I started on 125 mg of Levothyroxine 3 weeks ago returning for more bloods in 3 weeks time while I wait to see an endocrinologist. Suffering really low energy levels, I am lucky if I make it to 3 oclock without crashing and needing a sleep.
Feels like I have a permanent sore throat and soreness in hands and feet along with cramping.
I have seen a lot of exclusion diets recommended so have ordered food intolerance tests instead.
Extremely dry skin which no amount of cream helps
Any advice would be welcomed.
thanks
Jill
Written by
Jill35
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
Am not surprised you are feeling exhausted and needing an afternoon sleep. Your thyroid is really struggling and am guessing your GP put you on 125mcg as a matter of urgency? Your high thyroid antibody test shows that your body has been attacking your thyroid which is why your thyroid is now struggling. I am not a medic but this indicates that you have Hashimosis -which is an autoimmune condition when the body attacks the thyroid. Some people find that a gluten free diet helps the antibodies to decrease so it's definitely worth a try.
Your GP should request a blood test in another three weeks to check your thyroid levels to see if the dose you are on needs increasing. This is likely.
Am afraid it is a slow gradual process as your doc should not increase the thyroid hormones too quickly as your body needs time to readjust. In the meantime I'm afraid you will have symptoms of tiredness and sign like very dry skin. You may well have other indicators if you look on thyroid Uk website you will find a symptom checker. You will need to give yourself time to recover as it will take time to get your thyroid hormones more balanced and for you to feel better.
Thyroid UK have a great book list on their site as reading up as much as you can is helpful.
Lastly I would ask your GP to check your iron, ferritin, B12 and vitamin D levels. These are frequently low in an under active thyroid. We need these levels to be optimal to maximise the uptake of the levothyroxine.
Your dosage is mcg or mg. According to your report is hypothyroidism. If you still have healthy thyroid gland. You can try in many natural ways to help your hypo issues. Then do the bloodtest again take care.
Given the levels of your TSH and antibodies, it is clear that you have Hashimoto Thyroiditis. On your next blood tests, you should get tested for FT3 along with TSH and FT4 as that would show whether your thyroid meds are working or not. You would also need to check your ferritin, B12, Vitamin D and Folate levels as a bare minimum.
You would need a lot of supplementing (which can be determined after you have tested for above and shared the results here) but in the meantime should consider taking a quality Selenium pill 200mcg/day to help bring down the antibodies aswell as a good B-Complex vitamin pill a day such as Thorne/Jarrow to help with the thyroid function. But remember to take any supplement at least 4 hours after taking your thyroid meds.
Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them.
Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.