Why I Don't Want To Take My Thyroid Medication
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What are some of the common reasons for not taking my thyroid medication? Some of these may be the reasons you don't take your thyroid medication either. I have hypothyroidism and I go through stages when I feel like taking the medication is useless and non-productive.
First, hypothyroidism means your thyroid is not making enough thyroid hormone. The thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland in the front of your neck. It makes hormones that control the way your body uses energy. It is not uncommon for hypothyroidism to be present for a number of years before it is recognized and treated.
If you have hypothyroidism and are not taking your thyroid hormone replacement medication, which might include-Synthroid, Levoxyl, Levothroid, Thyrolar, and Armour Thyroid. Hypothyroidism can cause a number health problems, including depression, tiredness, low body temperature, feeling cold all the time, up and down blood pressure, problems with remembering things, weight gain or loss, severe changes in your menstrual cycle, hair loss, increased goiter, and even death. Hypothyroidism can often be diagnosed with a simple blood test.
Now onto the reasons why I prefer not taking my thyroid medication. This disease has touched myself, my 4 siblings, and my mother. My sister has come close to dying on several occasions after stopping her medications. She has a more serious thyroid condition than myself. She has taken anywhere from 50 mcg of synthroid to 400 mcg. 400 mcg being very rarely prescribed.
Excuses
- I don't feel any different or any better, so what is the point?
- I don't like taking any more medications than I have to.
- I have side effects I don't like when I take the medication.
- I can't remember to take it every day.
I don't like taking the synthroid because I don't see any difference when I take it. Which doesn't mean that I don't need it. But by not taking it I am causing damage to myself because I need the hormone in my body to function properly. I think this is the biggest reason I don't want to take the medicine. I don't see a difference either way. My brother and sister take it and lose 50 pounds right off the bat. Me? Nothing happens. It doesn't make me feel better mentally either. So I have to convince myself that I am better off.
I take medication for bipolar disorder and taking another medication is something that irratates me. I just feel like taking another one just adds to my irritation. I worry about what all these medications are doing to the inside of my body. This is kind of a lazy way out of having to not take it. In all reality what is one more little tiny pill? When I look at it in realistic terms, one more small pill is not an excuse.
I worry about the side effects. So far there aren't any that I can actually pinpoint, as I mentioned I take medications for bipolar and I have side effects from those. So that is really not an excuse for me to stop taking the thyroid medication. I already have side effects so not taking it is a no go. If for some reason you have a serious enough side effect tell your doctor, he may be able to try another form of thyroid that may be better for you.
As far as forgetting to take it, well that doesn't really fly for me either. I have all my medications set up in a pill container that I take at a scheduled time. So one more should not be a problem. There are many ways to remember to take your prescribed thyroid medication. An alarm clock, a schedule on the fridge, a pill box, an alarm on your watch or cell phone will do the trick very well. Taking the pill at the same time each day will help you to remember to take it. Make it a habit. Believe it or not I do forget to take my medications on a occasion. Not often, but there are days when I am in rushing to get out the door and forget to grab the pill container. But otherwise I am on a very strict medication schedule.
So the above reasons are not really going to hold up. I actually have no reason to not take the thyroid medication. I have a bunch of illegitimate reasons to avoid taking another med. A med that I know I need. So my dilemnia is do I or don't I? For now I don't because I don't see a difference. I am not advocating anyone else NOT take their prescribed medication.
You and your doctor are the ones who need to decide what is best for you.
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Comments
Thank you for your comment akeejaho. I always love hearing from you. As well as reading anything you have to write.I know sometimes I go off on these rebellious 'I don't want to take med anymore" tangents. When I know full well that if I want to function in a manner acceptable to soceity and my own well being than I must take medication. period. Sometimes with the thyroid meds it is hard to tell if they are working or not. So I give them a little test now and again, and the test usually is keep taking the meds. :-)
It's all about staying well and finding ways to stay that way. Keep writing, and I'll keep reading.
well i haven't drank my synthroids for over 6 months.i am starting to feel the effects.tired,sleepy.no energy.and no sex drive.i hate taken them because i see other people lose weight when their on it.not me i gain weight and it makes me mad.i do feel better when i take them but i don't lose weight at all.my sister stays skinny because she is on thyroids medication .and if she doesn't drink her pills ,she blows up like a ballon.C ould it be i'm not getting the right dosage?
its bloody annoying being on thyroid med- no spontaneity anymore- i cant just decide to skip town in two sec-screw everything but the med. If u do backpacking-- for a long time- u worry bout the meds disintegrating, Somebody design a non-refrigerating thyroid med pls- Its bloody annoying. was rushing.. now stuck in a foreign country without my meds. Awesome. Not. just feel like a rant.
If there was a medicine that you ought to NOT be taking, it's your so called "Bipolar Disorder". My husband was diagnoised with Bipolar & was on meds for years which never helped, but made things worse. He has been off them for almost 10 years now & he feels, acts, and looks grea. There is NO clinical test to prove a "chemical imbalance"...what chemicals are not balanced. At any rate you should seek the help of a homiopathic doctore to help get you off the meds and on to natural supplements. As far as your thyroid medicine. I think that you should take them. It is really not a medication, but a hormone replacement that your body would naturally produce. There is a clinical test fot hypothyroidism.
Hypothyroidism (low thyroid) is often misdiagnosed as bipolar. Also medications for bipolar disorder can block the body from absorbing and using thyroid medication properly and that may be why it doesn't work well for you. Many people do better on Armour Thyroid than on Synthroid because it has T3 in it and Synthroid only has T4. The human body needs T3. The body is supposed to be able to convert T4 to T3 but some people's bodies can't (like mine) and then these people need to take a thyroid medication that has T3 in it like Armour Thyroid because Synthroid doesn't work for them. The problem with not taking thyroid medication is that eventually (many years down the road) you will die from not treating your thyroid problem. My mother was hypothyroid and refused to take her medication. Hypothyroidism is a slow progressing disease so you won't see the severe affects of it for a very long time. My mother slowly deteriorated. Her skin got so thin it would burst open and bleed. Her hair fell out. She was cold all the time. She had such severe brain fog that eventually she could no longer function. She could not remember who she was, who anyone was, she couldn't remember how to dress, use the toilet, eat, walk or anything and became bedridden and had to have a feeding tube. Her body's lack of thyroid hormones destroyed her heart, kidneys and liver and they all failed and she went into a coma and died. I do not recommend not taking your thyroid medication. I recommend you get a better thyroid doctor and change thyroid medications like to Armour Thyroid and perhaps going off your bipolar medication for a while sticking with Armour Thyroid and see how you do. If you do better, then you will know that your bipolar medication was blocking your body from using the thyroid medication and also many of your bipolar problems were caused because of low thyroid (the problem I have). Once a person who has extreme emotional ups and downs has their thyroid regulated many times the bipolar goes away. If it turns out you still need your bipolar medication along with Armour Thyroid, then you may need a much higher does than what is usual because of the bipolar medication blocking the body's ability to absorb the thyroid medication. I have many medical problems requiring I take all kinds of medications and I have to take a very high dose of Armour Thyroid in order for my body to absorb it. Your doctor should regularly do blood work to check and make sure your thyroid is working properly and by doing blood work your doctor can adjust your medication accordingly. The thyroid gland is a "master" gland and it doesn't just control your weight, it also controls everything in your body including your brain, your heart, your kidneys, your liver, etc. If you like to read, I highly recommend a book by Mary Shomon called, "Living Well with Hypothyroidism". This book is like my "bible" and has really helped me. This is not only a good book for people with hypothyroidism, but also for people with hyperthyroidism and people who have had their thyroid removed or killed off. Good luck and I hope you get well soon.
mschianti64
I have tried not taking bipolar meds and it was catastrophic for me. I do know however the meds I take for bipolar affect metabolism. As far as homiopathic treatment, I have begun to do some research. I fear going off meds, because I have always had a negative effect. There is no underestimating that I am bipolar. I appreciate your comment and will look further into the treatment you mentioned.
Mrs. G
My four siblings also have hypothyroid condition. There meds seem to work for them. I didn't realize that synthroid might not work. I knew that bipolar meds might block the synthroid from working. I can't seem to get any of the doctors to help me. One says go off the BP meds, one says live with it. They don't really seem to care. But I am all messed up with the meds.
I will mention the Armour on my next visit to the doctor. I would like to ween off the bipolar meds to see if I can manage. I will look for the book at Amazon. I thank you for the information.
Hey people I'm on thyroid medicine. What's the big deal about popping a tiny pill every morning? Thyroid medicine has NO SIDE EFFECTS. My sister refuses to take her medicine and she's going to end up killing herself. I'd rather take the pill everyday and be healthy.
I have been on levothyroxine for 2 years and all I have done is gain more weight. I'm up to 300lbs. I never imagined this for me. It's sad when you want to hide yourself but are too big to hide. I understand why some people say what's the point in taking the meds when it hasn't helped! If this crap worked and evened your body out and got it back to normal....................why am I still not seeing results after 2 years?
I don't know, it is a double edge sword. It is different for everybody. I recently stopped taking the synthroid and immedietly lost 16lbs. I am not saying stop your thyroid meds. Talk to your doctor and see if he can tweek your medicine. Do you have routine blood draws? Do you keep track of the results? If it truely is not making a difference than you need to get with your doctor and tell him.
I know more than likely I will end up having to go back on the synthroid. I haven't done enough research about the weight gain on thyroid medication. I know while on it have gained weight as well. It can be very frustrating.
I am sorry Nancy you are going through so much crap with this drug.
Mrs G's comments very useful. I have come off seroxat and was on two and a half grain armour thyroid for my underactive thyroid whnen on seroxat. Now I have gone hyperthyroid with too much T3. I suspected that the seroxat had some interplay with the armour. Now I'm not on armour for a bit to reduce my levels as hyper is as bad as hypo!
I don't know what to do. I'm like your sister, I have very low levels and have already come close to dieing once. I got back on the medicine train and then fell off again. I'm supposed to be hyperintelligent and I'm a single mom of two, and here I am slowly killing myself for a reason I don't know. My family all knows I'm off my meds, and I deny it to them anyway because I don't want to deal with the hassle.
Why am I being so freaking stupid? Now I'm having heavy, month long periods that leave me anemic and weak, on top of the thyroid issues leaving me tired and weak. I need major help and yet here I sit, trying to find excuses not to take care of the problem.
I do NOT want to die. I am miserable when I'm sick. But yet the fear of being yelled at for forgetting to take my meds leads me to let my blood tests go, then my doctor's appts.go, and then I'm out of meds with no way to fix that without admitting what I did.
WTF is wrong with me that I do this to myself? Now I'm on the verge of death and all I want to do cry because the depression that goes with the thyroid levels being out of whack is unbearable.
I think you should go to the doctor as soon as possible if you are having the problems you are talking about. Maybe there is something going on along with your thyroid. I think you should reconsider and take your medication. Unless you are really against not taking them. But in all honestly I say you have to take a hard look at what your doing to yourself, and decide what is the best decision for you.
I know what I had to do for myself. For my reasons. All the other medications I take and what works. And so on. But you seriously need to get to your doctor for yourself. For the depression too. You cannot let that get out of hand.
Drop me a line to let me know how you are doing...okay?
Just an update.
Just got out of the hospital and am doing "okay." Back on meds, and feeling better than "I'm dieing." Of course, will be weeks before I'm feeling full effects of meds.
I was in for five days (six bags of blood, gyn. surgery), and did a lot of reflecting on that post I made. I think I've narrowed down part of the problem. It is no excuse, but the "hassle" part of it all is something I want to address here in case an endocrinologist ever stumbles upon this in frustration to understand why us thyroid patients are so notorious for skipping meds and such "bad patients."
Consider this scenario and see how familiar it sounds to all of you.
You go through a complicated spell in life, be it a change of address, job, whatever. You find yourself out of a script and in need of a doctor. You call a doctor, and ask them to write you a lab slip for a TSH. You find that they won't do this without seeing you first. *sigh*
Of course, we all know that doctors are packed nowadays and can't see you on the spot unless you can point to a real medical emergency and "I'm fatigued and think my thyroid levels are out of whack" doesn't register as an emergency with the gatekeepers. So its weeks to months before you get in.
You go in. They see you and, yep, they agree and write you a lab slip and then want to see you back in a week once you have the blood drawn and the results are in. Of course, by that point in the day, the lab is closed and you now have to ask your boss to let you come in late or leave early for the second time in a week to get your bloodwork done.
Then your lab work comes back and its horrible, TSH in the thousands.(yes, that's my natural, off of med TSH). So the doc. wants to see you right away, at which point they give you a script and a well deserved finger wagging. This is probably the following week, so you've had to come in late, take a long lunch, or leave work early three days in two weeks. Boss and coworkers are none too happy. They don't see a broken arm or anything to justify this sickness. And most of them don't understand that specialists like endocrinologists don't have appointments in the wee hours or afterwork hours like their kids' pediatrician. They're highly in demand and keep banker's hours because, darn it, they worked hard to get through that demanding residency and deserve to have a regular work schedule.
So you finally have your script (note that getting it filled is probably an hour of your time that you have to rush to accomplish after work before the pharmacy closes.)
Another blood work lab slip for 2-6 wks, depending on your doctor, who then wants to see you after that and then wants to adjust your meds and see you again.
Assuming you can get bloodwork done without missing any work, you're still looking at seven or eight doctor's appointments just to get yourself back on track. Over the course of three months, that's a lot to ask of some employers. Some professions (I'm a teacher, e.g.) don't lend themselves easily to doctor's appointments between 9-3.
So, anyway, isn't there someway to make this "hassle" easier? This all seems mildly irritating but certainly reasonable to the average person, but realize that the person with severe hypothyroid is depressed, probably struggling with occasional mental fog, and very tired. Functioning as a regular human being is something they're barely doing.
I guess my hope is that someday an endocrinologist reads this and reflects on how what seems like very reasonable demands on a patient may be roadblocks to your typical severe hypothyroid patient, and they are the ones you don't want to fall off of the wagon in frustration because of the risk of m. coma.
Maybe find ways to make their lives a little easier, like being willing to okay lab work without first seeing a patient. Or consider being a little more flexible with your schedule.
I live in an area with ONE endocrinology practice. They have a policy of not seeing each other's patients. If you are Dr. Smith's patients, there's no seeing Dr. Jones unless its an emergency.
Now, after a few months of adjusting med levels, Dr. Smith wants to follow up with you in six months. You manage to get one of the nice early morning slots that mean you will only be a little late for work. Four months later, you get a letter sent to you telling you that Dr. Smith can no longer see you at that time because a.) Dr. Smith has changed his schedule or b.) Dr. Smith is taking a vacation that week. You call, like all of his other patients, and are back where you began, with having to either miss a larger chunk of work to see Dr. Smith, or having to wait even longer.
Of course, getting in touch with the office isn't that easy, because they'll need to put you on hold for fifteen minutes. Again, that's a personal call you're making at work or using up your lunch hour to make. When you mention that you'll need another script, the receptionist tells you she'll have to get back to you after she asks Dr. Smith and can you call back later? Another personal call at work. Not all of us have jobs where personal phone calls are possible or doable.
Of course, they won't call the script in (sorry, its our office policy), and you have to stop by their office during their open hours to pick it up. (Again, "Hey, boss, I need to take off work a few minutes early to swing by my doctor's office . . . ")
None of these complications make risking one's life okay. They are mild inconvienences for being relatively healthy and ALIVE. But when one is adjusting to hormone fluctuations, dealing with depression, adjusting medications, etc, etc, etc, it can be ever so discouraging.
So, please, silent endocrinologist reading this on the internet someday in the future, understand the plea of this "noncompliant patient". It is no one's fault but my own that I get frustrated and give up. I'm not blaming you for my stupidity.
I'm also not going to tell you how to run your practice. But, maybe, just maybe, seeing things through the eyes of a stupid, noncompliant patient, you can maybe make some small adjustments to avoid frustrating us so much. If you can make compliance a little less of a hassle, you'll lose fewer of us.
Well I am very happy you have things sorted out. And what a mess your doctor is. It is a shame he has very little regard for his patients. Just appointments shedules. And the more the better. And to have absolutely no regard for your time at all is plain stupid. Thay can't call a script in to a drug store for you? That is beyond nuts.
The above things you just explained is reason enough to make a person say why bother. But I think if you can keep uip with your appointments and blood draws that is the the key. Keep track of your moods as well. Like my sister gets severely tired out of the blue. That is a sign for her to keep an eye on her thyroid. Start making appointments. Proactive instead of reactive. Stay one step ahead of them.
I understand your frustrations with doctor's. We live in an area with few choices as well. If we want a specific Doctor we have to travel out of our area.I am glad you are feeling better. Keep taking care of yourself.
I am thinking about not taking my meds due to the last 5 yrs the doctors cant get the dose right and I have gain 60 lbs from it. I feel no different then when I wasnt taking it and it hard to remember to take it. With everything I have been through I feel like i was misdiagnosis,
janiece,
I would talk to your Doctor before you stop takig them so if you have a reaction he know what to do. You know he may be able to give a different dose or a different med. Perhaps you might want to try a different doctor before givig up.
I gained weight as well. I stopped taking sythroid and so far have lost 21 lbs. I am watching myself very carefully for signs of lethargy or other problems that might pop up from not taking the med. I also see the doctor every 3 months.
My doctor didn't agree with me about stopping. I asked him to change the med, that I was gaining weigh from something and it wasn't eating. I take bipolar meds as well. So it is hard to figure out things without creating a huge mess for myself. But I am communicating with a doctor.
So that is my suggestion to you. See someone else if you think the diagnosis is wrong.
If you are not loosing any weight your body may not be converting the t4 (synthroid) into t3 like it is supposed to. Ask about adding cytomel I have had a huge increase in "awakness" since I have added it.
Thanks Jamie for the comment.I will check out cytomel, I've not heard of it.
i stopped taking my thyroid medication about two months ago because i could not afford to see my doctor. i had been taking it regularly since i was nine years old. now, i cannot wake up before two pm, and can't get to sleep until six or seven in the morning. i can't think, i can't make decisions, i've lost weight- only because i have no appetite... i have become increasingly more depressed every day, and have a blood clot in my neck... my period hasn't come this month, which is adding more than a little stress, even though i have taken numerous pregnancy tests and am positive that i am not with child.., my skin is itchy and yellow, my eyes are bulging out of my skull. i live in the upper midwest and am cold during sixty degree weather (it's only september), my heartrate is rarely above fifty beats per minute, and i'm worried that i will die in my sleep every night. take your medicine if you can get it.
Thanks angela for commenting. I am sorry you are going through such a hard time. My sister has been takiing synthroid since she was ten. She has similiar reactions when she doesn't take her medication.
Do you have a clinic in your area where you could go and get checked, so you can get your script? I hope you can find a way to get your medication.
Hey there guys, I just wanted to give you a heads up on an alternative form of natural therapy for hypothyroidism. I read this entire website and have bought their previous product which had Niacin in it and gave me the sunburn feeling. This is their second attempt and have removed the Niacin so I'm gonna order some more. http://www.1-thyroid.com/index.htm I have the problem where I have all the symptoms, including massive weight gain that I cant lose but I can't get the docs to treat me!! Check out my story if you like on my hub http://hubpages.com/_be7arzmp19eo/hub/Weary-of-Win I've put some suggestions on there to help deal with it. Thanks for a very real hub CrazyBeanRider.
Thanks for reading Mrs. Obvious. There are so many pros and cons about this subject. I just have not been able to get around to a follow-up. I will bookmark your article and read it. Because if there is something besides synthroid that might be an answer I am all for it.
My hair turned white< I think, sooner than it should have. Then my doctor prescribed synthroid and my white hair turned yellowish. I have read that throidism will cause pre-mature gray/white hair. I wonder if the synthroid is now putting color back into my hair. I however, prefer it to be white than yellowish. Has anyone else experienced this with their hair?
Hypothyroidism or low functioning thyroid can cause scalp and eyebrow hair loss. When you have hypothyroidism or low thyroid function, your hair may get more coarse and sparse. Changes in waviness of hair are not unusual either. Some degrees of hair color changes can appear.
I would see your endocrinologist. In some medical syndromes patients may suffer from several different hormonal imbalances that may contribute to the changes in their hair color.
Hopefully you can find some answers.I am going to do some research about how thyroidism affects your hair. And post to hubpages.
akeejaho says:
16 months ago
I hate taking Meds too Crazy, and I can totally sympathyze with you. However, when it comes to thyroid meds, there is something you have to think about.
Your health is important to maintain, for anyone. Even more so for a Bipolar. Because of the chemical imbalance, it is excruciatingly important to maintain a balanced and healthy diet to keep as level as possable. Maintaining ones health is just as important.
If your scrip at all helps with depression, then not taking the med for your thyroid can't do much for you if say the first symptom you sense is Depression. It's kind of a catch 22, Huh?
Well Crazy, I don't know what to tell you. Take each day as it comes, and just keep an eye on yourself. And thanks for your support as well. Always glad to read you.