Self Medicating

[WillAyl]

Hi All

I have been self medicating (100mg of Levo) since June last year

I posted on this forum before and your replies made me try convince my doctor for a trial dose of Levo, doctor wouldn't prescribe this so I started self medicating, I can't find the post to add as reference but to cut a long story short my doctor retired and the new practice doctor stopped the Levo as he stated my results were normal, this resulted in 5 years of feeling crap ( I asked on 3 occasions to get re-tested but my results were always "normal) until I started self medicating again

The difference was night and day, almost immediately I felt a huge improvement, gone were the extreme fatigue, need for an afternoon nap etc

I still get the cold feet and hands etc but I have way way more energy

I have always been active, I workout 5 times a week usually, from a 2000 meter swim to a 10,000 meter indoor row to 40 minute crossfit training, perhaps a run for 45-50 minutes, it depends

The reason on am posting is that I am still struggling to lose weight despite eating well and exercising

I had a blood test in December while transiting through Dubai , I just went to a walk in medical centre and asked them to test my Thyroid levels

My TSH was flagged as Low and the FT4 was flagged as High, results are listed below

TSH - 0.006 Units (uIU/mL) Range 0.270 - 4.20

Thyroxine Free FT4 - 1.91 Units (ng/dl) Range 0.93-1.7

Tri-Iodothyronine-Free (FT3) - 0.356 Units (ng/dL) Range 0.202 - 0.443

Doctor wanted me to reduce the Levo to 75 mg daily and return in 2 months for a followup check

When I reduced the Levo I found that the weight started rapidly increasing despite the exercise

Is it possible that my body is not processing the Levo correctly

I am currently trying to cut down on wheat products as I read it can help with bloating etc

Any advice, feel better but the weight is very annoying, I know that my symptoms don't compare with some of the posts on here but any advice would be greatly appreciated

Will

[shaws Administrator]

I am sorry your weight gain is worrying you and you obviously need thyroid hormones if you feel better since starting. I will give you a couple of links and it may be helpful if you reduce slightly levo and add some T3 (liothyronine) which is the active hormone we need in all of our receptor cells. Exercising does reduce the T3 anyway which is o.k. if you haven't a thyroid problem as body replaces it normally but you might benefit.

web.archive.org/web/2010032...

hormonerestoration.com/Thyr...

stopthethyroidmadness.com/2...

nel.edu/26-2005_6_pdf/NEL26...

Before you change any hormones, get a new blood test for your thyroid hormones, i.e. TSH, T4, T3, Free T4 and Free T3. If in UK also ask for Vitamin B12, Vit D, iron, ferritin and folate and post the results with the ranges (ranges are important).

Always get the earliest blood test and don't take levo for around 24 hours before it. Take levo afterwards.

[WillAyl in reply to shaws]

Hi Shaws

Thanks for your reply

Sorry, I have been traveling so hence my late reply

I have read through your links, some interesting reading

I might try some T3 as a trial and see how it works out

Thanks Again

Will

[Hidden]

I'm not too hot on reading test results but regarding your low TSH, my endo let me medicate on Levothyroxine to this level believing some people functioned better with a suppressed TSH. However long term too much Levothyroxine (suppressed TSH) can lead to osteoporosis or arterial fibrillation so you need to bear this in mind.

After going for a bone scan last year it was established my bone density had dropped substantially and my med dosage would need to change.

As I felt I couldn't function on less I started educating myself on the whys & how's of T4 (Levothyroxine). There are several different schools of thought, one being that all missing thyroid hormones should be replaced (NDT) or one addition being used to aid conversion. It is known that T4 needs to be converted to T3 to be up taken and turned into energy by the cells.

I have reduced my T4 and added a tiny bit of T3. Early and difficult days as my body has to acclimatised to new hormones.

Well done on all your fitness. You sound as if you lead a busy life.

[WillAyl]

Hi Gill007

Thanks for your advice, I'm contemplating a trial of T3 and reduce the T4

As a lot of people have posted I'm just trying to find that sweet spot

Can't understand why I cannot shed some pounds even though I train a lot and eat fairly well

Have dropped a lot of gluten out of my diet too as I read on the forum that it has helped some people

Yeah busy at times, just trying to keep somewhat fit while flying a desk in-between travel

Will