I developed these symptoms below after taking Synthroid

Hormones
1

I don't have my blood work with me but doctor has me on Synthroid, and I am ready to give it up all together. Started in July 2014.

Since taking Synthroid 25 mcg taken in the morning I have had:

Difficult or labored breathing

Fast, irregular, pounding, or racing heartbeat or pulse, especially at night.  I can’t turn over or stretch without  heartbeat elevation.

Shortness of breath

Troubled breathing

Headaches

Diarrhea

Feelings of discomfort

Nervousness   occurring at night.   Insomnia  every night.

Tingleing in my head, arms hand hands while in bed.

…and now hives.

With all of this, I know I still have Hypothyroid results, I know, it makes no sense.

.  I did NOT have these symptoms before I started taking this medication.  Some are mild symptoms some more severe, it depends on the day.  I am trying very hard to keep up with the prescribed dosage, but I can tell you honestly, I am ready to give it up, and did for about a week. I felt much better before taking the medication, outside of some fatigue and skipped heart beats. 

Any ideas??

Thanks

2

Hi Rick. So sorry your having a hard time with your synthroid. I am 69 and am taking 50 mcg of thyroxine. I to have experienced many of your symtoms, not all, but others different then yours. 25 mcg isn't a very large dose, but everyone is different. I can tell you it takes time sometimes a long time to get used to this medication. I wanted to reply because before I started taking meds for hypothyroidism I was experiencing heart beating problems. Heart flutters, palpatations, skipped heart beats, slow heart rate and tachycardia which they thought was a heart attack. But wasn't. Then about 2 years ago I ended up in emercency room with an Atrial Fibralation attack. It lasted for 9 hours. My GP decided to check my TSH and found out I was hypo at 4.87. Cardioligists feels my A-Fib attack was due to being hypo. Before stopping your meds please go back to your Doc and tell him about your symptoms. You didn't mention your numbers. I hate my meds some days to but symptoms are getting less.  But the best thing is I haven't had another A-Fib attack, yet, and its been about 2 years. so, hang in there Rick and I would tell your Doc about your issues. Try to stay on your meds. It does get better.

3

gosh rick...I'd say you're going hyper.... as the meds are building up excessively and too quickly for you.

after just one week on the meds enough thyroxin is generated....it has a half life of a week whereas TSH has a half life of one hour .....!

your GP needs to know your individual symptoms to inorder to approve adjustments but til you get to see him/ her try skipping one day's dose. see how you feel. start again the next day and note whether you can achieve your own balance. alternatively cut the pill in half after the missed day and see if you can stabilise on that. Then let your GP know of your experiment and report your findings. In that way you send a message to your practioner that you are active in your own management.

You may be in need of iodine. You can apply this to your skin for a measured dose ...but NOT if you've got Hashimotos. In that instant you would need to withhold iodine until your TSH has dropped and you are stable on the med. ie so once your thyroid inflammation has gone down. 

You're aiming for a TSH below 1.00....in indicator of inflammation ...and you are entitled to have blood tests every 6 weeks on the NHS so I would do that so you too can see, and understand, whats happening to you and gain a sense of control and objective.

A TSH between 1 and 2 is ok...thats where I'm trying to get to....for starters.

The diffential diagnosis is whether you had a slow decline of symptoms (hypothyroidism)...OR whether they were more abrupt and variable (hashimotos)?

With hashis you get both hyper and hypo symptoms....as bits of thyroid tissue break away with the inflammation ...this leads to the occasional hyper symptoms whilst overall you are still hypo with a raised TSH.

You can nourish your thyroid with supplementation try brazil nuts 2-4 daily max a dozen per week or take selenium....its needed by your thyroid together with iron and zinc, the B group of vitamins, generally multi vits food grade...merck do one.

And iodine..but you have to take care with iodine if you have hashis. So I would ask for the antibody test Ig .... to check. Treatment is the same initially except with hashis you avoid iodine til TSH is down. Rest relax recouperate. Healthy non forceful exercise gets thyroid moving....ensure your bowels are opening and not sluggish try a liver cleanse...gentle efforts eg squeezed lemon in the morning. 

Hope this helps.

4

Thanks Marey, I have told my primary doc, and he said, " I have done all I can do for you",  and let me have a referral  which was approved, but it may be 3 months or so before I can get in. I did not take any Synthroid today and I already feel so much better. I think I will take  1/4 dose every other day and see how that works. I sure don't want an A-fib attack, so I don't want to stop all together.  I do exercise 3 to 5 times a week, and my heart EKG came back normal. I think exercise is essential for those of us that are hypo. Thanks for the detailed response.

5

Thanks for the response, I had two EKG's done and heart appears normal.  I did not take any Synthroid today, and feel human again. Not going to quit all together, but maybe a 1/4 dose every other day and see where that leads. If heart starts skipping beats I'll up the dosage again. Told my doc and he gave me a referall, a little disapointed that he only tried one thing, and then gave up on me. probably going to change my doctor. 

6

Rick,

First let me tell you, I signed up for this just so I could reply to your post. 

I can tell you two things.  Number one, find a good doctor.  It took me FOREVER, but I found one.  I did a ton of research, reading and learning and I found that for me, Synthroid is poison. 

My ex-endocrinologist (an MD) diagnosed me with hypothyroidism, but never diagnosed me auto-immune Hashimoto's, she never noticed my vitamin D was way below normal.  My now-doc (a DO) diagnosed me with Hashimoto's auto-immune (no one ever told me I had an auto-immune disorder in 30 years!)

My now-doc, the DO, found something else that the MD never found (unrelated, but interesting, this doc is just very thorough in her history and blood work).  AND the MD that I had came highly recommended by many doctors I know and lawyers.  She is top in her field....go figure.

Number two, my ex-endcocrinologist had me on Synthroid for 5 years and it nearly killed me.  I am still recovering over a year later.  So be glad you noticed the problems right off the bat, I was an idiot and stuck it out and felt miserable because a doctor refused to prescribe me bioidentical, would only prescribe synthetic and I stuck it out because she is top in her field....so I say, Rick, good for you!  You're quicker than I was!!

My AMAZING now-doctor has me on Armour bioidentical thyroid replacement, she had me quit gluten completely and put me on 50,000 IU Vitamin D once a week....I am feeling better every day. 

The symptoms I was suffering on Synthroid were unbearable.  The inflammation I had was so severe, words do not describe....I diagnosed wtih plantar fasciitis, piriformis syndrome, my hands, feet and face were beyond swollen, it was hard to breathe, it hurt to sneeze from the fluid around my heart and lungs..... I gained 40 pounds, I could not fall asleep or stay asleep.....there are so many symptoms.....teeth clenching, heart problems, I was dizzy, disoriented, I had lost my will to live, basically....I could go on for days telling you symptoms.  Years ago I had my gallbladder removed (thyroid) and in my teens I had developed ingrown toenails....thyroid...who knew.....

My now-doctor that I LOVE is a DO, not an MD. 

The doctors I had in the past(all MDs) would tell me:  "Your labs look great, see you in a year."  even though I was miserable. 

You want to find a doctor who discusses your labwork with you, GIVES YOU A COPY OF IT and asks you:  "Okay, your labwork looks good, but HOW DO YOU FEEL?"

DOs look at THE PERSON, listen to THE PERSON and treat the body as a whole and do not just look at and treat the lab results.  So that is my advice....research and learn, it helped me immensely....and find a good doc.....

Good luck!! razz