Can anyone reassure me please.

[soozie11]

I was diagnosed with hypothyroid in 2012. My results for thyroid stim hormone were >150.00 and my free T4 levels were <5. My blood glucose result was 6.5. I was put on 125mg of levothyroxine. My next blood test 8 weeks later showed my TSH thyroid stim as 13.06. My blood glucose as 4.5 and my free T4 level as 18.

I was now on 150mg levothyroxine. I began to feel much better and although I have put on 2 stone I am happy with the amount of meds I am having. No change to meds in 2013. My blood results wereTSH thyroid stim 0.05. Free t4 level 21 plasma C reactive protein <4 and Mean corpusc haemoglobin 33. No change to meds. All going good. Still worn out easily but no more carpal tunnel, hair loss, really bad skin and I am sleeping at night. so all good. I have even lost 1 kg of weight.

I received my blood results yesterday and my free T4 levels are 28 so my GP has lowered my levothyroxine to 125mg. I am really concerned as I am feeling very healthy at the moment. Can anyone assure me that this was the right decision as I am so frightened that I will go back to how I was with so many problems including heart palpatations and just not functioning at all. I have another blood test in July to review this drop of meds. I also did not receive my full blood results which I ask for after each test just a new funky Free T4 level graph which shows my levels since 2012.

[jimh111]

It's reasonable and sensible to try reducing from 150 to 125 based on the blood test results. You will probably feel just as good on the lower dose but of course if you don't then you need to let your doctor know. It may be that the formulation of the tablets has changed a little over time and you now abosorb more. Too much thyroid hormone can cause tiredness also and can be harmful to the heart and bones. The only way to find out if 125 mcg is OK is to give it a try.

[silverfox7]

I would try doing alternate doses 125/150 and see if you notice any change after a few weeks. If you do and you think its failing you ask your GP to retest after you have been on new regime. If you feel now different again might be as well retesting then or may be you could then drop it to 125 and if after 6 weeks on that suggest neither retesting then or going back to what you did still feel ok on and test then. At least that should give you some idea where things are tailing off and you can experiment then to get it more finely tuned. Your optimum range could be say 3 days 150 and 4 days 125. This way you can narrow down what suits you best and what is definitely a backward step then let's hope your bloods are more acceptable. By just dropping down to 125 you are going straight back to something you have tried before and wasn't acceptable to you so I think its logical to juggle between the two amounts rather than give your body the shock of going back to what has failed you in the past. Hope this makes sense!

[shaws Administrator]

My personal opinion is that doctors should not adjust dose of medication due to blood tests alone. If you are feeling well that's the most important, I believe. This is a link and read the second answer, which is how we really should be treated.

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