Monthly fluctuations in Levothyroxine level
 

Hello all,

I have been on levothyroxine (.05 mg) for about 3 months. I do feel markedly better than I did in December-- my hair is staying on my head and my nails aren't peeling anymore...not so sure about the foggy brain :o

The thing is-- I feel normal most of the month, but right around TOM, a few days before to a few days afterwards (maybe 8-10 days total?) I feel really lousy. It's as if my thyroid levels plunge for a few days. Even my hair feels funny again (stringy and thin). Unfortunately, I also find myself "giving back" any weight that I lost during the early part of the month (my weightloss has slowed to a glacial 1 lb/month, despite little variation in diet or exercise level-- seems that I lose 4, then regain 3 every month!).

Does anyone else have this problem? If so, how do you handle that with your meds? Did your doctor bump up your dosage? I am a little concerned that an increased dose would give me palpitations, sweating, all the "hyper-" stuff, etc., but I am really dragging for that week and a half... I know I'm not feeling as good as I should :(

I am kind of a borderline case. My TSH was a 9 when I was diagnosed. I didn't get my exact numbers from my doctor at my last visit-- she did mention that my antibodies were still high, so she thinks that it's still a little out of whack (Hashimotos, I'm sure).

If I asked, I don't think she'd resist bumping up my dose a bit to see if a "little more" is better than a "little less". Plus, I know it's a progressive thing, so I'll probably be tweaking my dose forever...

Any suggestions from others who've been here before? Should I push for a higher dose? Will I eventually level off? :dizzy:

I would talk to your dr. It takes a while to get it all right but once you do have it you shouldn't have to deal with symptoms even once a month. It's a hard thing to deal with when your brain is stuck in a tv test pattern but it is worth it. good luck!

thyroid
 

Erin, I was on Levothyroxin till I saw a new endo. She put me onSynthroid, which is name brand and a couple dollars more in cost. However, it made a big difference in how I felt all winter this year and in weight loss ( I started WW again but this is the 1st time it is working. You could ask doc to maybe prescribe name brand. Good luck.:carrot:

Hey ladies, thanks for the advice! Saw my dr. today-- she had no problems bumping up my dose to .075 to try it out. She said there was plenty of room to adjust the dose so that I feel good all month. Yay!