Tirosint, what are you doing to me?

[librarygirl2]

I have been on Tirosint since November but I could not last longer than 10 days in a row on it.  Why? Because it gave me the following side effects:

- Intense sleepiness after taking it
- Hair falling out everywhere I go like it's supposed to be a sweater
- Anxiousness
- Heart beating rapidly
- Sweats and increased body odor
- Buzzing inside body like being really wired
- Teeth pain and dry mouth
- Anger issues
- Muscle pain
- No period

I was taking 50 mcg after being switched over from Synthroid 50 mcg. Not sure why my body reacts so weird to it but I couldn't even take it long enough  (6 weeks) to get a TSH, FT3, and FT4 test.   The sleeps and the hair loss was too much to deal with.

Anyone else have reviews with Tirosint?  I really was hoping that it would work for me but it was not the miracle treatment at all.

Thanks!

Can anybody else

[Triscut25]

I too am glad to have found this site...so that I am sure I am not losing my mind. I am 32 now and had my thyroid removed when I was 21 due to Graves Disease. For 10 years I have been constantly having to adjust my synthroid dosages because my TSH levels are constantly fluctuating. I can't lose weight and have almost every symptom there is. Two weeks ago, my endocrynologist switched me over to Tirosint to try. I went from 200mcg of Synthroid, which was a tad too high, to 150mcg of Tirosint. Since then, I feel like I'm going crazy again - similar to when I first found out I had hyperthyroidism. I can't sleep, my body is achy and I'm getting cramps, I'm irritable, crying for no reason, have clausterphobia issues, and my anxiety is off the chain. My doctor wants me back in 2 months for blood tests to see how it's doing, but I don't think I can make it that long. I feel like I'm going nuts. My heart has palpatations and I feel like I'm in a fog. I agree with the person above that said it's been so long since I've felt normal, that I no longer know what normal is.

[KerrieBear]

Hi everyone - I never post on these, but was thankful to find all of these posts.  I was feeling fine, but went ahead and had a Physical in Aug 2013.  My doctor said my blood results said my TSH was 4.970, indicating that my thyroid was low. So, he put me on Levothyroxin 50 MCG.  Almost immediately I was a trainwreck!  Couldn't sleep and then crash and sleep for over 12 hours, sweats hot and cold, anxious, heart racing, no patience at all and just plain mean!  The doctor wanted me to continue for 3 months, which I did with nothing getting better and feeling the worst I've ever felt in my life!  I had another blood test and the TSH was 1.620, however on Dec 23, I'd had enough and called the doctor and told them so.  They had me come in the day after Xmas and talk to doctor - he gave me the Tirosint 50 MCG to try.  More side effects!! Sleep got a little better, I've been taking it at 5 or 6 am and then try to sleep before work.  I'm having horrible headaches with it, am still more tired than I ever was, the inside of my ears itch - yep inside!! Driving me nuts! Plus, again the anxiousness, heart racing, bitchyness is a little better, but I still have melt downs and crash and energy level just plain ***** :-( I'm an avid tennis player and runner - that just  has no appeal to me these days.  Talked with the nurse about current symptoms and the only advice I got was to take them before bed and sleep through the symptoms - I don't think that is a very good answer!!  Any and all advice is welcome at this point - I'm so tired of messing with this in my life!

KeriBear

[KerrieBear]

Hi everyone - I never post on these, but was thankful to find all of these posts.  I was feeling fine, but went ahead and had a Physical in Aug 2013.  My doctor said my blood results said my TSH was 4.970, indicating that my thyroid was low. So, he put me on Levothyroxin 50 MCG.  Almost immediately I was a trainwreck!  Couldn't sleep and then crash and sleep for over 12 hours, sweats hot and cold, anxious, heart racing, no patience at all and just plain mean!  The doctor wanted me to continue for 3 months, which I did with nothing getting better and feeling the worst I've ever felt in my life!  I had another blood test and the TSH was 1.620, however on Dec 23, I'd had enough and called the doctor and told them so.  They had me come in the day after Xmas and talk to doctor - he gave me the Tirosint 50 MCG to try.  More side effects!! Sleep got a little better, I've been taking it at 5 or 6 am and then try to sleep before work.  I'm having horrible headaches with it, am still more tired than I ever was, the inside of my ears itch - yep inside!! Driving me nuts! Plus, again the anxiousness, heart racing, bitchyness is a little better, but I still have melt downs and crash and energy level just plain ***** :-( I'm an avid tennis player and runner - that just  has no appeal to me these days.  Talked with the nurse about current symptoms and the only advice I got was to take them before bed and sleep through the symptoms - I don't think that is a very good answer!!  Any and all advice is welcome at this point - I'm so tired of messing with this in my life!

KeriBear

[tiffy328]

I just began tirosint 3 days ago.  My thyroid has always been slightly enlarged and at my endo appintment they found "masses" that they believe are enlarged para-thyroids.  My endo put me on 25mcg of tirosint (I was on 100mcg Levothyroxine) and gave me a script for bloodwork in 5 weeks to reevalute.  Well 3 days in my thyroid is larger. My endo seems dismissive.  What do I need to know?! I need to ask the right questions.

When I first described my symptoms:
sleepiness
anxiety
leg & foot pain
trouble concentrating
memory problems


He told me that NONE of these have anything to do with my thyroid.  Once he did the sonogram, he changed his opinion.

[Barb135]

Perhaps they simply started you on too high a dosage.  Often it's best to start very low, especially, those over 50, and work up slowly as the patient can tolerate it.

What symptoms are you getting as "side effects" from the medication?  Just the muscle pain and headaches?  It takes 4-6 weeks for any thyroid med, containing T4, to reach full potential in the blood and it's not unusual to feel worse or have new symptoms appear, while adjusting to a dose/med.

There is no point in taking Tirosint 2 X/day.  It's a T4 med and has to build.  The T4 in your system today, is from med you took a couple of weeks ago.  The only thyroid meds that should be taken in multiple doses are those containing a T3 component, which Tirosint does not.

There is nothing in Tirosint to react to.  The only ingredients are the levothyroxine, water, glycerin and gelatin.  I feel confident that the pain is not being caused by the Tirosint; it "could", however, be caused by hypothyroidism.  With a TSH of 42, I'd expect your actual thyroid hormone levels to be quite low.

If you have current lab results, please post them, so we can get a better idea of where you're at.  If your doctor is dosing you, based only on TSH, ask for the Free T3 and Free T4 tests.  If s/he refuses to test those, get a different doctor.  

Since this is a very old, long thread, your situation would get more attention if you posted a new thread, with your own information.  You can do that by clicking the orange "Post a Question" button at the top of this page, and once you've typed your comments/questions, click the green "Post a Comment" button.

There are some ways this can be handled, but I'd need to know your current FT3/FT4 levels.  I'd also wonder if they've checked your vitamin D level.

[Marge123]

Hi:
I'm a 60 year old female. Had my thyroid removed 3 months ago due to complications from hashimoto's. Surgery was flawless, but I've been hospitalized twice since due to extreme side effects from taking meds. My tsh in January was 98. They've gotten it down to 42, labs to be drawn again in 1 week.  Extreme muscle pain and headaches from all meds. (including compounded & NDT) they tried me on. Currently on Tirosint, 100 mcg. (50 mcg. twice daily). Pain is horrific in calves & upper arms. Doctor said its a lupoid reaction to the med. & added prednisone in an attempt to get the lupus to settle down. My question is, can the pain be coming from the medication, or is it indeed a lupus flare? They don't know what else to prescribe for me. Thank you.