levoxyl

[Brucergoldberg]

Does anyone take this?  why did you pick this over all the other synthetics?   Is there any advantage to this one over synthroid?  It seems like the older endos i talk to seem to prescribe this more than synthroid.  I was curious to know more about why they would pick this one.  I realize there are choices out there, and everyone is different.  I am just curious if anyone on the group takes it, and why?

[Totie]

I have only been given Levothyroxine & Synthroid, no other options.

I do see where the Synthroid works better for me. Everyone is different in how they react to medications.

Levo worked for me for a long time, but this new Endo does not like it.

[Brucergoldberg]

I am hearing positive things about levoxyl (brand).   I am currently on a compound and i have been on it for about 8 weeks now.  My numbers are getting pretty bad and the doctor says the compound is not right for me.  My last full test showed that my tsh was at 65.  The ft3  was 1.3  (range 2.3 to 3.9)  and my ft4 was .4  (range .8 to 1.8)

currently my tsh is at 115 but i do not know my frees right now.   they are suggesting moving me from a compound of 150  to a levoxyl of 175.    

I just have not heard of this one really.  My pharmacist had to order it for me.   But i have not taken any yet.  

[shennigan]

I have been taking levoxyl since about 6 months after my diagnosis of hashimotos and I started on levothroid my the ent doctor but my endo prefers levoxyl and I have been taking that ever since January of 2010 or sooner. I have mainly been on levoxyl.

[Brucergoldberg]

someone told me that this could be "slower release" than the other ones?

[AJWS6]

Hi Bruce, you seriously need to chill !  Going to whip out some tough love.  

June 15th you stated you were on T4 only 120mcg, beginning June 1st,.  June 26th you stated I feel better then I've felt in 3 yrs.  
Now you state your taking 150mcg.  Pharmacist ordered 175 Levoxyl.  

Now get this, all of what you shared was within a month (4 wks),.  Are you self medicating?  I'm not fond of Endo's, but don't think one would increase dose, then change brand in a month.

I can share links to all your comments.  

Also, not all your symptoms are hormonal.  You stated you've been on Klonopin & Ambian for sleep.  I know for a fact, these 2 meds have a whole list of symptoms themselves.  I was once a moderator at a psych med forum.  Klonopin can reduce tinnitus, but also can increase 10x's,.  Nausea and motion sickness can be caused by Klonopin and Ambian.  They can also cause fatigue, brain fog, brain zaps, memory loss, and the list goes on.  Klonopin can reduce anxiety, but rebound and make it 10x's worse, when going into tolerance.  This is the reason people stay addicted to psych meds, to relieve thier symptoms.  

I had a TT in March, been on 200 Synthroid, I was doing fine, cept for cold hands/feet.  Endo increased to 225, now I'm burning up, shoulder pain, trouble sleeping.  I see Endo on friday.  Curious to know what my labs state.  But through it all, I've been patience, allowing my body to heal, some day's are better then others.  Day's I don't feel good I rest, day's I do feel good, I'm active.  

I don't think anyone has any idea what your doing or what your trying to accomplish.  We all desire to help you, we desire you to feel well again, we all would like for one another to feel well again.  

Your not giving yourself or meds a chance to work for you, nor do you listen to the advice of knowledgable staff at the forum.  

Take a step back, relax, give your system some time to balance.  Or your going to have rough day's, along with good.  But the key is patience and allowing your body to heal after being sick.  Wishing you well on your journey.  

    

[Totie]

Are you really taking the medication as your supposed to?

I know you were dismissed once for self medicating, so i have to ask...

No offense, but to me in reading your post through out the years " you seem to NOT want to get better". Forgive me if I am wrong..

[Brucergoldberg]

I was put on a compound after failed attempts at 7 months of erfa.  Since being on the compound, my tsh has gone from .96  to now 115.  I feel the dementia of a 85 year old man.   I went and sought the advice of a very wise endo here.  Why not?   Haven't gotten anywhere with my current dr. in 3 years.  She advised me to get off of the compound and try a commercial product.  She recommended levoxyl.   Before i would change to this, i wanted to do some homework.   Thats where I'm at.   sliding down the slippery slope.  

[Brucergoldberg]

and by the way,

I should be allowed to post informative questions without being chastised for asking them.   Why would i get yelled at for simply asking about a drug on here?  This is the thyroid forum, and it is a thyroid drug, correct?

If my posts seem to aggravate you so much, and you do not wish to answer them, with all due respect, just skip to the next question.   I won't be offended.  really!

[Carla75]

I take levothyroxine and have been on it since Oct 2012.  In that time I've had to adjust my dosage 3 times and feel it needs to be again. it can sometimes be a long road to get it right.  Something to consider is desiccated thyroids....I'm looking into them myself and have an appt with an Endo to discuss them.  The difference....Synthroid/Levothyroxine are only for one hormone...desiccated cover 5 thyroid hormones.  I'm reading a really good book on the subject called "Stop the Thyroid Madness"...you can do a search for it on Amazon.com or find all the info that's in it at a webpage by the same name....Good Luck!

[Barb135]

You're more than welcome to post questions, but with your history, you might expect to be questioned.  

I don't think you were being chastised or yelled at.  We all wonder at the changes in your meds, because they really are hard to keep up with sometimes. We all really have tried our best to help you.

I've never done a lot of research on klonopin or ambien, but I do know they have their side effects; most prescription meds do. AJWS6 might be right.  Your other meds could be causing symptoms that you blame on thyroid issues.

We all have to ride out the rough times; that goes with the territory and you have to constantly be aware of side effects from other meds, etc.  For instance, I take a blood pressure med, which has a side effect of fatigue/tiredness.... that leaves the question - when I'm tired, is it because of my thyroid, my blood pressure med, I forgot to take my B12 shot, or the fact that I'm under enough stress to make a lot of people give up? It's all intertwined.

Patience is one of the most important aspects of thyroid treatment and even staying on a med for 7 months might not be enough.  I was on a T3 (fast acting) med for well over a year before my levels actually started changing much.

You have to give yourself time to get well.

[Barb135]

FYI       Bruce has been, both, the desiccated route and STTM.

[Brucergoldberg]

I completely agree with you.  I could not agree more.   I have read sttm, i am a advid mentor to many people on the sttm web site.   I have learned a lot from sttm, but a lot of it i personally disagree with.  they tend to make a blanket statement for everyone on there, that is one thing i disagree with.  Mary Shomon, this site, and a couple others seem to be better since we all know that not one size shoe fits all people.


My current situation is very strange.   I was on erfa.  I was on it for 7 months.   I felt horrible.  I was thin and fragile.  The t3 in it hit me very hard, sometimes so hard i would have to lie down.   At the suggestion of some of my mentors including one very well known person on this board who i consider to be a "mentor"  i switched to t4 only.  I felt pretty good for about the first 4 weeks.  Then i started to gain weight and get really tired.   They checked my blood and found i was very hypo (won't go into details but at the time my tsh was 24 and my frees were bottomed)  so they raised me.   Then they checked me again, but this time my tsh was at 64 and my frees were even lower.    Then last week i was very tired and i started having some unusual issues i haven't had before - mainly with thirst and urination.  SO i went to see a doc since i swim a lot i thought maybe i had a urinary bug.  He checked my tsh and frees and this time my tsh was at 115 and he didnt tell me my frees (waiting for them to post).

So i consulted with my doctor via telephone in germany (she's there now).  She said we either need to increase the compound yet again (to almost 200 mg)  or to try a commercial product such as levoxyl.  

So again I'm at a cross road.  the compound doesn't seem to be getting into my cells.  SHe told me to either stay on the increased compound again or start on levoxyl.  My choice.  She would start me at 175 mg levoxyl.

So i came to this board to learn about this drug as i have never heard of it.

Put yourself in my shoes.  DO you stay on something that isn't working?  OR do you once again switch to something new?

[AJWS6]

Hi Bruce, first off no one is chastising/yelling at you.  If you feel this way, my apologies.  Only stating facts.  I have sent you a pm,.  Wishing you well.  

[Brucergoldberg]

Does anyone take this?  why did you pick this over all the other synthetics?   Is there any advantage to this one over synthroid?  It seems like the older endos i talk to seem to prescribe this more than synthroid.  I was curious to know more about why they would pick this one.  I realize there are choices out there, and everyone is different.  I am just curious if anyone on the group takes it, and why?

[AJWS6]

Bruce, do a search please.  Type Levoxyl in search box.  You'll be surprised what comes up :)

[Barb135]

Some doctors will prescribe nothing but synthroid, others choose levoxyl, still others might choose something else.  The meds are pretty much equivalent, with the exception of the fillers/binders.

Right now, you're going by TSH again, which will get/keep you in trouble.

Have you thought about trying Tirosint, again?

[blsdnsvvd]

Although TSH may not mean much in a patient's eyes, it does have some weight, especially if it is as high as Bruce's...you will have some symptoms based on that number. What everyone needs to understand is: doc's obviously do not care about what the Free's say, i know for fact that mine does not because he doesn't  even test them! It's very frustrating when you try to get help because you feel like crap but are turned away based on your normal labs. We are only patient's and can do but so much. I had my TT in dec 09 and now i am on disability....go figure. I know that someone will say: it's not because of the TT but  beg to differ. Having a TT does not only affect your  thyroid function, it affects everything. in my oppinion, a little pill will not replace the functions that the thyroid once had.

[Brucergoldberg]

Hi Blsdnsvd.    Hope you are well my friend.    Here are my full labs

TSH 115   range .40-4.5
ft4   .5     .8-1.8
ft3   2.0      2.3-4.2

also i had another doctor run the same tests the next day (i was not made aware of this as it was part of a routine physical)   and everything was the same but my tsh was 91  not 115.

[Totie]

I totally agree with you on doctors not going by Free's...Mine goes by TSH level. She did run the Free T3 & Thyroxine Free, however, I don't know why she bothered if she only upped the dosage on my T4 med even thought my T3 Free was at the lowest it could go....

Why are you on disability if you don't mind me asking?

[dani35]

I will make it a third... I have gone to three drs who have only treated by TSH and my latest endo tests TSH and T4.  I absolutely have not been able to find a dr who tests or treats T3.  

[kl42]

wow!

[Brucergoldberg]

I can hardly function mentally most of the day.  I cant remember anything, I'm spaced out.  I am very anxious, and very tired most of the time.  i feel like i have a bad hangover most of the time i am awake.  Would you hire me?

[blsdnsvvd]

LOL at Bruce!  That sounds like me and then some! I'm sure that you recall some  of my older posts on here although i had to create a new profile  due to not being able to remember the old one nor my email address. I developed so many ailments after my TT, I had no choice. My anxiety is out of control, i cannot focus nor concentrate.I was diagnosed with RA which affects my daily affects my activities.That's just to name a couple.