Over the past 6 months I have been diagnosed ... - Pain Concern

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Over the past 6 months I have been diagnosed with an underactive thyroid. Started out on 75mg thyrox.... now on 200mg. how higher can I go?

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jalgie1
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sulimbi profile image
sulimbi

dosage depends on your weight,my son has 400 mg daily,,he is an ex-wrestler,and weighs 19 stone

moggiemay profile image
moggiemay in reply to sulimbi

Hi Sulimbi. Read my previous reply. Your son will be on 400micrograms and not milligrams mg, The weight is usualy considered in children under 12yrs. Does your son no longer a wrestler.? He is very overweight at 19 stone and is potentially storing up problems for himself in the future. I say this out of concern for your son

Kindregards Moggiemay

moggiemay profile image
moggiemay

Dear Jalgie 1

You have got the dosages of Levothyroxine mixed up. You are on 200mcg which is micrograms and not milligrams which is mg. There are 1000mcg in 1 milligram The usual maintenance dose is 100 to 200mcg dailly, You need regular blood tests to check the level/ You have an underactive Thyroid gland which could make you tired and put on weight. Read the information leaflet, I myself am on 75mcg Kind Regards Moggiemay

For more detailed and involved answers I would suggest you post on the "Thyroid UK Support" part of the site where most of those with experience of this are, not Pain Concern!

Users there are very well able to offer advise and help you get optimal results, and are experienced in interpreting blood test results which are very important as well as how you feel.

As it happens weight is only one factor, and that is mainly used for initial commencement of dosing, (about 1.6mcg/kg weight is seen as "full replacement") only it has surprisingly little bearing in longer term management of dosing, for one thing it depends on how much activity the thyroid still has, and how resistant a person is to the hormone, as well as how well a person converts T4 to T3, the more active form of the hormone.

If larger doses (and 400mg is an example of a pretty large dose, as that is about double the usual weight-based replacement dosing) do not produce the desired effect, then it can be because any number of reasons such as poor absorption, & poor conversion, and then treatment with T3 (or changing to Natural Dessicated Thyroid) is likely to help and produce much better results, only it is not very easy to get this prescribed in this country :-(

Ensuring Iron/Ferritin and vitamin B12 as well as Vitamin D3 levels are optimal also helps VERY significantly in getting good results.

It is usually dosed according to blood testing of TSH, which as many find is unfortunately alone NOT a particularly good way of judging it, as so many who do write on Thyroid UK Support will tell :-(