Levothyroxine - some days I feel as if tablet didn't work???

[youvegottobekidding]

I've started taking levothyroxine 5 weeks ago and I'm still on a tiny dose (25mg).

I've improved a lot but some days I feel just how I did before i started taking the tablets: exhausted, like I am wading through custard every time I try to move, overwhelmed by inertia, sore throat and hoarse voice, etc.

Does this happen to everyone at the start of treatment?

I don't understand why it would be happening on random days.
I even started wondering if some of the tablets in the pack don't have proper potency. Could that be possible?
Or could there be anything else I am doing that might make this happen to me some days? I know I need to avoid antihistamines for the time being, is there anything else I need to avoid eating or doing?

[Brucergoldberg]

I actually felt Worse on the smaller dose.  In other words, i felt better not taking anything at all then taking a little bit and confusing the body (my body was thinking "do i use this stuff, or do i keep using my own, I'm very confused".  I am now on 150 mcg, i think i feel better than I've felt in 3 years despite my labs being crappy.   I am still following a regimen of testing and increasing.    

[goolarra]

I think Bruce hit the nail on the head.  Until our meds are adjusted so that FT3 and FT4 are optimal for EACH of us (not just "in range"), they are still "off" as evidenced by continuing symptoms.  Yes, symptoms improve along the way, but until you get close to those optimal levels, you will have lingering symptoms and a tendency to have good days and bad days.  

I have a tendency toward tachycardia due to a congenital heart defect.  When first on meds and increasing, that was exacerbated by the thyroid meds.  I was completely convinced that the more thyroid meds I took, the worse the tachycardia was going to get...and it did for a while.  However, once on a stable dose with good levels for me (and on the HIGHEST dose of meds I've ever been on), my tachycardia has been the best since I was about 8 years old...a few years agoi.  LOL  I just passed my two-year anniversary with NO tachycardia.  That hasn't happened in over 50 years.  

Think of it like a turning wheel.  If it's not perfectly balanced, it's going to wobble.  If you add a little weight to one side, it might help...perhaps the wheel only wobbles at high speeds now.  Once you add other weights, the wheel will spin without wobbling.

Until your FT4 is around midrange and FT3 in the upper half to upper third of range, your wheel is still unbalanced.  

[Brucergoldberg]

Im not going to go into too much detail of my situation because it was pretty complex, but i want to make a fact i figured out.   When i was on a small dose of thyroid, it was almost like i was teasing myself.  There was not enough to be stored in the liver and be used as needed to convert to t4.  As I increased over time, I noticed a lot of symptoms have gone away.   Im still pretty bad, but nothing compared to when i was teasing my body with the tiny dosing.  SOme of the symptoms i had then are a thing of the past (i still have the ear ringing and some fatigue) but Once i started to get away from the smaller doses, and had a healthier amount that my body could convert easier i seemed to feel "better"   (better than horrible but still not how i want to live).   So be very diligent in testing, make sure you increase as needed.  If you still have your thyroid, it could be on the decline so regular blood work is essential until things die down and die off  :)

[Tiredme]

I feel the same way. I just had my labs after being on .25 mcg for about 5 weeks.  They barely changed at all.  I felt better at first, then worse.  See what you labs are and adjust from there.

[Barb135]

It takes approximately 6 weeks for the medication to reach full potential in your system, so it's not really a matter of the medication "working" on certain days.  It's just that as the medication builds in your blod, you start having more good days, than bad ones.

Keep in mind that people often have to have adjustments made to their medication dosage, as time goes on. You should be tested for TSH, Free T3 and Free T4, every 6 weeks or so, until your symptoms are alleviated and your levels are stable.

Do you know if you have Hashimoto's Thyroiditis?  

[mbcjiffy]

I, too, recently started on levothyroxine (?) at 25 mg. When the medication "works" I feel right as rain. Not hyperactive, just like a weight has been lifted. But days like today, I feel like I'm trying to slog through molasses. It has been *almost* 30 days, but I'm not quite regulated yet, I suppose. It is a relief to know that I'm not alone in this on again/off again feeling.

[AJWS6]

Hi goolarra, no I haven't noticed any difference, but I'm on a baby dose of glip 10mg.  Guess it all depends on the strength of meds.  Thanks for feedback :)

[goolarra]

Other meds should be taken four hours away from thyroid meds if at all possible.  However, there are other considerations, and if it's working for you, I wouldn't worry about it.  

I'm assuming you're saying the Glip and the Synthroid act together to lower blood sugar more than the Glip would by itself???  At some point, you might find that your morning dose of Glip has to be lowered to compensate.  

I take a beta blocker, and it goes down right after my levo.  My endo has no problem with that, in fact, he encourages it.  

Have you noticed any difference in your blood sugar since starting or increasing levo?

[AJWS6]

Hi goolarra, you stated other meds should be taken 4 hrs after thyroid med.  

I've been taking Glipizide an hour after thyroid med.  Oh, oh.  I've alway's taken supplements 4 hrs after, but not my diabetic med.  Last night, I read there was an interaction between Glip and Synthroid, possible low blood sugar.  If I don't take Glip upon waking, my blood sugar sky rockets.  Reason I take it an hour after thyroid med.  It's been working out fine so far.    

Input would be appreciated.  Thanx.  

[youvegottobekidding]

It reassuring to know it's just normal.

I have been waiting about half an hour after the tablets before eating... but sometimes I eat sooner. I'll make more effort to hold out the full hour.

Thanks!

[goolarra]

I should also have mentioned that any other meds or supplements should be taken at least four hours away from your thyroid meds.

[goolarra]

What you're experiencing is pretty "normal" for just having started meds.  I seriously doubt there's anything wrong with your tablets.  

Are you taking your meds first thing in the morning, on an empty stomach, with a full glass of water, then waiting 0.5-1.0 hours before eating or drinking anything else?  That's the only thing you should be doing.

Random good days and bad days are pretty typical.  It's like recovering from anything else...you feel a little better...you do a little more...you get a little more tired...you feel a little worse again.  The good days will start outnumbering the bad more and more.