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2055874 tn?1330530453

want to stop taking levothyroxine

I am 52 years old and have being taking levothyroxine,my symtoms,were feeling tired,no energy,weight gain.depressed,Ihave being taking them for four years ,my blood test shows i am taking right amount which is 150 micrograms a day,i am also going throw the change,my symtoms have yet to change if anything i feel worse.I am waiting to speak to my doctor to disscuss this as i fail to understand why i am not feeling any better or why i should carry on taking this medication,I am also taking sleeping tablets which i hate,but if i dont i cant sleep,i hate the way i feel and the way i look,this is effecting my life ,as i was once a happy go lucky person in a size 12 now struggling to stay in 14,I go to a jym and swim nothing seems to change,
Best Answer
649848 tn?1534633700
COMMUNITY LEADER
Sounds like you were over medicated and needed to be cut back. You should get your levels tested to see where they are.

Every situation is different, but for someone who is truly hypo and has Hashimoto's, they will eventually die without the medication, because we can't live without thyroid hormones.  Once the thyroid stops producing, we have to rely on the medication and if levels are adjusted properly, there should be no hair loss, anxiety (except for non thyroid sources) or excess weight loss.

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Avatar universal
If you will please post your thyroid related test results and reference ranges we can try to assess your status.  Also, if tested for Vitamin D, B12 and ferritin please post those as well.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I have been on synthroid for years now. It has been noting but hell. I always have horrible symptoms of taking to much, yet if I don't take them I get symtoms I never had before I was on it. I got a blood test one day for something else and they asked if I wanted my T4 levels or whatever checked. I said why not it cant hurt. **** was I wrong. Iv been on the thyroid dance for years now. Every time I take it faithfully I feel so ****** I cant even describe it. I was an opiate addict before. Clean now 4 years ( yay to me!) anyway it feels like opiate wd kind off. All hot n cold and just lethargy, no motivation. Except with opiate wd your in a lot of physical pain, thank god im not feeling that. Anyway my thyroid tests always come out that im doing fine! Even though Im telling them im not. Like is there something else seriously wrong with me? Like the 9 different tests Iv taken cant be all wrong. So my thyroid levels must be alright. Or since I have a thyroid, it might just work like crazy some days so when I take my dose its way way to much. Or the exact opposite and that everytime I took a test I just happened to be on a good day where my levels are fine. Its not like  I can go in when I feel like that and demand they test me that instant. No I gotta wait days. That almost makes ir pointless. I feel hopeless how god damn bad I feel almost 24/7. Right when I got on they said my levels were so low they don't understand how I feel normal. Well mayve those levels were fine for me and they made calculation error or something. I don't know. All I know is that ever since iv been on thyroid meds iv never felt the same. Some days yes I am good, but about 3 to 4 days a week I feel weird and ******. Its horrible. I don't think I ever needed it and now they have ****** my body and thyroid up Nothing I can do, our healthcare's free here in Canada. Unless they leave a sponge in you, its very hard to sue or get any justice at all.
Helpful - 0
649848 tn?1534633700
COMMUNITY LEADER
It's true that the thyroid needs those supplements.  The thyroid produces the hormones, but the conversion isn't even done in the thyroid.  The majority of conversion is done in the liver, smaller amounts are done in other organs.

If you have Hashimoto's Thyroiditis, iodine can make make things much worse, rather than better.  If you have Hashimoto's and there's already damage to your thyroid, nothing is going to repair it.

One month on levo is not long enough.  It takes at least 4-6 weeks for the med to even reach full potential in your blood, then your body has to have time to get used to having them, and get well.  

Additionally, it's most likely that you are only on a started dose, which means that your dosage will have to be increased as time goes on.  Most good doctors will start their patients out on a very low dose and increase as needed, depending on labs and symptoms.  Your symptoms indicate that you probably need an increase.

I certainly would not recommend going off medication; things will only get worse, if you do.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I feel the same way as alifordo. I've been taking levothyroxine for over a month and I don't feel any better. The first few days I did but then the fatigue came back and nausea came with it. My upper back feel oily too. And my pants are getting tighter! I've been reading that your thyroid needs iodine from kelp and Selenium, L arginine, and L-tyrosine to help with the conversions your thyroid does. I actually feel better taking these supplements then I do the levothyroxine. I'm going off this med and I'll see if the supplements alone help because my thyroid is struggling from the lack of to begin with. Readers, look up Gloria Gilbere. She has done some amazing research on the thyroid and she treated hers with natural supplements.
Helpful - 0
649848 tn?1534633700
COMMUNITY LEADER
Sounds like you could be over medicated and may simply need a lower dose, but we'd need to see actual hormone test results to determine for sure.  Many of the symptoms you describe can be associated with both hyper and hypo.

If you have a copy of the latest lab report, please post your thyroid hormone results and be sure to include the reference ranges, since these vary lab to lab and must come from your own report.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
hi. i was dx with hypo. started with 75, but now up to 112mcg of levo. i developed rapid heart rate, lost 15 pounds (in a matter of 7 months though), developed anxiety and migraines. i seen 6 different doctors. the last one finally did a check on t3, t4, and antibodies. waiting for results. previous docs only tested tsh. i complained to everyone something is off, no one will listen and keeps saying to continue to take the 112. well i stopped as of yesterday. yes this is wrong and you shouldn't go against your doctors, but my gut tells me i don't have this hypo..something else has to be wrong because the pills make me feel worse than i ever felt in my life. i am 37, f. we will see what the results are this week. i'm hoping they say stop taking them or put me on 75mcg again cuz that's the only time i felt good.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
The other option is to try to talk your doctor into testing FT3.

You FT4 is very high, but you still have hypo symptoms.  I'd ask him to explain why that is.  If he can't, then ask him to run FT3 "just in case" that's a problem.

Best of luck to you...
Helpful - 0
2055874 tn?1330530453
thank you for explaining it to me.im affraid going private is not option at the moment,it is something i need to do ,


                 thanks again
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
We have two major thyroid hormones, T3 and T4.  T4 is made by your thyroid, and is kind of a "storage" form of the hormone.  It floats around in your blood until it is needed by cells.  However, cells cannot use T4 directly.  First it has to be converted, mostly by your liver and kidneys, into the "active" form of the hormones, T3, that your cells can use.  So, what's really important to how you  feel is your T3 level (FREE T3).  

Your FT4 can be very high in the range, like yours is right now, and you can still feel very hypo if your FT3 level is too low.

Some people convert T4 to T3 slowly, and when that happens, they need to add a T3 medication to their levothyroxine (which is T4 only) to feel well.  

Unfortunately, testing of FT3 and treatment with T3 meds is hard to come by in the U.K.  Many of our members have had to go private in order to get it.  However, i think it's very important for you to do.  Nine times out of ten, someone with your high FT4 level, who still feels hypo, has a conversion problem.  Could you go o a private clinic and at least get the testing done to see if that is, indeed, your problem?  
Helpful - 0
2055874 tn?1330530453
no not realy its all bit confusing,to me.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
You only have two thyroid tests in there.

TSH is 0.53 (0.3-3.0), and FT4 is 20.4 (10-21).  You can see that you are very close to the upper limit of the range on FT4.  FT4 is usually best when it's closer to the middle of the range.  Unfortunately, your doctor did not test FT3.  FT3 is the test that correlates best with symptoms.  It looks to me like you're overmedicated and need to cut back a little on your levo.  

However, some of your symptoms also sound hypo, so you really should get your doctor to test FT3.  It’s possible that your FT3 is too low, so you still feel hypo even though your FT4 is too high.  If I were you, I’d ask my doctor to re-run FT4 and TSH and add in FT3 at the same time.

All your other tests look good, i.e.  they're in range, but I'm by no means an expert.  

Do you understand how FT3 and FT4 work together?
Helpful - 0
2055874 tn?1330530453
hi put my test results on.cant make head nor tail,just wonderd if you can put any light on it for me











Helpful - 0
2055874 tn?1330530453
FULL BLOOD COUNT
HB 13.1g/d (11.5-16)   neutrophils 3.4 52.3% (2-7.5)
WBC 6.5      x106^9/1  (4-11) lymphocytes 2.5  38.5% (1.5-4)
PLT 300   x10^9/1 (4-11  monocytes o.3  4.6%(0.2-0.8
EOINOPHILS 0.2 3.1%(0.1-0.4
RBC 4.04 x10^12/1 (3.8-5.8   Basophils 0.0%(0.0-0.0.2
HCT  0.38 1/1  (0.37-0.47 Atyp.lymphs
MCV 94.5  F1   (77.0-9 METAMYE LOCYTES
MCH32.5 pg  (27.5-32.5 MYELOCYTES
RDW 12.6 %  (10.9-15.7) PROMYELOCYTES
%HYPO 0.40%   (0.00-5  blasts      %

nucleated rbc /  cant make head nor tail of it all .
Helpful - 0
2055874 tn?1330530453
TEST.RESULTS.
TEST
SODIUM   RESULT 142 UNITS MMO1/L REF, RANGE(133-146
POTASSIUM RESULT 4.7         MMO1/L                        (3.5-5.3
UREA            RESULT 5.4         MMO1/L                         (2.5-7.8

CREATININE RESULT 62        UMO1/L                           (50-120
GLUCOSE      4.7                     MMO1/L

TOTAL PROTEIN        65         G/L                                   (60-80
ALBUMIN                  42            G/L                                     (35-50
GLOBULIN           23                 G/L                                       (20/50
APL               101                       U/L                                      (30-120
TOTAL BILIRUBIN 9                UMOL/L                                (1-17
GGT                   39                   U/L                                       1-54
ALT                33                        U/L                                       1-40
C-REACTIVE PROTEIN   LESS THAN5MG
TSH           0.53                     MU/L                                    (0.27-42
FREE T4    20.4               PMO1/L          (                        10.O-21.0
REF ,RANGE FOR GLUCOSE FASTING 2.2-6.0MMO1/L
RANDOM 2.5-11.0MMO1/L  THIS IS FIRST LOT STILL CLULESS  







Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I was on 25mg's. Lowest dose levoxythorine has, and the panic attacks and anxiety was thru the roof. I got so skinny, my kids thought it was funny to see their mom so thin. Lost my hair in clumps and became insomniac. Couldnt sleep. I got so depressed, and never was depressed before in my life. Dr then wanted me on antidepressants! I said, " are you kidding me?" " another pill to fix yet another pill?" I looked up stories of people on antidepressants and read that if one needs to get off of them, the withdrawals are horrendeous. So I took myself off of the thyroid , started eating for the thyroid, and became happy again. Got my results 2 months later and no thyroid problem, hair stopped falling out, started sleeping again, and never yet gained the weight back, but I dont care, I look and feel good now. Ill get tested again in a few months just to make sure, and if I need the meds, Ill go to a holistic center instead this time.
Helpful - 0
2055874 tn?1330530453
ok will do thanx anyway,
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Sorry, no luck.  The 3 doctors that I know about are all way south of you.  

Please do print your test results when available.
Helpful - 0
2055874 tn?1330530453
just wanted to ask sandra how much you were taking,and did you ween your self off them,im on 150mg a day,my doctor reckons i will just ballon if i stop taking them,i wasnt big to start with,so dont understand.
Helpful - 0
2055874 tn?1330530453
north of england,
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Sorry, but I can't locate Middlesbrough.  Can you give me some more info as to where it is located?
Helpful - 0
2055874 tn?1330530453
hi i live in middlesbrough,my doctors is the village medical centre,i have just changed to this doctors two years ago,i want to stop taking medication im so anxious dont know what to do,iv just rang doctors back because i got my self in bit of a state forgot to ask for print out of my results,their have yet to ring me back,put them on see if any body can make any sence of them because i cant,
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Totally frustrating, I know.  What part of the UK do you live in?  The reason I ask is that I do know a couple of doctors there that have been much more receptive to doing adequate testing and treatment.  I know it is grasping at straws, but might get lucky.
Helpful - 0
2055874 tn?1330530453
well went to see doctor today,explained once again how i am feeling,and that i wanted to say my peace,I asked about my t3 and t4,she glanced at her screen and said im at my level,which i replied,well im not going to carry on taken medicaton,as im not feeling any benifit,reply was no you cant ,and i cant live without it,by this time the tears had come,i ended up coming away with yes even more tablets,for depression,yet she said her self im not depressed but their mite do me some good,she reckons just my hormones,why im tired putting weight on losing my hair,and now prob lose my mind,iv being around a few doctors dont seem bothered,my only concern of coming off them is putting more weight on,im tired all time now so / dont know what to do sick of it all,would go privite,but havnt the funds
Helpful - 0
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