I had a struggle at first but when I started tracking my calories and lifting weights the weight finally started coming off. I then cut out alcohol totally (not even a drop) and started lifting really heavy and more seriously and I’m now in the best shape I’ve ever been in I’ve had hypo for 5 years. 40F, 5’3” and 110 lbs. More on reddit.com

People who feel better on Levo are unlikely to post about it online. I feel probably 95% of what a “normal” person feels like thanks to levo. I think I’m pretty normal in this regard. The internet is full of people who don’t feel better because those people are the ones who are seeking out message boards and others to see what to do. Those of us who feel better just tend to go on about our lives without seeking community online. More on reddit.com

Your doctor gave them to you to get better. The longer you put them off, the worse your hypothyroidism will get and trust me, you do not want that to happen. From first hand experience, leaving hypothyroidism untreated can lead to complications later down the line and cause death. I’m not saying this to scare you, but so you’re aware of what happens if you don’t take your meds. Like with most medications, there can be side effects. When I started levo, the noticeable NEGATIVE side effects were stomach upset like nausea, diarrhea. You may get a headache here and there too. But the positives far outweigh the negatives. In a matter of weeks you’ll start to have more energy, you’ll be less depressed and your physical features will start to change too (like losing any puffiness that is attributed with hypo). Overtime, you’ll begin to regain any loss of muscle mass and your digestive system will start to regulate. Take them before eating to make sure you’re getting the full effect, once every day. If you miss a couple days, don’t stress, it won’t negatively impact your health but DONT let it become a pattern. Also make sure to have regular checkups with your doctor to make sure your dose is right for you. If you feel like your medication isn’t working the ways its supposed to (maybe you’re not noticing any changes a few weeks on, or you’re starting to feel overly energetic and anxious) they can adjust the dose. Please start taking it! It will literally be saving your life in the long run Edit: Also you cannot just choose to stop whenever you feel like it. That’s something your doctor will have to determine. But hypothyroidism generally is a lifelong disease, so it’s very likely you’ll be on the medication forever. More on reddit.com

I started levothyroxine last month. About a week after I started I felt amazing. My spouse said I was a completely different person. I could feel it too. It was like I mentally stepped up into my body. I was happy. For years I had experienced the world through a fleshy cage always reacting to external stimuli, like a robot. Now I actually felt in control. I no longer had to take breaks every 10 minutes, both mentally and physically. I was no longer fully wiped out after an hours worth of work. I felt like I had gained superpowers. That window only lasted about 8 days. Then the hyperthyroidism symptoms started. I had nervous energy, my heart thumped loudly and erratically, I was sweating buckets, I had dreams of dying, and the damn fatigue returned. My general practitioner had me on 175 mcg of levothyroxine. I thought i was just settling into it. Only recently did I find out that this is a super high dose. Most doctors that know what they are doing start low and work up. And I now know why. After calling my doctor, he told me to go off it and start a lower dosage in a week. I start on 150 mcg tomorrow. I'm also going to an endocrinologist next month, hopefully he'll know what he's doing. This yo-yoing is messing with my head. After seeing how good I could have it, I can't wait to get back there again. I've read it can take up to a year to get the dose right. God I hope it goes faster. Good luck. More on reddit.com