I am a 55yo male, who after feeling tired and foggy minded for several years, was diagnosed with Hashimoto's the summer of 2014 with a TSH of 15.5. I was started on 50mcg Levo and felt minimally better only with regards to brain fog. TSH then was tested at 11.5 and I was put on 100mcg of Levo. After about 2 weeks at 100mcg the bottom fell out and began feeling terrible and started having continuous PVCs. TSH was then tested and it was 7. Doctor said this dose shouldn't cause PVCs. Stopped taking Levo for a month hoping the PVCs would go away and was dealt with debilitating fatigue, coldness, depression etc that wasn't there two months earlier before taking any Levo and PVCs never went away. This was the sickest I have been in my entire life and struggled to complete simple daily tasks. After a month of not taking any levo, I was instructed by my doctor to start taking 100mcg again but constant PVCs and ill feeling forced me back down to 50mcg. I was then diagnosed with Hyperparathyroidism which was surgically corrected with the hopes that was causing the PVCs. The surgery made me feel somewhat better but didn't do anything to stop the PVC's or fatigue but did allow me to increase levo without being on a death bed. However, upon increasing levo to 88mcg, I then began having muscle twitching all over my body that persists to today with the PVCs regardless of the dose. Over the past 4 years, I have been up and down the dosage ranges of both levothyroxine and Nature Throid (50mcg - 200mcg levo & 1.5 gr - 4.0 gr of NT). NOTHING has gotten rid of the fatigue, sleep disturbances, PVCs or muscle twitching. Over the past 4 years, I have spent approximately $20,000 (parathyroidectomy, 2 ER visits, multiple EKG's and Holter's, echocardiogram (neg), nuclear stress test (false positive), heart catheritization (neg), dozen's of blood tests, deductibles etc.) out of pocket bouncing from doctor to doctor trying to find a Dr. who had a clue but they all seem completely ignorant to this disease. I am as sicker today with more symptoms than I was prior to starting thyroid medication four years ago. I can't tell you how many times Doctor's have said "your numbers look good, I recommend you stay at this dose" without even asking how I feel (which is usually terrible). I have spent the last 10 months dropping from 175mcg to 150mcg to 125mcg to 112mcg to currently 100mcg. While the PVCs and twitching have reduced with these dosage reductions, they are still there every day as is the fatigue and general ill feeling. I am now getting cold hands and feet, the ends of my big toes are going numb and depression is setting in which tells me I am now functionally hypo again. I know I can't stop taking levo due to these symptoms but I also can't find a good dose in which I actually feel remotely well at. In fact its been so long since I've felt good, I don't really remember how that feels as I haven't been there in years. Does anyone else have Hashi's with fatigue, pvcs, muscle twitching and were able to find a solution to get your life back?
For what it's worth, here are my two most recent lab results:
125mcg: (fatigue, PVCs, Twitching, ill feeling but better here than at 150mcg)
TSH = 1.07
FT4 = 1.3 (0.8 - 1.8)
FT3 = 2.9 (2.3 - 4.2)
112mcg: (felt best here with lesser symptoms but all still there)
TSH = 1.7
FT4 = 1.2 (0.8 - 1.8)
FT3 = 3.1 (2.3 - 4.2) Notice FT3 actually increased with less levo.
100mcg (been here 19 days and the fatigue, coldness, and depression are nearly debilitating).
I have already tried getting FT3 & FT4 in upper range but felt terrible there too and had major sleep issues.