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How long does it take for Synthroid to leave your system after ceasing to take it?
I was wondering how long after ceasing to take Synthroid does it leave your system. I had been taking 150's up until 3 weeks ago. When I originally started taking Synthroid I had a TSH of over 6.0. My doctor started me on 50's then 100's then 150's increasing over several months. I decided to go to an Endocrinologist after not feeling any better. He took me off Synthroid because he wanted to get blood tests done again to see where my TSH and T4 levels stood without Synthroid. I went in for these tests approximately 7 days after stopping my 150 Synthroid dosage. I FINALLY received the test results from those blood tests and they revealed my TSH of 0.109 and T4 of 1.04. It's confusing to me and I wonder if the Synthroid just had not gotten out of my system or can a TSH fluctuate?
For those of you who have doctors that are jacking you around -- not giving you answers you need, not being accessible, and doing things you question (or that don't make any sense) -- leave those doctors! The endocrine system is a very complicated system and not every endocrinologist is good. I went through two before I found a great one, who explains in detail everything he's doing and why. Listen, doctors are not the be all, end all (even though some think they are). It's important you become an educated consumer. There are a ton of message boards out there filled with people fighting these various diseases (hyper/hypothyroidism, Hasimoto's, Graves', etc.) and actually quite knowledgeable. That's what I had to resort to in order to understand the disease, because my first two docs were quite horrid at it. GPs are less likely to know how to handle an endocrine problem than an endocrinologist -- mine almost killed me TWICE. Sent me massively hypo, where my heart stopped (I have no heart problems otherwise), and massively hyper (TSH of .000001), which sent my flying high, almost into a full-blown thyroid storm. Both times hospitalized. My point here is to educate yourself, and if your doctor does or says something that doesn't make sense (like have you take it 6 days a week), move on. Find a new one. Your life depends on it.
Did your doctor test FREE T3 and FREE T4 before reducing your meds? If so, please post those with reference ranges. Ranges vary lab to lab and have to come from your own lab report.
You should consult with your doctor, of course, before reducing further. However, in my opinion, reducing to 75 mcg per day would most likely be too drastic a reduction. 25 mcg is a fairly "standard" reduction. I wouldn't go any lower.
Besides HBP, did you have other hyper symptoms on 100 mcg?
You should consult with your doctor, of course, before reducing further. However, in my opinion, reducing to 75 mcg per day would most likely be too drastic a reduction. 25 mcg is a fairly "standard" reduction. I wouldn't go any lower.
Besides HBP, did you have other hyper symptoms on 100 mcg?
3 Comments
My doctor. Never check me for anything,no blood work of any kind,on my first seeing him,I didn't want to take it at all,then he kept questing me about taking them an I told him yes,so I started to take them everyday ,I was to the point I wasn't getting any sleep at all,he never did want to help me,on anything,an everyone always has an inter voice telling you something isn't right,well I went on an keepers taking the meds an he bumped up the mg from 25mg to 50mg an the inter voice was getting louder to stop taking it, an I did an went cold turkey ,I have to say I feel so much better now then I did not it,an I'm able to sleep more ,here the last couple of months I feel as if bugs are crawling all over. Me at nite when trying to sleep,it's not as bad as it was after New Years,I'm in the middle of looking for a new Dr,at this point in time,something keeps telling me I need to get away from him before I end in the hospital or dead
My doctor. Never check me for anything,no blood work of any kind,on my first seeing him,I didn't want to take it at all,then he kept questing me about taking them an I told him yes,so I started to take them everyday ,I was to the point I wasn't getting any sleep at all,he never did want to help me,on anything,an everyone always has an inter voice telling you something isn't right,well I went on an keepers taking the meds an he bumped up the mg from 25mg to 50mg an the inter voice was getting louder to stop taking it, an I did an went cold turkey ,I have to say I feel so much better now then I did not it,an I'm able to sleep more ,here the last couple of months I feel as if bugs are crawling all over. Me at nite when trying to sleep,it's not as bad as it was after New Years,I'm in the middle of looking for a new Dr,at this point in time,something keeps telling me I need to get away from him before I end in the hospital or dead
I am sorry - are you OK now?
My thyroid was extracted because it was cancerous. My Dr. prescribed 100mcg of Synthroid. Two weeks ago, my TSH was 0.02. My blood pressure went from 120/68 to 165/90 - too much Synthroid. Dr. reduced the dosage to 75 mcgm, but my blood pressure has not budged, despite my taking 20mg Lisinopril, 10mg Amlopidine and 12.5mg Carvedilol. Would it be safe for me to take 75 mcgm Synthroid every other day?
Jim
Jim
T4 med has a half life of about a week. So any change takes about 3 weeks to reach approx. 87% of its final effect on serum levels of the hormone.
What was your serum Free T4 or Total T4 level before reducing the med?
What was your serum Free T4 or Total T4 level before reducing the med?
I have over thyriod in my body need an op on my knee but blood levels show to much thyroid was on 150 now been lowered to 125 how long does it take to put levels right so I can have the op done I should have it 2 weeks Thursday how long will it take levels to go back right
Your story is very familiar to many of us. I also took up to 225 mcg of T4 for well over 25 years, and still had lingering hypo symptoms, which I later found was due to inadequate conversion of the T4 to T3. Only after accidentally finding this Forum about 6 years ago did I learn about the importance of Free T3. When I got mine tested and confirmed as low in the range, I got my doctor to switch me to Armour Thyroid. After some tweaking of dosages I felt much, much better.
Within the last two years I ran into a problem with excess conversion of T4 to Reverse T3, so I had to reduce my Armour dosage, in order to reduce the amount of T4 I was taking daily. I made up for it by adding in T3 med. Now again after some tweaking I feel great. To me, it is not so much a matter of natural versus synthetic, as it is getting your Free T3 level high enough and making sure that Reverse T3 doesn't become a problem.
Plus I have learned that it is very important for Vitamin D, B12 and ferritin to be at adequate levels in order to avoid related symptoms, and they also have an effect on how thyroid hormone is metabolized.
Within the last two years I ran into a problem with excess conversion of T4 to Reverse T3, so I had to reduce my Armour dosage, in order to reduce the amount of T4 I was taking daily. I made up for it by adding in T3 med. Now again after some tweaking I feel great. To me, it is not so much a matter of natural versus synthetic, as it is getting your Free T3 level high enough and making sure that Reverse T3 doesn't become a problem.
Plus I have learned that it is very important for Vitamin D, B12 and ferritin to be at adequate levels in order to avoid related symptoms, and they also have an effect on how thyroid hormone is metabolized.
The doctor I saw recently said that those of us with Hashimoto's should be taking a naturally derived thyroid hormone, not synthetic.
I have stopped Synthroid after being on it for 25 years. It has never done me any favors. I still have all the symptoms despite having been on doses up to 225 mcg.
He explained that with auto-immune disorders like Hashimoto's, the synthetic hormone can actually increase the auto-immune response causing your cells to reject the T4, so you have tons of it in your bloodstream but not getting into your cells to work.
I also have adrenal fatigue, extremely low cortisol and progesterone, so I have started taking a natural adrenal support as well as glutathione for the liver because that is where conversion occurs.
I am of the mindset that I have felt like crap for 25 years, I'm willing to forego the chemicals and try the natural side. I couldn't feel much worse. Good luck to you.
I have stopped Synthroid after being on it for 25 years. It has never done me any favors. I still have all the symptoms despite having been on doses up to 225 mcg.
He explained that with auto-immune disorders like Hashimoto's, the synthetic hormone can actually increase the auto-immune response causing your cells to reject the T4, so you have tons of it in your bloodstream but not getting into your cells to work.
I also have adrenal fatigue, extremely low cortisol and progesterone, so I have started taking a natural adrenal support as well as glutathione for the liver because that is where conversion occurs.
I am of the mindset that I have felt like crap for 25 years, I'm willing to forego the chemicals and try the natural side. I couldn't feel much worse. Good luck to you.
does your daughter like nature thyroid better than synthroid? was it hard to adjust to? any side effect symptoms in the beginning or now?
t3 makes you hyper so many people divide the dose. once at lunch and once upon waking....so you don't feel so hyper...but never near bedtime..sounds like you may be taking too much at once....ask dr to divide dosage
You might be interested in this symptom profiler:
http://www.synthroid.com/Hypothyroidism/SymptomProfiler.aspx
http://www.synthroid.com/Hypothyroidism/SymptomProfiler.aspx
Do you have recent labs to post? If so, please do along with the reference ranges from your own lab report. Seeing those, we'll be better able to assess your status.
How much T4 and T3 do you take?
How much T4 and T3 do you take?
Is there a medication other than synthroid to treat low T4? I have been taking Synthroid for about 5 years and don't feel good on it. When I was diagnosed 5 years ago with Hypothyroid I didn't think much about it. I started taking the meds, I began with Levothyroxine then moved and my new doc put me on Synthroid. I found out about a month ago I now have Hashimotos, according to my last blood work. Now I am really concerned. I have started reading everything I can get my hands on and really want to see if there are options to the Synthroid. My doc put me on compounded T3 when she got the last blood results as my T3 was extremely low. Since I have been taking the T3 I have felt much better, no brain fog and lots more energy. But I do have this underlying lightheadedness and sometimes way to much anxiety. Any suggestions would be helpful.
So many ask why didn't my doctor tell me that. Several reasons but one of the main one's is time. Doctors claim their reimbursements have been cut so their seeing more patients. Voila the web. Do your own research, write it down and ask the doctor. I guess they mean well but they are still practicing medicine although they don't use that term anymore. And when possible look for an integrated medicine Doctor. They try to use what's best from pharmaceuticals and alternative meds. It's a battle but thank God for Google. Research, it's not all correct but use common sense and feel your way through. You will suprise yourself. May even be your own best doctor.
With the half-life of T4 being approx. one week, about 98 % of the med should be out of your body in 6 weeks. What supplements are you taking that are supposed to replace the T4 med?
I'm not quite sure about the aversion to Synthroid. When you consider the definition of a drug as being, "any substance that, when absorbed into the body of a living organism, alters normal bodily function", I'm not sure that T4 meds really fit that definition. If your body needs thyroid hormone, the T4 med is filling that need. It is not altering normal bodily function. It is actually preventing bodily functions from being altered due to insufficient T4 and T3 levels.
How does taking supplements differ from that, unless those supplements somehow cause your body's thyroid glands to ramp up and produce the additional T4 and T3 hormones needed to function normally?
I'm not quite sure about the aversion to Synthroid. When you consider the definition of a drug as being, "any substance that, when absorbed into the body of a living organism, alters normal bodily function", I'm not sure that T4 meds really fit that definition. If your body needs thyroid hormone, the T4 med is filling that need. It is not altering normal bodily function. It is actually preventing bodily functions from being altered due to insufficient T4 and T3 levels.
How does taking supplements differ from that, unless those supplements somehow cause your body's thyroid glands to ramp up and produce the additional T4 and T3 hormones needed to function normally?
I just went off of synthroid because I wanted to find a different way and am trying to figure out how long until it's all the way out of my system. I've been using supplements with success so far and a doctor who supports me. It's only been 9 days but I'm hopeful! I would live to be totally free of drugs!!
I'd definitely get a new doctor!!! Where do you live? I have a great one in North Texas!
Hi ,
I understand that you where treated initially by your GP and he put you on 150 mcg/day,
and your tsh before that was around 6 !
if that is true ,then the mistake is with the jumps of 350 mcg/week !! it's too big jumps! you could have a heart attack !
I am not a doctor,but with tsh of 6, you should take as an initial dose 100 mcg/WEEK and then get checked every 6 weeks !!
what is the meaning of stopping the synthroid ? why not just adjust your very high dose according to lab tests !??
I understand that you where treated initially by your GP and he put you on 150 mcg/day,
and your tsh before that was around 6 !
if that is true ,then the mistake is with the jumps of 350 mcg/week !! it's too big jumps! you could have a heart attack !
I am not a doctor,but with tsh of 6, you should take as an initial dose 100 mcg/WEEK and then get checked every 6 weeks !!
what is the meaning of stopping the synthroid ? why not just adjust your very high dose according to lab tests !??
My girlfriend did some research and with the results I just posted above she said with those numbers I show mild hypothyroidism. The TSH is just a little too low meaning I need a slightly lesser Synthroid dosage. My family doctor also originally told me that with hypo patients, he likes to get them to a TSH of around 1.00 which should eleviate symptoms. No one has got it right yet. I feel like I have just been a guinee pig for the past two years, and playing the waiting game. What's worse than anything is when you know the test results are there on the doctor's desk but they wait two weeks to tell you what's up. Everyday I sit here and wait is another day wasted. If they had the symptoms too they could understand better I think. It's misery most of the time. I can't lose the weight I have gained no matter what I do
The only Thyroid related tests done by my Endo were T4 Free which was 1.04 (normal range) and TSH which was .109 (low) I know that my last test for TSH while I was fully on the 150 showed that my TSH was low indicating too high of a dosage, which is why I was wondering how long it takes to get out of my system. It it takes more thana week then that would explain why my TSH is still showing low. I'm not going to get back on the Synthroid until I get some real answers, especially since he's wanting me to jump back in at 150 but only 6 days a week. That goes against everything I have ever heard about taking Synthroid.
Does your Dr want you to start back at 150mcgs? I would think he would start you at a lower dose since you've been off of it for at least 3 weeks. It's just not good to start and stop thyroid meds.
You need to take it every day because your thyroid is not working properly. Once you have hypothyroidism it usually is a life long thing and that's why you need meds everyday.
He really should have kept you on the meds and checked your levels. Your last results are probably not accurate.
So he did'nt check your FT3, FT4 and antibodies? You need those results to see if your converting Sythroid, which is an T4 med, to T3. That could be the problem.The anitibodies tests will show if you have Hashi's. Take care. Remar
You need to take it every day because your thyroid is not working properly. Once you have hypothyroidism it usually is a life long thing and that's why you need meds everyday.
He really should have kept you on the meds and checked your levels. Your last results are probably not accurate.
So he did'nt check your FT3, FT4 and antibodies? You need those results to see if your converting Sythroid, which is an T4 med, to T3. That could be the problem.The anitibodies tests will show if you have Hashi's. Take care. Remar
I guess to keep your levels consistent. However, my daughters free t4 was always high normal on Synthroid and her freet3 was always low normal. Did not convert enough of it in the body to the active t3 (has no gland). The body must have enough t3 available for it to function properly. She is now on Naturethroid, but it is hard to find right now.
I sure wish a doctor would tell me these things. Now I dont trust my last test results so much. If it lasts so long in your system why on Earth do they say to take one every day?
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