So I've just been diagnosed with hypothyroidism...

[Dianeb92]

I have had extreme fatigue for a few years and I put it down to my antidepressants, I have also gained quite a bit of weight over the last 3-4 years and my doctor suggested testing my thyroid as I have been feeling like this for so long. So after months of blood tests I was diagnosed with having hypothyroidism . I've been started on 100mcgs of levothyroxine and was wondering how long it actually takes to start working? I would also like to find out more information about thyroid disorders any links etc would be great.

[PinkNinja]

It usually takes a couple of weeks to start noticing the affects but your doctor has very sensibly started you on a proper dose so hopefully it will not take too much longer. You may not feel the full benefit until 6 weeks after starting it and it may take even longer than that to fully recover if you have been unwell for a while.

If your TSH remains above 1 at your next blood test, you may find you do better with a slight increase in dose.

I hope you start to feel better soon.

Carolyn x

[Dianeb92 in reply to PinkNinja]

Thanks for the quick reply! I've just came across this site today, so new at this. It's good to know there is a support group for people with this condition.

[Clutter in reply to Dianeb92]

Dianeb92, take Levothyroxine with water on an empty stomach 1 hour before, or 2 hours after, food and drink, 2 hours away from other medication and supplements, and 4 hours away from iron, calcium, vitamin D and oestrogen.

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/diagno...

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

[Dianeb92 in reply to Clutter]

Thanks for the advice. 😊

[marydoll1963]

i was similar to you i was very fatigued couldnt do simple things i had a couple of years

of it , thought it was my depression or other medical conditions i couldnt work out which 1 or 2 it was, i landed up really ill and went to A&E where they discovered that my thyriod and liver function was not normal. i landed up with thyroxine and in about

4 months i started to feel better that was 4 years ago i bought a thyroid book from WH

Smith, i know the library has them

mary

[Dianeb92]

In my case it's a bit more complicated, I also have PTSD and PCOS, so I think I do need the anti depressants as every so often I do have a bit of an episode. I actually didn't know what a thyroid was until my doctor suggested testing my thyroid after I was complaining about tiredness and weight gain.

[greygoose in reply to Dianeb92]

PCOS can be caused by low thyroid. And thyroid problems will be making your PTSD worse. You might find you are able to come off the antidepressants when you get on an optimal dose of thyroid hormone.

[Dianeb92 in reply to greygoose]

I hope so, I hate having to take them been on them the last 3-4 years.

[greygoose in reply to Dianeb92]

I'm sure it will make a big difference to you to get treated for your thyroid.

[Dianeb92 in reply to greygoose]

Fingers crossed it will 😄 I think I've been underactive a few years and not known it.

[greygoose in reply to Dianeb92]

More than likely. It doesn't happen over-night. We get all this odd little niggles, Don't know what they are, put it down to aging and other things... But, when you add them all up, it's obvious that they've all got to be caused by the same thing - it's far more likely to have one condition with 30 symptoms, than 30 conditions with one symptom each. lol

[Dianeb92 in reply to greygoose]

I'm 23 and think I have been underactive since I was maybe around 19 (that's when the weight gain and tiredness started happening). So I've been on the Meds for just over a week, I've noticed that my sleeping pattern has been a bit more erratic than normal. Can this be a side effect of the Meds?

[greygoose in reply to Dianeb92]

Probably not a side-effect as such, but your doc did put you on a very high starting dose - it's usually 50 mcg - so it may just be your body getting used to having some thyroid hormone again. It really rather dépends on how long you've been hypo, how long it takes for your body to settle down. I shouldn't worry about it. See how you go when you have your 6 week blood test, and if it's still bothering you, mention it to your doctor. But it's more than likely to be gone by then.

Our thyroids often start to fail long before we start getting symptoms, because the body has a store of hormone (T4) to fall back on. It's when that store gets low that things start to go bad. So your thyroid could have started failing earlier than the age of 19. Unfortunately, blood hormone levels often lag behind symptoms. So as doctors Don't diagnose on symptoms anymore, we often take a long time to get diagnosed. Meanwhile, the stress on the body, and the adrenals, is acumulating. It's a sad state of affairs.

[faith63 in reply to Dianeb92]

PCOS and Hypothyroidism are very closely intertwined, infact, thyroid treatment may rid you of that. Make sure they check Thyroid Antibodies levels. The most common cause of Hypo. is Hashimotos Disease, Autoimmune and a very common finding in people with PCOS.

[Dianeb92 in reply to faith63]

I don't know if this is relevant but I Also have lichen planus- which is also thought to be related to an autoimmune issue. What is Hashmitos disease? Never heard of it before. How do I go about getting tested for that? Just incase I have it.

[faith63 in reply to Dianeb92]

Diane..Hashimotos Disease is an Autoimmune Disease, which is the most common reason for Hypothyroidism. Your immune system is messed up and thinks your thyroid is a Foreign Invader and destroys it!! This can cause all kinds of symptoms, like anxiety, trembling, weight loss and diahrea, then Constipation, Fatigue, depression and weight gain..wild fluctuations for some people..it has ruined my life. The tests are Thyroid Antibodies TPO, TGAB. Both need to be tested. The doc's like to put you on Psychiatric meds and test this as a last resort, blaming the weight loss on a mental condition and shaming you about weight gain, not recognizing the symptoms and blaming the patient. Fun!!!

[Dianeb92 in reply to faith63]

Next time I visit my GP I will ask to get that tested, the majority of doctors at the surgery I'm at are useless though lol

[faith63 in reply to Dianeb92]

Maybe ask Louise Warville for a good doctors list, rather than go through all this trouble. If they have not tested antibodies by now, they may not.

[Dianeb92 in reply to faith63]

Thanks very much for the info and advice much appreciated! x

[faith63 in reply to Dianeb92]

you are welcome. This is such a nice Forum, isn't it? The first time i posted, i got so many responses, within minutes!! Not like my other Forum and i left them.

[Dianeb92 in reply to faith63]

Yeah I stumbled upon this by accident and so glad I did. Nice to know there are other people out there that know how you feel and support you.

[Rosy_Holly]

Dianeb92. I would check out your antidepressants re Levothyroxine.