Calling the administrator!

[Jodypody]

Hi Admin

This ones for you I think! I posted a little while ago 3 weeks I think about increasing from 25 to 50 and went via 37.5 for a couple of days. Been on 50 for 3 weeks and still shattered and cold. Had tsh and t4 done last week which would've been 6.5 weeks in and my readings were 2.62 (3.28) and 11.4 (9.7). So still feeling rubbish I got my gp to agree to push to 75mcg. My question is have I given it enough time? Am having no adverse affects whatsoever and I'm physically very fit. Get the initial lift after upping dose but body gets accustomed very quickly. Advice please.....

[shaws Administrator]

Advice is: normally when first diagnosed given 50mcg - after 4 to 6 weeks blood test plus increase - thereafter blood tests/increases around every 6 weeks till you feel better. There is no quick fix, unfortunately, and considering it may have taken years for our thyroid hormones to gradually diminish, it's the same when trying to get them back into a normal range (for us individually) when we feel well constantly. Although you do say you are physically fit and have had no adverse reactions. Probably because your dose has been a starting one, i.e. 50mcg.

Some people need a low dose i.e. 100/150 and others need 250 or more so it is all individual to feel well. What your doctor should avoid saying is 'you are now in normal range' no further increases are needed. That's wrong. The purpose of thyroid hormones is for us to function normally and to do that we need sufficient hormones, T3 in particular which is the active hormone. Sometimes we don't convert levothyroxine (T4) into sufficient T3.

We cannot rush headlong into increasing hormones before body has adjusted to one particular dose. What your aim should be is to have the TSH 1 or below, that your clinical symptoms have gone and you feel well.

[Jodypody in reply to shaws]

So do you think I should go to 75 or wait another 2 weeks on 50 and have another blood test. Feel a bit of an idiot as I convinced the gp to go to 75 and now I'm not so sure?

[shaws Administrator in reply to Jodypody]

I'm not medically qualified but just said what is the norm. There's no harm in you trying 75mcg and I hope it makes you feel better.