I take 50mg levothyroxine a day. My check showed TSH of 4.2 and no action required ( range 0.3 to 5.5) yet I feel cold, fat, depressed etc?

[Cara20007]

I went to doctor to ask for test as I feel ill and she realised it was the annual one due anyway. I have been told that the level is ok but is TSH level serum enough to know?

[Marz]

You may be in time to watch Dr Sarah Gottfried....

at105.infusionsoft.com/app/...

An on-line summit organised by Sean Croxton. Good speakers and the videos remain for 24 hours - lots of information and Sarah talks about the thyroid testing as does Dr Tom O'Bryan....

[HarryE]

50mcg is a tiny dose, and your TSH is far too high for someone on medication. It should be nearer 1.

[Cara20007 in reply to HarryE]

Thankyou so much for replying to this. I didn't know what to do so googled the thyroid support. My doctor really doesn't have time for me so I know if I go in she will get annoyed. I was told to phone for the result and was told no action is required so she said I don't need to see the doctor. The doctor is one of the partners at the practice so I don't have anyone else to see?

[HarryE in reply to Cara20007]

You will find lots of support here. To help you dealing with your doctor, get hold of a copy of Dr Tofts book about thyroid disorders. It is sold in most pharmacies and clearly states that you need to be in the lower part of the TSH range when on medication. It's not easy dealing with doctors sometimes but you need to stand up for your health. X

[shaws Administrator]

They talk a lot of rubbish! they haven't a clue! they need a whole few weeks studying the thyroid gland and how to make people well.

You are on too low a dose - 50mcg - for you to be well. Your TSH is too high - for you to feel well.

Email [e-mail] for a copy of the Pulse Online article by Dr Toft. copy it and send to your GP with question 6 highlighted. especially the part of the aim of medication to bring your TSH to a certain level, maybe even suppressed, or even the addition of some T3.

No wonder you are so unwell. I feel so sorry for you as they just have never experienced how unwell one can be due to neglect of treatment. They are convinced the TSH should be 'within range' - they are so wrong.

Go to the date April 22, 2007 on this link:-

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

some of the links within don't work as site is archived

I don't give a * if your GP gets annoyed. It's you that should be annoyed by someone suppose to be treating a patient, who is worse due to ignorance.

[Hidden]

Hello cara,

Your TSH is still far too high. I wouldn't be able to get out of bed with that result. I take NDT but when I was taking levo I was told I was perfectly in range with a TSH similar to yours and I felt like death! Perhaps you should see an endocrinologist. Who will then write to your GP and inform him/her that you need to raise your dose.x

[Cara20007]

Thankyou all so much for your advice! I get so intimidated by doctors and this one in particular. I have been feeling so ill but she told me my weight gain was due to age, ignored my worry about my heartbeat feeling slow 55 per minute and I am not an athlete as I feel too tired. I'm always cold and have lots of jumpers on or the heating up. I get very breathless and have to go outside as soon as I wake to get fresh air to help. I've now got a bad shoulder so can't reach up my back but it was xrayed and the doctor has just told me to try to exercise it as there are no broken bones or spurs to explain my pain and it wasn't bad at my age. I will go back and see her now thank you but will have a list of questions and hopefully she will listen. I have just been accepting whatever they say but I'm now feeling so rough I luckily found this website so thankyou.

[Clutter in reply to Cara20007]

Your pain is almost certainly due to your under medicated hypothyroidism. Your GP obviously knows very little about hypothyroidism if she thinks 50mcg Levothyroxine is adequate when your TSH is so high. If your GP won't increase your Levothyroxine until your TSH is just below or just above 1 ask for a second opinion or referral to an endocrinologist.

I'd advise seeing another GP at the practice or switch practice. This is a lifelong chronic condition and you will not get the treatment you need if you feel intimidated by the person who is supposed to help you restore your health.

[mspolly in reply to Cara20007]

I had the same feelings as you and more, doctors dont care i was taking 75mg thyroine felt like death,

sorted myself out by inceasing dose to 100mg pains in neck shoulder and every where else all most gone feel a lot better, these doctor's will never learn i would love for them to feel the way we do for a week, you have to take control of this illness or it will take control of you , i know it,s hard when you don't feel like breathing let alone having a battle with doctor's but it's your life not there could you get a friend to go with you it might be less intimidating also keep in your mind she get's paid for looking after you,

[or not as in your case] good luck.

[Cara20007]

Thankyou! I get so worried about doctors as the doctor got annoyed with me last year when I asked what the results actually were and was very sarcastic about me understanding them. This is now a year on and she wouldn't have ordered a test without me asking her yet my review was well overdue.

I've made an appointment now to see a different doctor at the same surgery so I'm just hoping she doesn't tell me to go back to the last one for the results. I'm fed up of being told to accept I'm getting older with my hair loss and splitting weak nails, tiredness and weight gain. I told her I was trying an exercise plan from walking to jogging but have had to give this up as I just don't have the stamina. I think I've even convinced myself its just my age or I'm a hypochondriac as I feel so tired and just ill all the time without quite knowing why. So pleased I found this site!

[Stourie in reply to Cara20007]

When you see this new doctor ask her /him for a copy of your blood results. They cannot refuse you.

[mistydog in reply to Cara20007]

This sort of treatment makes my blood boil I didn't realise how lucky I was to have an understanding GP at my old practice until I moved house. Luckily they don't intimidate me, I just get really irritated!

[Cara20007]

Problem is I am seeing the doctor for her advice so I can't tell her that the level is too high as I am not a doctor. So worried about appearing to know better than the doctor when all i want is to feel well again and get it sorted. I know she will just say who am I to question her decision

It got to the stage where i was rambling on about everything that was wrong with me so she ordered the blood test after looking to see if it was due. She didn't even say to go back but just told me to phone for the results and that was when the receptionist on the phone said they were "fine, no action required".

[HarryE in reply to Cara20007]

Cara, you will have to learn to accept that you DO know better than the doctor! That TSH is too high and there is plenty of evidence to back that up. She should be ashamed of herself! High cholesterol is also a hypo symptom.

[Cara20007]

Forgot to mention I'm taking 160mg of Fenofibrate because of high cholesterol but maybe if my levothyroxine was increased I wouldn't need the fenofibrate? On the annual review blood test I was only checked for TSH and not the fasting test for cholesterol so I don't think the doctor is being very thorough.

[foreversummer]

Then you doctor is even more of a fool if she doesn't see the connection between high cholesterol and hypothyroidism!

I was like you and felt intimidated by doctors but knowledge is power and knowledge builds confidence. Get as knowledgeable as you can and this site is best place for that. Some of them need us to stick up to them otherwise you just get dismissed. Get that little book from the chemist written by Dr Toft of the British Thyroid Association and show her that. Silly woman.

[Cara20007]

Thank you so much or all your help.

[HarryE in reply to Cara20007]

How old are you Cara? Just wondered cos they seem to want us to work til we're 70 odd!! And if so, we need to be fit enough to!

[Cara20007]

Absolutely! I'm still working and not in that age bracket yet! I've just phoned the doctor to ask the receptionist for a copy of my bloods but she said she will have to ask the doctor and get back to me :/

[HarryE in reply to Cara20007]

Whatever they say, you have a legal right to these. So hang on in there and stand your ground! Xx

[Hidden in reply to Cara20007]

As foreversummer says knowledge is power. Medical profession terrified that so much can be found on the web and patients can educate themselves. Shoddy treatment by GPs forces us to become assertive and to not put up with their nonsense.

[Cara20007]

Well I've been to the doctor (new one) and she said my results were within normal range for guidelines. I got quite upset so she suggested maybe counselling!! Or HRT? I now have to wait for her to contact me as she said there were new guide lines that say you may be able to increase the dose of thyroxine depending on weight but will let me know

[HarryE in reply to Cara20007]

No,no,no! You really need to go back with some evidence that your TSH should be much lower, did you get the Dr Toft book? Don't give up cara x

[Cara20007]

I mentioned the book to her but she didn't seem to know what I was talking about. On page 43 of the book it refers to "some patients do not achieve the sense of well-being expected which results in a low rather than a normal TSH level" I really don't understand that as I was under the impression the lower the better? If anyone can throw any light on that I would be grateful as I will take the book with me next time?

[RustyMary]

I'm newly diagnosed so can't help much but I'd like to mention that my cholesterol was 8.4 (range 4.0-5.7) in the blood test that diagnosed my hypothyroidism, but after only 4 weeks on levothyroxine (2 weeks 25mcg, 2 weeks 50mcg and just today going up to 75mcg) it has already dropped to 6.0 (same lab so same range). I did absolutely nothing to affect my cholesterol, no diet change or medication other than levothyroxine, so it most certainly does make a difference!

[Cara20007]

Still not heard from my doctor from 5 days ago. She gave me some reading material on HRT and said she wasn't happy about increasing my thyroxine ( I take 50mcg and the test result showed TSH of 4.2 ) but she would check new guidelines for my weight? She suggested HRT (or counselling as I got upset!) instead of thyroxine increase but I am now 61 and went through the menopause 12 years ago so find it strange that she would suggest this? However I really want to feel better so does anyone have any opinion on this? I still haven't received the thyroid blood test print out I asked for