hey folks!
so 5 weeks ago i my bloods on diagnosis were:
TSH: 118
FT4: 4.9
4 weeks on eltroxin 50mcg and my bloods are:
TSH 3.23
FT4: 14.9
is this possibly a miraculously quick recovery?? or could it be anything to worry about??
i feel good, cant complain, delighted to see those results
Help and advice very much appreciated!
Hi. Yes, this is possible - clearly it has happened to you. However, you are on a small starting dose of thyroxine and your TSH is still highish. You should be aiming for it to be below 1 ideally, but a slow approach is good. You don't post the range for the T4, but it needs to be near the top of the range ideally - you may have quite a way to go yet. If your doc doesn't increase your dose now, you may start to feel worse again in a few weeks as your body adjusts, and then will definitely need more thyroxine.
Yes, your GP should take new blood tests and increase your dose too. Some GP's think it is correct to keep you 'within the reference range' but this will not make many of us feel good. The aim should be a TSH 1 or below.
yes i think she is happy im "in range", its bye for now see you in 6 weeks...
oh really??? and here was me thinking all was good...will i see how i feel over the coming weeks? any change and i will go back..also, my husband and i hope to start trying for another baby in a few months...what should be tsh be to have a healthy pregnancy?
thanks all, its much appreciated
Hi. I was put on a starting dose of 75mcg thyroxine because I was unable to conceive (TSH was around 5.5 at the time). I got pregnant that next month! My pregnancy was spent with varying thyroxine doses and trying to get it right while trying to carry a baby. It was absolutely fine and the baby was fine (but very big - a 'side effect' of hypothyroidism apparantly!!). I think its best to get it under control, but don't worry too much as the body won't concieve if its not able to carry the baby. If you do get pregnant, you do immediately need an increase in thyroxine of at least 25mcg, and should be monitored regularly. This is important for the growing baby and not all GPs are aware of this (mine got a severe ticking off from my endo for refusing my request, which led to me increasing my own dose and splitting pills...).
thanks, thats really encouraging 
i am a bit nervous about even thinking of trying yet, maybe in a few month..my doc warned me theres a high risk of miscarriage until things are more settled. Im actualy still breastfeeding my 9 month old so no apparent fertility there anyway IYKWIM 
My gp has said she would increase levo if i get pregnant in the future so at least she seems informed about this.
xx
Doctors who specialise in this feel that a TSH of below 2 is essential if you are trying to conceive. I do think you should aim for below 1 to be on the safe side, like others have suggested.
You may find it difficult to conceive until your TSH is below 2. In other countries a TSH above 3 is considered hypothyroid. Just something to bear in mind.
Good luck
Very interesting, I had huge babies, both healthy, no increase in thyroxine though. Nobody has ever said. I also had pre eclampsia and gestational diabetes with both.
Roslinxx
......according to Dr Peatfield in his book - he mentions that the foetus senses when the Mum is deficient in thyroid hormones and produces its own growth hormone. Hence BIG babies. I too had two big babies in my early 20's and not diagnosed until the age of 59 !!
Gosh you must have had a tough time x
Just another question...is there any known reason why my initial TSH was so so high??? i mean, i felt bad but i was still getting up in the morning, looking after my kids, going for walks etc...could infection have caused it to peak or something?? or is it normal to have crazy peaks like that? i totally forgot to ask about my antibodies when i spoke to the doctor so no idea if i have hashis or not...
Many people go undiagnosed because GP's/A&E do not think of doing a thyroid gland blood test when patients complain. Therefore, the TSH increases to try to increase thyroid gland output. Sometimes it is antibodies which cause hypo.
My TSH when finally given a blood test was 100. I had been complaining for about four years and saw GPs in the surgery (paid privately 2 ENT's). Over the three years one ENT told me after a barium swallow that I had a post cricoid web and would need a procedure under anaesthetic. Nothing there.(I now reckon it was my thyroid gland and not a Web). When I demanded that GP refer me to have have a whole body scan privately as there was something far wrong, he tried to reassure me by saying I will do all the blood tests and phoned me a week later saying, I am pleased to tell you everything is normal. I collapsed at an airport and went straight to the A&E and had an overnight stay in the cardiac department and discharged as 'probably viral with high cholesterol.By I now thought I was dying and it was only a suggestion by a first-aider that got me diagnosed.
My doctor phoned and said who gave you a blood form, I said I got one myself she then told me I had hypo and to get immediate meds.
Always get a copy of all your blood tests and keep for your own records.
thats interesting as i have had high cholesterol for a few years and was on statins before i got pregnant with my second baby...my thyroid tests always came back "normal" but i know now that within range doesnt really mean ok.
Just got my results again with ranges from doc today:
FT4 14.9 (10.5-22.0)
TSH 3.23 (0.27-4.20)
so i can see they could be much better!! however my doc is happy to keep me at 50mcg when i believe i should be raised to 75...
What should i do?/?????
Be very polite, and carefully suggest that you have read that your TSH should be aiming for below 1, and as your FT4 is not high in the range, you have a safe scope for increase. If asked for your source, be vague (a medical friend) or quote Dr Tofts book, not this website!! GPs can be very cautious, so you could request an endocrinologist referral, or suggest the GP speaks to an endo for advice. My endocrinologist quoted a 'normal' standard maintenance dose of 125-175 mcg thyroxine. Everyone is different, but if this is a supposed 'normal' in his eyes, you have a lot of scope for increase.
Your GP knows little. Like many they believe keeping hypothyroid patients within the reference range, rather than the recommendation of Dr Anthony Toft who was President of the British Thyroid Association. Extract from Pulse online:-
6 What is the correct dose of thyroxine and is there any rationale for adding in tri-iodothyronine?
The appropriate dose of levothyroxine is that which restores euthyroidism and serum TSH to the lower part of the reference range – 0.2-0.5mU/l.
In this case, free thyroxine is likely to be in the upper part of its reference range or even slightly elevated – 18-22pmol/l. Most patients will feel well in that circumstance.
But some need a higher dose of levothyroxine to suppress serum TSH and then the serum-free T4 concentration will be elevated at around 24-28pmol/l.
This is a link and cursor to the question dated November 25, 2002. There are other topics which may interest you such as Proper Use of Thyroid Hormone
thank you Shaws...i have the Dr Toft book ordered and hope to convince my gp next visit...im not due for bloods for another 5 weeks and to be honest feel pretty good at the moment, but after pregnancy, sleepless nights, feeding etc....i cant remember...WHAT DOES NORMAL FEEL LIKE????
lol...
New blood results.
Help with blood results 
Blood results back
Thryoid blood results 
Blood results
