help me please at a loss

[Holliee]

hello i just found out I have hypo and put on Synthroid 150mcg an before starting meds i have not had period in 6 months is that sign of low thyroid> Also I seem be having side effects from  meds
I have gained 80lbs and feel bad an very uncomfortable please help any tips or info
THANKS IN ADVANCE

[Holliee]

Thanks for the info I go to doc next thursday and I am going to talk to him about it, Let you know what I find out.

[goolarra]

It sounds like that dose may be a bit high for you to start.  Your body is not used to having that much thyroid hormone in your bloodstream any longer, and it needs time to adjust.  I have gotten very "antsy" on the meds when I started on a dose too high for me and when my dose was increased too much.

You can do a couple of things.  If you are not terribly uncomfortable and your heartrate and blood pressure are not elevated, you can stick it out.  The side effects should go away as your body adjusts. If they don't diminish or they increase, you have to back off to a lower dose.  Or, and I prefer this idea, you could tell your doctor what you are feeling and ask if you can start at a lower dose and increase as tolerated.  You might start at 50 mcg or 75 mcg and increase after a few weeks if you don't have any side effects (people who tolerate thyroid meds well usually only increase by about 25 mcg at a time).

You can't rush thyroid meds.  Trying to hurry things along by starting with a large dose or increasing too rapidly just ends up taking up more time in the long run if you have to back off because of side effects.

[Holliee]

Hello I am 29 yrs old and I feel like speeded up sometimes when I take it.

[goolarra]

What side effects are you having?  As Super_sally888 said, 150 mcg to start is a pretty hefty dose.  If you've been hypo for more than a few months, are over 50, or have a heart arrhythmia, starting doses should be more conservative.  Even if none of those apply, some of us are very sensitive to thyroid meds and need to start lower and increase very gradually.

Side effects of too high a starting dose can include heart palpitations and/or tachycardia, elevated blood pressure, intolerance to heat, insomnia and many others.

[Holliee]

what r some side effects you all had from this meds

[Super_sally888]

Hi,

you must be pretty hypo for your doctor to put you on a dose of 150 straight up.  Do you know what your numbers were?  If so, please post and also give the reference ranges.

Yes, not having a period is a sign of being hypo.  So is feeling so bad and gaining weight.

You will need to test your levels in about 6 weeks.  After that your doctor would adjust again, as necessary.

If possible, have your doctor test FT3, FT4 as well as TSH, as these tests will give a better idea of what is going on.

You will feel better with treatment, but be patient becuase it will take a few weeks for the benefit of the meds to become really obvious and then up to a few months to get everything adjsted optimally.

Welcome to the forum.  Please learn all you can because it is important that you be knowledgeable and a partner in management of your condition.