Levothyroxine for Underactive Thyroid User Reviews (Page 5)

• Cat...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• November 27, 2020

Levothyroxine "I have been on Synthroid since 1993. Prior to starting it, I couldn't lose weight no matter what I did. It was and is the help I needed. After being on Synthroid for about a decade, my insurance requested I switch to a generic. After a couple of months, my TSH levels were no longer balanced, and my dose was increased. After nearly a year of no control, no matter what dose I was on, my levels and symptoms wouldn't stabilize. My doctor and I realized the change happened when I was switched to the generic. It took several months back on the Synthroid before I was stable again. No more generics for me, now it's my wallet getting lighter because of how expensive it is. But at least my levels are stable."

• pli...
• October 25, 2009

Levothyroxine "I have taken Synthroid for 23 years. The first 3 years I did okay on it but over the past 20, I started to feel lousy. I'm tired all the time and very irritable. I've taken from 0.050 MG to 0.125. I still feel bad. It's been adjusted at least 30 to 35 times throughout the course of 23 years. I feel totally helpless and hopeless. My doctor will not change my thyroid medication."

• Lil...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• November 4, 2019

Levothyroxine "I have been on Levothyroxine a long time. Have heat intolerance, lightheadedness, get very weak, feel like a zombie, nauseous, headachy, insomnia, and gained 60 pounds. Doctor won't let me try something else. Time for a new doctor."

• Anonymous
• August 16, 2011

Levothyroxine "The only confirmation I have that it works is my blood work. I feel no better or worse on Synthroid. It is very annoying to take. You have to take it in the morning, on an empty stomach, no food for an hour. And for some, no calcium for two hours. Tell me, how do you eat breakfast with this medicine!? It does work though, so I gave it an 8."

• Art...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• August 21, 2018

Levothyroxine "I have been on Synthroid for 12 years, and I have had no side effects. I only have good things to say about this drug. However, when you start, blood tests are essential to determine the right dosage. You must take it on an empty stomach and have no food for about an hour. Also, you need to keep the Synthroid level constant in your blood system. If you skip a day or two, it is like you have to start over to get back to the dosage you were prescribed. This drug works. Use it as your Dr. tells you to and have blood tests on a regular basis."

• mag...
• April 20, 2010

Levothyroxine "I suffered from severe muscle pains/joint pains, which I had been having for about a year, increasing in intensity, until I even had a few mornings where it was difficult getting out of bed. My doctor did extensive labs. Everything was normal except my thyroid which was VERY low. Two weeks after beginning Levothroid, 95% of my pain had vanished."

• Exe...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 13, 2018

Levothyroxine "Tirosint saved my life after many years of Synthroid making me gain weight for no reason and failing to keep my levels stable, despite dosage increases. Every doctor I went to brushed off my concerns until finally one mentioned Tirosint. I am finally able to lose weight instead of gain, and my thyroid levels have never been better."

• Pat...
• June 23, 2016

Levothyroxine "I have had trouble with my hypothyroidism for 40 years. For the last 4 years, it has been out of control. I can't keep my levels good. I fall asleep at the drop of a pin and I am tired all the time. My doctor put me on Tirosint. At first, I felt like a million bucks! Then the panic attacks started, along with bad cramps in my legs and feet. But the worst was feeling like I was in a constant state of diverticulitis. I was taking pain meds and on antibiotics for weeks! Then I stopped taking it. It went away. It has only been a couple of days, but my belly is feeling better. However, my anxiety is still running at a 9, along with irritability."

• M51...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• June 17, 2013

Levothyroxine "I had been on Levoxyl (name brand) for about 10 years when they just recently decided to recall the medication from the pharmacy shelves. I was on 0.50 mcg three times per week and 0.75 mcg three times per week with one day off altogether. I did very well on it. My thyroid had finally gotten to the normal range when they decided to pull it off of the shelves. Now I am at a loss as to what to take. The doctor put me on Synthroid (Levothyroxine 50 mcg). I took it for a month. It was not too bad at first but as it started to build up in my system I began having tremors and feeling jittery all of the time with a weak feeling in my legs and muscles. I am now on Synthroid but don't feel all that good."

• RQa...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 2, 2021

Levothyroxine "This medication gave me alarming heart palpitations. I quit using it and went back to levothyroxine and it went away. Tried using Euthyrox again with the same side effects happening. Will NEVER again use Euthyrox. Worst medication I have ever taken."

• Cri...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 17, 2019

"So I have been taking levothyroxine for six weeks or so. I have been experiencing serious migraines, tremors in my hands, speech problems, sudden waves of exhaustion, sensitivity to heat, nausea, weight loss, food tastes terrible, ringing in my ears, and a whole lot of other things. I tried weaning myself off but ended up gaining a lot of weight. This medicine is the worst thing I've ever taken. Don't take it. Run far away."

• Anonymous
• July 11, 2012

Levothyroxine "I have used this for only a few months now, and I have lost weight and need less sleep to make it through the day. There have been a few odd side effects, including lactation, but nothing that is unmanageable or worse than how I felt before it. I take it in the morning with a glass of water and do not eat for 45 minutes for better absorption."

• LPa...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 11, 2021

Levothyroxine "I have been taking levothyroxine for several years, and my TSH and T4 have remained within normal ranges with zero side effects. Recently, Wal-Mart changed me to Euthyrox, and within a couple of days, I started having chest pain, moody, sleepy, etc. I went to my doctor, and she put me back on levothyroxine. After about 4 days, I started to feel much better. Euthyrox does not work!!!"

• Nat...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 10, 2019

"I took this for 12 days. Day 6-12, I legit thought I was losing my mind. I’ve always had anxiety, but this junk made it go through the roof, and it was completely different than my “regular anxiety.” My chest felt tight, shortness of breath, felt like my skin was simultaneously on fire and crawling, and my brain felt super weird, plus depression. Once I figured out it was the Levothyroxine, I switched to Nature Throid, and I’m MUCH better! I’ll NEVER take this meds again."

• Anonymous
• July 3, 2008

Levothyroxine "I have been taking Synthroid for about eight years now. I have tried the generic Levoxothyrine, and it makes me shaky all over even at the same dosage. My history has been going from hyperthyroid, caused by thyroiditis, to hypothyroid afterwards. I take my dose religiously every morning, 1 hour before breakfast. Even in light of this, I seem to have great fluctuations in my levels. I assume this is more a physiological problem than that of the medication. When we get it leveled out, I feel well."

• KFS...
• April 13, 2011

Levothyroxine "I have been on Synthroid for over 8 years and have actually gained weight. I have a very healthy lifestyle (exercise for one hour 5 days a week, and eat healthy), but nothing has been working. My endocrinologist consistently increases my prescription and nothing changes. Next time I see her I am going to get on Armour."

• NoT...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 26, 2021

Levothyroxine "Was on Tirosint for 4 years, and in the past year and a half, I developed severe hypertension (160/100), severe abdominal bloating, extreme weight gain, a stress ulcer, high blood cholesterol, severe leg cramps, muscle inflexibility, angina, chronic headache, shortness of breath, and several other serious symptoms. The very same day I started Thyquidity, my blood pressure dropped significantly to 130/90, and after 3 weeks on Thyquidity, my B/P is now 120/85, I have effortlessly lost weight and one dress size (!), and all the other previous horrible symptoms have disappeared. I now feel completely normal with a metabolism that works! The only explanation for the change to such bad side effects with Tirosint is that it was switched to a new manufacturer."

• Cha...
• March 2, 2016

"I am a 38-year-old female. I started taking levothyroxine 3 years ago. It took 12 months to reach a correct and stable dosage, which of course was challenging. I take 100 µg each morning, and it has been nothing short of life-changing for me, but diet and exercise are also important. My personal experience is that gluten, caffeine, and alcohol also really blow me off course, even with the levothyroxine. This drug will obviously affect us all in different ways, but if you are new to it, my experience is that it takes time to find your body's equilibrium (12 months for me). Don't rely on the drug to do the hard work either, diet and exercise are so important too. Do research on diet, do exercise, and pay attention to foods that make you feel weird."

• Nat...
• February 25, 2019

"I have been on Levothyroxine for 30 years and never had issues until recently. I am having dizziness, nausea, I am exhausted all the time and have all kinds of 'hypothyroidism' symptoms while all along, my levels are fine. After doing some research, I find out that the makers have replaced one of the components (lactose) with 'mannitol' and 'citric acid' to prolong its shelf life. Look up the side effects of mannitol: dizziness, hair loss, nausea, tiredness...and here is our culprit: mannitol! In France, Merck had taken over the production of Levothyroxine and had changed its formula to mannitol: thousands of patients started getting sick. The government got involved due to the number of complaints about the side effects. Makers were asked to revert to the original formula with lactose, but then came out with Tirosint instead, which contains gelatin and glycerin instead of mannitol."

• Ral...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• July 21, 2014

"This is a follow-up review. I originally gave this 7 stars after a couple of hopeful weeks. I also quit smoking and started exercising, among other things, which was the main reason for feeling better. This medicine does improve your TSH and T4 tests, which are good tests to make your doctor happy, but it will NOT improve your symptoms. You need to improve your T3 levels to improve symptoms. I monitored T3 (total and free) for 7 months on this medicine, and my T3 did not budge. Apparently, this is the case with a lot of people, so check those numbers! You will get no symptom relief if this medicine is not converting from T4 to T3."

• Mar...
• June 17, 2021

Levothyroxine "I have taken Synthroid (branded) since 2005 (dose .075) with no issues or side effects, have kept annual notes on TSH, T3, T4 test results since that date. Recently, my TSH dropped to .25 with T3 and T4 in normal range. Doc switched me to .50 from .075 because my TSH was low. The side effects were absolutely awful for 5 weeks, with the worst being muscular pain throughout my whole body, afraid my legs would give out. I stopped taking it after 5 weeks for 2 days while waiting to see Doc to see what’s happening. Within 1.5 days, the symptoms relieved without any pain medication. I believe there is some change to the drug and have contacted AbbVie (waiting for an answer) to see if the fillers (which are numerous) have been changed from 1 dosage to another. If you are having any side effects, you must call them and report it, especially if they are long-term or severe as mine were. I am back on .075 with no issues... something is wrong here. Will keep posted."

• The...
• April 18, 2013

"I was diagnosed several years ago with hypothyroidism. My doctor started me on levothyroxine, and after several months of gradual increases, we reached a point where my TSH levels showed 'normal'. But while I felt better than I had at the start, I still did not feel 'normal'. I discussed this with my doctor, and we raised the dosage to where I was taking 175 mcg, and my TSH was just above what is labeled 'normal'. It was a slow process, but I finally felt better than I had in years. I had energy and no longer dragged out of bed in the morning. My dosage was fairly high. But you know better than anyone how you feel. And if you still don't feel right, talk to your doctor."

• Dan...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 27, 2019

"I have subclinical hypothyroidism. I was put on thyroxine 3 weeks ago and now have much more energy and motivation. I have had no side effects. The only annoying thing is taking the medication at a time when I haven't eaten. As I like coffee first thing, I take my thyroxine at night a few hours after last eating."

• jrb...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 7, 2020

Levothyroxine "I had a partial thyroidectomy in 2007. I've been on generic Levo 88 mcg for about 10 years now. Maybe it would be different had I been started on Synthroid from the get-go, but I've tried Synthroid two times, once at 75 mcg and this week at 88 mcg, and the results were the same. Within three days, I had muscle weakness, muscle spasms, more pain in my neck, and extreme fatigue. Regulation mandates 95-105% of the active ingredient be present. I've taken Unithroid 88 mcg, and I never had the extreme symptoms like with Synthroid. I steer clear of this med because I can't afford to miss another week of pay fiddling around with it. Generic and Unithroid aren't perfect, but at least I can function."

• Nan...
• January 23, 2016

Levothyroxine "Before Synthroid, I was achy and tired. Now I have headaches, bloating, stomach pain, loose stools, and the feeling of being in a fog. I'm only on day 4 of the lowest dose cut in half. I'm stopping it. I was put on it before and it made my heart go to sinus tach, but the new doctor insisted I try it again! Hell no! I felt better before the medication!"