I have had under active thyroid since April this year, I started taking thyroxine and it has really helped energy improved greatly.

[jinky2]

For a few days now I feel really quite tied is this usual as I thought once the tablets started working you should feel better as the hormone levels have been replaced. I have only just started feeling better after suffering with depression for a number of years so very upset is it ever going to end.

[Clutter]

Jinky,

You may need an increase in thyroxine. You should have blood tests 6/8 weeks after starting medication to check your thyroid levels and 6/8 weeks after any increase or decrease to check levels are correct and you are not over or under medicated. It can take up to a year to achieve optimal dosing as thyroxine is a powerful hormone and adjustments are usually in 25mcg increments to avoid causing heart problems like atrial fibrillation. Make sure to request a printout of results with lab ref ranges after every blood draw.

Has the thyroxine helped your depression? It is a common symptom of undiagnosed and untreated or under medicated hypothyroidism.

[shaws Administrator]

You may have been hypo before you were diagnosed and it does take a while to get to a dose of levo which makes you feel better. Always get a print-out of your blood test results, with the ranges, so that you can post them for members to comment. Clutter has made good comments.

Do you take levo with 1 glass of water on an empty stomach and breakfast approx an hour later. Supplements should be taken 4 hours apart from levo. Do not take levo before your blood test, take it afterwards and have the test as early as possible. Some GPs think patient is now well when the TSH is within range and that remaining clinical symptoms are due to some other cause.

We have to read and learn as much as possible in order to recover our health. It does seem simple to to treat, i.e. 1 tablet per day - get bloods within the ref range and patient is fine. Unfortunately, it's not always the case. If GP hasn't also tested B12, Vit D, iron, ferritin and folate ask for these to be done as we are usually deficient.

[silverfox7]

Don't forget as you feel better you start doing a little more so I think you need a little more Levo to cover this. As said above this tuning may take a little longer to get the dose which is right for you. Onwards and upwards! Good luck

[jinky2]

Thank you all for your advice it is very much appreciated,I take my tablet every morning at 8am but do not have any breakfast I have had two blood test these were done in March and April the doctor did tell me the thyroid was very very low , I have been unwell with depression for 20 years and have been up and down I had bloodtest last year for thyroid but came back necative, since taking the levo I think it has helped I was very tearful yesterday and feeling not coping very well specially when have to work full time. Dose under active thyroid do this? I am going to make another appointment with my doctor to get B12, Vit D, iron, ferritin and folate checked just want to feel normal again.

thank you this is a great site so please i found it.

I have been having graving for sweet things as well is this part of the illness and back pain which is tender to touch.

[eeng]

If your thyroid was 'very very low' you will have been put on a low starting dose of Thyroxine (maybe 50mcg a day). It takes about 6-8 weeks for Thyroxine to build up in your system, but you should probably be on a higher dose now. Sometimes people find that once they start taking Thyroxine their poor tired thyroid takes a bit of a holiday and stop producing even the small amount it had been before they started medication, so they feel better for a while, then get worse again. For a hypothyroid diagnosis some doctors make you wait until your TSH (Thyroid stimulating hormone) reaches 10, but once you are diagnosed you should aim to get your TSH reading down to about 1. A lot of doctors don't realise this and keep people undermedicated. I would guess that you need more thyroxine.

[jinky2]

Hi there I have not been on the site for a while, but glad to be back, I have had more blood tests which have come back normal, but I don't feel too good, I have now been diagnosed with high blood pressure, and high cholesterol, I was put on statins and blood pressure tablets cannot remember the name, I have come of the statins as they were making me feel unwell and my body sore. The doctor dose not explain anything about thyroid problems I am really quite fed up feeling unwell through either depression, menopause, and thyroid. Could the tablets I take be conflicting with each other and making me feel even worse. I could not keep my eyes open and had to go to bed at 9pm, slept well but still felt tied when I woke up.