anxiety induced by levothyroxine

[pat428]

Please forgive me for posting again so soon.  This anxiety feels urgent.  It feels like something that can't wait.

You might remember I was inadvertently off my med (125 mcg/day levothyroxine) for 3 weeks, then started back at 100 mcg for 2 weeks then to 125 mcg for a week caused anxiety and a deep sense of dread.  You suggested asking GP to tritrate.  I think you are correct because since GP told me to move back down to 100 mcg there is no more dread, just the anxiety.

1) If GP agrees to titrate, how soon will the anxiety dissipate?  In other words, I want to suggest that we try titration as an experiment for two weeks to see if the anxiety resolves.  Is that enough time?  

2) In the event GP won't titrate will anxiety eventually resolve?  How long does that usually take.  I've been back on meds for 4 weeks now.  

3) 3 weeks after being increased to 125 mcg I began having extreme difficulty in concentrating.  If felt like people were speaking to me from a long distance away.  What can be done to prevent / treat that?

4) Do you ever have patients in whom the anxiety can't be resolved either through titration or just pushing through it?  What do you do in those circumstances?  

5) Do I understand correctly from other posts that titrate means alternate a ½ dose and full tablet every other day?

6) What is the down side, if any, to trying titration?

When I was first started on levothyroxine the dose was only 75 mcg.  I complained to the doctor that if felt like someone was taking a bath in my brain and I was told that that is just part of adjusting to the meds and to keep taking.  The increase to 100 mcg caused horrible anxiety and interfered with working so they let me go back to 75 mcg for a while.  Eventually, I was increased to 125 mcg/day which caused a brain fog.  

6 questions is a lot to ask in one post.  I wouldn't pester you so if I weren't so desperate.  Thank you so very much for your time.

[Mark Lupo, M.D.]

These questions are too specific and this forum is not meant to micro-manage your thyroid care but to give general information.  It takes at least 10-14 days to see the levels begin to even out and to feel a difference.  Sometimes we ask a patient to not take the medication at all for 2 days then start the new/lower dose -- but ask your doctor before doing anything different from what he/she adviced.

[pat428]

Thank you very much.