I was wondering whether anyone knew if there's any relation between the quantity of Levo taken and decrease in TSH (if Levo's doing its job well)?
I was diagnosed hypo with TSH of 4.73 8 weeks ago. I'm on 50mcg now with TSH of 3.01 and my GP has agreed an increase to 75mcg. Is this likely to push TSH down less than the last time and therefore need another increase or does it not work like that?
Any experiences very welcome. Thank you.
Written by
winallthethings
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It's very individual for every individual! You can't say that doubling up levothyroxine will halve the TSH. In any case, once you are diagnosed and on treatment, the TSH is only a guideline, and a rubbish one at that, you should be checking FT4 and FT3 and reverse T3 if offered.
The levo is supposed to reduce your tsh, but it varies from person to person at what rate and if at all, but as it is doing so for you at the moment lets just focus on that.
Most people feel better when tsh gets to around 1 some people feel better when it gets below that count. It is important to have your freet3 and free t4 checked at the same time to make sure they too are responding in balance to the tsh drop. Its a larning curve for each person as different levels work better for different people and has as been explained on your other post, deficiency in vits and minerals can also play a large part in regulating levels and also helping you to feell better.
In the UK a lot of doctors won't order free t3 as they don't think its important, my doctor has ordered freet3 but the lab refused to test it ( they actually wrote on the results that it wasn't needed. So you may well have to pay for it doing yourself :--(
So, to sum up, go by how you are feeling firstly and the test results secondly
Thank you for the reply. I'm in the UK but have a very understanding/cooperativeGP and suffer quite severe symptoms even with my TSH in the "normal" range. My GP has just increased my Levo dosage and if that doesn't help much, has promised to refer me to an endocrinologist. Having said all that, the lab refused to test T3 even on my GP's orders so I did a BH thyroid +11 a week ago and will repeat again in 8 weeks to see what the progress is. FT4 and 3 are currently bottom third of the range and obviously need to go higher up which I'm hoping will be achieved by the increase in Levo and supplements.
My TSH was 101 two years on its 0.18. As you have noted supplements also assist .As to feeling well ,it took me over a year so no quick fix although some symptoms went very quick.
TSH stands for Thyroid Stimulating Hormone but it comes from the Pituitary Gland which flags up reducing thyroid hormones. Yes, taking levothyroxine will reduce your TSH - if it doesn't you are not on a proper dose. The aim is a TSH of 1 or below or even suppressed but most doctors mistakenly believe that getting the TSH 'somewhere' in the range is fine, when in fact it might be too high for many of us as the top of the 'range' is around 5.
This is a good article and doctors who were trained before the blood tests were introduced as 'perfect' used the patients' clinical symptoms and prescribed accordingly. It was natural dessicated thyroid hormones then also called NDT.
Looking at your previous post with BH T plus 11 test results.
Are you now supplementing B12 and vitamin D ?
They were both extremely low
We need (esp with Hashimoto's) very good levels of B12, vit D, folate and ferritin for thyroid hormones to be able to do their stuff well.
When supplementing vitamin D, you could/should also add magnesium as well as k2.
Selenium is recommended to help reduce antibodies
Adopting a 100% gluten free diet may also really help improve reduce symptoms and can also helps lower antibodies too.
Coeliac society website has lots of info and recipes, on going GF as well as vast electronic directory of GF foods (this directory only available to members -£24,yr)
Lots of good GF breads now available. M&S do couple of very nice brown loaves, plus tasty crisp breads. Date and walnut one is lovely.
Thank you so much for the information - more to add to the bedtime reading list! Yes, I am now supplementing B12 (5000mcg), Vit D (7.5), selenium (100), magnesium (250mg), iron (50 mg)+vit c (1000) and K2 (50). Are these quantities ok?
Re gluten free - I'm waiting for the next blood test to see what difference Levo+supplements make. I have no gluten sensitivity symptoms and reeeaaally don't want to go gluten free.
I had absolutely no symptoms either.....and like you didn't want to do it. 23 years of hell (See my profile for more) but now I have taken the plunge...I feel so so much better and it has been so easy. Even eating out not a problem (I do ring ahead just to check if not sure) the most difficult has been if going to eat at freinds or family (as i don't want to appear to fuss)
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