Here are my results from past year since I found out I was hypo and started on 25mcg of levo increasing to 100mcg on which I've felt ok most of the time, but some ups and downs.
10/3/14 TSH 4.26 (0.27-4)
12/5/14 TSH 0.04 T4 28.9 (12-22)
11/8/14 TSH 0.02 T4 25.6
13/11/14 TSH 0.05 T4 23
26/05/15 TSH 1.65 they didn't do T4 as within range and never do T3 antibodies etc.
I've had a rough few months so went to Gp in May and TSH had gone up to 1.65 (lots of symptoms returned), GP reluctantly agreed to increase from 100 to 125 mcg levo. I went back again this week after 5 weeks to say I'm not feeling any better. He's ignoring the hypo symptoms and focusing on feeling down, because I said it all felt pretty hopeless and after answering a few questions in some depression test, has prescribed anti-depressants and told me to go back down to 100mcg of levo.
Just came home and cried as I really don't think this is the answer, he didn't even take bloods to check how I responding to 125mcg.
I did the NHS depression test at home answering the same questions and it gave me a score of 9 out of 27 and says it's unlikely I'm depressed!
Have now ordered private home blood tests to check for myself and look at t3 and antibodies. Just not sure where to go from here
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pinklady756
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Pinklady, I think it's extraordinary your GP reduced Levothyroxine without doing a blood test. Is there another GP you can see at the practice? Anti depressants have their place but they aren't a substitute for thyroid hormone.
5 weeks isn't really long enough to tell whether the dose increase was helping. It can take 6-8 weeks to feel the full impact of a dose which is why dose increases and blood tests aren't more frequent.
Ask for ferritin, vitamin D, B12 and folate to be tested. Low levels/defciency can cause musculoskeletal pain, fatigue and low mood similar to hypothyroid symptoms.
Post your hometest blood test results with the lab ref ranges in a new question and members will advise.
I find those depression tests a bit useless in some cases. I could get high points answering those questions as they are presented not so well.
Like person struggling with their health most probably is depressed, because of the situation.
Or like in your case your medication might not be optimal.
Yet being down is not same as depressed. If you take those ad's based on recent studies those should be only taken for short period of time. This is something doctors don't know or they just ignore it. 3-6 months was recommend in one study I read recently.
And of course in studies ad's only seem to work in severe depression. Otherwise they are as good as placebo. Except placebo has no side effects.
I feel for you as doctor I had to go to ignored my symptoms in the middle of conversation and started to ask about childhood. I bursted into tears in front of him because I was so disappointed. For him I was crying as he found the reason for me being unwell. Regardless that my blood tests are not normal. Those just don't count.
I hope you can find a solution that works for you
Hello Pinklady756
It is not right to have your dose increased and then later decreased without even a blood test. How can your doctor possibly know what level your thyroid hormones are at?
Well done for taking the initiative by doing private testing.
Are you able to see a different doctor once you have the results?
Thanks for all the replies, not sure if I'll be able to see another doctor but I'll be able to go back armed with blood test results and will take hubby for moral support.
Have a very sore throat and trouble swallowing a lot this week, don't need a cold on top of everything else! Or could it be thyroid related?
Trying to decide whether to do blood test tomorrow or wait another 2 weeks so I'd have been at this new dose for 8 weeks. I'm ignoring gp and staying on 125mcg until I have results. Have lots of spare levo thankfully from adjusting levels over the past year.
You can medicate yourself for a while then and monitor your own symptoms. I take my temperature every am & night as apart from the more obvious symptoms, this gives a good overall picture of any immediate or gradual improvements.
It can be quite amazing how a small increase can make you feel warmer. Remember horrid symptoms can lag behind good biochemistry by 6-8 weeks though.
Going to leave it til next week to do blood test, will be 6 weeks on this dose then.
Have enough tablets to get through August if necessary and will monitor temps & pulse.
Still have a very sore throat in the morning especially and difficultly swallowing.
Im suffering brain fog and opened a tin of cat food when I was putting washing on, just suddenly had the open tin and fork in my hand and wondered what I was doing! I find this hard to deal with, lots of confusion, unable to concentrate, and my brain just doesn't work properly. I struggle to concentrate during conversations too 😞
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