Taking Synthroid Resource

About Taking Synthroid

About Taking Synthroid in Questions

What happens when you don't take synthroid for hypothyroidism and start taking it again? I have Hypothyroidism, I am sopposed to be taking synthroid everyday, but the last year I haven't been able to cause of no insurance and no doctor and just haven't had the money. Now i am getting insurance again, can i stary taking it again, will it make me tired and sleepy and wore out again?

greatblue7 replied: "Your tiredness and sleepiness are symptoms of your hypothyroidism and not your medication. Take all medications as prescribed. It is important to get your blood tested after a few weeks of thyroid therapy to make sure you are on the correct dose of medication. Once the correct dosage is established, you should have your thyroid stimulating hormone tested at least twice a year to make sure you are still on the correct dosage. This is a lifetime disorder and is nothing to mess around with. Read about hypothyroidism on line and educate yourself. Synthroid is not too expensive and comes in generic. Walmart may even have it on their $4 list. Check and see."

mamita9chula replied: "this is not really a good answer, but I had to make sure this was not a question I asked!!!!! I JUST started taking my synthroid again 3 days ago b/c I was in the same boat as you w/o insurance for 6 mos!! I hear its supposed to make you feel better very fast. I feel very tired and sleepy and kind of depressed, losing hair by the handfulls and always cold. I'm going to keep an eye on your question b/c I was just about to ask the exact same thing! One of my big questions I asked the other night was is it hard to have kids with hypothyroidism. Just know you are not alone and I am in the exact same boat, hope you feel better and it should work really fast! = )"

scout replied: "A year is a long time. I have gone at most a month or so without taking my levoxyl (generic synthyroid) and i get all the symptoms of hypothyroidism back. i get really cold, don't have a period, tired, and just worn out. its odd that you are saying you might get tired when you begin taking it again but it should fix that. get your levels checked and continue taking your medication because hypothyroidism can lead to diabetes and that's so much worse"

How long must I wait after taking Synthroid before i can have milk? The leaflet that comes with the medication says not to take calcium or calcium supplements for 4 hours after taking synthroid. Does that also mean I shouldn't have milk for 4 hours too? Thank you.

»-(¯`v´¯)-» мaяк's ωifee ♡ replied: "I always take my Synthroid first thing in the morning (on an empty stomach) 1-2 hours before eating. I was told by my Endocrinologist (Thyroid Specialist) that you should wait 1 hour before eating .. I just wait 2 hours to be really sure! Milk shouldn't be a problem .. just wait at LEAST 1 hour before drinking the milk (2 hours if possible.) It won't *harm* you if you drink the milk, it will just reduce the effect of the Synthroid. Calcium just makes it harder for your body to absorb the Synthroid."

What happens if I stop taking synthroid if I'm not supposed to? I had been taking synthroid for a little over a year. A couple of months ago I went off all meds to clean out my system. I wasn't aware of any contraindications for abruptly discontinuing synthroid. Since then I started to lose my hair, I have tremors and my skin is very dry. Can these symptoms be connected?

reifguy replied: "u are in a stage of hypothyroidism now u need to get back on them"

juno406 replied: "part of the reason you are takin them is becouse your thyroid isn't releasing the hormone that your body needs. So your doctor prescribed synthroid which is providing them. The symptoms that you are experiencing isn't a side effect of stopping the medication it is indeed the disease process which required you to start taking them in the first place...this is all part of the treatment for Hypothyroidism, a disease where antibodies effect the thryroid and decrease the release of its hormones."

Anne2 replied: "Your really need to go back on your medication dear. You will have increased constipation, you will experience fatigue, weakness, coarse dry hair, hair loss, dry rough pale skin, cold intolerance, other people around you will be comfortable and you will be shivering, and you will have depression and memory loss. Decreased libido also. I did this and it is just not worth it, I was dragging myself around, and I would fall asleep every time I sat down. Could never see a television program all the way through, I would wake up and say "What happened". And the symptoms will get worse."

Lisa A replied: "Connected? I'd say so. Those symptoms are directly caused by a lack of thyroid hormones in your body."

Is there other options besides taking synthroid that can help my hypothyroidism? I was diagnosed with Graves disease when I was 17 and had my thyroid removed my radiation. I went through many thyroid perscriptions for about 4 years and had a hard time finding a balanced level. I haven't taken my synthroid medication for over 2 years. Over the past couple months, I've been experiencing sympthoms of hypothyrodism. Is there other options other than going back to the synthroid that I can take?

aWellWisher replied: "For hypothyroidism you will need to take thyroid hormone. Options may be in other therapies, not in allopathy."

DNA replied: "You could try ARmour. It contains both T4 and T3, where Synthroid is only T4. Many people don't convert enough of the T4 to T3, so they still have some of the hypothyroid symptoms. Armour is a natural thyroid medication that has been around for over 100 years. Many who switch to it, feel so much better. Me included. Link below"

texasthyroid replied: "There are other brands of levothyroxine, such as Unithroid, Levoxyl, and Levothroid. Cytomel is synthetic T3, usually taken with one of the above. But I am the one who said, "They can take away my Armour, when they pry the bottle from my cold dead fingers." The main problem with Armour Thyroid is finding a doc willing to prescribe it. If you search the Yahoo groups for your state thyroid group, the folks in those groups may be able to help you find a doctor willing to prescribe Armour. I would add that if your doctor is adjusting your dose by the TSH alone, there is no hope of your ever finding an appropriate dose, no matter which thyroid med you take. In that case, you may need my favorite surgery: a radical doctor-ectomy."

What are the effects of taking too much synthroid? I take synthroid for hypothyroid and I know exactly what happens when I do not take it, but not when I take too much. What effects will it have on weight? It's not a diet question, I am not looking to lose any weight, I just need to know what happens over a period of time.

cute_blondie_angel replied: "Side effects from Synthroid, other than overdose symptoms, are rare. People who are treated with Synthroid may initially lose some hair, but this effect is usually temporary. You may have an allergic reaction such as a rash or hives. Children may have an increase in pressure within the skull. Excessive dosage or a too rapid increase in dosage may lead to overstimulation of the thyroid gland. Notify your doctor immediately if you develop any if the following symptoms. Symptoms of overstimulation: Abdominal cramps, anxiety, changes in appetite, change in menstrual periods, chest pain, diarrhea, emotional instability, fatigue, fever, flushing, hair loss, headache, heart attack or failure, heat intolerance, hyperactivity, increased heart rate, irregular heartbeat, irritability, muscle weakness, nausea, nervousness, palpitations, shortness of breath, sleeplessness, sweating, tremors, vomiting, weight loss Hope this helps! Let me know!"

alpha.wolf replied: "Excessive dosage or a too rapid increase in dosage may lead to overstimulation of the thyroid gland. Notify your doctor immediately if you develop any if the following symptoms: Abdominal cramps, anxiety, changes in appetite, change in menstrual periods, chest pain, diarrhea, emotional instability, fatigue, fever, flushing, hair loss, headache, heart attack or failure, heat intolerance, hyperactivity, increased heart rate, irregular heartbeat, irritability, muscle weakness, nausea, nervousness, palpitations, shortness of breath, sleeplessness, sweating, tremors, vomiting, weight loss."

curiousgeorge replied: "You don't want to find out, either. It happened to me many years ago and it was awful. I couldn't eat, couldn't sleep, felt claustrophobic, had strange thoughts (on the edge of insanity), lost too much weight, etc. Very very bad things will happen to you if you take too much. However, if you see your endocronologist for regular blood tests, and adjust the dosage accordingly, you should be ok."

thesuse replied: "I think the effect probably varies in different people, but it would be similar to someone with an overactive thyroid - the worst effect would be stress on your heart, which would beat faster than normal. You might also feel anxious, your periods might get irregular, and you might get hungrier than usual."

What happens if someone who takes synthroid because they have no thyroid stops taking it? What would happen if you had your thyroid taken out and was put on synthroid by your doctor and then you stopped taking it on your own? I know someone who has done that and hasn't taken his meds for a week and I think without it and without his thyroid he could die. Help!

Bauercvhs replied: "It is very serious. Look up hypothyroidism on the internet. This is basically what he is causing himself."

Irishmom replied: "I have hypothyroidism and if I don't take my Synthroid for a couple days, I barely have the energy to get up and walk. I also can't concentrate. Your friend has had his thyroid removed and is in grave danger if he doesn't start taking his meds. Myxedema is a serious and sometimes fatal complication of severe hypothyroidism that can lead to extreme fatigue, lethargy and loss of consciousness and coma. He can also suffer from heart failure and impaired mental function if he doesn't get back on his meds. Talk to that boy now and get him back on his meds. He is tempting fate."

Amy P replied: "It takes more than a week, but yes, he could cause himself major damage. Google hypothyroidism or check webmd."

April replied: "A week is nothing at all, but six months is... Without a thyroid one becomes "hypothyroid" and in the following this is what begins to happen: the skin becomes dry, the hair begins to fall out. Calcium from the bones is resorbed, bowel function lessens and constipation occurs.. During the second month, the person begins to feel really tired, and this fatique continues. you can google what the thyroid does in the system on any of the search engines, so whether your friend takes pork thyroid (Armour) or the synthetic (Synthroid) death comes really from exhaustion... either within a year, or as long as 6 or 7... Is your friend an idiot????? Or does he just want to die rather Unpleasantly................."

Anybody taking Synthroid have side effects occasionally like tremors and sweating? I have noticed it listed as a possible side effect and I was wondering if anyone else takes Synthroid and has this happen. Occasionally, my hands shake. I get hot flashes about once a week, brought on easily when I am busy at work. I take 88 mcg a day for simple hypothyroidism. I am a nurse and I watch my TSH closely. I am within range and well controlled. I just wanted to get an idea of how many real patients experience this also.

DNA replied: "Sounds like you are on too high a dosage. Basically you want to shoot for a morning TSH of around 1.0 on Synthroid. The only thing I can think of is time of testing. TSH is highest while we sleep, so you always want to test first thing in the morning. Your symptoms could be perimenopausal if you are close to your 40's. Get a free t4 and free t3 the next time you test. These show the actual amounts of these hormones available for the body to use. The free t4 and free t3 are much better tests than the TSH. The TSH is the standard test, probably because it is much cheaper."

Lisa A replied: "It sounds like you are overdosing. Get new blood tests, and base you new dosage on the new tests. The tests you need are free T3 and free T4. You need to stop relying on TSH. It is an indirect, second hand way to GUESS at what your thyroid hormone (T3 and T4) levels are. TSH isn't a thyroid hormone, and it doesn't cause or control your symptoms."

Does taking synthroid make you eat more? HI, I was diagnosed with Hyperthyroidism and started taking synthroid a few months ago. Since then I feel hungry more often and feel like I need to eat more often. Because of this I have gained weight even if I watch what I eat and exercise. Has anyone found any correlation to needing to eat more and thyroid supplements? Thanks. Thanks for responding to my question. I meant to say that I have Hypothyroidism, not hyper.

!SONY! replied: "Okay, the confusion here, is Synthroid is a synthetic hormone that triggers the release of the hormones related to your metabolism. It is prescribed for people that have under active thyroids (hypothyroid). If you have hyper active thyroid (racing heart rate, underweight, inability to be still, jittery, excessively hungry) you should not be taking Synthroid, at all. To answer the direct question, yes, taking Synthroid will increase your appetite, as well as give you more energy. However, you usually don't gain weight, unless you are going totally over board. Quite the opposite-you will eat more and lose weight."

Anyone out there taking synthroid and a multivitamin? I am currently taking synthroid but I would like to start taking a multivitamin as well, but I cant seem to find any information on whether this is ok or not?

Terry Z replied: "It's OK. I take Levothyroxin (the generic of synthroid) and I have been taking Centrum Silver since I was 49."

flower replied: "Synthroid is used for an under active thyroid. I work in a large facility where the patients take both multivitamins vitamins and Synthroid. They are different medications with different outcomes. It is fine, a multivitamin to your daily regimen is beneficial to your health, does not react to the Synthroid."

DNA replied: "It's fine to take a multi-vitamin, just make sure not to take it at the same time as the synthroid. Calcium can interfere with the absorption of your thyroid hormone, so its best to take 1 in the morning and the other at least 4 hours later."

Can hypothyroidism go away after so many years of taking synthroid? I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism when I was 12. I took synthroid up until I was 20. A few months after the medicine was out of my system I had my doctor test my throid level and it cam beack normal. Does this happen often?

TONY C replied: "Usually not, but you may be one of the fortunate ones."

Aim replied: "No, it's not typical for the thyroid to heal. Once it's gone, it's gone. How do you feel? If you feel hypo, then you're not "fine." TSH is NOT a thyroid hormone. Your doctor is probably basing "normal" on TSH. The free T3 and free T4 are more accurate measurements, and they need to be on the top end of range for most people to feel better. It can take years for TSH to reflect actual thyroid function, and if you have an autoimmune disorder, it's even more unreliable. If you feel bad, you need to push for a test for the free's and perhaps seek help from another doctor."