Is this normal?

[Funnygembunni]

Started low dose of Synthroid, 25mcg. Is it normal to feel out of sorts and a few palpitations? I notice I can walk farther without shortness or breath or fear of passing out anymore which is great, yet it does make me wanna go into a panic attack. This normal?

[shaws Administrator]

Yes, I would think it's normal. Your dose is very small indeed and a usual starting dose is 50mcg with 25mcg increments around every six weeks until you feel better. Not when the doctor says your TSH is now in the 'normal' range and wont increase any more.

Many people can feel anxiety or panic initially and I think it's to do with (I am not medically qualified) being hypothyroid for sometime time but never been diagnosed. The hormone dose is too low at present and as you increase it hopefully all these sensations will disappear.

[Funnygembunni in reply to shaws]

I took 50 much the first day like a member here told me to, I felt amazing but def hyper! Should I stick to taking 50?

[shaws Administrator in reply to Funnygembunni]

Feeling 'hyper' is probably because you've been so low in thyroid hormones for a long time before you were diagnosed. Take your pulse when this happens.

Always take your pulse and temp on wakening until you feel much better so you have a chart which helps to know how your are going along. i.e. a low pulse and temp are indications of hypo. The link below is explanatory.

When I had severe palpitations I always took my pulse. They also happened out of the blue, i.e. on a train, bus, shopping. It was very unpleasant and at first you haven't a clue what is going on.

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

I would continue to take your dose of 50mcg and your body will take about 5 weeks to settle into it. When you get your next blood test I hope GP increases by 25mcg and not keep you at 50 if your TSH is 'in range.

Dr Toft who was President of the British Thyroid Association says this:-

The combination of a normal serum T4 and raised serum TSH is known as subclinical hypothyroidism. If measured, serum T3 will also be normal. Repeat the thyroid function tests in two or three months in case the abnormality represents a resolving thyroiditis.

But if it persists then antibodies to thyroid peroxidase should be measured. If these are positive – indicative of underlying autoimmune thyroid disease – the patient should be considered to have the mildest form of hypothyroidism.

In the absence of symptoms some would simply recommend annual thyroid function tests until serum TSH is over 10mU/l or symptoms such as tiredness and weight gain develop. But a more pragmatic approach is to recognise that the thyroid failure is likely to become worse and try to nip things in the bud rather than risk loss to follow-up.

Treatment should be started with levothyroxine in a dose sufficient to restore serum TSH to the lower part of its reference range. Levothyroxine in a dose of 75-100µg daily will usually be enough.

If there are no thyroid peroxidase antibodies, levothyroxine should not be started unless serum TSH is consistently greater than 10mU/l. A serum TSH of less than 10mU/l in the absence of antithyroid peroxidase antibodies may simply be that patient’s normal TSH concentration. "

Please note he says to wait until our TSH reaches 10. Can you imagine how unwell some must be.

This is part of an article in Pulse Online (doctors magazine).

[Funnygembunni in reply to shaws]

My doctor here doesn't even believe that I need synthroid because my TPO over 600 means nothing to him when all my TSH, T3 and T4 are all normal. I fought like hell last week to get him to give me synthroid and he told me he hopes I'm right. I've been hearing and reading and finally got him to listen to me but I just need to figure out how much to take to feel good