Erfa dosage

[Catgirl22]

I have decided to try erfa after a few years on levothyroxine. I am having a lot of muscle pains so want to see if it improves with natural thyroid. Each tablet is 30mg, wheras my dose of levothyroxine is only 25mcg. So how many pieces would I need to cut it into?

[Clutter]

Sal77, 25mcg is usually a starting dose. Do you have thyroid results you can post as it is likely your muscle pain is due to undermedication? It may be worth asking for ferritin, vitamin D, B12 and folate to be tested as deficiency/low levels are common in Hashimoto's/hypothyroid patients and can cause musculoskeletal pain, fatigue and low mood similar to hypothyroid symptoms.

30mg Erfa contains 17.5mcg T4 and 4mcg T3 which is equivalent to 29.5mcg Levothyroxine. I would try the 30mg Erfa without trying to cut it down.

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I am not a medical professional and this information is not intended to be a substitute for medical guidance from your own doctor. Please check with your personal physician before applying any of these suggestions.

[Catgirl22 in reply to Clutter]

Thank you for your reply. I am on 25mcg asy tsh went low when increased. Doctor said it might be because I am tiny. I only weigh 6st and do have problems with tablet dosages. My last results were tsh 3.7 so I guess could be lower. My t4 was 16. Don't know my t3 as doctor didn't test. My b12, vit d, and folate normal. My ferritin was low but iron was quite high? So not sure whether to supplement or not. Could that give me the pains?

Great I will just take a whole erfa then, as that is very similar dose to what I was taking, so thanks for that info.

[Clutter in reply to Catgirl22]

Sal77, Low TSH isn't a problem as long as FT4 and (if tested) FT3 are within range. Doctors seem to get freaked out by low TSH though. It's a pity that they aren't equally concerned with too high TSH.

Low ferritin can be a sign of iron deficiency but if your iron is high you won't be deficient. I wouldn't supplement iron if your iron is high.

B12, folate and vitD ranges are very broad. What were the results?

_______________________________________________________________________________

I am not a medical professional and this information is not intended to be a substitute for medical guidance from your own doctor. Please check with your personal physician before applying any of these suggestions.

[Catgirl22]

I don't have the actual figures now for those vitamin results unfortunately. I did see them on the computer at the GP's at the time, but I can't remember the actual numbers.

I will give the Erfa a go and see if it helps at all with my pains. Was my t4 at 16 ok, as what is the ideal it should be?

[greygoose in reply to Catgirl22]

What was the range for FT4? The figure 16 means nothing without the range the lab used. And T4 isn't the important one, FT3 is.

Always, always ask for a print-out of your results. It is your legal right to have one. You need to see exactly what the result was, not just your doctors opinion of 'fine' or 'ok'.

[AiryFairie]

Hi Catgirl22 , I have seen you post from a year ago. I have recently changed from Levo to Erfa, and was wondering how you got on with the muscle pains? Did they improve on Erfa, as I am hoping my pains will improve?

[Catgirl22]

Hi Jannie1957, I tried the Erfa for a few weeks and went back to levothyroxine, as I didn't notice much difference, but I have actually just started back on Erfa last week and going to give it a longer go this time and see if it helps, as I am not getting much help from the Levothyroxine and my muscle pains have been getting worse these last few months. How long have you been trying the Erfa?

[AiryFairie in reply to Catgirl22]

Hi Catgirl22 I have been on Erfa for over 2 months now, and ALL the pain I had in my elbows and upper arms has gone! I am able to carry heavy bags of shopping with no problems now, which is amazing. I feel very well in myself, and actually have energy and an enthusiasm for life which I never expected to feel again at my age (60).

How are you getting on? I hope Erfa has worked well for you, too.

[Catgirl22]

Great to hear that you are doing so well, it gives me hope that it can be sorted. My gp thinks my pains are fibromyalgia but I am not convinced. I have really bad pains in my elbows too! I tried the Erfa but it didn't seem to do much, but I only tried for about 3 weeks, before going back to Levothyroxine, as I was worried my thyroid was going really hypo. Maybe my Erfa are out of date now, as I have had them a long time, so I might buy some more or try another brand. How long were you on it before you really noticed a difference? And what dose are you on?