Synthroid/Levothyroxine Side Effects

[soccermom2002]

Has anyone had high blood pressure while taking Synthroid and Levothyroxine?

I am hypo and I was given .50 Levothyroxine and I started filling shaky and light headed, I had trouble breathing and felt pressure in my chest, stomach cramps, headaches, and high blood pressure so my doctor told me to stop taking them and referred me to an endo who put me on .50 Synthroid because he thought I was having reactions to the fillers in Levothyroxine so I've been taking Synthroid for 2 weeks and starting to have some of the same reactions, stomach cramps, headaches, fatigue, light headed, and high blood pressure. I've never had a blood pressure problem in my life, my endo said Synthroid and Levothyroxine can't cause high blood pressure but when I stop taking it my blood pressure goes back to normal. I want to hurry up and find something that will work for me because I don't like putting up with my thyroid symptoms. I hate feeling weak and tired all the time, stomach issues, scaly dry skin, my hands and my fingers swell.

My Results
10/26/11 my TSH was 6.9 and I was given Levothyroxine .50 and had almost every side effect of it and high blood pressure so I quit taking it and went back to the doctor on 12/06/11 and my TSH was 5.3, FT4 was 10.8, FT3 Uptake was 23, and FThyroxine Index was 2.5 so my doctor referred me to my endo and I went to see him on 1/30/12 so I wasn't taking any thyroid medication since November and my results on 1/30/12 was TSH 5.65, FT4 1.0, Thyroid Microsomal was >1000 (reference <35).

[Barb135]

Dosage increase would depend on symptom relief and blood test results.  Typically, when we start on thyroid medication, we stay at a dosage for 6 weeks, then retest and go from there.  When I was put on thyroid hormone replacement, I was started at 25 mcg for 2 weeks, then increased to 50 mcg for 2 weeks, then to 75 mcg for 2 weeks, then on to 100 mcg.  At my first retest, my TSH was rock bottom and my doctor freaked out and started dropping my med back down, even though symptom relief was a long way off.

If I were you, I'd probably stay on the 25 mcg for a couple weeks, then go up, if that's okay with your doctor.

[fricky]

Thanks Barb. How long should I stay on the 25mg before I up the dosage to the 50mg  that was prescribed? Any side effects to watch out for?

[Barb135]

Hi Fricky

Yes, I know you're considering going on Levo.  No, the med shouldn't affect your antibody count.  You either have antibodies or you don't.

[fricky]

Hi Barb. As you know I am considering going on the Levothyroxine 25mg for starters. I was wondering if being on the meds will in any way affect my lab results in Jan. when I have the Thyroid Antibody test done?

[fricky]

Hey Barb, you there?

[fricky]

My Endo was just leaving it up to me as to whether or not I wanted to go on meds because it wasn't that bad, I guess.