Scared to take thyroxine

[inthewoods4]

Hi, I’ve been struggling with what I thought were mental health problems for 18 months, but have just found out my thyroid is under active. It’s classed as subclinical with a TSH of 4.5 and the doctor has given me 12.5mcg to start with.
Stupidly I’ve gone down too many rabbit holes and been told it could make me feel worse, and as anxiety has been my main problem, this has really scared me! Can anyone reassure me?

I was worried too and made my partner stay home with me in case of symptoms but it was a total non event. You won’t even notice. If the dose is too high it’ll be more of a gradual impact and you’ll be able to taper down. I wouldn’t worry!

Also 12.5 is an extremely low dose. I’m on 50 and that’s pretty low I think

Are you sure it’s 12.5? That sounds like an odd dose? I think they normally start on 25 or 50. Not sure they do decimal increments. Do you mean 125?

Don't be - it's simply replacing what your body isn't able to manufacture any more. It takes a while to kick in but you will wake one day and feel like yourself again.

I have been taking it for two decades now and have never had any side effects. Low thyroxine affects your mood so you may find once your dose is correct your anxiety reduces.

remember to ask for your medical exemption certificate now you have been diagnosed it will save you a fortune in the long run.

12.5 is half of 25. Not really ‘a decimal increment’. So a nice low dose to begin with.

Iv been on it years i take 125 never had any side effects or issues

I take 100mg a day and have done for 10 years. Never had any side effects. You will be fine. Take them. You will feel so much better.

It’s just replacing what you don’t have. I’ve been on it for over 30 years, no issues. It’s an extremely commonly supplied medication.

Like ppl said, it's only replacing what your body is no longer producing. I've been on it for several years with no side effects at all.

I've been taking for about 15 years. I've been on 125 at one point. It a gradual thing and will take 6 weeks minimum to notice and then you might be a bit less tired. That is it.

I’m on 100mcg and feel absolutely no different TBH
no side effects

Thank you for your reassurance! I’ve lost all trust in my body and mind after the last 18 months, which is quite scary, and so anything new freaks me out - but I know it’s the right thing to do. My kidneys are also struggling which I think can be caused by low thyroid x

I thought I had dementia before I was diagnosed and offered levo.

Please note that the GP tried to fob me off with sertraline and I had to ASK for blood tests to check for physical causes.

I have been taking levo for about three years now. I started small and built up the dose with blood tests every six weeks to check. I had not read about any bad side effects, so not sure what your concerns are.

I would say, that when I started the levo, things stopped getting worse straight away. There was some improvement, but I have never got back to my old self and it affects my life every day.

I would strongly advise you to start on the levo straight away and not let anything get worse.

Happy to answer any questions if that will help.

Take care xx

I've been on 125mg levo for coming up to 15 years with no side effects. I felt so dreadful beforehand I'd have considered anything. 12.5mg is such a small dose you'll be ok.

It also takes a while to settle down so you might find that the dosage changes.

I take 200mg daily and have had no bad effects. Once you find the right dose, you will feel like a new person, I promise!

This I’m on 50. I took 25 and then 50 and I’m 12 years on. Changed my life. Literally.

I still feel the cold, hair falls out etc but I’m no longer asleep all day every day.

I was on 150mcg. I knew it was too high as I couldn’t sleep.
Now on 125 and it’s fine. Yours is such a low dose that I doubt you’d feel anything adverse.
I usually delay starting new meds too. You will be ok.

Dosage will go up I would have thought, they always start low.

The dementia feeling is so real I couldn't remember anything and could barely string a sentence together because i just couldn't remember even basic words. It's always a good indicator now when my levels are a bit off and my dose need adjusting

Untreated hypothyroidism is dangerous. So you need to see the thyroxine as replacing something your body should be making rather than taking a drug you don’t need. I am on 150mg and have been for 20 years. I have a whole host of autoimmune issues and take 25 different medications a day, without which I’d be dead. The hypothyroidism is the thing I worry about the least; I’ve never had any side effects from the thyroxine.

My (at the time) 10 year old DD was started on 25mcg by her Paediatrician. She then went up to 50mcg and is now on 100mcg at 13 years old. No side effects and pretty much controls / corrects her symptoms (hers is further complicated by other medical conditions)

I appreciate you have some health anxiety, but honestly it's a no brainer.

Honestly, thyroxine is very very mild. I'm on 200 now, having started on 50g.

I'm on 175, so 50 seems low to me!

Starting thyroxine was a lifechanger for me. I'd got so accustomed to constantly feeling exhausted, depressed, having aches and pains, brain fog, dry skin and hair falling out it had become my normal. I was 43, so put all that down to perimenopause.

Within days of starting (I think I started at 50mg), I felt like a completely different person.

Ohh 175 is hard-core! Never met anyone that high!