Question about the effects of benzo's on thyroid function

Howdy

I've had mild to moderate hypothyroidism for many years. I was managing it long term on 100 mcg dose of levothyroxine.

I began taking clonazepam to address insomnia 15 years ago, at the most I was taking 1.5 mg per night.

Just about a year ago I began a very VERY slow taper off 1-1.5 mg clonazepam, on doctor recommendation, and am now down to .5 mg per night.

My sleep is really horrible 2-4 times per week, worse than when I started the taper, but I guess I expected that.

The odd thing is with the thyroid function. If you know about thyroid disease, you know that it usually gets worse over time, virtually never gets better, but is often easily managed with medication. Well, was easily managed until recently in my case.

Within the last couple of years I've had to increase thyroid meds from 100 to 112 and then 125 mcg to maintain normal TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) levels.

But within the last 6-12 months tests have shown I'm over-medicated and have had to adjust thyroid meds downward several times. And test just showed I'm still over-medicated. Really puzzling b/c thyroid disease doesn't just cure itself.

My question is, could long term use of clonazepam have interfered with thyroid function so that I had to increase those meds, and now that I've decreased clonazepam from a max. of 1.5 mg down to .5 mg my thyroid function is improving to its baseline (mild hypothyroid) from before clonazepam?

There is some research to suggest, but not confirm, a causal relationship between clonazepam use and impaired thyroid function - in rats - ack!

Anyone have similar experience?

It's not a med management issue b/c I've taken levothyroxin at the same time every day forever. Doc wants me to come in to discuss.

 

Edit: Changed subject title to reflect OP's thread intention.

I don't know the answer to your question but I'm wondering if we should move your question to another board since it seems like you're asking more about the possibility of benzo's having an effect on thyroid function rather than a specific medication.  What do you think, would Chewing the Fat be better for discussing this possibility?  I'm asking for your input on this because I'm not sure myself but I'd like to see you get replies to your question. 

 

I will say this, I had my thyroid removed in 2008 and was stable on 100 mcg for many years but the last few years, it goes way up so the lower my dose, then it goes down so they increase my dose, I'm all over the map and no one can tell me why, very frustrating.

Yes, please move it where you think it is best placed. Indeed I am wondering about the effect of benzos on thyroid function. thank you

I've been on thyroid medication since 2006, way before I started benzo use in 2016. The benzo has had no effect on my thyroid levels.

 

In fact, one of the reasons I started benzo use was because the thyroid dose I had been on for years was suddenly much too high because of rapid weight loss.

Benzo's did not affect my hypothyroidism at all either.  Mine is not getting worse as I'm getting older either.  I've been hypothyroid for decades.  I do take a natural desiccated pig thyroid, Nature-throid, and it's made me feel much better.  Synthroid made me feel horrible and I couldn't take it.

HopeToDoThis

Interesting, so your thyroid function had essentially become hyper instead of hypo and you were put on a benzo to try to down regulate the thyroid?

 

I was really wondering about this too.  I am having the same issue.  Was on medication Nature Throid for years for hypothyroid.  Now my blood tests have showed hypo then hyper then normal then hypo then hyper and now normal again.  I also had a biopsy on lump that keeps increasing and decreasing in size this past February with results finding cancer.  My hunch has been that these results have got to have some correlation to benzo and benzo taper because prior to taper I was tested monthly and nothing changed in tests like it does now.

 

It's good to know that someone else is experiencing the same symptoms!!!

@trode not quite. I had lost a lot of weight because I had cancer. I didn't know my weight loss meant my thyroid dose should be lower. All I know is I was feeling super anxious all the time, but I thought it was because I had just finished chemo and was worried about the cancer returning. That was probably part of it. But when my dr tested my TSH level, it was then very apparent that I needed to reduce my thyroid dose.