I've had an underactive thyroid 4 many years, I'm currently taking 200mg per day and my latest blood test came back normal. But I feel awful

[unhappythyroid1972]

I'm constantly tired, hair loss, dry skin, low mood I often feel like crying. Everyday tasks are a huge effort. I'm so fed up of being tired. Please can someone help me

[Hidden]

The one thing we know for sure around here is that "normal" doesn't mean "optimal".

Could you get hold of your blood test results and post them here? You're entitled to have them - they're your results.

And have you ever had any of the following tested?

Vit B12

Vit D

Ferritin

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Your Adrenals may be exhausted (often the case with thyroid conditions). You can get good quality supplements quite easily and inexpensively on Amazon. Just pop 'adrenal health' into the search box and lots of options will pop up. I'd start a course right away. But I don't have access to blood tests helpful in assessing my vit/min or Adrenal levels. If you do you might like to raise it with your doc. along with tests for vit and min levels.

[Hidden]

As LilyMay says, normal means your numbers fit within a range of other numbers, not that you are symptom-free. It's important always to have your results and their ranges so that you have control of driving your health forward rather than being told you can't be unwell because your bloods say so. Post them in a new post and folks here will comment on them.

[Gsp177 in reply to Hidden]

Definitely, It's always worth getting them as it can be a real eye opener, many GP's don't know how to read them properly. Every time I have a blood test taken now I insist on seeing the results, just to be told all is normal is not good enough for me. I've spent years being fobbed off being told all is normal when it's not!

[shaws Administrator]

Good advice from the above two responses.

You can get well - it may take a while but unfortunately we've found out that many GPs (or Endocrinologists) are not equipped to know how best to go about this, except diagnose by blood test results (and making the assumption that because we are in the 'normal' range what ails us has nothing to do with either the medication or the thyroid gland). They ignore the patients' clinical symptoms (and have no knowledge of them in the first place).

The aim of thyroid gland medication is to alleviate all clinical symptoms and make the patient well - unfortunately nowadays that skill has been lost since the blood tests came into force and diagnosis is by blood tests alone. Also sometimes the dose is too low and the insistence that only one thyroid gland medication be prescribed which may not suit every patient.

Do you take your medication first thing, with one glass of water, wait for around 1 hour before eating? Don't take your medication on the day of a blood test till afterwards and have it as early as possible as your TSH is highest then. We are entitled to a copy of your blood test results for our own records and don't let the receptionist fob you off. If they are reluctant tell the GP you want a copy each time and make sure the ranges are stated as labs differ and it makes it easier to comment.

You are now on the way forward to trying to take your own health into your own hands. We have to read and learn as much as possible.

[Heloise]

If you feel you can answer positively the posters good questions, it may be that T4 or levo ,if that is what you are taking, just doesn't work for you. There are many reasons for that. What are the possibilities that you can request adding some T3 to your dose or getting a prescription for natural desiccated thyroid like Armour?

stopthethyroidmadness.com/l...

[cazlooks]

can you ask to be referred to a consultant, as 200 is high but not working

[Stourie in reply to cazlooks]

Before doctors started using blood tests to determine the dose of thyroid meds, patients used to take much more, until symptoms disappeared.

[unhappythyroid1972]

Thank you everyone, I'm overwhelmed by the quick responses from people on this site. Really good to feel I'm finally not alone with this. I take levothyroxine first thing in the morning, I've never heard of T4 or T3. I'm going to get a copy of my last blood test results and will post here. Thank you to everyone