first post! have under active thyroid, blood test now shows me to be in normal range, have been taking meds for 7 months, feel awful.

[elaine_b]

still have a lot of the symptons, terrible aches and pains in legs, sometimes arms and lower back. gone back to work part time but struggle as have a manual job and always exhausted. get to sleep easily at night but wake up about every hour.Have just read the book STOP THE THYROID MADNESS, am about to go to the doctors and insist on seeing a consultant. Dont mean to sound ungrateful but am fed up of being told to be patient. does this ring a bell with anyone?

[Marz]

...you really need to provide us with your most recent bloodtest results with ranges....please click onto the third post down on PINNED POSTS on the Right of this page. Useful information ....then people will be able to assist you and quickly.....

It can take a long time to feel well - you do not mention your dose either....

[sarahuk86]

Hi Elaine, I was diagnosed a year ago. When i first took the pills at 50mg i felt great but then i got worse again, then my dose was upped to 75mg and i felt great and then rubbish again a few months later. Now i'm on 100mg from 2 weeks ago and guess what - i feel great for now but i'm not expecting it too last lol! Unfortunately due to the 3 month blood tests doctors arrange i think it can take a very long time to find the right dose. I was in the range at 3.44 on the 75mg pills but because i still had symptoms i went back and asked my doctor to increase the dose and he gave me 100mg - i think i need to be the lower end of the range bracket. x

[shaws Administrator]

When you are given medication, it comes as a surprise to find that you feel even more unwell . Always, from now on, get copies of your blood test results for your own records, with the ranges, and you can post them if you have queries.

Some Endocrinologists are sympathetic and understanding so hope you get referred to a good one.

If not doing well on levothyroxine, we have to read and learn as much as possible in order to recover our health.

I understand completely how you feel as I had more clinical symptoms than I had before I was diagnosed.

[elaine_b in reply to shaws]

Thanks for advice. Have just come from the doctors, I am fortunate to have a doctor that listens to me but I realize now that she is not open minded about treatment. I asked if my last blood test showed correct levels of iron, ferritin, and folate. she seemed surprised but said there was nothing to indicate that any would be low as I'm not anaemic. I also asked whether I may have an adrenal problem and again was told she didn't think so. By this time I was thinking that this could have been going a bit better!

My last question about free T3 and free T4 and whether or not T4 was converting to T3 did not go down well. They dont check for T3 and she says there is no evidence at all to support the fact that it could be necessary. also even if referred to an endo they would not look at that either. To cut to the chase I am going to wean myself off fluoxetine (20mg) and return to doctors in 1 month. Shall return to doctors tomorrow and ask for copies of my previous blood test. I currently take 50mcg of levothyroxine and 20mg of fluoxetine.

[shaws Administrator in reply to elaine_b]

This is an archived link and cursor to question dated November 28, 2003

web.archive.org/web/2010103...

T3 (liothyronine) is the Active hormone our body needs. T4 should convert but my Endo added 10mcg of T3 to a reduced 50mcg levo.