My tsh level has reduced since taking levothyroxine does this now prove I have hypothyroidism

[beaumont62]

I have had symptoms of hypothyroidism for several years but my blood tests always come back as normal. I went to my gp again following my blood test results reading 0.7. I took all the information from the website to show that as we did not have my reading before I was ill and the blood volume in patients may be low he agreed to trial me on levothyroxine which i have done for six weeks. My result has now been checked again and it is 0.5. Even on 25micrograms of this drug I have noticed a massive difference does this mean that I do have hypothyroidism

[Hidden]

You will find fluctuations on a daily basis with blood tests with or without treatment. Also your body works on a negative feedback principle, if you are lacking something then your body tries to stimulate production through a complex set of actions. If your thyroid gland is not producing enough hormone then TSH will increase (thyroid stimulating hormone) if you supplement your body artificially, your brain recognises that you have enough therefore TSH levels decrease, therefore no, you do no necessarily have hypothyroidism, your body is just recognising that you are supplementing.

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

nkedup, are you saying that the pituitary gland switches off when one' supplements'

with thyroxine?

[Jackie]

Hi likely but you need TSh , T4 and Free T3 to have a proper diagnosis with how you feel. Also for the correct treatment, In spite of some docs, tSH alone is not a good guide,down to costs.

Best wishes,

Jackie

Not sure if you know ,to reply to a post click on "Reply to this" under that post

[beaumont62 in reply to Jackie]

Thanks for that going to see doc next week so do i need to increase dose for a short period then get another reading

[shaws Administrator]

Some knowledgeable doctors do agree to a trial due to clinical symptoms. If you feel a lot better, I would say it is a hypo problem but I am not medically qualified.

Your GP may want to keep you on this very small dose but, if he realises you have benefited, he may want to keep you on 25mcg seeing your TSH was low before your trial. If he goes by 'how you feel' he may increase up to 50mcg.

[beaumont62 in reply to shaws]

Just been to my gp and he said it is sub clinical hypothyroidism and has increased my dose to 50 mcg per day and review in 3 months.

Result

[shaws Administrator in reply to beaumont62]

That's good. He should be aiming to get your TSH 1 or below and your symptoms alleviated.