Itching/forgetfulness

[sharon_l]

Hi ive been diagnosed with an underactive thyroid smd have had it s while im in 50mg levothyroxine ive recently had really itchy skin and also have really forgetful days and brain fog, do you think its my thyroid and has anyone eles had this?

[vixvixvix]

Oh my god. Brain fog? Totally. My brain is like a sieve. I'm sorry to hear that you've got thyroid problems, but welcome to the club and you'll get the best support and help here

I've not had itchy skin, bit if it is a new development could they have switched your levo brand? You might be sensitive to certain fillers... But someone out there will probably have itchy skin, there are 300+ symptoms associated with thyroid probs.

Also, if you have been hypo for a while it might be worth getting a blood panel done just incase you are not optimally medicated and you can go from there.

[Heloise]

I don't know if it's the dry skin that is usually a symptom and causes the itchiness but coconut oil can be helpful internally or externally. Have you stayed on 50 mcgs for longer than a month or two? You really should be aiming for an increase. There are other options like NDT or addition of T3 and you also need to optimize co factors.

youtube.com/watch?v=14aoImF...(Not working as expected?)

[HLAB35]

Hello, sorry to hear you're feeling grotty. I don't know why doctors don't issue a handbook when starting levo, as there is a real art to it!

Get bloodwork done. All of the bloodwork... TSH alone doesn't accurately reflect the symptoms, because you may be struggling to convert T4 to T3.

Much of the conversion of T4 to T3 happens in the liver.

A symptom of an overworked liver is itchy skin. And the brain fog suggests that you're not converting that well.

You may not be getting nutrients in sufficient quantities to help with conversion, so make sure you're taking magnesium; B vitamins, especially B12 and folate; vitamin D; essential fatty acids; iodine etc. Also, amino acids like glycine (jelly) helps.

If you take some nutritional advice and improve your liver function, the levo may work better for you.

However, alternatively, you could be one of the significant minority of people that are genetically predisposed to struggle with t4 to t3 conversion, therefore it's important to get a full range of bloods done.

[sharon_l in reply to HLAB35]

The doctor does take a blood sample and its came back okay but now got different symptoms like I thing and forgetfulness can they give other meds rather than thyroxine?

[Heloise in reply to sharon_l]

Sharon, some people do not do well on thyroxine. If you have low cortisol and iron deficient, that won't work not matter what you take but some have gone to natural desiccated thyroid like Naturethroid and found it to work better. It contains T4 and T3 and the addition of the T3 can be very helpful. Your thyroxine only contains T4 and must convert to T3. That can be a problem. Both NDT and T3 can be ordered outside the UK. Sometimes people will just take T3 and it suits them better than the others. I've done it all ways myself.

But no one does well on 50 mcgs. only as far as I have seen here. You need to get your TSH around 1.0 and FT4 well over half way in the range. If you can get your FT3 taken, it should also be above half the range.

[sharon_l in reply to HLAB35]

I also have Gilbert's syndrome wonder if that would have an effect

[Gerispice]

Hi Sharon,

I had incredibly itchy skin and couldn't even string a sentence together because of the brain fog. Starting T3 solved these problems as I'm one of the unlucky who don't convert well. Good luck x

[HLAB35]

Interesting, so you certainly do have problems with your liver..

I've found this link:-gilbertssyndrome.com/hypoth...

If your liver is already struggling, I think that you may already have a valid reason to ask your GP to take t3.

[sharon_l]

Well had all my bloods done and it turns out its my Gilbert's syndrome causing the itching anyone with Gilbert's get itching and what do you do to help it x