Has Peat ever mentioned what happens when one takes too much levothyroxine?

PeatPrayLove

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So I was irresponsible and took Cynomel the wrong way for a couple of years. Anywhere from a nibble to a full pill each day while trying to maintain proper amounts of Vitamin A, E, D, calcium to phosphate ratio, etc. I was also traveling abroad and took OTC levothyroxine in Thailand. Definitely experiencing some of the negative side effects even a year after stopping (insomnia, heat intolerance, frequent urination, irritability from lack of sleep, etc). Got tested and my dr said my thyroid levels were "low" and told me he could treat me as if I was hypo if I wanted. I declined.

I was stupid. Now I'm paying for it. Now I'm wondering what options are available other than being dependent on thyroid medication the rest of my life.

Has Peat and co. mentioned what happens when someone stops taking thyroid medication? Does the thyroid naturally return to normal production or is this one of those scenarios where the body just stops producing if it has too much outside assistance?

Thanks for any relevant or helpful information!
 

rr1

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Hypothyroid people who supplement, but don’t change the things that made them hypothyroid, will return to their hypothyroid state, aggravated by the additional time they have been creating the problem, when they stop the supplement. A supplement suppresses the gland only when it’s working, and excessive dose of supplement is used. - RP
 

Dr. B

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interesting quote, so you basically have to dig deep and find how you became hypothyroid...
this seems it can be complex for the cushings/autoimmune type of diseases...
 

Elize

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We may feel better when treatment is for autoimmunity inclusive of Epstein Barr virus, coxsackie virus, mast cell activation and the thyroid by a homeotoxicologist, rather than a slew of doctors who do not talk to each other
 

akgrrrl

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I was just told that I may have been on levothyroxine for 16 years unneccessarily.
I feel like a bird that just flew into a glass window.
Supposedly hypo brought on by the trauma of very serious accident requiring multiple reconstructive surgeries, to include caretaker abuse.
Last 10 years jacked up and down 25mg to 175mg per day by the apparent whim of presiding medico and their interp of bloodwork. Nobody ever looked at tsh, just t3, t4.
My tsh is .0025 while dose gets adjusted per bloodwork 5x a year.
Its a wonder I am alive already, now this. Cold turkey? Titrate slowly?
 

Birdie

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I was just told that I may have been on levothyroxine for 16 years unneccessarily.
I feel like a bird that just flew into a glass window.
Supposedly hypo brought on by the trauma of very serious accident requiring multiple reconstructive surgeries, to include caretaker abuse.
Last 10 years jacked up and down 25mg to 175mg per day by the apparent whim of presiding medico and their interp of bloodwork. Nobody ever looked at tsh, just t3, t4.
My tsh is .0025 while dose gets adjusted per bloodwork 5x a year.
Its a wonder I am alive already, now this. Cold turkey? Titrate slowly?
Caretaker abuse is horrible. So upset to hear that.

I'm just going from memory but I think my TSH is about the same as yours. I go by Free T3 and Free T4 values. Who told you that you don't need thyroid? I've found that most regular MDs etc say thyroid isn't needed. So, I'm always suspicious when one comes up with that. Yours could be different. Just adding my experience with that.

Have you read the Broda Barnes Thyroid book? Was an amazing help to me. Do you read Stop the Thyroid Madness? Some good info on that site.
 

Birdie

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So I was irresponsible and took Cynomel the wrong way for a couple of years. Anywhere from a nibble to a full pill each day while trying to maintain proper amounts of Vitamin A, E, D, calcium to phosphate ratio, etc. I was also traveling abroad and took OTC levothyroxine in Thailand. Definitely experiencing some of the negative side effects even a year after stopping (insomnia, heat intolerance, frequent urination, irritability from lack of sleep, etc). Got tested and my dr said my thyroid levels were "low" and told me he could treat me as if I was hypo if I wanted. I declined.

I was stupid. Now I'm paying for it. Now I'm wondering what options are available other than being dependent on thyroid medication the rest of my life.

Has Peat and co. mentioned what happens when someone stops taking thyroid medication? Does the thyroid naturally return to normal production or is this one of those scenarios where the body just stops producing if it has too much outside assistance?

Thanks for any relevant or helpful information!
Same as for AKgirl, I'd advise Broda Barnes to get the basics. Also the STTM website has some useful info and answers questions. Wish you the best in your searching for thyroid help.
 

akgrrrl

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Caretaker abuse is horrible. So upset to hear that.

I'm just going from memory but I think my TSH is about the same as yours. I go by Free T3 and Free T4 values. Who told you that you don't need thyroid? I've found that most regular MDs etc say thyroid isn't needed. So, I'm always suspicious when one comes up with that. Yours could be different. Just adding my experience with that.

Have you read the Broda Barnes Thyroid book? Was an amazing help to me. Do you read Stop the Thyroid Madness? Some good info on that site.
The madness is alive and well. Yes, the newly hired MD at the local clinic where a human must be registered to have a "provider" in the case of emergency arriving at the ER, pharmacy service at the grocery store, or to even call and ask a nurse a question.
I have read so many conflicting opinions I dont know what to think who to believe.
Thanks Birdie.
 

dadavid

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i'm hypo and live off the thyroid medication
tried to stop twice
first time the return to hypo state took a month and was slow. after a month it was noticeable , symptoms set in , TSH was10.
after a couple of years , the second time was terrible
three days without medication and i was waking up with spasms - didn't take long to start again...
 

sweetpeat

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I was just told that I may have been on levothyroxine for 16 years unneccessarily.
I feel like a bird that just flew into a glass window.
Supposedly hypo brought on by the trauma of very serious accident requiring multiple reconstructive surgeries, to include caretaker abuse.
Last 10 years jacked up and down 25mg to 175mg per day by the apparent whim of presiding medico and their interp of bloodwork. Nobody ever looked at tsh, just t3, t4.
My tsh is .0025 while dose gets adjusted per bloodwork 5x a year.
Its a wonder I am alive already, now this. Cold turkey? Titrate slowly?
If you're on the higher dose, it's usually best to titrate down slowly. Same for going up.
But the more important question is, how do you feel? Does any dose of levo make you feel good?
 

akgrrrl

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If you're on the higher dose, it's usually best to titrate down slowly. Same for going up.
But the more important question is, how do you feel? Does any dose of levo make you feel good?
Well thats an interesting question, because you know, it "apparently" takes weeks for a dose change to manifest symptoms. So, how would I know? Its always change the dose, see you in 6 weeks. If you feel like crap, or just lay lifeless in bed they dont care that your life is ruined for another 6 weeks. And when yet another Dr., or nurse assisrant, or Ohys. Assistant takes over the caseload, it starts all over again from their perspective. I was horrified that this one said get off totally, immediately. Isnt that dangerous? She acquiesced to drop from 88mg to 25. The person who changed the 88mg said 175 was too high flatly, where the prev Doc thought it was fine for about 6mo; he moved out of state. I dont know who to believe honestly. Its not uncommon imho. I was referred to a neurologist for loss of nerve signal left leg as I starred losing my ability to do lunges without losing my balance. I made successive appts with 5 (five!) the only neuros in the state because...all they ever did was tap me on the elbow and knee with their tiny hammer and collect their $400 specialist flat fee.
 

sweetpeat

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Well thats an interesting question, because you know, it "apparently" takes weeks for a dose change to manifest symptoms. So, how would I know? Its always change the dose, see you in 6 weeks. If you feel like crap, or just lay lifeless in bed they dont care that your life is ruined for another 6 weeks. And when yet another Dr., or nurse assisrant, or Ohys. Assistant takes over the caseload, it starts all over again from their perspective. I was horrified that this one said get off totally, immediately. Isnt that dangerous? She acquiesced to drop from 88mg to 25. The person who changed the 88mg said 175 was too high flatly, where the prev Doc thought it was fine for about 6mo; he moved out of state. I dont know who to believe honestly. Its not uncommon imho. I was referred to a neurologist for loss of nerve signal left leg as I starred losing my ability to do lunges without losing my balance. I made successive appts with 5 (five!) the only neuros in the state because...all they ever did was tap me on the elbow and knee with their tiny hammer and collect their $400 specialist flat fee.
I'm sorry that you've been given the run-around. It's obvious that medical ineptitude has been going on far longer than the recent covid "crisis". I was almost tempted to say I'm surprised they didn't seem to care whether or not you felt better, but unfortunately it's not really that surprising.
Like a lot of us, you need to take your health into your own hands. The resources Birdie mentioned above are a good place to start educating yourself about thyroid issues. Peat has some articles on his website too: raypeat.com
 

akgrrrl

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I'm sorry that you've been given the run-around. It's obvious that medical ineptitude has been going on far longer than the recent covid "crisis". I was almost tempted to say I'm surprised they didn't seem to care whether or not you felt better, but unfortunately it's not really that surprising.
Like a lot of us, you need to take your health into your own hands. The resources Birdie mentioned above are a good place to start educating yourself about thyroid issues. Peat has some articles on his website too: raypeat.com
Yes, thankyou, of course I have read me some Dr. Peat, it is part of what got me here. However much of it is in conflict with the reality. Who thinks you go by tsh or t3 and t4 is one example. And, over the years, if nothing else I learned, when they say its fine now, it was not fine for me. This most recent doc is a fine example. She called me. As she scanned her new caseload and saw that my tsh was .0025 .
 

Dr. B

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Yes, thankyou, of course I have read me some Dr. Peat, it is part of what got me here. However much of it is in conflict with the reality. Who thinks you go by tsh or t3 and t4 is one example. And, over the years, if nothing else I learned, when they say its fine now, it was not fine for me. This most recent doc is a fine example. She called me. As she scanned her new caseload and saw that my tsh was .0025 .
you're having hypothyroid symptoms with very low tsh? ive had the same thing. I think it means there's an issue with pituitary being suppressed or something? cuz it means tsh is no longer even signalling the body to make thyroid hormone for some reason? i remember it being mentioned, before, there were some causes for why TSH is very low, yet you're also hypothyroid. do you remember what causes low tsh hypothyroidism or what caused it for you
 

akgrrrl

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you're having hypothyroid symptoms with very low tsh? ive had the same thing. I think it means there's an issue with pituitary being suppressed or something? cuz it means tsh is no longer even signalling the body to make thyroid hormone for some reason? i remember it being mentioned, before, there were some causes for why TSH is very low, yet you're also hypothyroid. do you remember what causes low tsh hypothyroidism or what caused it for you
The orig doc said yeah traumatic injury. And no, I am on 88mcg of levo so this call out of the blue from a new doc alarmed over tsh .0025 telling no thyroid meds! Is , well, another in a long string of various opinion.
 

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