# overmedication



## 2013 (Jun 11, 2013)

I'm new to the forum and having a real struggle at the moment. I'm hoping someone can help! I am hypo and have been taking synthroid for 9 years. During that time, I've had 3 pregnancies and have had to adjust my dosage up and back down a number of times. A few months ago, I had it adjusted up to 1.0 from .88. A few weeks later, I had flu like symptoms (fever, severe nausea, diarrhea) and a lot of anxiety. My TSH was at .47, which my dr said was in the normal range, but we cut the dosage back to alternate 2 days of .88 and 1 of 1.0. Here I am again with all of the same problems - fever for a few days, but gone, but severe nausea and anxiety and digestive problems. This has now been going on for 4 weeks and i have lost 10lbs and can barely function. My TSH tested normal again at .87. I haven't taken my synthroid for the past few days and will start on .75 tomorrow. My question is - how likely is it that I could be overmedicated even though I'm in the normal range? I'm thinking I may just have a major anxiety problem! If it is the synthroid, how long after you lower the dose does it usually take for the overmedication symptoms to go away? Thanks for any info anyone has to offer. I'm so relieved to have found this forum!


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## joplin1975 (Jul 21, 2011)

Very likely.

You shouldn't dose based upon TSH alone. TSH is the last number to change, so it lags behind your real symptoms. You need to look at free t4 and free t3. Also, if you have antibodies, you'll need to remember that those skew the tests, so you might have to do some "fine tuning" based upon symptoms. Have you had the free t4, free t3 and antibodies tests done recently? If so, could you post the results with ranges, please?


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## 2013 (Jun 11, 2013)

I am not sure whether my dr tested T3 and T4. I've left a message with the nurse to call me back and let me know. How do antibodies factor into things? I will post what results I do have when I get them. My dr is only a gp, so I'm not sure if she would have done any T3 or T4 testing. She usually only tells me what my TSH is.


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

2013 said:


> I'm new to the forum and having a real struggle at the moment. I'm hoping someone can help! I am hypo and have been taking synthroid for 9 years. During that time, I've had 3 pregnancies and have had to adjust my dosage up and back down a number of times. A few months ago, I had it adjusted up to 1.0 from .88. A few weeks later, I had flu like symptoms (fever, severe nausea, diarrhea) and a lot of anxiety. My TSH was at .47, which my dr said was in the normal range, but we cut the dosage back to alternate 2 days of .88 and 1 of 1.0. Here I am again with all of the same problems - fever for a few days, but gone, but severe nausea and anxiety and digestive problems. This has now been going on for 4 weeks and i have lost 10lbs and can barely function. My TSH tested normal again at .87. I haven't taken my synthroid for the past few days and will start on .75 tomorrow. My question is - how likely is it that I could be overmedicated even though I'm in the normal range? I'm thinking I may just have a major anxiety problem! If it is the synthroid, how long after you lower the dose does it usually take for the overmedication symptoms to go away? Thanks for any info anyone has to offer. I'm so relieved to have found this forum!




At this point, it might be a better choice to have FREE T3 and FREE T4 run to determine what is going on here.

Understanding the Thyroid: Why You Should Check Your Free T3
http://breakingmuscle.com/

Dr. Mercola (FREES)
http://www.mercola.com/article/hypothyroid/diagnosis_comp.htm

Free T3 and Free T4 are the only accurate measurement of the actual active thyroid hormone levels in the body. This is the hormone that is actually free and exerting effect on the cells. These are the thyroid hormones that count.


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## joplin1975 (Jul 21, 2011)

2013 said:


> I am not sure whether my dr tested T3 and T4. I've left a message with the nurse to call me back and let me know. How do antibodies factor into things? I will post what results I do have when I get them. My dr is only a gp, so I'm not sure if she would have done any T3 or T4 testing. She usually only tells me what my TSH is.


It's a little complicated and I'll admit I'm not well-versed on the subject, but different antibodies have different effects on TSH. There are blocking, binding, and activating antibodies that will, on paper, make you "look" euthyroid, when in actuality, you are pretty hypo or hyper.

I had, for example, high levels of TSI, which is a stimulating/activating antibody. Even though more than half of my thyroid was non-functional, my tests results were just north of normal -- subclinincal, that is...even though at surgery, my surgeon declared my thyroid "one hot mess."


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## Lovlkn (Dec 20, 2009)

You should ask for your actual lab results which will include ranges.

Normal is and "opinion" if your labs are within range. We need to see the ranges.


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## bigfoot (May 13, 2011)

2013 said:


> If it is the synthroid, how long after you lower the dose does it usually take for the overmedication symptoms to go away?


If it turns out to be you are/were over-medicated, T4-containing drugs (generic levothyroxine, Synthroid, Levoxyl, et al) have a half-life measured in weeks. In fact, it is around 7 days.

Let's play with the numbers. You are dropping from 100 to 75 mcg of T4 meds. That is a difference of 25 mcg. So... if you were to drop to that new dosage today, in one week that 25 mcg difference would be halved, at 12.5 mcg remaining. Another week past that and it would be at 6.25 mcg remaining. Another week beyond that and you're at 3.125 mcg remaining. And so forth...

So, around about a month from now, give or take a bit, you would finally settle into the new dose of T4 medication. I think signs & symptoms from over-medication would be slowing down greatly at that point, but each of us are different cases, and some of us take shorter/longer to notice things.


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## 2013 (Jun 11, 2013)

Okay... I have ranges now. TSH one week ago was .87. I stopped taking synthroid for two days and restarted at .75 due to the horrible symptoms I was having. Have been at that dose for five days now. As of yesterday, my labs are:

TSH- 4.78 (quite a jump for one week - normal range is .35-5)
T4- 18 (12-22 is normal range)
T3- 3.8 (2.6-5.7 is normal range)

I really feel like I was overmedicated, but now I'm wondering if I'm going to end up severely hypo by the time I get my labs done again in six weeks to see if my dose should be changed. Any advice?


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## Lovlkn (Dec 20, 2009)

Quoting Bigfoot -


> So, around about a month from now, give or take a bit, you would finally settle into the new dose of T4 medication. I think signs & symptoms from over-medication would be slowing down greatly at that point, but each of us are different cases, and some of us take shorter/longer to notice things.


I totally agree. Sticking to one dose until a lab is important. give the 75mcg a chance.

You need to be sure your doctor is running Free T-4 and Free T-3.

Based on what you posted you were at mid range on the T4 and below mid range on the T3.


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## I DClaire (Jul 31, 2011)

I've had an experience to share - and I hope the explanation is that I'm over-medicated. I've been doing relatively well BUT with a gnawing feeling that something isn't as it should be.

Yesterday I had labs so I did not take my morning Synthroid. The lab is close to a Lowes to I decided to stop and get birdseed and look at the plants. Out of nowhere I became desperately ill - most noticeably my heart was racing and I thought I was going to catch on fire I was so hot! Sweat was pouring off my face!

I live app. 2-3 miles away so I quickly drove myself home but I have never felt so strange in my life. Late in the afternoon I felt better so I went to the grocery store...only to get sick all over again!

I am a certifiable night owl, last night I went to bed at 8:00 and felt beyond strange the entire night - sweating, I wasn't nauseated but my stomach felt sore/tender to the touch. It was a long night!

I took a long bath around 7:00 this morning thinking I'd go to the doctor but by the time I got dressed I felt better.

I did not hear from the doctor today with the results from yesterday's tests but this was about as close to how I felt when I was originally hyperthyroid as I've felt since my surgery - particularly all that sweating. My calf muscles are again aching like the devil and I just feel 100% off!


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## bigfoot (May 13, 2011)

Ugh, no fun. It'll be interesting to see what those lab numbers look like...

:hugs:


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

I DClaire said:


> I've had an experience to share - and I hope the explanation is that I'm over-medicated. I've been doing relatively well BUT with a gnawing feeling that something isn't as it should be.
> 
> Yesterday I had labs so I did not take my morning Synthroid. The lab is close to a Lowes to I decided to stop and get birdseed and look at the plants. Out of nowhere I became desperately ill - most noticeably my heart was racing and I thought I was going to catch on fire I was so hot! Sweat was pouring off my face!
> 
> ...


Those of us who have had our thyroids (thermostats) removed simply do not process heat and humidity well at all and the reverse is true in the winter; I can never get warm.

This may be the problem. I have learned to live with it and not over do it in the heat and humidity as we are so wont to have in the deep south here. Long live the Magnolias!!!


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## I DClaire (Jul 31, 2011)

Andros said:


> Those of us who have had our thyroids (thermostats) removed simply do not process heat and humidity well at all and the reverse is true in the winter; I can never get warm.
> 
> This may be the problem. I have learned to live with it and not over do it in the heat and humidity as we are so wont to have in the deep south here. Long live the Magnolias!!!


The heat intolerance I'm dealing with is extraordinary! I honestly feel over-medicated and am hoping to cut back on my Synthroid when I see the doctor Tuesday.

I am (as usual) getting mixed signals though. I'm gaining weight with virtually no appetite and eating very little and my blood pressure is low (for me). My blood pressure this afternoon was 110/50 and it's been generally in that neighborhood for the past week. I have no idea why!

I'm sleeping well at night, not having anymore anxiety attacks, muscle pain is dramatically improved but I can't water plants on a shaded patio at 6:30 in the morning without getting overheated and then I get a headache - which is also unusual for me. I don't have many headaches.


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## 2013 (Jun 11, 2013)

Hopefully you will get your lab results soon and will just need a medication adjustment. I have been on a lower dose for a week and a half now and although my symptoms have lessened, I am still a bit nauseous, still have digestive problems and anxiety. My dr now thinks that the problem is mainly anxiety and that the thyroid being a bit off may have just made it that much worse. I hope you feel better soon! If your labs come back normal, I guess you could also talk to your doctor about anxiety being the culprit ):


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