Synthroid Side Effects

I started taking Synthroid in 1996. I continued taking it for the following 11 years. During that time I experienced several side effects listed on the Synthroid website.

The first and most pleasant side effect of Synthroid I noticed was weight loss. Since my thyroid was functioning below normal levels before I started taking Synthroid, this was to be expected. Synthroid is supposed to increase thyroid function and thus your metabolism.

After my initial weight loss, though I didn't experience any Synthroid side effects for several years. In the year 2000 [please, no Conan O'Brien jokes], I started to suspect I was going through an early menopause. I call it "early" because I was 45. My mother had not started menopause until she was 47 and that was early for the women in her family. They had all gone through the "Change" in their early 50's.

I had started flushing. My face, and sometimes even my ears, would turn red for no reason at all. Along with the flushing came the heat intolerance and the excessive sweating. Everyone else in the room, or even a part of a room would be fine, I'd be fanning myself and sweating. This sounds exactly like the classic menopause symptom of Hot Flashes.

Another side effect of Synthroid that mimics menopause is menstrual irregularities. I had begun to have those, too. Since I knew I couldn't be pregnant, I went to the doctor's office. She drew blood for a hormone level test. According to my levels of estrogen and progesterone, I was NOT in menopause.

Looking through the retrospectroscope [that device that gives you 20/20 hindsight] I can see other Synthroid side effects I experienced that I assigned to other diseases or conditions I had or had suffered in the past. I thought the irritability and emotional lability were part of my cyclic depressions I had been going through since I was 12. Now I wonder why I [or any of the 3 psychiatrists I had during this time] didn't question the possibility Synthroid could be playing a role in my constantly changing moods.

The tachycardia [fast heart rate] I had I just assumed was caused because because I'd had a little too much caffeine that day. After all, these episodes were so minor, just a couple of seconds, compared to what I experienced when I had PSVT[ paroxysmal supra-ventricular tachycardia], I really shouldn't complain. I mean really, what's a couple of seconds of fast heart beat when compared to beating at 220 beats per minute for 30 minutes at a time with accompanying chest pain and shortness of breath?

Same thing with the muscle tremors in my hands. I had NO idea that was a side effect of Synthroid until I started doing the research for this article. I just thought I was stressed out and getting old.

The best advice I can give anyone experiencing these side effects is to talk to your Doctor about these side effects. Educate yourself so that you can ask questions of your physician from a position of knowledge. If you are sure you are on the correct dosage then here are a few suggestions.

For the flushing, sweating and heat intolerance: dress in layers. When you feel a hot flash coming, you can start taking off excess clothing. You can also excuse yourself, if you're in public, and go to a restroom to splash water on the back of your neck. That is actually far more effective than splashing water on your face. Keep washcloths in your purse or briefcase in a plastic bag for such emergencies.

Limiting caffeine intake in the form of coffee, tea, caffeinated soft drinks and, sadly, even chocolate will help with tachycardia and hand tremors. If you absolutely are convinced you cannot wake up without a cup of coffee, then have it. But then drink 2 or 3 - 8 ounce glasses of water. You should also drink another 5 to 6 glasses of water throughout the day. This applies to chocolate as well. If you simply have to have some chocolate, eat it in the morning and follow it up with plenty of water.

One last word of advice, if you are currently seeing a D.O. or Family Practitioner, please consider making an appointment with an Endocrinologist. These doctors specialize in glands. They spend extra time getting to know the thyroid and how it works and all the medicines to treat thyroid diseases. They truly are better qualified to treat this problem.