Took first dose of lovthyroxine and ended up in ER last night.

[brwmmw]

I took my dosage of 100mcg yesterday and within an hour felt dizzy.  I just figured it was nothing.  I also developed an upset stomach that wouldn't go away.  I fell asleep and woke up a few hours later because my son had wandered in.  My arms were numb and all of my extremeties felt wierd.  I also felt a crushing feeling on my chest.  I picked up my son to put him back in his bed and fell over.  I just felt wierd. I kind of had a twitch in my arm.  I decided I better go make sure I wasn't having an allergic reaction.  By the time I got to the ER my legs were not working right.  The only way I can describe it like having springs for knees and fell in the ER.  By the time I got on the table in the ER I had severe twitches I couldn't control and I was stuttering.  It was the strangest thing.  My heart rate was 112 and wouldn't go down until they gave my the vallum in my IV.  They ran my blood because the on call doctor thought maybe I didn't need the meds and said 7.63 (just done on Wednesday) wasn't that high for a TSH.  It came back 9.78.  THe only doctor gave me some vallum to stop the twitches and I went home.  Today the twitches came back but seem to be gone for good now.  The only thing I can think of is that my body just thought that dose was way too high.  I am a realitively small female.  Has anyone ever had this happen or heard of it?  I can't find any information on this type of reaction.  I thought it was supposed to have little or no side effects.

[meling333]

Welcome to the Thyroid Meds put you in ER, club. There are 3 of us so far and others I havent met yet in here. 100mcg is way to much to start out with and is very frighting that a dr. would perscribe such a hefty dose to start out with what a wack. I wont even touch Synthroid as I had a very bad reaction to it as well. I take Armour thyroid made from pigs and started out with the smallest dose and have worked my way up for 4 months. We have summed this up to to some kind of Adrenal disfunction from wondering around hypo way to long that it may have weakened out adrenals. Were you losing your water as fast as you could drink it? I Was, and had to eat salt like crazy for 2 weeks. I was in ER twice with fast heart beat, high blood pressure, shaking and feeling really strange, dizzy and would almost fall over as well as if I was drunk. For me this lasted 2 weeks and I was able to continue my dose raise. Now I am ok until i raise my dose again later this month.
On the other hand Tina999 in here had much just like you and has been in and out of ER with her Thyriod meds as well.
I had my cortisol checked and was ok but there are more to the adrenals than just cortisol looking alright on lab work. Well just a hello and your in the right place to discuss this and hopefully get well.     See ya   Juanita

[brwmmw]

Thank you.  It is so comforting that someone else has gone through it.  The ER Doc kept telling me there is no medical reason I should be twitching like I was.  He kept asking me about anxiety and panick attacks.
I think I have had this for atleast six years and it has gone undiagnosed.  I have had weight loss not gain.  I have to pee even more than when I was pregnant.  And yes during this whole epidode with my first dose,I was so partched and kept drinking water but just had to urinate more.  My mouth was so dry.  So if it is adrenal disfunction of some kind my internisit probably isn't going to find it?  I can't even find one endo in the phone book.  I am in a relatively small city.  How do they treat the adrenal issues?  Do they treat it along with treating the hypo?  I also have a really painful enlarged lymph node in my neck.  I have been fairly "lumpy"  over the past few years.  I get swollen lymph nodes in my arm pits and neck frequently.  They are usually painful or tender.  Anyone ever have this?

[meling333]

If you have a internest he should be able to find it I hope. This water thing is regulated by a hormone called Aldosterone it regulates salt and water. The tests are called a Adrenal Pannel. They check Cortisol levels AM lunch and Pm would be nice to get one at midnight. There is ACTH test it signals Adrneals. Then there is Renin, DHEA, DHEAS, estrogen, testosteron and probaby other stuff I just dont know about yet. I see a Dr. friday and hope I can get some labs done on this stuff. Also Common to hypo's is a lack of B12 and sometimes iron. Get tested my B12 was low and been on shots for several weeks with a slightly low iron storage called Ferritan test. I also swell in my neck and under my arms too their kind of tender. Do you have antibodies these tests are called Anti Thyroglublin and Anti Peroxidase antibodies. It's just awfull to think that ER is looking at you asking you about stress as if that is a factor,such hogwash. I would have never made it this far on thyroid meds and glad I am on Armour Thyroid pills. Their much gentler than synthroid any day. If they detect a Adrenal insuffency you get to be treated with a steroid which will give you the support you need. But 100mcg is a big dose to start out with, most people start with 50mcg or 25mcg which is only T4. I like the T4/T3 as I get both just in case I dont convert T4 to T3 the stronger most important hormone that the body really needs. Its time you start reading and reading so you can lead you Dr. in the right direction. Hope this helps.
               Good luck  Juanita
   I cand send you some sites on this stuff if you want to write me.   ***@****

[katchetab]

Meling333,  Please tell me your story as i had a horrible experience with armour last week!  I have graves and did the ral thing in 83.  synthroid was what they used.. dont remember how they started me out but was on 125 for years then 150 for years after that.  I've been having hypo mixed with hyper systems about 3 years ago.  I didnt realize it at first.. attributed panic attacks to asthma or acid reflux.  then noticed with aggressive exercise,body building,nice vedgetarian diet of 1200-1400 cal  i wasnt able to lose weight. I stayed a 150 pounds (I'm 5'5) and wore a size 10.  I got a new family doc and was mainly interested in why with my doing everything "Right" why i wasnt a size 5 or 7, as i knew i could be as i was in high school.  she is the first doc that introduced me to ranges, and tests.  Most docs family or endos keep that to themselves.  I was thirty seven and she said perhaps my metabolism was just slowing down to age.  she also did a blood test to see where my tsh was.  She said there was research that stated that to be at best needs to be at lower end of range.  Well when she got tsh results i was at the lower end.  my reading was .49!  She then lowered synthroid to 125.  I then gained 15 pounds right now. and then 6 weeks later she did another and tsh was 3 so she went back up but i've slowly over this time period have gained 48 pounds. also i've developed chronic hives,worse asthma/copd,lumpy puffy skin, thicker neck, short fuse,laziness,but also perfectionism..mainly in others LMAO. I get irrated when my expectations of others isnt followed out to the tee. and achy muscles, slight burning in legs when walking too long or too fast, same in upper arms if i hold them up too long or over my head. a month or so ago my latest blood work came back with a tsh of 10.  so she turned me over to an endo who was **** btw and increased to 175.. was on that around two weeks and felt alittle better but wanted armour soo bad.  I've heard it to be a wonder hormone because of it being natural and having t3 and also lesser needed other ts.  as my endo visit also angered my family doc she agreed to write a script for it.  long story short went into what she thought was thyroid storm.. rapid   heart beat and panic attack like crazy. i was scared shitless!!!!  I would love to try it again but want to wait  see what the 175 synthyroid does.  i am thinking if i ask again i might ask for the synthetic t3 to be added to my synthroid.  You seem so the other direction LOL  please share your story.
thanks

[brwmmw]

Thanks so much for the info.  You go to the docs thinking they wil give you what you need and everythings great.  I have been reading as much as I can on the internet.  Do you reccomend a book I could read to help understand this completely?  It is all new and I am feeling a bit overwhelmed with all of it.

[meling333]

HI I have been walking around hypo for a few years getting sicker and sicker. I finely got a FNP to perscribe me ARmour as I didnt have any luck with Synthroid it made me sick a few years back. I started Armour in May and have raised my dose each month getting my FT4 and FT3 to the high range of the labs.Last time I raied my dose I started to get shakey, dizzy, losing water & salt like crazy, I went to ER and had high blood pressure did some labs and was low in salt and potassium only by 1 diget below the low range. I had a cortisol test which was normal. This went on for 2 weeks so I just stayed in bed reading and then my dose soaken in and feel much better now.In the 2 weeks of adjusting to the new dose. I was adding salt to everything all the time and drinking salt water to controll the symptons.
The further down your are as hypo the ride up is not plesant for some of us.Especially if you have weak adrenals. If you have graves, then I presume your thyroid is burning its self out now since you need Synthroid and your not hyper anymore? I would insist on trying T3 cytomel as our bodies need both and if you dont convert T4 to T3 well,then you will remain sickly with symptoms as being under dosed. T3 has heped people lose weight as its worth a try. Sounds like you are underdosed with the symptoms of hypo bringing you down.Some people have hyper moments going from Graves to Hashimotos, some are treated with Thyroid inhibitors such as Tapazole or PTU to put their thyroid to sleep while taking T4/T3 till it burns itself out.Most all hypo's with Hashimotos need a TSH aroun .3 mine was .85 in August. Some dont even feel good and need a undetectable TSH to function which would be 0 TSH. No one size fits all on this nasty thyroid illness.You need to get copies of your labs and start keeping track of them and see where you feel your best as far as Free T4 and FreeT3. Before I was hypo my labs back 10 years ago show I was in the high range of both almost to the top of cut off. What was your experience on Armour it is much weaker so compaired to Synthroid you need more or you were given too much or not enough. I think adding some T3 would surely be worth trying with the synthroid since you can take it.      Good luck.                   Juanita

[tina999]

Hey,

Your symptoms are worse than mine as it took me five days at 75 ug to get where you are.  It is called adrenal insufficiency and in a case like yours possibly as adrenal crisis.   I have been through multiple rounds of shaking and went several days with numbness in my hands and feet-one day I couldn't feel them at all.   Did you notice an increase in the amount and frequency of urination after you started the meds?

As soon as you get back to the dr they likely will test your aldosterone and cortisone levels as well as ACTH.   It is worth insisting on an ACTH stimulation test rather than the serum cortisol and aldosterone as those values  can only confirm a worse case scenario.     It could be you have addison's disease underlying the thyroid disease.   It is an autoimmune attack on your adrenal glands which much like the thyroid disease, destroys them over time.   Your doc may assume this and order the above tests

For us here, we have went through the above tests and came back normal, however we all exhibit moderate versions of the symptoms you are having.   I STRONGLY suggest that you not take the thyroid med again, until you get the above tests at least.    I had my first ER visit after five days at 75 ug.   Then the endo did the above tests, came back normal and put me back on 25 ug synthoid for 5 days then up to 50 ug.    I went to the ER three times during that med course and then twice more after I stopped the meds as I was so screwed up.   I changed endos and he started me on 12.5 ug.  I took it two days and saw the same symptoms, and lowered myself down to 6 ug or so.    Again the same symptoms   and a trip to the ER saturday night due to moderate shaking, excessive urination and mild cognitive impairment.  They keep telling me my body needs to adjust but six ER visits tell me otherwise.  The ER docs have NO idea what is going on.  They are good guys but are over their heads.    If you go back to the ER tell them it may be an adrenal crisis.   They'll check the right things then at least.

Keep us updated okay!

[tina999]

Okay , good you were peeing like crazy too.  (went back and reread.)  In the meantime, when you get shaky drink a bit of salt water and eat lots of salty things.  If you've stopped the meds, it may be a few days before you are back to normal, so drink samll amounts of gatorade or V8 rather than large amounts of water.  I would crave the water, drink it down and then pee in out in five minutes and end up shaky in five more minutes.   When I went into an ER in the boonies, my speech was slurred and I couldn't remeber things clearly.  I was tremoring so the dr tried to tell me it was a panic attack.   In reality it was water intoxication which happens when your salt level drops and you water increases causeing swelling of your brain.

Other magic ER words that they take seriously-hyponatremia (low salt) or hypovolemia (low blood volume).

PS I am not a dr so be sure to get back into one soon. DO NOT let them tell you it was allergic and you should keep taking it.

[brwmmw]

I feel so overwhelmed with all I need to educate myself  on.  It is amazing how much better if feels to know someone else went through it.  I think I found a good endo 90 miles away.  I was so relieved when I got the diagnosis but I can't go through that again with the meds.  My twitches were very bad.  I would hold my legs to stop them and then my shoulders or arms would get going.  I would say to my self stop and then not be able to stop saying stop.  I was so partched I couldn't believe it but I was drinking water.  THey had me give a urine sample and it was pure water.  What a trippy experience.  I am building a little binder of print outs some from this site and some from the links you have sent me.  This stuff right now to me is like a foreign language.  I don't seem to have all the adrenal symptoms but definitely some.  I have had a couple dark tan streaks that I thought the self tan stuff just wouldn't go away even though I put it on almost three months ago. I don't know I hope I can get in quick to the endo.  THanks so much for sharing your stories with me.  I had three years of infertility because of endometriosis and low progesterone both of which could have been tied to this if it was happening then.  We had to do an IVF which is really costly to get our son.  WE had one scheduled for Oct before I got this diagnosis.  We are going to have to cancel it tomorrow.

[tina999]

Tell the doc's office that you went into the ER and might have had an adrenal crisis.  I had to call my GP and get her to call in a referral.  They got me in that day.  

I noted when I read your post that you said you lost weight being hypothyroid.  I also have never gained weight at all and am very slender.  My mom is also hypothyroid and went for several months without her synthroid.  When she does this she loses enormous amounts of weight.  My new endo said this was really bizarre.

Other high salt foods you can eat-anythiing with chicken broth, those ramen noodle soups, and pickles-two dill pickles have the RDA of salt in them.

take care and let us know how things turn out

[fatfuzzyfrazzled]

not sure how this forum works and if there are different subjects to post under for hypo.  anyway, switched to armour last friday on 60mg.  i had cancer and whole thyroid removed 11.5yrs ago.  like everyone else was told over the last 11.5yrs that the sluggishness, gaining weight was part of being a mom and a career woman.  now that i weigh as much as i did when i gave birth and tired all the time demanded armour and found new awesome doctor.  anyway been having chest pain more often this week than normal.  and have been absolutely exhausted to the point of not being able to even go to work.  i have had people tell me that is nonsense. i was usually on 1.75 synthroid due to wanting to not have any chance of thyroid grow back w/cancer tissue.  then was on 1.5 and then for some reason during a hectic time in my life my doc lowered me to 1.25 for 2 yrs b4 i woke up and realized what the problem was.  that leads me up to last week where i started armour @ 60mg.  i usually have low blood pressure and my temperature this week was 97.2, 97.4 and 97 two days.  the exhaustion this week was excessive beyond belief after gardening outside/yardwork in the sun for 4 hrs, the next day i was worthless.  am i just adjusting?  what would you do about the chest pains.  i worry that i have angina or something due to being on such high thyroid for so long (1.75) would you ask new doc to do a stress test or ekg????