Hi hmeveryone. It's my first day on here. Just found the site. Diagnosed with hypothyroidism about Easter time. Currently getting bloods take every 8.weeks on 125mcg of Levo. Last blood test levels were just under 6.0 with a range of 0.4-4
I'm still very symptomatic. In all ways.
Light headed
Hot and cold
Aches
Tired
Lack of motivation
Hair thinning.
Weight gain (still no sign of loss)
Foggy brain
(The list goes on)
Just all the regular stuff really.
I also have PCOS.
I've noticed a lot of talk about supplements and vitamins on this site. Can someone talk me through explain how it helps and what I should take if anything?
Thanks
Written by
Sddixy
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I'm sorry you've been diagnosed with hypothyroidism and it will take a while for you to get to the optimum of medication to make you feel much better.
Your TSH (which is the one I assume you've given above) is far too high yet at 6 and the doctor shouldn't stop increasing your dose of levothyroxine until your TSH is around 1 or lower. PCOS is also a clinical symptom of hypothyroidism and it might be resolved when you are on an optimum of levothyroxine.
Your doctor should also test your Vitamin B12, Vitamin D, iron, ferritin and folate as we are usually deficient and don't supplement till you get the results.
When your next blood test is due have the earliest possible appointment, and fast (you can drink water) and leave about 24 hours between your last dose of levo and the blood test. Take levo afterwards. Always get a print-out from the surgery of your results with the ranges for your own records and post if you have a query.
You take levothyroxine with 1 glass of water and wait about an hour before eating. You can add vitamin C to the water as it helps to convert levothyroxine (which is also called T4) into T3. T3 is also called liothyronine and it is the active hormone required in all of our receptor cells. T4 is a prohormone.
My doctor gave me a blood test every six weeks. If you're not feeling much better I'd bring your appointment forward saying your symptoms bother you.
If your stomach is bothering you it might be beneficial to take a Betaine plus Pepsin tablet with each meal because we usually have low acid and the symptoms are the same as High Acid and GP usually prescribes antacids.
On the list on the left of that page you'll find 'Thyroid Treatments' and if you click on that you can select 'The Role of Supplements in Thyroid Treatment'
Wow. That would be great. If my unwanted hair growth would disapear. Fingers crossed once my levels are sorted my life will change in more ways than expected.
On this forum the main vitamins and minerals that are recommended that people should address first are vitamin B12, vitamin D, folate, ferritin and iron. These need to be at optimal levels for maximum absorption and processing of thyroid hormones. Your doctor might be willing to test these things, but getting iron done is often refused because doctors believe that testing ferritin (iron storage) is all they need to know about your iron status. This isn't true of course - you can have iron and other iron measures below the range, with ferritin still above the bottom of the range - I know this because it happened to me.
For any test results you get, please make sure that actual numbers and the appropriate reference ranges are given, not just a list with the word "Normal" next to every test. Once you have any results to share please create a new question and post your results for advice on what you should be supplementing.
The nude who takes my blood is always pretty good at going through my results. I'm lucky if I see my doctor. He always just send me a message via the receptionist.
I know I'm not alone when I say I feel like a right moaning mertal!
Sddixy, one problem we all have with doctors is their love of the word "normal".
Suppose you got your ferritin measured and the reference range for it was 13 - 150 mcg/L. I am quoting one of the standard ranges used so it is a realistic range.
If your level came back as 14 mcg/L or 90 mcg/L or 149 mcg/L all of these would be described as "normal" by a majority of doctors, purely because they are within the reference range. But the optimal level for ferritin - the level that makes people feel at their best - is usually around mid-range for ferritin. (The optimal level for nutrients isn't always mid-range, by the way, it depends on what is being measured.)
I realise you may trust your nurse. But let us give you some feedback too. You might be surprised at how differently we interpret your results.
Oh I defiantly will. I'm going to get my next bloods done at 6 weeks ...2 weeks earlier than I am meant to. which will be about 3 weeks time. I will find out exactly what she is testing me for and I will ask for a print out of all my previous bloods. I don't really understand them yet so having people to help would be great.
I just home I don't get just within 'normal' TSH levels and they say I'm fine cos I know I feel like crap most of the time. I must admit I don't feel as bad as when I was diagnosed but at that point my TSH was >99
I had read some research about taking my Levo at night. I started doing that about 4 weeks ago. Not sure if I feel a difference. A lot of people said it helped them I just feel it fits my routine better... I'm grumpy without my morning coffee haha
I was tested for coeliac disease a few years ago and it came back negative. I was pleased because it meant I didn't have to give up gluten.
Earlier this year I decided to try going gluten-free for 3 - 6 months since so many people with thyroid problems do well on a gf diet.
If it had made no difference I would have gone back to eating ordinary food again. But I found that my dreadful temper and my grumpiness have reduced immensely since I stopped eating gluten. It takes a while to get used to it, but was worth the effort in the end.
With reference to night-time dosing of levo I know that it is very popular with a lot of people. Go ahead and try it, it won't do you any harm and if it helps you to sleep better, and feel better during your days then it is worth the change in routine.
I have heard that some people take an entire week's worth of levo once a week, and they do fine with it. Doesn't appeal to me though!
I do carry a fair amount of excess weight but I'm not terribly bothered about it. I've been chunky since childhood, so I'm used to being the way I am.
I did manage to get down to a healthy weight once, several years ago, before the hypothyroidism kicked in big time. But inevitably it crept back on again.
Yeah I'm Hoping to thin down. So not happy with the weight I have gained since while the thyroid was reaching its peak.
Just counted my weeks up. Its actually been 6weeks since my last test so I'm going to contact the docs tomorrow and arrange my appointment and request my further bloods.
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