I am in charge

This is a rant about my medical care and is not a recommendation to change your medications or care without your doctors involvement.
 I started to take levothyroxine for low thyroid twenty five years ago.  When I first started I  was on the lowest dosage possible and didn't really notice any side effects.  A year later at my annual exam I mentioned to my doc that I was having a hard time sleeping.  He chalked it up to a high stress job and raising teenagers, I thought He might be right.  Fast forward a few years and the dosage was raised and the sleep problems increased.  The Dr said it was my kids graduating from college, marrying, job changes and menopause all rolled into one and offered me an anti depressant, which I refused.  By that time I was sleeping an average of five hours most nights and just thought it was part of getting older.
Fast forward again to late  last year when my dosage was increased again.  I told my Dr about the sleep problems again and he started asking me questions about my diabetes, diet and life style but never answered my questions about sleep..  When I started taking the new pills the sleep problems went up significantly.  By then I was averaging less than three hours five to six days a week.  Many nights It was two hours or less.  I know there are many people out there who can function of very little sleep but I am not one of then.  I was exhausted and my brain was so foggy I started to think I might be developing dementia or Alzheimer.  It was so bad that I was afraid to drive and couldn't remember the simplest things.  It wasn't until a chance remark by a friend that I even made the connection between this tiny pill and my problems. Yes I had read the inserts that come with the meds one time 25 years ago, but never since. I started doing some on line research and the people suffering from the same thing was staggering. About the same time I was at an appointment with an endocrinologist.  When I mentioned the sleep problems he immediately told me it was probably the thyroid medication.  He suggested I try not taking it for a week and see if it made any difference.  Cue the angels singing and fire works going off.  That one suggestion changed my life.  That week I slept 8-9 hours every night.  The next week I started taking a half pill and the sleep has stabilized to 6-7 hours a night and I feel great.  I've checked many different sites on the internet and can't find many side effects that not taking as much medication as needed.  I will check with both doctors and see if there is some alternative besides sleeping pills, other wise I'm ok with  things the way they are.
I am the best advocate for my care.  It is my body and I have the final say in what goes into it.  Doctors don't know everything and some times they miss things.  When something is wrong it is up to me to keep digging and asking for a second opinion.  Be persistent, don't let anyone tell you it's all in your mind or brush it off as stress.
   Don't get me wrong I really like our family doctor he is caring compassionate and is never afraid to suggest a second opinion.  He has seen us through raising our kids, plenty of stitches and broken bones.  We have gone from young adults to senior citizens under his care and will be really sad when he does retire.
 Saying all that there is one thing I hope you remember from this long rant:  I am in charge and so are you.