I have been going to the doctors for over 3 months now trying to get medication for my underactive thyroid. I have been feeling unwell and not myself, and all my tests have come back I have a underactive thyroid, but doctors said it wasn’t bad enough for medication, after constant, phone calls and appts battling with the doctors, I finally have been given medication, it’s a big deal for me as I felt like nobody was listening, and it’s a next step in my fertility - anyone who is on medication, did it make you feel better? If so how long did it take? Thank you xx
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ChloeL934
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Hello! I’m on levothyroxine and don’t really feel much better. Saying that though I am drained and achy until it kicks in on a morning. Think it just takes edge off, but my levels never seem to stay stable despite routinely taking them the same way everyday. Hope u start to feel better xx
Hi I noticed after a couple of weeks of taking it that I could get out of bed and feel awake aand alive which hadn't happened in a long time prior. My levels weren't too high either and only needed to come down a bit. My levels have now been stable for over a year. The only time I felt drained after starting them was when I had an iron deficiency which when i found out, lasted for about 4 months. I have no idea how long I had it before finding out. I hope that it helps, but after a few weeks (cant remeber if it was 3 or 6 weeks) of being on it, you should have your thyroid levels checked again to make sure it is work ing xx
Hi, I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer in August 2016 and had my thyroid totally removed. I take Levothyroxine every day, if I didn’t, I’d die! I know how unwell you can feel when the medication isn’t right so well done for being persistent.
Make sure you take your pills clear of coffee for an hour, as coffee has a negative impact. I also supplement with calcium, vitamin d, b, b12. You can get thyroid blood tests done privately to check all the associated vitamin levels, all should be at the top end of normal range to assist with thyroid medication working efficiently. Have a look at medicheck, they do discount on thyroid checks on Thursdays.
I found all this out from the thyroid uk forum on this site.
Good luck and stick with nagging the doctors, it’s the only way I got to feel normal again x
Thank you all for you’re replies, I’m also taking iron tablets daily and forgot to ask would it affect them? I’m sure I can still take them all together can’t I? Mine were 8.8 last time my bloods were done. I’ve got to start them tomorrow and get my bloods done again in two weeks xx
You have to take levothyroxine on an empty stomach for it to work and can only take with water (no flavoured waters). I take mine first thing in the morning, some prefer later at night. Any other medication has to be take 30 - 60 mins after your levo otherwise it's not absorbed and won't work xx
I used to have nightmares very often (like once per week), of taking a poisonous pill which would make me die. The dreams made me wake up suddenly, sometimes screaming, sometimes sleepwalking, always my heart racing.
The nightmares have disappeared soon after starting with thyroid medication (a couple of weeks).
My TSH level varied between 3.5 and 4.7, now it's around 2. And.. I'm at the 13th week
Indeed it was! I'm sure the cause was the enlarged thyroid which made me feel like I was choking, but the GPs didn't believe me, and told me to do counselling to relieve the stress... even when I didn't feel stressed!
My fertility doctor (private, in a clinic abroad in Norway) then told me that my TSH value was too high, and put me on 50mg of levothyroxin since June last year.
Hi, I know this is a old post. But did u ever have problems with your period after taking the medication. This is my first period since taking the medication and I am two days late xx
Did you have any problems with your periods? This will be my first period since starting the medication been on it around 4 weeks now but I’m 2 days late I don’t know if the medication can make this happen xx
I had to be referred to a fertility specialist to get put on levothyroxine! My Doctor wouldn't do it. When I had high levels I didn't even know as they didn't tell me but it showed up on the blood tests they took. It wasn't until I knew more about TSH levels that I started questioning it. It was actually my acupuncturist that flagged it as a concern and made me chase it up with my fertility specialist. I used to worry about how much time we wasted TTC when my levels were high. Anyway I've been on it over 6 months now. I didn't really have any symptoms in the first place to be honest with you but my TSH came down within about 6 weeks I think so pretty quickly. Good luck x
I’ve been going doctors for months now, and my original doctor wouldn’t give me the medication, even though my fert doc told me I needed them, so I went to a different doctor and she was lovely. It’s my second day so hopefully I see benefits soon. Xx
Did you have any problems with your period. I am 4 weeks into taking the medication and this should be my first period since taking it but I’m 2 days late xx
Hello there, I didn’t no. My period is like clockwork though. I’m sure it’s just your system settling down though. If the same next month then maybe check with your doctor if your concerned x
Hi I am on levothyroxine and have been since 2015. I started on 25mg . When I started IVF on March 2018 I had to up my dose to 50mg. Now I’m pregnant it’s been put up to 75mg and I’m consultant led with blood tests and checks every six weeks .
They say It takes about 7-10 days for the levothyroxine to enter the body's cells properly so don't expect any improvement before then. Some people do see improvement in two weeks but for many it can take several weeks and even then, only some of the symptoms will improve in the beginning
Hi: I know this is a old post. But when taking your medication did your periods seem normal as I have been on the medication for four weeks now and this should be my first period however I am two days late xx
Are you on Levi thyroxine? I had to take 50mg when I started our fertility treatment. I think it needs to be under 0.5 to be able to conceive. My was 3.55 so 3 months before my egg collection I was given thyroxine. I had all symptoms of a person with dysfunctional thyroid. Dry skin, hair that used to fall. Frequent need to pee. The meds did make me ill. But I used to take it in early, walk the dog and then come back and eat breakfast before it made me feel super ill. I also gained loads of weight. I did have 12 fertiliised eggs and only 3 made it to blasto. I had one top quality hatching 5 day blastocyst which I transferred last Monday. Not sure if regulating my thyroid did anything to help but maybe I would have had any good eggs without it. Hope this helps
I’ve been on it for 10 years so it’s hard to remember but I don’t think it took long too kick in and make me feel better. I really hope you start to feel better soon x
I was diagnosed with underactive thyroid during the round of blood tests at the start of the IVF journey. It can take a while to get the dosage right. I have Hashimoto's disease, which means the uderactive thyroid can get worse over time. After a year on meds I was told my levothyroxine needed to go up; they put the dose up by one step (from 50mcg to 75mcg) and asked me back for a blood test 8 weeks later. Apparently it takes a while for the meds to start working on your body, but it can take even longer to feel better.
After a year or so of testing and retesting I am now on 125mcg per day which is apparently the right level for me.
I never felt unwell with it even when my TSH was really high. I guess everyone is different.
Have a look at the NHS website and thyroid charities. There my be more you can do e.g. they say you should not have calcium rich foods within 4 hours of taking the drugs as the calcium makes it absorb less well. My GP never told me anything so I decided I needed to take charge.
Two positives for you:
If you have just been diagnosed and they said it was not bad enough for medication, you were probably borderline and on a low dose - good for you to chase them and get this done. Now you are on meds and hopefully you will start to feel better over the coming weeks.
Secondly, even with my massively underactive thyroid we managed 19 eggs retrieved in October, and 6 high quality embryos.
I’ve had underactive thyroid for months now, it’s made me feel unwell in myself. I’ve been having blood tests and they haven’t improved, got worse if anything. My last one was 8.8 and my last doctor said she wouldn’t give me medication unless it was 10. So I went to a different doctor and explained everything and she decided it was best for the tablets. Which she’s started me on 50 I’m also taking iron medication daily, so hopefully it takes helping me feel more myself xx
Advice re TSH testing: I found that my fertility consultant could access the results within a day or so, whereas the GP did not get them for two weeks or more. My consultant would ring me up and tell me that I needed to see the GP. Over the year or whatever this must have sped things up considerably as my dose needed stepping up several times.
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