# Synthroid Side Effects Please Help



## Jenne (Mar 29, 2012)

Hi Everyone,

I was just recently diagnosed with Hashi's and I began taking Synthroid yesterday. Today my heart is pounding, I'm experiencing tremmors, I keep getting freezing cold and then burning hot. I feel like I keep flushing in my face, hands, and feet. My feet and hands were tingling but now they keep going numb and then not. I called the pharmacist and he told me that this isn't normal. Now I'm really worried. Dang it, I hope this passes because I want this to work out so badly. I didn't mean to but I've gotten my hopes up and this isn't helping 

Any advice? I'd be grateful to hear your thoughts.

Sincerely,
Jen


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## CA-Lynn (Apr 29, 2010)

When I took Synthroid the first time [and it was my first drug for this disease] I had no side effects that I can recall.

That said, I checked a favorite website for the adverse side effects that have been noted.
http://www.drugs.com/sfx/synthroid-side-effects.html

Suggest you report the symptoms to your doctor's office in the morning.


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## joplin1975 (Jul 21, 2011)

Could you tell us what your blood work looked like (with ranges, please) and how much synthroid you are taking?

I have trouble adjusting to synthroid (the first time...and then dosage increases, late on) -- I feel jittery, anxious, and occasionally have heart palpitations/a racing heart. I can't say I've experienced the flushing and alternating hot/cold feelings you describe, but overall it sounds like you *may* be on just a touch too much medication.


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

Jenne said:


> Hi Everyone,
> 
> I was just recently diagnosed with Hashi's and I began taking Synthroid yesterday. Today my heart is pounding, I'm experiencing tremmors, I keep getting freezing cold and then burning hot. I feel like I keep flushing in my face, hands, and feet. My feet and hands were tingling but now they keep going numb and then not. I called the pharmacist and he told me that this isn't normal. Now I'm really worried. Dang it, I hope this passes because I want this to work out so badly. I didn't mean to but I've gotten my hopes up and this isn't helping
> 
> ...


What is your starting dose of Synthroid? Are you taking the name brand or a generic?

Please call your doctor.


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## sjmjuly (Mar 23, 2012)

Hi Jen,
Like everyone else said, what were your labs and how much Synthroid are you taking? I was just diagnosed with Hashi's and started taking meds too. Since my labs are boarderline, the meds are really hard for me to regulate. With Hashi's, (especially in the beginning) you will probably experience hyper/hypo swings which suck because finding the right med dose is difficult. 
Post your labs and the dose you are taking. That will help.


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## Jenne (Mar 29, 2012)

Hi All,

Thank you for the replies. I spoke with the doctor this morning and she told me to try taking less of the medication and alternate days for the first week or so. I was prescribed 25 mcgs and was advised to only take 1/2 a pill per day (12.5 mcg) because I am very sensitive to medications ever since I had a toxic response to Levaquin (it's a fluoroquinolone antibiotic that has caused a lot of health problems. After taking Levaquin 3 years ago I became crippled with tendon and nerve pain/damage along with being diagnosed with Hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia with insulin resistance (last spring), PCOS (last fall), and now Hashimoto's. I'm basically a mess). So now I am supposed to take 1/4 of a pill which is approximately 6 mcg every other morning. Then we're going to work our way up I guess.

I talked to my endo about whether or not my adrenals may be struggling with the extra 4T calling for more conversion and she said no. I asked her to test my adrenals further with an ACTH, CBG, aldosterone, renin, ACA/21-OH antibodies and she said no that my adrenal function appeared to be fine. Do any of you know which other tests indicate adrenal function aside from cortisol? I can look through my blood work if I knew what to look for (I've had a lot done).

Reverse T3 was 31 (11-32 ng/dL) higher end

Free T3 was 2.8 (2.3-4.2) okay?

TSH was 3.20 (.4-4.5) It more than doubled over a relatively short period of time.

Free T4 was 1.2 (.8-1.8) okay?

Thyroid Peroxidase Antibodies were 41 (<35) High

Cortisol serum AM was 9.7 (4-22 mcg/dL) okay?

Follicle stim hormone (FSH) was 3.6 (3.1-17.1) lower end

Luteinizing hormone (LH) was 4.4 (8.7-76.3) low

She also tested my estradiol, IGF-I, testo, DHEA, and thyroglobulin--don't know if those would be useful for you or not.

Thanks for taking the time to go over them with me. ~Jen


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## shellebean (Oct 12, 2011)

My understanding was that Synthroid didn't immediately affect you and it took several weeks sometimes for it to begin to do anything. I have Hashi's and I had palpitations prior to taking the synthroid and it continued for about 4-5 weeks until it kicked in and I finally started feeling better. 
I know these meds affect everyone differently, though.


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## desrtbloom (May 23, 2010)

I'm curious what your symptoms were prior to taking the Synthroid. Also, it normally takes four to eight weeks before the drug is fully in your system.


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## Jenne (Mar 29, 2012)

Hi Desrtbloom,

I've been experiencing chronic fatigue and sluggishness, increased sensitivity to cold, constipation, very pale dry skin, a puffy face, unexplained weight gain, muscle aches, tenderness and stiffness, pain and stiffness in my joints and swelling in my knees, ankles, and the small joints in my hands and feet, muscle weakness, especially in my lower extremities, irregular periods, depression, hair loss, brittle nails, mental fogginess, anxiety, and insomnia. It seems like sometimes things fluctuate, like sometimes certain symptoms are worse than others and then things sway back in the other direction and different symptoms are more noticeable.


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

Jenne said:


> Hi All,
> 
> Thank you for the replies. I spoke with the doctor this morning and she told me to try taking less of the medication and alternate days for the first week or so. I was prescribed 25 mcgs and was advised to only take 1/2 a pill per day (12.5 mcg) because I am very sensitive to medications ever since I had a toxic response to Levaquin (it's a fluoroquinolone antibiotic that has caused a lot of health problems. After taking Levaquin 3 years ago I became crippled with tendon and nerve pain/damage along with being diagnosed with Hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia with insulin resistance (last spring), PCOS (last fall), and now Hashimoto's. I'm basically a mess). So now I am supposed to take 1/4 of a pill which is approximately 6 mcg every other morning. Then we're going to work our way up I guess.
> 
> ...


I would like to suggest that you get tested for Lupus. Most Lupus patients find any Quinalone to be seriously life-threatening. I know this from first-hand experience.

(Levaquine, Fluorquinalone, Cipro and more.)

The tests would be Anti-DNA and the complimentary C3 and C4.

You can look this stuff up here.
http://www.labtestsonline.org/

Both Frees are below the mid-range of the ranges given by your lab and TSH appears to be climbing. Something is going on w/ the thyroid for sure and I hope you can tolerate your Synthroid.

Press for the Lupus lab test.


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## Jenne (Mar 29, 2012)

Hi Andros,

Thank you for the suggestion. So you've had an adverse reaction to fluoroquinolones/quinolones as well? I'm really curious about how many people have thyroid problems either before or after fluoroquinolone exposure. I have talked to about twenty different victims in the last few days who also have thyroid problems (I'm sure there are many more, those are just people that I've heard from recently), many also have blood sugar, and/or hormone imbalances as well.

I've been thoroughly tested for Lupus, Lymes, Rheumatoid Arthritis, and several other things. They all came back negative (except for the HH, PCOS, and Hashi's). I also suffer from peripheral neuropathy, and some central nervous system problems since taking the Levaquin. 

Personally, I didn't show any signs of having HH, PCOS, or Hashi's until after taking Levaquin. My doctors feel that these problems are most likely chemically induced rather than naturally occurring. My latest diagnoses of Hashimoto's disease has given me some much needed hope...I'm praying that thyroid therapy will ease some of my suffering. This has been a very long journey. I've heard some very encouraging stories from other thyroid sufferers who've said that the proper meds have changed their lives. I'm trying not to get my hopes up too high, but at this point any improvements would be amazing!

I'm really grateful for this forum, and I'm eager to learn as much as I can. It took so long just to talk my doctors into running the blood work to see how my thyroid was functioning, it makes me kind of sad. Everyday has been such a struggle waiting. Now that I know, I hope that we're able to find the right balance of meds so that the problem can be corrected or at least greatly improved. I guess we'll see...my TSH has tripled since the first time it was checked so I hope that the Synthroid will put an end to the rising and get things headed in the right direction soon.

P.S. Feeling light headed, lethargic, and foggy brained (more than usual) after consuming about 6 mcg of Synthroid this morning (going to alternate days for the first week, then try 1/4 of a pill (25 mcg) everyday and work our way up from there). Fingers are crossed!


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## Jenne (Mar 29, 2012)

Feeling really bad like I'm going to pass out...so weak I can't hold my head up, tremors, heart pounding, no balance, seeing spots, almost fell down but my husband caught me. I'm going to have to try another medicine or something, this is awful...really disappointing start to trying to treat this. Called my doctor but couldn't get through, I'll try again tomorrow. :'(

Has anyone else had similar responses to trying Synthroid or another thyroid med? This is scaring me  What should I do?


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## Octavia (Aug 1, 2011)

Jenne, I posted in your other thread, but in case you see this one first... if you feel like this is a medical emergency, you need to get to the ER. Something is definitely not right. Trust your gut on this...you know your body.


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