibodies) then the probability of mild thyroid failure progressing to overt thyroid failure is higher.  I agree that with the high bp and heart-rate, the thyroid medication trial is a second priority.

[vivi4629]

I took half of the medication a few hours ago, now I feel faint & weak as I did when I took the full dose...I panic & make things worse...I just sit all day doing nothing, I am so upset with this..Again since I've been on the med for one month can I stop taking it and see if I can feel better & not get into anymore trouble?....I have ask my Dr. he says no...He does not understand how I feel...Yes I am nervous yes I am suffering from alot of stress but its because I don't feel right...I have had some blood work done & ekg's and I am told I look good on paper..Well then there is a reason I feel like this, I have suffered from anxiety in the past, never this long nor this bad, the feeling of weakness & fear of fainting is keeping me confined to my home and a chair.....Please forgive me for being a nuisance...I am a 56 year old female who has never complained about anything, til now....

[ancientmariner]

Thyroid med prescribing instructions tell docs that adrenal function should be tested before starting thyroid meds, yet I don't think many docs actually do it. Your anxiety symptoms could be adrenal issues, it might be something to ask your doc to test.

[Mark Lupo, M.D.]

Adrenal testing does not need to be done in every patient prior to starting thyroid meds -- only when adrenal insufficiency is clinically suspected.  And yes - you can stop the thyroid meds altogether if your symptoms are getting worse on meds and the med was started only b/c of an elevated TSH and a normal T4.

[vivi4629]

I feel better today, although I am still dealing with some anxiety issues, I think stopping the thyroid med was in my better interest..I know my Dr. is going to be really angry with me, but sometimes even a Dr. doesn't always know whats best....I know how I felt on the med & I knew it was doing nothing but causing me more stress, with a heart rate as high  as 144 and a bp getting to 199/117, & knowing the med was stressing me once I took it, it was time for me to make a decision...I don't know how I am going to handle this with my Dr. it worries me, but still I have to try this....Thanks for answering my posts....Purrs.....Viv

[PNWBabe]

Have you ever read the package insert that came with Levothyroxine? There is precaution that states "If you have any of the following conditions: Recent heart attack, over-active thyroid gland, weak adrenal gland that is not being treated." That does NOT say "when adrenal insufficiency is clinically suspected". You need to consider taking a 24 hour SALIVA test for your adrenal glands as that may actually be what is causing your issues. Let me recomment a great book by Dr. Steven Hotze's book "Health, Hormones and Happiness". It is an excellent book! May I also suggest that you join the yahoo natural thyroid support group, they have a lot of interesting views that may assist your quest for your BEST health!

[ancientmariner]

I must say that my doctor who ordered the saliva testing for adrenals, taking 4 samples throughout the day, and the test came back with low cortisol for all 4 samples. I started on adrenal support and within 2 months was feeling much better. So, I highly recommend asking your doctor to test adrenal function - there are varying degrees of adrenal dysfunction, not just total failure. Adrenal function and thyroid function go hand in hand - you can't have one without the other, so to speak. If you adrenals are low, you can't use the thyroid, and vice versa. Also, low thyroid can stress your adrenals because they try to keep your body going when there's not enough thyroid, and eventually they fatigue and start to underproduce, too.

Best wishes!