Over medicated...

[Mariacorrina]

I have been on Levo for two months now. I am borderline, but felt so ill. Im on 50 mg. My doc feels that after recent bloods, i am over medicated. I thought not, but for the last couple of days i have been feeling fluey, anxious, irritable, jittery, sicky, headache in the background, more palpatations than normal.....feel out of sorts to be honest. Thinking she could be right. She was going to wait till my next bloods in two months, and go down to 25 if they are still the same. Should i wait and see if im just having a blip getting used to the meds, or request going down to 25 now?

[Clutter]

Welcome to the forum, MariaCorrina.

Can you post your recent thyroid results with the lab ref ranges (figures in brackets after your results) as it will help members to advise whether you are overmedicated.

You could skip a couple of doses of Levothyroxine and reduce to 25mcg/50mcg on alternate days. If you are overmedicated you'll feel better in a few days.

[Glynisrose]

Stand up for your rights! NEVER let your doc reduce your meds based on blood tests alone! Say NO! Disagree, ask for further tests use the broken record method if you have to (keep repeating I do not want to reduce my meds based on the TSH test alone!) The doctor will back down eventually.

[Clutter in reply to Glynisrose]

Glynisrose, Maria *feels* overmedicated. It's entirely appropriate to reduce dose with symptoms of overmedication AND blood levels which indicate overmedication.

[Glynisrose in reply to Clutter]

If she 'feels'overmedicated, why? If you are getting hyper symptoms that is different but if not then see my earlier post!

[Clutter in reply to Glynisrose]

Glynisrose, Maria complains of feeling hyper in her opening post and was asking whether she should reduce dose now or wait 2 months.

[Hidden]

If you feel over-medicated then stop that dose. You will become ill if you continue a dose that is too high for you.

[1133]

Your doctor needs to check to see if you are converting T4 to T3... if not, the more T4 you take, the sicker you will feel. Ask the doc to check your free T3 to reverse T3 ratio. You may need T3 only supplementation for a time.

Might I ask, have you been on any calorie or carb restriction diets in the past?

[Clutter in reply to 1133]

1133, NHS often tests TSH only, sometimes TSH and FT4, rarely FT3 unless TSH is suppressed <0.03. rT3 isn't tested on the NHS at all afaik.

[1133 in reply to Clutter]

Wow that's got to be challenging. I thought healthcare here in the US was bad. My GP refused to test mine, but I got another doctor to do it. And he did it quickly and willingly. You've got labs over there who will test it though, right? At least if one pays out of pocket?

[Clutter in reply to 1133]

1133, NHS has always been great for acute emergency and accidents but mostly sucks at dealing with chronic conditions. Private tests can be ordered and will be out of pocket.

Discussing rT3 and FT3:rT3 ratio with someone not trained to understand them is likely to be unfruitful. Most GPs have been convinced that Levothyroxine is the only required therapy for hypothyroidism. Increasingly T3 can only be prescribed on the NHS in secondary care by an NHS specialist. NDT was never 'grandfathered' in, as in the US, so it is not licensed in the UK and rarely prescribed.

[1133 in reply to Clutter]

I really hope for some sweeping changes soon... for all our sake.

[SueHG]

Hello

I came across your mail and although you may now have the answer, I just wanted to say that I had exactly the same problem and told my dr that it was making me ill and that I was going to stop taking it. I immediately felt better and have later seen Dr Peatfield and have continued his recommendations. All the symptoms I had like you disappeared I am still not completely better as I think that the T4 isn't converting to T 3. But the Levothyroxin was horrendous.