How long for Synthroid to start working?

My experience is that I was able to feel some improvement on each med dose increase but the total max benefit takes up to 6 weeks.

My colleague had one lobe removed and after a month felt very run down. They put her on 50 mcg of synthroid and within a few days she felt much better.

I was hypo for a few months following surgery, and had IBS type symptoms for the entire time. A large dinner or certain foods sent me running for a restroom and I was sure I had IBS....they said stomach problems are related to being hyper and not hypo.

Well my symptoms started a week after going off meds and got better one week after my dose went from 112 to 150. Stomach has been fine since... so my point is that your stomach problems may be from being hypo, even though it is more commonly related to being hyper.

Good luck!

Lori

Gail,
Thanks for your support.

Lori,
That is so encouraging to hear that your stomach problems went away with the Synthroid. I was hoping they were related. I can hardly believe how many of my symptoms are related to my thyroid problems. I am already feeling a bit more energy & less depressed even though I just started the meds last week. My PCP thinks that my stomach probs & anemia are signs of an ulcer & are not related to my thyroid, but I have been anemic or borderline anemic most of my life & have been tested for ulcers & never had one yet. The weight loss & nausea started about the same time as the rest of my symptoms, so I'll keep my fingers crossed that maybe it's all due to my thyroid. Thanks so much for sharing with me. :)

Frances

Thanks saposs,
I had been in increasing pain & saw my pain specialist for injections which didn't help much. I have noticed that my knee pain is reduced quite a bit now & my back pain is a tiny bit better, so I'm hoping that the pain will continue to decrease over time. It is so encouraging to read all these stories about people being helped so much by starting on thyroid meds. Thanks so much for the encouragement.

Frances

Frances -
My wife was diagnosed with Hashimotos at 13. She has had the left side removed and the right side basically cut in half(thickness). Before the surgery she was losing a lot of weight even with being hypo. Since the surgery she has struggled with her weight and has not been able to get the symptoms to subside. She still deals with the tiredness, inability to handle cold temps, some hair lose at times, leg pains, etc. Her surgery was in 2003 and her levels are constantly changing. She has to be tested every 6 months to stay on top of it. And unfortunately her remaining thyroid is starting to enlarge again, as they said in might. The Ents and Endos told her the symptoms should subside in a couple months at first, now they say they may never change.
It's strange that even though it was enlarged and she had nodules, that were benign, she felt better before they did the surgery than she does now. And now they say they should have just removed both sides and the synthroid would probably have worked better. Some day I am sure she will have had enough and decide to have the rest removed, but she doesn't want to seal with the surgery again just yet.
I pray everyone dealing with this finds a way to manage their symptoms. I have seen how frustrated you can be and wish you all can be symptom free.
I am a regular on the GERD forum and have told her about this forum starting, but she just isn't comfortable yet to come her.
Sorry I ended up rambling here instead of giving Frances a straight answer.
Take care,
Bill

Gosh, looks like a few of us from the UC forum also have thyroid issues-:) I guess no suprirse since they are both autoimmune diseases.

Frances, have you done a pill camera?

I just recently went from 75 mcg to 137 mcg and I am not nearly as tired as I usually am. [about a week on the higher dose]..... I could fall asleep anywhere, anytime. I believe I will be feeling much better in the next few weeks. Also, this is important...make sure you take Synthroid and NOT the generic. My doctor insists on that and I have done some research..the generic does not work nearly as well and can cause some problems. I wish I could remember what...sorry... :) [My dr is a complentary medical dr...I think most conventional drs will tell you this isn't true]

From 5/2011 to 11/2012 I had 15 deep tissue treatments of glucocorticoids with intermittent prescriptions of prednisone. This was to treat inflammation from a brain & spine injury, the worst area being around my brain stem because of the lack of support from my now herniated C1-C7 discs & severe lardosis.
Anyway, according to my endocrinologist as a result of the treatment I now have thyroid disease (note: because I had hyperthyroidism as a young adult I've had continuous TSH screens over the years; it never exceed 1.18 until now where my value is over 8). After having the same weight (+/- 5 lbs) for more than 15 yrs I put on more than 50 pounds in a 3-month period. I'm sure I've even gained more but I stopped finding out how because I was too injured to exercise to do anything about it (I was also in the hospital much of the time; I also have problems with my lumbar area from a birth defect but that's another story).
I started synthroid (50 mcg) a week ago & I am praying that this will help me eventually regain a normal functioning thyroid. I've seen some really positive, but of course the negative ones scared the heck out of me (I felt bad for those who wrote them too). Even though I'm down to 500 calories a day (I have been for months now out of desperation) I feel like I look even more bloated since I started taking synthroid. I have read reviews where people gained weight. Again, I'm praying that this is just an initial side effect. Even though I've had non-stop throat pain w/hoarseness, dermatological issues, fevers, & weakness before taking the medicine my doctor said I might feel worse at first before I feel better & this seems to be the case. Also, as a migraine sufferer my doctor said this too could worsen initially, which it has, but I'm cautiously optimistic that this likelihood is lessening as my body seems to be getting used to synthroid.
Anyway, I wondering if any of what I'm going through is relatable & is there any hope of a light at the end of this tunnel? Thank you for reading & any help would be greatly appreciated.
(I apologize for the lengthiness of my post...I'm feeling pretty sick as I'm writing this)

Post Edited (jen2011) : 6/30/2013 9:52:50 PM (GMT-6)

Judy2:

Thank you so much for your help. I have people who depend on me (like many others on here) & don't have anybody close to my age (I'm the sole supporter to my elderly parents & child; again, I know I'm not alone) so no one to talk about anything health-related in person.

I've read about how adjusting one's dose is key & when I see my endocrinologist in 3 wks I'm sure we'll discuss this as she increases my dosage. I have a feeling for now that she just wanted to make sure my body handled synthroid. Right now there are 11 nodules that she's concerned where some might have to be surgically removed...had bloodwork this week to confirm/dis-affirm what was shown on the ultrasound... & for other reasons I'm having a hysterectomy along with an oophorectomy within the month, so I don't if I can resume the synthroid during these operations. She (my endocrinologist) & my ob/gyn think the hysterectomy & oophorectomy might significantly help my thyroid function. So either way, I have hope my thyroid will eventually get better. (I've only had medicine for a week but it's been a major problem for 8 mos. now.)

Anyway, your response is a great support to me. I know I got to be patient with feeling better. I'm glad there's a online support forum...just wish this disease didn't exist for anyone! Hope all is well for anyone on this site

Jenna

Post Edited (jen2011) : 7/2/2013 9:20:50 PM (GMT-6)

Kim, we do have a number of people with Hashi's who post here and are on Armour dessicated hormone. You may want to start your own thread with a title about what you want to discuss as that will surely get more responses.

Since this is a holiday week traffic may be light, so please be patient with us.

A very close family member of mine was told to have surgery - her FNA's were inconclusive *as were mine when checked for my nodules. Her left lobe was removed. Put on synthroid only. Hashimotos (hypo) She became sicker and sicker. Found to have Epstein Barr virus *old non active mono, or something like that.

Up and down the dosage went. On antibiotics that killed off beneficial bacteria in her gut which caused more problems for her (constipation went for over a week). It was so bad. Then, put on steroids for a twisted ankle. Anti-depressants for anxiety over her husband leaving her while she just signed up for college classes and only had a part time job. She was 900 miles away and alone. Blew up to over 200 pounds.

Came home and I found a great doc for her that found she needed Cytomel as well. Found she is gluten sensitive *thru blood work only - as well as CORN, SOY, Casein, egg whites and GLUTEN. All the stuff that is genetically modified. She has leaky gut.

She felt well after the addition of the Cytomel. And her numbers began to get normalized again.

We went gluten free in foods, home products, personal products and less grains/sugars. NO CORN.

She began losing weight. Began running after classes and would do infraRed saunas. Her eyebrows began to grow back. Then we both went on a bit of Iodine.

That was over four years ago. We continue with organic, gluten free, toxic free home. Our pets are grain free, too.

We are not sure but her really awful doctor insisted she begin the gardacil regimen. She had round 1 and became very ill immediately. My gosh it was awful for her being so far away at that time and alone.

I am trying to talk her into the 23andme dna test. She is positive for the heterozygous a1298c mutation. Brand new. Have no idea of that just yet.

But she graduated with honors (management/finance). Is working for a company she LOVES. Bought her own place and is adamant about health.

Hope this helps? It is awful when you have issues, I know. Best of health to you.

I have been diagnosed with Hypothyroidism. My doctor put me on .75 mcg of synthroid.
I have been taking it for 4 wks. and felt good for about 5 days and now it seems I am feeling
how I was when it all started. Doctor said I should be at 112 mcg of synthroid but wanted to start me slow. I don't understand why. I am tired, moody, depressed, headaches and leg pain.
I just know I am tired of feeling this way and would like to feel normal again.
From everything I have read it doesn't seem that will ever happen.

Any suggestions on what I can do to help improve myself. I'm tired of waiting.