Tsh tests

[ALE83]

Hi all. I'm newly diagnosed after having late normal tsh results. I pushed for an antibody test after finding tyroid uks helpful advice to find my antibody levels were in the 500s. Now on levothyroxin. Started at 50. Now upped to 75 tsh reduced to 1.7. I still have days were i can only describe as like I'm walking with lead weights attached. I'm having bloods tested again tomorrow. Should i take my levo before the test (it's at 9 am) also is this normal to still feel symptomatic?

[Clutter]

Welcome to the forum, Ale83.

Take your Levothyroxine after your morning blood draw or you may skew the results.

It takes time to become optimally dosed after diagnosis and you may feel symptomatic for a while after that. Most people start to feel better when TSH is just above or below 1.0.

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/about_...

[Marz]

So you have Hashimotos - it is the most common form of Thyroid illness - and is auto-immune. If you look at the right side of this page under Topics - you are able to click onto Hashimotos and have a read of the experience of others/books/websites in the many posts/thread. Please do come back and ask any questions as it can be a bit complicated in the beginning.

Hope your blood tests go well - but do remember it is important to go on how you feel as well. Are they testing your B12 - Ferritin - Folate - VitD ? They all need to be OPTIMAL and not just in range so that your medication can work well.

Hope you are soon feeling stronger and it does take time for everything to work. I have Hashimotos too....and am trying my best to reduce anti-bodies that have been stubbornly high for the last 9 years....

[ALE83 in reply to Marz]

Thanks both for your insight. I don't know if my ferritin and folates have been tested. I will ask. I have been found to have vit d deficiency. I need to speak to the gp re meds to as i am stuggling to get the meds in. The are the adcal so can't be taken with the levo.

My periods have become regular for the first time since starting levo so i know it is helping but that has had a knock on effect that my beta blockers are no longer holding my migraines. I know it takes time but i am sick of feeling ill!

[shaws Administrator in reply to ALE83]

When you get your next blood test which is around 6 weeks, you should have an increase of 25mcg of levo and so on until your TSH comes down and you feel well. Many of us feel well with a TSH of around 1 or below. Some doctors keep our TSH within the 'normal' range and that doesn't make us well. As 50 mcg is a starting dose it may reduce your TSH and GP thinks that's fine but tell him you still have symptoms.

Take levo with 1 glass of water when you get up and wait around 1 hour before eating. Also if you take other supplements/medications leave a 4 hour gap.

If having a blood test, take levo after it not before and have the earliest appointment.

[Marz in reply to ALE83]

The VitD with the Adcal may not be adequate to treat the VitD Deficiency....

[annie-7 in reply to ALE83]

Hi ALE83, if you take a look at a post from 2 days ago, "Daily Migraine & under active thyroid" (put this into the search box) a few people were discussing worsening migraines, it may be of some help. I am still at the stage of insufficient Levothyroxine (75 mcg), and my legs feel like lead also! I have noticed that I'm waking up with more migraines these days, I will be asking my GP about alternative treatments if the migraines continue, I'll keep everyone posted.

[crimple]

I would say your levo needs to be increased and as suggested by others you must have ferritin, folate, Vit D and B12 levels etc tested. With such high antibody levels you might like to try going gluten free, it helped me. If you normally take levo in the morning do not take it on the morning of the test and have the test as early as possible in the day, you can then take the levo afterwards. I take my levo at night so I miss the dose the night before and have it immediately after blood test and then take dose as normal that night. Post again when you have your test results- you are entitled to them.

[Winegum2]

Hi I'd be interested to know what your 'normal' TSH level was? Mine was 3.9, but I was told that I couldn't have an antibody test (or T4) unless my level was over the range, despite having a goiter! I'm having my TSH retested next week.

[Melcarter1102 in reply to Winegum2]

Me too!! I've had a goiter and symptoms since I was 8 years old but tsh always been normal so no one ever done more tests. Last month my symptoms deteriorated so much I went to gp and asked specifically for antibody tests. When I rang for results was told the lab had refused to do them because my tsh was normal 1.01.

My l life just disappears around me and now I can't talk either as voice disappeared few months ago. If you get any solutions I would love to know the answer.

[ALE83]

Hello all. Thank you so much for all your experiences. I can't find my results but my within normal tsh was either 3.7 or 4.3. I have a family history of hypo so when i found the advice from thyroid Uk that ant tsh over 2 should be investigated further i went back to see my GP armed. He was very helpful thankfully. He explained that he couldn't order the T3 or T4 as my results were within normal but said he could order the antibodies. Which he did and he was very interested when the results came back so high. In fact said something like well well well isn't that interesting you were right and the lab was wrong. He has been incredibly supportive. I thought after my last results of a tsh of 1.7 he would keep me at the same level but he was interested that i felt no better an increased my meds. I will go back and see him next week and ask for the other levels to be checked. I will go and have a look at the Migraine thread and will talk to them about gluten as have been suffering with ibs since my teenage years! Xx