# Weaning off of Levothyroxine.. has it been done?



## Quicksand

I signed up for this forum with the hope that people would share what they know about escaping levothyroxine. I have spent hours and hours over the last year and a half trying to find answers, with no luck. It seems that everywhere I look, people who ask this question are told it's a bad idea. Are there any success stories?

The snippit below describes my own personal struggle with hypothyroidism / levothyroxine. You can choose to read it or not, but I'd appreciate any sharing on the prospect of getting off the meds.

I realize that in certain circumstances (ie removal of the thyroid gland) this would be impossible. This is not my situation, and let me explain my own thyroid problems first, to put things into perspective. Before being diagnosed with Hypothyroidism in the summer of last year, I lived a very sedentary life style. I was 23 at the time, 24 now. I would eat one or two times a day in very large portions - I did this for at least a year. I was a vegan, still am - but at the time I thought very little of the effects my diet had on my own body. I ate extreme amounts of soy foods, and had no steady source of iodine in my diet. I was moderately overweight (6'3, 230lb).

That summer, I got prescribed levothyroxine. I became obsessive about being healthy, I removed soy and all other goitrogenic food from my diet completely and added a lot of kelp to my diet to make sure I was getting iodine. I switched my diet plan to eating mostly home cooked, organic unprocessed foods.. 3 meals and 3 snacks a day. I exercised an hour a day 4-6 times a week. I did this for three months without much weight loss, but when winter came I stopped my exercise regime and lost 40 pounds in just 3 months without lifting a finger. Today I'm down to 170lb. I check my thyroid levels every three months or so and my prescription was only changed once very early on, from 50 mcg to 50 + an extra 50mcg on sunday nights which is what I still take.

I don't know what role levothyroxine played in my weight loss, and how much of it is diet / lifestyle change. I am grateful that being diagnosed with hypothyroidism forced me to take action and change my life, because I am truly a lot more health conscious then I was before. However, from the beginning I have wanted to find a way to no longer depend on a drug that I supposedly need to take for the rest of my life. I am sick of the hand holding and want to believe that I can end my dependence. My side effects include brain fog, heart palpitations, low body temperature. In recent months these have caused me a great deal of anxiety and I've been having panic attacks - I can't put up with it anymore. I feel so bound to taking a pill every morning and it's severely effecting my quality of life.

Is it possible to gradually bring the thyroid back to working without the drug? Has anyone attempted this seriously? I firmly believe that my decisions to include a lot of soy food and neglect iodine were the primary causes of my hypothyroidism. I have addressed those issues and now I want my freedom back. I want to believe that this is possible. Please, share what you know. I am so eager to attempt to get off the pills, but I don't even know where to begin. Ideally I want to find a homeopathic doctor who would be able to help me on this journey, because every regular doctor I've questioned on it seems much more interested in keeping me on a prescription than my true well being.


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## Andros

Quicksand said:


> I signed up for this forum with the hope that people would share what they know about escaping levothyroxine. I have spent hours and hours over the last year and a half trying to find answers, with no luck. It seems that everywhere I look, people who ask this question are told it's a bad idea. Are there any success stories?
> 
> The snippit below describes my own personal struggle with hypothyroidism / levothyroxine. You can choose to read it or not, but I'd appreciate any sharing on the prospect of getting off the meds.
> 
> I realize that in certain circumstances (ie removal of the thyroid gland) this would be impossible. This is not my situation, and let me explain my own thyroid problems first, to put things into perspective. Before being diagnosed with Hypothyroidism in the summer of last year, I lived a very sedentary life style. I was 23 at the time, 24 now. I would eat one or two times a day in very large portions - I did this for at least a year. I was a vegan, still am - but at the time I thought very little of the effects my diet had on my own body. I ate extreme amounts of soy foods, and had no steady source of iodine in my diet. I was moderately overweight (6'3, 230lb).
> 
> That summer, I got prescribed levothyroxine. I became obsessive about being healthy, I removed soy and all other goitrogenic food from my diet completely and added a lot of kelp to my diet to make sure I was getting iodine. I switched my diet plan to eating mostly home cooked, organic unprocessed foods.. 3 meals and 3 snacks a day. I exercised an hour a day 4-6 times a week. I did this for three months without much weight loss, but when winter came I stopped my exercise regime and lost 40 pounds in just 3 months without lifting a finger. Today I'm down to 170lb. I check my thyroid levels every three months or so and my prescription was only changed once very early on, from 50 mcg to 50 + an extra 50mcg on sunday nights which is what I still take.
> 
> I don't know what role levothyroxine played in my weight loss, and how much of it is diet / lifestyle change. I am grateful that being diagnosed with hypothyroidism forced me to take action and change my life, because I am truly a lot more health conscious then I was before. However, from the beginning I have wanted to find a way to no longer depend on a drug that I supposedly need to take for the rest of my life. I am sick of the hand holding and want to believe that I can end my dependence. My side effects include brain fog, heart palpitations, low body temperature. In recent months these have caused me a great deal of anxiety and I've been having panic attacks - I can't put up with it anymore. I feel so bound to taking a pill every morning and it's severely effecting my quality of life.
> 
> Is it possible to gradually bring the thyroid back to working without the drug? Has anyone attempted this seriously? I firmly believe that my decisions to include a lot of soy food and neglect iodine were the primary causes of my hypothyroidism. I have addressed those issues and now I want my freedom back. I want to believe that this is possible. Please, share what you know. I am so eager to attempt to get off the pills, but I don't even know where to begin. Ideally I want to find a homeopathic doctor who would be able to help me on this journey, because every regular doctor I've questioned on it seems much more interested in keeping me on a prescription than my true well being.


Welcome. I have a tendency to think you might be able to pull this off because of your previous diet being heavy in soy and other goitrogens.

Have you ever had any antibodies' tests run?

Are you male or female?


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## HeidiBR

Quicksand said:


> However, from the beginning I have wanted to find a way to no longer depend on a drug that I supposedly need to take for the rest of my life. I am sick of the hand holding and want to believe that I can end my dependence. My side effects include brain fog, heart palpitations, low body temperature. In recent months these have caused me a great deal of anxiety and I've been having panic attacks - I can't put up with it anymore. I feel so bound to taking a pill every morning and it's severely effecting my quality of life.


The side effects you quote are side effects from being hypothyroid. You may not be getting ENOUGH of the med.

I had a friend who tried the same approach you are contemplating, for similar reasons. He stopped taking his Synthroid and by Day 9, had totally crashed. Remember, you are taking this drug because your body is not producing enough thyroid of its own, or is not using it efficiently. This is not dependence. This is supplementation.

I would ask your doctor. Get some bloodwork, and get your TSH, Free T3, and Free T4 tested. I am wondering if you don't need more med based on your symptoms. If your doctor gives you the green light, stop taking the meds. But be prepared for a possible crash.


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## Quicksand

I am male and I haven't had anti body tests run. What would I do with the results of such a test?

Heidi, I have had these symptoms from way back when I started taking the medication, minus the anxiety. My thyroid levels have been adjusted only once over the course of 4 doctors visits and my symptoms have been constant. If anything I associate my symptoms more with hyperthyroidism, especially the rapid weight loss. Increasing my prescription is the last thing I want to do. For me it a matter of making adjustments in my life to avoid having to take medication. I have a diet rich in kelp for iodine and coconut oil which is also claimed to be very helpful with thyroid function.

Your friend, did he stop taking Synthroid medication cold turkey? I only ask because my approach would involve gradual reduction of the medication until it was no longer needed. I am looking for a homeopathic doctor that would help me do this, but where I live (New Orleans) I haven't had any luck finding a doctor that specializes in hormonal issues.


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## HeidiBR

Do you have Free T3 and Free T4 test results? Those would be very telling to see what's happening with your body, regardless of whether you think you are hyper or hypo.

Many of us have 8+ medicine adjustments before our symptoms abate. You saying that your meds have only been adjusted once rings alarm bells in my head. Why? When we start taking thyroid meds, sometimes our thyroids get lazy and stop or decrease output of the thyroid hormone. You end up being more hypothyroid than you were before you started the med, since the only thyroid that the body is getting is what it is getting from the med. You are also on a very low dose, so you could (based on the symptoms you describe including the anxiety) be hypothyroid and need MORE med. The only way to tell is to get your FREE T3 and FREE T4 tested.

Andros asked about the antibodies because if you have an autoimmune condition like Hashimoto's Disease (or Graves for that matter) that is causing your thyroid condition, making adjustments in your life may be a moot issue and you'll need the med no matter what you do. So folks have some luck controlling the autoimmune side effects somewhat with diet adjustments, but if an AI condition is the cause of your thyroid, chances are great that you'll need thyroid meds for life.

Even if you have a diet rich in kelp and coconut oil - many of us do not convert thyroid efficiently from T4 to T3. So, making the dietary changes won't matter in the long term if your body can't effectively use the thyroid supporting stuff from the thyroid-healthy foods.

My friend was your age and weaned himself off the meds.

This is a very complex subject and is best discussed with an endocrinologist who can really assess what is happening with your thyroid.

I feel your pain. I found it hard to accept that I had to take meds (I have never had to take any meds on a regular basis for anything) but I got over it when I actually felt better taking them. Get a Free T3 and Free T4 test and make decisions based on that in addition to how you feel. Trust me, the last thing you want to do is go off these meds without having those blood test results.


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## Octavia

How recent are you most recent labs, and what were the results and ranges?


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## Andros

Quicksand said:


> I am male and I haven't had anti body tests run. What would I do with the results of such a test?
> 
> Heidi, I have had these symptoms from way back when I started taking the medication, minus the anxiety. My thyroid levels have been adjusted only once over the course of 4 doctors visits and my symptoms have been constant. If anything I associate my symptoms more with hyperthyroidism, especially the rapid weight loss. Increasing my prescription is the last thing I want to do. For me it a matter of making adjustments in my life to avoid having to take medication. I have a diet rich in kelp for iodine and coconut oil which is also claimed to be very helpful with thyroid function.
> 
> Your friend, did he stop taking Synthroid medication cold turkey? I only ask because my approach would involve gradual reduction of the medication until it was no longer needed. I am looking for a homeopathic doctor that would help me do this, but where I live (New Orleans) I haven't had any luck finding a doctor that specializes in hormonal issues.


It is always good to know the details and to have at least a "baseline" of certain things so you can detect improvement or not.

You need to know what you are fighting.


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## molonese

Hi Quicksand,
I pulled myself out of hypothyroidism and Hashimoto's Disease 3 years ago so it's possible, especially if you are young. Thyroid is a complex issue - I would recommend reading a set of FAQs on my website so you understand why Andros is asking about antibodies and others are making suggestions about doses. Let me know if you need any help from there. http://thyroiddietcoach.com/thyroid-faqs 
Magdalena.


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## HeidiBR

Quicksand,

Thyroid is a complex issue that is best addressed by a well-qualified endocrinologist. Good luck and let us know how it goes!


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