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Thyroid (Expert Forum)
Possible misdiagnosis of Hypo - dizziness from Synthroid
Answered by
Mark Lupo, M.D. - Thyroid Nodules, Thyroid Cancer, hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism, Thyroid Ultrasound
Thyroid & Endocrine Center of Florida
Sarasota - FL
Questions in the Thyroid forum are answered by Dr. Mark Lupo. Topics covered include goiter, graves disease, Hashimoto's thyroiditis, hyperthyroid, hypothyroid, thyroid cancers, thyroiditis, and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH).
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Possible misdiagnosis of Hypo - dizziness from Synthroid
by Zosolizard, Jul 01, 2006 12:00AM
I will just give the facts. 40 yo femal. I've suffered symptoms such as pac's & pvcs, chest pains, anxiety for about a year. In my quest to figure it out, I saw an endocrinologist.
6/8/05 - TSH was 2.75 (T3 & T4 within normal). So we abandoned endocrine probs, but decided to circle back 11 mos later.
5/16/06 - TSH lab report was 27.05 (T3 & T4 were within normal)
5/25/06 - started on 25 mcg of Synthroid (1/2 of a 50 tab). Made me dizzy after 3 days. Endo said to stick with it.
6/1/06 - Endo agreed to scale back to 1/4 tab & increase in lower amounts each 10 days or so. Dizziness subsided.
6/13/06 - Upped to 25 mcg. On day 3, almost blacked out at work. Couldn't sleep more than 4 - 5 hours. By day 6 at this dose, I was dizzy 90% of the day. Called endo, said to just keep increasing dosage.
6/23 - Called endo again re: dizziness. Had ACTH Stim test done, came back normal.
At this point, I stopped the Synthroid, and saw my PCP on Tuesday, 6/27. He put me in the hospital due to the dizziness. MRI, etc normal.
My TSH was 2.0 on 6/27. By this time, I had taken NO synthroid for 5 days. I was advised to stop Synthroid, but we will check TSH every 2 weeks for next 6 weeks.
What can be made of this? I'm still dizzy - 9 days after stopping Synthroid.
The doctors claim I am not dizzy due to the thyroid/Synthroid. I dont buy it. I felt 100 times better prior to all of this. I'd rather deal with heart palps, etc. than this. I can't even go to work!!
Any help is greatly appreciated, I'm desperate, and getting depressed :( Than
6/8/05 - TSH was 2.75 (T3 & T4 within normal). So we abandoned endocrine probs, but decided to circle back 11 mos later.
5/16/06 - TSH lab report was 27.05 (T3 & T4 were within normal)
5/25/06 - started on 25 mcg of Synthroid (1/2 of a 50 tab). Made me dizzy after 3 days. Endo said to stick with it.
6/1/06 - Endo agreed to scale back to 1/4 tab & increase in lower amounts each 10 days or so. Dizziness subsided.
6/13/06 - Upped to 25 mcg. On day 3, almost blacked out at work. Couldn't sleep more than 4 - 5 hours. By day 6 at this dose, I was dizzy 90% of the day. Called endo, said to just keep increasing dosage.
6/23 - Called endo again re: dizziness. Had ACTH Stim test done, came back normal.
At this point, I stopped the Synthroid, and saw my PCP on Tuesday, 6/27. He put me in the hospital due to the dizziness. MRI, etc normal.
My TSH was 2.0 on 6/27. By this time, I had taken NO synthroid for 5 days. I was advised to stop Synthroid, but we will check TSH every 2 weeks for next 6 weeks.
What can be made of this? I'm still dizzy - 9 days after stopping Synthroid.
The doctors claim I am not dizzy due to the thyroid/Synthroid. I dont buy it. I felt 100 times better prior to all of this. I'd rather deal with heart palps, etc. than this. I can't even go to work!!
Any help is greatly appreciated, I'm desperate, and getting depressed :( Than
Doctor's Answer
by Mark Lupo, M.D., Jul 03, 2006 12:00AM
, Jul 03, 2006 12:00AM
Hard to say. Sounds like you developed vertigo about the same time you started synthroid for an obviously abnormal TSH (27). The ACTH stim was appropriate. I would be inclined to monitor you closely without thyroid treatment and re-establish a pattern, consider checking antibodies and just see what happens. If the TSH is very high again and treatment better that observation in that case, try a different brand (ie levoxyl). Good luck
I have never heard or read where thyroid medications causes dizziness. Being still dizzy 9 days after stopping Synthroid should prove to you that its not the Synthroid.
There are many causes of dizziness. Flu, common cold, or allergies. Conditions that affect the inner ear, conditions that affect the brain, abnormalities of heart rhythm or heart attack, stroke, falls in blood pressure. The most common conditions to affect the inner ear and cause dizziness include Meniere's disease, 'benign positional vertigo' and 'vestibular neuronitis', which is also known as 'viral labyrinthitis' and may result from a viral infection of the labyrinth.
Have you had these checked out?
Heart palpitations can be a serious, potentially
life-threatening problem.
Just a thought.
Good Luck.
Thanks for your response! I plan on seeing an ENT this week to check out the inner ear. I wrote down the conditions you mentioned.
I've had several cardiac tests - EKG, Stress Test, Tilt Table, and Doppler Echo - all have come back fine. Waiting on a Thallium test of my coronary arteries. So far - the palpitations are called "benign" by every doctor.
Just thought it was interesting that the whole dizziness thing started with the Synthroid. Several people on another message board said they suffered from dizziness for weeks when first taking Synthroid, so it sounds as if it does happen to some people.
Again, thanks so much for responding to my post!
I get periodic dizzy spells too. Sometimes so bad it makes me so sick I have to put myself to bed to sleep it off, and to get their I have to crawl on my hands. I am on levoxyl and I certainly don't blame my dizzy spells on it.
Hope you find the problem and soon.
Good Luck.
i know 100% thats what caused me to be dizzy. it was terrible..
corey