Could someone be so kind as to inform me how to send private messages to people on here please.. Thanks... Sylv.. x

[ourida55]

I would like to know how to calculate how much medication I should be taking.. at the moment on 50mcg thyroxene and 30mcg T3 after years of feeling very low and unwell...and not coping very well since I retired thru ill health 4yrs ago..

I last saw my endo in March and since then have another symptom added to the list.. pains in my left heel since April, which slows me down even more...

Ive had an underractive thyroid for 28yrs and Im determined to try my hardest to get well now I know how people are doing so on this site... so please can someone let me know how to send a pm to anyone on this wonderful site, which Ive become so used to reading everyday for well over a year now..and have gained so much knowledge about this cruel illness.. I will pass on my email address to anyone who might be able to advise me on how much medication might put me on my optimal dose.. as after all these years of ill health I feel there could be a light at the end of the tunnel...

Thank you all for keeping me and so many others informed and up-to-date .. and for giving so much support in our fight to get our lives back...

I look forward to hearing how to pm you about meds according to weight and height...T4/T3...

Thanks again...

Sylv x

[Moggie]

From reading your question it seems that you dont want to PM anyone in particular, just someone who would be able to help you with your medication dose - am I right?

The best way for people on here to advise you on that (and I must stress it is only advise) would be for you to post your latest blood results in a question with your current medication dose and ask people to comment. Also include how you are feeling and what symptoms, if any, you still have. The more information you can give in your question the better people will be able to advise you. Also include any vitamin results you may have had done and if you haven't had these tested then say you haven't. I dont think meds can be calculated so much by weight and height but by test results, current medication and remaining symptoms.

Hope this has helped.

Moggie x

[ourida55 in reply to Moggie]

Thanks for your quick reply Moggie. I had been reading some people's messages about losing weight and then going from being hypo to being hyper then some other members had pm'd them with advice on how to work out how much meds they should be taking according to their present weight and height..as there seems to be an easy weigh to work it out...At least then we could have an average measurement of what the meds should be, even if it wasnt an exact amount, as we all know that what works for one person doesnt necessarily work for everyone else... we are all unique and must try and find our own optimum level of treatment, when we have found the correct treatment for us in the first place... but yes you are right and I should have started off by giving some results of my blood tests so I could get some feedback... I have had a recent test and not been back to the docs for any results so far...so I will get back on here very shortly when I've got a copy of them. I have been on iron replacement since I last saw the endo in March so that was the reason for the test but I asked for my thyroid testing too as Im due to see a new GP this week so would like to get some input from from her about my medication. I will put any new results I have on here very soon... and thanks so much for reading and replying to my post....

I hope everything is fine with you at the mo...

and yes, you have helped me to put things in the right order of importance..

Bye for now... Sylv x

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to ourida55]

There are several formulas for working out the amount of levothyroxine required after a total thyroidectomy. These give a reasonable "you can't need less than this much" estimate. But some people need anything from a tiny to a massive amount more than that.

As soon as you throw T3 into the question, all bets are off.

Imagine taking 100mcg of levothyroxine and finding it not doing what you need. If you try to work out how much T3 will be needed you would be doing so on the basis of taking 100mcg of levothyroxine which doesn't work. If you see what I mean. So you are not looking for a T3 equivalent of 100mcg of levothyroxine but an amount that works for you.

I am not aware of any useful formula for this. The only thing that might help is that in order to guess how much T3 to take instead of levothyroxine, anywhere from 3 to 5 mcg levothyroxine reduction for each 1 mcg of T3. But this is very much NOT a rule - just a "where could I start?" guess.

Rod

[ourida55 in reply to helvella]

Thanks for your reply Rod. I will try that approach and will get back here tomorrow when I find out the results of my last blood test..

Sylv x

[shaws Administrator]

To send a private message to a member:-

Click on their name and it takes you into their profile page and you will see Message on the right hand side. This will now take you into a new page to start a new Conversation between you and the person.

[ourida55 in reply to shaws]

AAhh thanks for that shaws...I just couldn't remember what the procedure was, even tho I remember seeing it on here a while ago..

Thanks so much for your help with that..its nice to know and will try it out soon..

Sylv x

[shaws Administrator]

Hi Oureda

I am sorry you have been unwell such a long time and it is good you are taking things into your own hands. It is good if your GP can go along with you. Unfortunately, due to the training of student doctors nowadays, I doubt they are taught anything other than to diagnose and prescribe on the result of the TSH alone. This has denied many who do have a thyroid gland problem the necessary hormone to enable our bodies to function.

If you can get a copy of your latest thyroid gland blood test results complete with the ranges (labs differ throughout the country). Post these on a new question so that someone will comment upon them. If you haven't had one recently ask for a new one, plus vitamin B12, Vit D, iron, ferritin and folate.

Many doctors keep the patient 'within the reference range' which may well result in them being undermedicated thus the additional clinical symptoms which are treated as 'something other than due to the thyroid gland'.

The optimum medication for anyone is to have enough to make you feel well and symptoms diminish.

This is a link to a USA archived site and I found a lot of good information on it. Dr Lowe died last year but he treated many patients and gave us free access to his site. Synthroid is levo in the USA,

web.archive.org/web/2010112...

There was a post earlier re medication according to weight but I would have to search for it.

Some people get well on enough levothyroxine, some on T4/T3, others on T3 alone or natural dessicated thyroid hormone (which is made from pigs/cows thyroid gland) and therefore contains all the hormones we lack, i.e. T4, T3, T2, T1 and calcitonin and maybe some other things we are unaware of.

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/treatm...

It is not an easy journey and may take a while - it is also trial and error with gradual increases.

It is possible to get have a better quality of life.