Feel sick when upping meds??

ks831 · 08-22-2007, 08:01 PM

I was rx with hypothyroid this past june with a tsh of 5.9, I started on .025 of synthroid and at 4 weeks my tsh was at 3.4 I tried to increase the meds to the .050 synthroid and I felt really ill all day, i felt like i was going to be sick and like I was going to crawl out of my skin. So the next day i didn't take the higher dose. The last two weeks i have been feeling horrible, tired and unable to concentrate and kind of depressed feeling so i suspect my thyroid may actually be going slower and I really need to get my levels corrected. Also ive been working out an hour a day (my hubby is a personal trainer) and eating really healthy and still have not been able to lose a pound

Anyway, my question is, why did the higher dose make me feel so ill? Does it just mean I need to give it more time to adjust to it or is it possible that my body can not tolerate the higher dose? Any help appreciated!!

Kate

jsr72 · 08-23-2007, 10:53 PM

Not sure why you felt sick after taking the increased dose. I never had any ill feelings after upping my dose (which has been increased four times in the past year). Have you called your doc? ((hugs)) Just wanted to offer you some support.

plessthanpointohfive · 08-25-2007, 08:01 PM

Hi, I have just received a tentative Dx of PCOS from my endo. I have been hypothyroid for 8 years. I went in a month ago complaining of thyroid symptoms and my endo decided to just peek at everything else while he was running tests. Found elevated adrenals and testosterone. Brought me back to test for CAH (adrenal exhaustion) but found that not to be the case. Decided I am probably a mild PCOS. My symptoms are hirsutism of face (nowhere else), ruddy complexion, obesity (where as I was not obese until the hypo happened and then have gained about 10lbs a year since), and high testosterone. I am not losing my hair and I don't have the dark skin patches, though I do have oily skin. But then, I've always had oily skin...

Anyway, they upped my thyroid meds last month and then again after the second round of testing.

The week or two after increasing my doses I feel pretty bad - get a racing heart, sleeplessness, then increased fatigue. These subsided.

I always know when I need my dose to be upped because I start having problems focusing and start feeling depressed. In my case the depression manifests as a loss of interest in the things I normally like to do - like garden or writing and reading.

It's funny you mention your husband is a personal trainer. My husband is a Professor of Exercise Physiology. He worked as a personal trainer while getting his masters but didn't through his PhD. However, he maintains his certification in strength and conditioning from the NSCA.

It makes me feel embarrassed that my fit hunky husband who makes a living teaching exercise is married to big ole fat me, though he does not complain and claims he loves me and still finds me beautiful. I currently weigh in at 216lbs. When we married I weighed 150. Then I was diagnosed with hypo a year later and my weight went down, initially, to 140. Then I became pregnant and our son was born. It was after that I began having problems with my weight that no amount of exercise and dieting and even thyroid treatment could stop.

Now that I have received this tenative Dx for PCOS I am hoping that my endo will Rx metformin and I can finally see success in weight loss. Most people here are concerned with fertility. I am not. We do not plan to have any more children, though the door is not closed on that. I am most concerned about my weight and the hair on my face.

I just got my Dx on Friday afternoon and it was through a message system my endo's office has. He had tried to call me, left a message on my cell telling me to call the message system at his office to get my lab results and Dx, and that we would talk on Monday. So, we haven't talked treatment yet and I have no idea what he will suggest. So far he's been a very sensitive Dr.

Anyway, sorry to hijack your thread. I jsut wanted to let you know that I have a lot of experience with hypo and symptoms. You can ask me anything.

Your symptoms, to me, sound normal of someone who is trying to find out what dosage is best for them. Give it time, but not too much time. 2-3 weeks of waiting to see if things settle out is longest before you should call your Dr.

My meds:

Armour Thyroid: 2 grains a day (morning and mid afternoon) -> each grain (or pill) has 68 mcg of T4 and 9 mcg of T3

Synthroid: 100mcg a day

plessthanpointohfive · 08-25-2007, 08:11 PM

I forgot to say...

My father and his mother are/were both Type 2 diabetic. Both are/were obese, though my father has take better care of himself and has surpassed the age my grandmother passed away. Because of this family history I believe my endo will likely go the metformin route.

Both my father and I did not suffer from childhood obesity. We were both very athletic and trim people until our mid-20s. I maintained a weight of 125lbs until age 23 when my weight climbed to 165 because of my thyroid. Then I briefly got it under control until after my son was born. That's when my weight nightmare began. My dad however has a big sweet tooth. I do not have a sweet tooth (for me it's beer and chips!).

Lastly, I exercise. In fact 3-4 times a week I walk to work, which is 3.5 miles in one direction, but catch a ride home due to the heat. Once the weather cools off (I'm in Atlanta) I will walk everyday both to and from. The walk takes about an hour and my heart rate gets to a comfortable pace. I carry my laptop, so I've got an extra 10lbs to make it even better.

All this and I still managed to gain 6lbs this summer...

Anyway, that's my story and I am sticking to it!

mommavia · 08-25-2007, 10:40 PM

Kate,

I'm not sure that the upped dose is related to the strange symptoms you described. A patient may experience a racing heartbeat, anxiety, sleeplessness, other hyper symptoms with an increased dose. But that being said, everyone's body reacts differently. Did you try the increased dose as per doctors orders or on your own? You mentioned your TSH is a little over 3 now, that is still too high.

Cynthia

ks831 · 08-25-2007, 11:48 PM

Thanks!!

The doctor I saw was an older doctor and he said that since its under 5 that I was now in the normal range and to continue my current medication. However, the doctor who diagnosed me right before i moved told me she wanted me between 1 and 2, so i called her and she told me to up the dose. I have tried a couple times to take the higher dose and each time i tried I felt really anxious all day. If its something that goes away then I don't mind putting up with it, i guess i was more concerned that it could be a sign of the dose being to high or something more serious so i didn't want to ignore it. If its just a side effect then thats fine, but when i asked my doctor she said she had no idea why it would make me feel that way so it made me worry. Im going to see a new doctor on monday, just a GP but hopefully i can get some answers.

mommavia · 08-26-2007, 02:11 AM

The old TSH values were between 1-5, and the new ones are 1-2.2 I think...it's 2.something.

When I was just hypothyroid, each time I had an increase in my dose I would have heart palpatations and a bit of anxiety. After a few days it went away. Keep track of how many days the symptoms last, it shouldn't be too long!

Have you considered trying to find an endocrinologist to see?

Cynthia