About Symptoms Of Levothyroxine

Symptoms Of Levothyroxine Resource

Popular Questions

How long after starting to take Levothyroxine do you see symptoms improve? I was finally diagnosed with a hypoactive thryroid. (I say finally b/c I had exhibited symptoms for awhile, yet, my blood tests always came back fine. But, my last one finally showed the levels to be diagnosed. Also, both my mom & grandmother have it & I had all the same symptoms as them) How long after starting to take Levothyroxine will I see my symptoms improve, like: always being cold, tired, hair loss & difficulty losing weight? I hate that I'm so tired that I end up going to bed at 8pm, need to use a space heater (even in the summer), eating a really healthy diet & doing at least an hour of cardio a day yet still don't see the scale budge & my hair is wicked coarse & seems to fall out more than it used to. Please do not suggest changing meds. b/c I asked my dr. & he said that this is the best one for me (&, it's also the same one's my other family members are on too, so I know it works for the type we have)

ckm1956 replied: "The dose of levothyroxine is very individualized. Your doctor probably made an educated "guess" on a starting dose based on you age, size, etc. Although T3 & TSH levels may start changing in a couple of weeks, most docs may as long as a couple of months between dosage adjustments. Good luck"

I have hypothyroid, for 3 yrs. now and take 112 mcg of levothyroxine, symptoms even when thyroid test is ...?? normal. I still am having headaches, and I am tired a lot, and I also have a lot of hip pain, which I read can be from hypothyroid, I was not aware of this. I am switching doctors, because I really just dont like my other one, even though my thyroid levels are in normal range, could I still be having symptoms, and when I go to my new doctor next week should I ask them to up my dose even though I am in normal range, or what are your suggestions?? thanks

frank s replied: "try a new doc. i lost my thyroid to cancer, first doc put me synthroid and tried his best to kill me. after complaining of all sorts of serious problems, and him assuring me the dosage was fine, he finally gave me a test. called the next day and said" your synthroid level is a little high,stop taking synthroid for 14 DAYS! then go on the lower dosage. " since i knew i 14 days meant he OD'd me, i switched docs. new one said WHAT! and cut the dosage in half, thats half of the lower dosage. after ordering an EKG and stress test because my symptoms were the same as a heart attack by this time."

How fast does it take Levothyroxine to work? I recently found out I have hypothyrodism, through routine bloodwork. I have no symptoms. I started 75mg of Levothyroxine on August 21st and am getting my TSH level retested on September 8th, 19 days later. My TSH level was 8.0. I know everyone is different, but can I expect to see any difference in my TSH level on the 8th?

wayouthere replied: "Yes, you will see some change, however, it can sometimes take several attempts to get the dosage correct. The thyroid can be a slow responding gland. Good to hear you don't have any symptoms. You can be thankful for that, because thyroid issues can cause horrible symptoms and not show in the blood for a long while. I wish you well."

merka2t1 replied: "wow!....8.0 is kinda high!"

Seaside U replied: "Actually, 8 is only slightly elevated. The high of the normal range is in most labs is usually between 5.5 and 6, so 8 isn't very bad."

Levothyroxine vs. Armour Thyroid for Hypothyroid symptoms? Has the addition of T3 hormone helped anyone suffering from Hypothyroidism and how did you find a doctor willing to perscribe it? Have you had success with just Levothyroxine or is Armour Thyroid or the addition of Cytomel helped anyone? Thank you!

Nicole replied: "levothyroxine works for me i didnt even ask my doctor to perscribe it she just did it. idk why she wouldn't."

Bill Handle replied: "Perchlorate chemicals in milk and produce found to cause thyroid deficiency It's recently been discovered that perchlorate -- a solid rocket-fuel chemical component -- can be found in minute amounts in milk, fruit, vegetables and drinking water supplies nationwide. This is according to a startling new study by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). The Environmental Working Group (EWG) performed an analysis showing 44 million American women who are pregnant, thyroid deficient or have low iodine levels may have increased health risks due to perchlorate exposure. Perchlorate can lower levels of thyroid hormones in women, causing possible issues with proper fetus development and with later infant development as well. In response to the CDC study that was just released, Renee Sharp, an EWG analyst with a history of studying perchlorate, said, "The Pentagon and defense contractors, who are responsible for much of the perchlorate in drinking water supplies, have lobbied hard against federal standards, arguing that perchlorate posed no threat to healthy adults … this new study shows that even very small levels of perchlorate in water or food can have a marked effect on thyroid levels in women. We can't ignore this serious public health issue any longer." Most perchlorate made in the United States is used by the Department of Defense to manufacture solid rocket and missile fuel, with smaller amounts of perchlorate being used to make fireworks and road flares. In addition to these common uses, perchlorate is also a contaminant of certain fertilizer types that were widely used in the early part of the 1900s, but which are now in very limited use. Tests by the CDC and independent researchers confirm that many Americans -- determined out of a sample of urine tests from 3,000 Americans -- are carrying levels of perchlorate in their systems well above levels known to lower thyroid levels. More than 1,000 tests by government and independent scientists conclude that US population is being widely exposed to perchlorate, both in water and in the food supply."

Dnarose replied: "T3 has helped so much for me. When diagnosed I started out o Levoxyl, but after 9 months on it I wanted to try T3 because I still had most hypo symptoms. I went to an endo, who refused to use Armour. He let me try Cytomel with the Levoxyl and it did help with many of my hypo symptoms. I stayed on this combo for 2 years, but I wondered if I'd feel even better so I found a doctor on about.com who would put me on Armour. Unfortunately she didn't know how to dose it, but now that I was on Armour it was easier finding a doctor who would keep me on it. I wrote a lot of letters and called a lot of doctors searching for doctors who would keep me on Armour and adjust the dose by free t4 and free t3. I've been on Armour for over 3 years now and I feel great. The only hypo symptom I have is ridged fingernails with no moons.....no bad when I used to have almost every hypo symptom."

I am going to take levothyroxine sodium for an underactive thyroid. How much should I take? I was informed of the problem when I was in the hospital for an unrelated injury and they ran some blood tests. This was over a year ago and I have demonstrated all of the symptoms of an under active thyroid over this past year. I am going to take levothyroxine sodium to combat the problem, however, I have no idea what to base the dosage amount on. Should I use weight, BMI, or something else? Thanks.

Sandy Sandals replied: "See a doctor and take it as prescribed."

special k replied: "isn't this a prescription drug? i think your doctor should recommend the correct dosage! "Dosages vary according the age groups and the individual condition of the patient, body weight and compliance to the medication and diet. Maximum dosage may reach 400 mcg per day but that is rare. Monitoring of the patients condition and adjustment of the dosage is periodical and necessary.""

littleelttilmik replied: "The old way they did it was to start at 25 mcg daily and increase at weekly intervals by 25 mcg until you produce diarrhea and then step back 25 mcg and this is your maintenance dose"

Is anybody aware of how long it takes for levothyroxine to leave the body? I was prescribed levothyroxine when weight problems occurred but now I have developed all the symptoms of what looks like an overdose of it, e.g flushing, diarrhoea, palpitations, intolerance to heat ect., I stopped it a week ago - anybody know when I should expect an improvement?

Lisa A replied: "About 8 hours."

lab rat replied: "The half life is around a week - meaning it would take a week for the levels to reduce by half. You probably would not feel a diference in that time. For the medication to leave your body completely would take at least a month. But if you think you don't need it or are on too high a dose, it's much better to see your doctor and get a blood test to get your dose adjusted properly. -%20Monographs/CPS-%20(General%20Monographs-%20E)/ELTROXIN.html"

Question on med Levothyroxine for underactive thyroid? I was told by my doctor recently that I have an underactive thyroid (never had that before I am 44) so he put me on Levothyroxine. Once a day 0.100MG. I am wondering if anyone has any good or bad news on this drug or personal experience and their symptoms of an underactive thyroid because I feel okay. (Aside from being tired). Thanks.

Fitness Guy replied: "That's good that you feel okay - perhaps your thyroid problem is mild. 100mg of Thyroxine is quite a big dose but you should feel even better after a couple of weeks of taking it. Levothyroxine is the same as Synthroid - they just have different manufacture names and is highly effective at balancing your thyroid so you are in good hands. It has very few side effects but you should try and eat something around the same time you take your meds as they may make you feel slightly sick."

Candice H replied: "Many women become low thyroid as they get older. I was diagnosed with low thyroid when I went in for a physical before getting pregnant. I was 39 years old and was unaware of any symptoms. As far as drugs and side effects go, levothyroxine is much better than most pharmaceuticals. However, some people don't do all that well with levothyroxine, and since it is the standard drug for docs to prescribe with low thyroid, if you are one of the people who doesn't do well on it, you may have a tough road ahead to get someone to do the tests and experimenting you will need to get the right medicine and the right dose. As time went on I did feel very tired, even on the drug, and had other symptoms as well (shortness of breath, confused thinking, hard to lose weight). The symptoms can be very subtle - so subtle that you don't notice them until you feel better due to drugs or whatever, then you say "wow, I feel like myself again. I didn't even notice how bad I was feeling." A great website for info is"

The endocrinologist put me on levothyroxine. How long till I see results? I started today. I've had a significant amount of weight gain due to hypothyroid. And a variety of other symptoms.

RIKKI R replied: "3 to 5 days but it will beginb to help your thyroid asap on small ammounts here check this site out for more info "

Chocolate Chip Meringue replied: "Levothyroxine is T4. T4 is a thyroid storage hormone, and it takes 4-6 weeks to fully build in your cells and show its conversion to T3, the active hormone. But...you need to know that you will never fully rid yourself of symptoms on levothyroxine, and because your TSH lab test will normalize, your doctor will proclaim you "normal" even though you are not. Why? Because levothyroxine doesn't work. Read this: And here's all the lingering symptoms reported by those on all forms of levothyroxine: You'll notice that weight gain and difficulty losing weight is VERY common on levothyroxine or any other T4 med including Synthroid, Levoxyl, Eltroxin, etc. The solution? Desiccated thyroid like Armour. You can read about it here: And here's a page which summarizes all that patients have learned: There's also a book with the same name as the website, Stop the Thyroid Madness, which has everything the website does, plus more detail and is easier to refer to."

Lose weight on levothyroxine? HI. I just found out that I have a underactive thyriod. The only symptom I had was lethargy and it was hard to lose weight. I had chalked the symptoms up to lifestyle and I am pushing 30. Now I am hoping that those symptoms can be solved with the levothyroxine. I am 28 yrs old, 152 pounds 5 foot 4 inches tall. How soon will I see the increased metabloism (lose weight?) Anyone with a similar story? thanks, hope to hear from someone.

Brian replied: "right away your metabolism should increase, and I expect you would lose weight accordingly, soon. of course your appetite may increase too so be careful."