Does Levothyroxine Cause Insomnia?
Levothyroxine sodium is a prescription thyroid medication that is known to cause
insomnia. However, the exact percentage of people who develop this side effect is not known (as is common with older medications, like levothyroxine).
Because insomnia may be a sign that your
levothyroxine dosage is too high, you should let your healthcare provider know if you develop insomnia while taking levothyroxine. Keep in mind that it is possible that your insomnia may be completely unrelated to levothyroxine.
Insomnia is a common sleep disorder. Symptoms of insomnia usually include one or more of the following:
- Having trouble falling asleep (often lying awake in bed for hours)
- Waking up often during the night and having trouble going back to sleep
- Waking up too early in the morning
- Getting non-refreshing sleep.
Is Insomnia With Levothyroxine a Bad Sign?
Insomnia is a common symptom of hyperthyroidism, which can occur if your levothyroxine dose is too high. However, it is also possible that your insomnia could be completely unrelated to levothyroxine. The best way to find out if you are taking too much levothyroxine is through a simple blood test.
You should be aware of other symptoms of hyperthyroidism, which may also signal that your dose is too high. Some of these symptoms include:
- Chest pain
- Heart palpitations
- High blood pressure (hypertension)
- Rapid heart rate (tachycardia)
- Increased appetite, along with weight loss
- Feeling hot all the time and increased sweating
- Fever
- Shakiness (tremors) or muscle weakness
- Emotional changes
- Difficult or painful breathing
- Diarrhea, vomiting, or abdominal cramps (stomach cramps)
- Hair loss (see Levothyroxine and Hair Loss)
- Flushing
- Menstrual problems or fertility problems.
