Could I be over medicated?

Hormones
1

Hey everyone! I’m hoping to get some advice and positive feedback as I’m currently struggling at the moment. This may be a long story.. but it helps to talk about it and hopefully someone will listen!

I’m a 26 year old female who was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s just a few years ago. Before I started out on 25mg of Levothyroxine, I was prescibed Zoloft for depression and health anxiety. I eventually started taking 50mg of Levo and then this past April I was upped to 75mg and was told to increase my iodine intake because I had gained weight and was lacking the iodine in my diet. All was good until October of this year. (I stopped taking Zoloft in August by the way) Two months after quitting Zoloft I found myself short of 12lbs in one week and ended up in the ER for palpitations, muscle spasms, and facial flushing. They said everything was fine and to check with my doctor. So I did. Doctor said I was having relapse of my depression and anxiety and I need to go back on Zoloft. A month later (being now) I have noticed that my mood is better but I’m still suffering from hightened anxiety, palpitations, a heartbeat that I can feel all day long (not fast but noticable beating), muscle spasms, joint pain in elbow and shoulder, insomnia most nights, no weight gain, indigestion, heartburn, dry mouth, weak muscles, and loose bowels. I also sweat at random times and feel cold too. So I went back to the doctor and they orderd an echo and all was normal. I have recently noticed that my thyroid is more swollen than usual and so I mentioned this to the doctor but she said my labs were all in normal range and put it to my anxiety. Well i continued taking my levo every morning and my palpitations got worse (by palpitations I thought were skipped beats but the flutter i feel are extra beats) and ended back in the ER and they ran several tests and recommended i take half of my levo until i see my doctor next. I saw my doctor today and told her every symptom I could think of and she send for a whole bunch of tests (ruling out orher autoimmune diseases) and then asked if i were taking any other medications. I mentioned the type of multivitamin I’m taking and she said it contains iodine and that i’m overmedicating myself. She sent me home with 50mg of levo.

My question is.. does a multi with idoine effect my thyroid as bad as it has? I’m so scared im never going to get better and i hope this is the cause because I cant live like this anymore. It’s ruining my life. Has anyone else experienced something like this and does it get better?

I have major health anxiety and im scared that maybe its from stopping zoloft and that taking more zoloft is making me more sick.. or possibly it is my thyroid since its swollen. idk! im scared :frowning: I want my life back and i want this strong pulse to go away!

(No negative feedback please)

2

Hi Katie, some people find they can get the meds to work eventually. My experience is that they worsened my thyroid disease because they suppress your thyroid function and are not natural. The long term result of thyroid meds is a never ending increase in medication doses, and no end to thyroid disease.

I also look after my mother, who’s had thyroid surgery, so she must take thyroid replacement. She takes a natural OTC glandular and essential amino acids.

My opinion is there are many supplements that help reduce thyroid symptoms and keep in mind that vitamin and mineral deficiencies can mimic thyroid disease.

I was an absolute wreck on the meds. The synthetic ones are extremely dangerous and have longlasting side effects. My point is, you think you’ve got a problem now, but the side effects of this medication are heart conditions, severe brittle bones, accelerated aging, fibromyalgia, lupus, weight gain and immune system dysfunction. The brittle bone stuff is horrifying because I’ve broken bones without knowing and without cause. Once the bones break, it takes months to heal and I’m out if commission because the bones break so badly- they split like a crush injury- and are extremely difficult to heal.

There are literally thousands of posts here on the side effects and ineffectiveness if synthetic thyroid meds.

There are also many posts about what supplements are helpful. Iodine can cause immune system flairs in thyroid patients. If you take iodine, it could worsen things of you are intolerant. Also iodine sources may nor always be good, and can contain radiation, worsening thyroid disease.

Vitamin C in therapeutic doses, magnesium, boron and other minerals, good quality multivitamins with bioavailable B complex, and essential amino acids may provide some relief for you. These have done wonders for me!

Structure and neck health are extremely important, so good quality chiropractic and acupuncture can go a long way towards thyroid remission.

Exercise is also VERY necessary. The more active you are, the better! So find some sort of exercise you love and go for it!

3

You gave a very detailed summary of your health bio but didnt include your lab test results. i was taking 75 mg of levothyroxine for over a year and had all the symptoms of hyper thyroid while my lab tests were normal. When you body is given this supplement your body reduces the amount it makes instinctively. Because i was feeling awful, i slowly decreased my meds and eventually I no longer needed any. I am not saying that you dont need meds but what i did learn is to listen to your symptoms over the lab tests. if you feel over medicated, decrease your medication just a bit and give your body time to adjust( about3 months) . As long as your symptoms are getting better, i felt i was headed in the right direction. what happened was then shortly after the decrease and feeling better, i started to get all the hyper symptoms again so then i decreased my meds just a bit and retested my blood in 3 months . after almost 2 years of this, i am completely off meds. I am no way saying to go off your meds or go against your doctors advice. but urge your doctor to keep adjusting your medication until you feel good. Endochronologists dont take into consideration that your body may be capable of making more of the hormone by itself and that the medication “turns off” your bodys natural actions. hope this helps good luck feel better

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Tina, thanks for posting your experience. Different approach than what I did but similar outcome.

I suspect that thyroid disease can be temporary, and with proper nutrition and supplements and other treatment, can be out into remission. I’m not sure that synthetic meds would contribute in any way to achieving remission in thyroid disease.

Also, certainly for a young person, it is probable that you may revisit thyroid disease at some later date.

5

Thank you guys for replying. I truly appreciate it. Do you think it’s possible that my body started absorbing more meds since I stopped Zoloft? As well as taking a multivitamin with iodine? I feel like i really messed myself up

6

I’m so happy you were able to get off. I hope one day I can get a better grip on my life and health and take action with my Thyroid before it is really damaged. I can’t handle feeling this way anymore :frowning:

7

you will get it under control with persistence and listen to you body. if you feel over medicated then try to go lower with your meds.. just give your body a chance to provide its own thyroid hormone asmuch as it can

8

my endochronolgist said sometimes iodine makes it worse didnt really understsnd this theory so i never tried it.

9

what approach did you use if you dont mind sharing?

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After I stopped Zoloft I decided to use a multivitamin to help with it’s withdrawl stages as I read that can help. But I didnt realize that the vitamins had Iodine (40mcg) in then and continued taking them for two months. After mentioning it to my doctor he said I was overmedicating myself. Or I guess making things worse. I felt so good before stopping Zoloft and taking those vitamins.

11

try to decipher your symptoms from thyroid or possibly zoloft related .get your levels tested again and see how they are good luck

12

Hi Katie,
Just read your post. i know it was months ago but i wanted to know how you got on and how your feeling now? Jen

13

Hi, Just read your post.
Have you had your thyroid removed?
what keeps your thyroid in working order?
what is OTC?

14

please can i ask what were you on thyroud meds for?
Partial removal?
Hashimotos?
Thank you