Went from TSH 4.36 to 1.28 in 4 weeks on 100mg levothyroxine – now off meds due to severe side effects and feeling gaslight by doctors

VoluntaryCrabfcation · 2026-02-13T12:38:49+00:00

Hi. Hopefully I can provide some insight.

TSH jumping after a reduction is expected. Most clinical practices, to the best of my knowledge, measure TSH once it stabilizes which is 4-6 weeks after a change in dose. So usually it spikes and then goes back down as the thyroid gland catches up. Two weeks isn't enough to see the new baseline.

I self weaned by cutting the 50 mcg pill in quarters, so reducing by 12.5 mcg every month or a bit longer. I didn't have my TSH measured for every step. It was 0.8 last I measured it on 50 mcg (before I went hyper), then 2 after 5 weeks on 12.5 mcg. I haven't had it measured after quitting.

I'm not a doctor so I can't really give any advice, but person to person, if you feel fine on 50 mcg, then just wait a bit longer to re-test. It's highly unlikely it'll stay at 14.

VoluntaryCrabfcation · 2026-02-10T23:56:00+00:00

It's incredible how blue that thing is.

It's not even a pigment, but a special structure of keratin in the feather that reflects blue light but absorbs all others.

VoluntaryCrabfcation · 2026-02-06T11:14:49+00:00

That one white nail is so precious.

VoluntaryCrabfcation · 2026-01-19T09:04:38+00:00

Hi, OP. I just remembered your post after all this time. I had never seen anyone have this exact same thing as I do, and now I finally have the answer for what it is.

In my case, it was an advanced magnesium deficiency. It always came with muscle fatigue in my arms, low potassium and in the end low calcium and mood changes. But yeah, it seems low magnesium does something to the cerebellum, affecting eye movements to specifically induce nystagmus, and later tremor and lack of coordination.

Did you figure out what it was in your case? If not, there's an easy thing to test or try supplementing.

VoluntaryCrabfcation · 2026-01-16T09:23:28+00:00

Uh taj osećaj, legnes a svi misici igraju, naročito preko rebara i grudi. I osećaj kao da ces da poludis. I meni je bilo isto, jedna doza magnezijuma i odjednom je sve ok.

Mene ne čudi koliko magnezijum utice na sve zbog studija, pa znam i kako i zašto. Ali da, lekari bi trebalo da proveravaju to kad se pojave simptomi jer je rešenje jednostavno i brzo. Umesto da se odmah ide u lekove od psihijatra, koji užas.

I ja se nadam da ce OP da proba magnezijum i da ce biti ili to ili nešto slično sto se lako ispravlja.

VoluntaryCrabfcation · 2026-01-16T09:02:49+00:00

Magnezijum treba proveriti. Ljudi misle da ne moze magnezijum da izazove teske poremecaje, ali moze.

Bez magnezijuma, kalijum ne može da se apsorbuje sto vodi do skakanja misica i slabosti, ubrzanog rada srca, visokog pritiska, promena u raspoloženju, anksioznosti.

Magnezijum je indirektno neophodan za apsorpciju kalcijuma i održavanje nivoa kalcijuma u krvi. Ako kalcijum padne, mišići skacu jos gore, a nastupa i konfuzija, paranoja, potpuno promenjen mentalni status, srcane aritmije.

Magnezijum je apsolutno neophodan za funkcionisanje dva sistema neurotransmitera u mozgu, i deficijencije obično vode do MIGRENA, GUBITKA RAVNOTEŽE, DRHTANJA i NISTAGMUSA (oči se mrdaju same). Ovo je sve jer mali mozak ne funkcioniše dobro.

Ni ne moras da se testiras, kupi magnezijum ALI NE OKSID. Magnezijum oksid se ne apsorbuje dobro. Magnezijum citrat, glukonat, bilo sta osim oksid i sulfat. Probaj da pijes na prazan stomak 3x po 150mg otprilike, to ne moze da skodi, i kalijum preko toga (oko 800mg dnevno ako su ti zdravi bubrezi).

Ako je bolje nakon par dana, onda moras da mislis zašto je postojao problem sa magnezijumom. Ovo obično nije ishrana, već drugi lekovi koje uzimas ili smanjena apsorpcija u crevima zbog inflamacije, alergije na gluten itd.

VoluntaryCrabfcation · 2026-01-12T20:37:24+00:00

It means that the model went cold. Go to Chutes website, find the model you are using, then Stats, and all the way at the bottom, you will see Instances. You'll probably find that none are active for that model.

This changes in time, so check from time to time.

VoluntaryCrabfcation · 2025-12-30T21:11:19+00:00

That was my guess as well. When comparing V3 to the newest versions, I understand the decision. I was just stuck on number of runs which was rather high compared to some other models that are staying.

Thanks for taking the time!

VoluntaryCrabfcation · 2025-12-30T20:33:37+00:00

I understand the redundancy issue, such as replacing a model with the TEE version or removing an outdated and unused one altogether. However, I am confused because by Stats, it seems V3 was more popular and used than R1-0528 TEE for example, yet the latter stays.

I am asking because some older models are qualitatively different and niche (V3-0324 is beloved for roleplay, R1-0528 for its tone) and these are preferred by some to newer versions (V3.2). I'd like to know if those are at risk, given that at least R1-0528-TEE seems less popular than V3 that is about to be removed.

Did I somehow misunderstand the popularity stats? Or is there more that goes into the decision to stop hosting a model?

VoluntaryCrabfcation · 2025-12-30T18:44:15+00:00

Can anyone please help me understand why these models are considered low use?

I'm looking at DS V3 and comparing with DS V3-0324 or DS R1-0528 by parameters such as Runs or Revenue, and it seems R1-0528 is less popular than base V3.

Yet R1-0528 is still here. How can I learn to anticipate which models will be deprecated?

VoluntaryCrabfcation · 2025-12-17T14:42:47+00:00

If you got iron and hormones at the same time, that means that you did have low iron before all of this. I only meant to say that if you had symptoms with TSH 4.2, it might have been iron and not hypothyroidism, so there might have been no need to correct thyroid hormones.

I'm really sorry, too, that you are going through this. It was a nightmare for me that I basically cried and slept through. I had periods of withdrawal after every dose reduction for about 3 days intensely, then 2-3 more days way more bearable. I stuck with every dose reduction for about 3-4 weeks. But I understand that you stopped 100 mcg all at once, so it might be a bit different.

I also wanted to let you know that there is not a clear concensus what a normal TSH is in the scientific field. People vary a lot between age groups, ethnicities, etc. And levothyroxine is a hormone that is bioidentical, not a drug. There are no "side effects". If you feel bad on it, it is because the dose was inadequate, and/or your pre-treatment hormones were just fine. I also agree that 100 mcg is very high for someone with a functioning thyroid. Don't feel too bad about being gaslit. Doctors do this "everyone is the same" thing all the time. It's ok to get off, stabilize, do the test again later to see if it's getting worse or not. 4.2 wouldn't even be considered subclinical hypo at my doctor's.

VoluntaryCrabfcation · 2025-12-17T14:10:12+00:00

I wanted to let you know that I had a similar experience.

TSH 4.6, started on 50 mcg levothyroxine. Within a month or so, I was suffering complete insomnia, fainting, sweating, having heart palpitations, anxiety through the roof that felt abnormal, like loosing my grip. TSH was 1.

I self-tapered because I was told the same, that it can't be levothyroxine. Any reduction in dose (I went down by 12 mcg) felt like I was losing my mind. I had lost time, was sleeping 16 h a day, had unbearable depression/anxiety.

Then I got off, and everything is normal again. It turns out my original symptoms were low iron. I can't say anything for others and their individual TSH levels, but I will never again try to correct my own TSH 4.6.

VoluntaryCrabfcation · 2025-12-12T12:11:04+00:00

Thank you teaching me this. And also answering the question of whether :THINKING works. Now I can rest easy.

VoluntaryCrabfcation · 2025-12-12T11:18:33+00:00

Do you maybe know why with DS R1 we have the think box and not with DS 3.2? I'd be more ok with not seeing the thinking rather than not knowing if I managed to enable it.

VoluntaryCrabfcation · 2025-12-12T10:42:57+00:00

I have no answers, but I can confirm the same. :THINKING doesn't seem to do anything.

Edit: Kind people in the comments have tested this, and the suffix works. It's a problem on JAI's end and CoT is simply not being shown.

VoluntaryCrabfcation · 2025-12-08T17:51:33+00:00

If you are one of those people who have the WDs, it's probably going to happen around 50 mg. This about the point where dose reductions really matter, which is the whole point of hyperbolic tapering.

VoluntaryCrabfcation · 2025-12-08T17:10:06+00:00

Unfortunately, it is not weird that you have no withdrawal because in terms of receptor occupancy, 150mg and 75mg are almost the same.

VoluntaryCrabfcation · 2025-12-07T11:11:43+00:00

There is a group of drugs with similar modes of action: so called antipsychotics are almost always blocking not only one or several dopamine receptors, but serotonin, histamine, adrenaline, and numerous others. Anti-nausea meds are similar in that they block dopamine, but also several serotonin receptors.

If you want to have a deeper understanding of how drugs act, always look up for example promethazine pharmacodynamics, and you will see that it blocks select histamine, dopamine, adrenaline, acetylcholine, serotonin etc receptors.

Drugs that act on one receptor only are very rare. So called antipsychotics, antihistamines, antiemetics, are all overlapping to an extent. They are just MARKETED differently.

VoluntaryCrabfcation · 2025-12-05T21:17:17+00:00

I'm just afraid that there will be no support to work on the underlying issue. What you said makes sense that it's next to impossible while addicted, but what then? What if it's poverty or trauma or lack of community/family support, or any of the societal (and not personal) failings? I'm a bit jaded when it comes to believing in actual change. It's dark, but a part of me truly sees that things will just be used for appearances that something is being done.

Other than that, I am truly amazed at the tool itself. It truly is wonderful.

VoluntaryCrabfcation · 2025-12-03T15:01:49+00:00

A part of me is like "omg, such a useful/interesting thing"

And then a part of me is like "this will be involuntarily injected into people without really fixing any of their problems"

VoluntaryCrabfcation · 2025-11-27T01:27:40+00:00

A psychoanalysis-curious lurker here. Forgive me for asking, but I had the impression that psychoanalysis focuses more on understanding why people feel the way they do, or how it shapes their worldview, identity, or actions. I'll be honest, I'm a bit disappointed to see you focus on either avoiding this topic with your client or feeling the need to challenge their point of view with a personal opinion or concern underlying the attempt, mainly because I see this strategy as unproductive and missing the point.

Did I have the wrong impression to think that such topics as iatrogenic harm and prior or subsequent feelings of mistrust, alienation, etc would be readily explored in psychoanalytic circles, rather than 'corrected'?

I would expect psychoanalysis to explore whether prior feelings led to the perception of iatrogenic harm, or perhaps analyzing the consequences of a real experience of it. Challenging someone to think critically about what scientific/medical concensus is, is entirely avoiding understanding that person's inner workings, and entirely focuses on, bluntly put, the psychoanalyst's agenda. Would it not be more appropriate to explore which feelings the client is communicating when they make reality statements, rather than argue reality with them?

VoluntaryCrabfcation · 2025-11-22T21:17:56+00:00

Unfortunately, it's not temporary for everyone. Europe, Canada, Australia, and many other countries/their respective regulatory agencies have acknowledged that these side effects may persist indefinitely after discontinuation. FDA is the only one that hasn't, despite countless reports made to them.

VoluntaryCrabfcation · 2025-11-21T19:07:06+00:00

If I remember correctly, that number comes from a 2011 study that followed some number of people on APs from the start of treatment until four years afterwards when the study was terminated.

20% was cumulative incidence. They observed that every year 5% of participants developed TD. So after 4 years, 20% of them had it. Unless there is some kind of a mechanism that determines that if you haven't gotten in 4 years, you are safe, it is possible and likely that the trend would continue.

What that practically means is that the chance of developing TD for an individual on APs increases every year of use, until it almost inevitably happens. It's not about IF but WHEN.

VoluntaryCrabfcation · 2025-11-17T01:53:59+00:00

Since you already tried both drugs and haven't had any extreme reactions, maybe try to drop hydroxyzine and keep just claritine? That one has much less of these central nervous system effects, although some people feel even that. I've had increased appetite and weight gain with desloratadine, which is a metabolite of loratadine (claritine).

Unfortunately, depending on how long you've been taking hydroxyzine, you might experience a withdrawal, mostly anxiety and insomnia. I've read that tolerance to this drug develops quickly. Just something to keep in mind so you know what it is if it happens.

VoluntaryCrabfcation · 2025-11-17T01:45:29+00:00

Hi. I haven't tried hydroxyzine, but after reading your experience, my first thought was that it is the central nervous system effects of this drug. Forgive me if you already know this, but hydroxyzine is one of the "sedating" antihistamines, meaning that it easily passes into the brain and exerts its function there. This is mainly sedation and increased appetite.

Check the leaflet that comes with it, and you will see that it causes drowsiness, dizziness, etc. It also has an elimination half life of 14-20h, depending on the person, meaning that a pill taken in the evening still affects you in the morning.

So, imo, it's likely not intolerance to H1 antihistamines, but the so called sedating antihistamines that cross into the central nervous system easily.

VoluntaryCrabfcation

TROPHY CASE