Thyroid Probs

[Tatum03878]

Hi Everyone, I'm 39 years old and have Hashimotos. I was diagnosed a year and a half ago and still don't feel great! Been on levothyroxine and my tsh goes from .01-4.0. Keep changing dosage but nothing works yet. Thinking of taking at night instead of morning. What do y'all think?

[galathea]

Have always taken mine at night...... Try it, it may be better for you....

How much levo are you taking?

[shaws Administrator]

I think your doctor knows little if all he/she does is adjust your dose according to the TSH level.

Considering that our TSH changes throughout the 24 hours of the day, you'd get a different result each time! They seem to be unaware of this 'phenomenon'.

We have to read and learn if we want to get better. We also need to be on an optimum of hormone replacements for us individually.

Your blood tests should be the earliest possible, and don't eat before it although you can drink water. Also allow 24 hours between your last dose and the test and take it afterwards. This allows TSH to be highest and that's all doctors appear to take notice of. They ignore the patients symptom and neither know any.

Levo should be taken first thing on an empty stomach with 1 full glass of water and wait about an hour before eating.

If you prefer you can take a dose at bedtime, as long as you've last eaten about 2 to 2.5 hours before. Miss this dose if having a blood test next day and take it afterwards and you can continue taking bedtime dose as usual the same day.

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Suggest you ask GP to check levels of vitamin d, b12, folate and ferratin. These all need to at good (not just average) levels for thyroid hormones to work in our cells.

Make sure you get the actual figures from tests (including ranges - figures in brackets). You are entitled to copies of your own results. Some surgeries make nominal charge for printing out. Alternatively you can now ask for online access to your own medical records. Though not all surgeries can do this yet, or may not have blood test results available yet online, but all should be doing this with couple of years.

When you get results suggest you make a new post on here and members can offer advise on any vitamin supplements needed

If you can not get GP to do these tests, then like many of us, you can get them done privately

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/testin...

Blue Horizon - Thyroid plus eleven tests all these.

This is an easy to do fingerprick test you do at home, post back and they email results to you couple of days later. Usual advice on this test, is to do early in morning, no food or drink beforehand (other than water) don't take Levo in 24 hours before (take straight after).

As you have Hashimoto's then you may find adopting 100% gluten free diet may help reduce symptoms, and lower antibodies too.

Selenium also recommended to help reduce antibodies.

vitamindcouncil.org/tag/aut...

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Have you ever had a full thyroid panel? Do you know what your T3 level is?