Any help being hypo gratefully recieved! - Thyroid UK

Thyroid UK

137,156 members160,846 posts

Any help being hypo gratefully recieved!

maxi55 profile image
10 Replies

Hi. I wonder if you can help me. I had graves disease twenty years ago and had my thyroid removed. Since then I have been taking levo of varying amounts. I have been self medicating on 200 levo and have felt good with normal energy etc. Saw g.p in dec and had thyroid test which came back as overtreated. My results were tsh.0.02 t4 26.4 .I have never had any thing else checked. Now I take 100 levo and feel really awful. I think I may be hypo. I am so tired gaining weight brain fog constipated. I wonder if any one else has had this happen. Im tempted to self prescribe again as anything better ths feeling like this. Thanks for listening. Hope you all can help. Best wishes maxl

Written by
maxi55 profile image
maxi55
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
Read more about...
10 Replies
Marz profile image
Marz

Sorry you are not feeling well. It would be a good idea to have your FT3 tested to see if the T4 is converting into the ACTIVE hormone needed in almost every cell of your body - brain cells - heart cells - gut cells - every type of cell :-) Labs are reluctant to test T3 due to costs - so maybe you could have it done privately via Thyroid UK ( with a discount )

In order to convert from T4 into T3 well - you will need GOOD levels of Iron - Ferritin - Folate - B12 - VitD. Have you had these tested ? If so what were the results ? Do post with ranges and someone will help....

maxi55 profile image
maxi55 in reply to Marz

Thanks so much for replying. I have never had any other tests done. Should I go and pay for them to be done? Do you know where would be best please.? I am really grateful for any help as really fed up of feeling bad.

Marz profile image
Marz in reply to maxi55

Go onto the main Thyroid UK website - and look under Private Testing on the Menu on left side of page. You will also receive a discount. They have packages at varying levels - take a look. See what suits. I live in Crete so don't have to use them. Others here have and are very satisfied. Blue Horizon is good.

Hennerton profile image
Hennerton

Seems to me your GP should have reduced your dose by 25 mcg, leaving you on 175. If you still feel unwell on that, try 200/175 alternate days. It is ridiculous to halve your dose, especially if you were doing well on it. Years ago, patients did not have blood tests and based their dose on how they felt. Trust your own judgement and ask your GP If you can try the above doses as a trial. He will 'read you the story' of potential damage to 'hearts and bones' but equally there is damage to your body from being under medicated.

Hi Maxi, as others have said a drop from 200 mcg to 100 mcg in one fell swoop is a huge change. Without the ranges for your TSH and FT4 results it is difficult to say but going by the ranges my lab uses you are not much under the TSH or over FT4, so you are not much over-medicated. I had similar results when on 100 mcg and my doctor was willing to let me stay on that, but as I did have some hyper symptoms we reduced it to alternating 100/75 mcg, which works out at 12.5 mcg on average of a reduction a day!! Minuscule compared to your reduction. I did need to reduce a little further - I find that very small changes do make a big difference.

It sounds like you need to increase again and if you do get hyper symptoms reduce the dose much more slowly.

maxi55 profile image
maxi55 in reply to

Thank you for your helo.

shaws profile image
shawsAdministrator

Follow your instinct. If you felt well and normal on your higher dose, increase it again. GPs are apt to adjust according to the TSH level but some of us need a low or suppressed TSH.

maxi55 profile image
maxi55 in reply to shaws

Thank you so much for your advice I will up my dose again! I know my gp will not increase my dose so any ideas where I can buy levo from? Thanks again

Jazzw profile image
Jazzw in reply to maxi55

I'll PM you. :)

If you want other suggestions for places to buy it, it's probably best to start a new post - but replies have to be by private message to accord with Healthunlocked guidelines.

maxi55 profile image
maxi55

Thank you for replying I will return to 200 levo and hopefully get back to normal as soon as poss x

You may also like...

Advice on blood results gratefully recieved

hypothyroidism (autoimmune) I also have osteoporosis and psoriatic arthritis. Also have had...

Any advice gratefully received

Been on Levo 100 MCG since 24/2/17 have since then changed diet (Myers way) and taking selenium, vit

Grateful for any advice

Hi Guys, I have Hashis. Results below show levels before Levothyroxine and 6 weeks after. Currently...

Any assistance will be gratefully appreciated.

this thyroid thing is just so bloody complex. 10 years on 100mcg levothyroxine but the last 3 have...

Is there a link between being hypo and fainting?

being hypo, or there is no connection since I don't see other hypo people mentioning that they had...