Now I'm feeling like crap after new dosage and I can see why now!! New lab results 8/03/2016 just one month into new dosage...
Tsh 12.12
T3 81 (76-181) ng/dL
T4 total (thyroxine) 9.2. (4.8 -10.4 ) mcg/dL
I have never in my 36 years have had results this high in my tsh. I'm scared and my new dr put me on 125mg now. We went up. I've actually cut him off now, I went to him for a 2nd opinion and he just made me worse. I think all along I was fine but maybe at 200mg just needed it to be tweaked down a bit but I trusted him and we drastically went down. I am so beating myself up for this. And hoping with new dsg I'll get a little improvement til next labs.
I've scheduled a new appt for a new endo, Sept 1st, and will do labs again. Will this be too soon, I don't think I can go on feeling this way more then a month.
It looks like 200mcg was perfect. Perhaps a slight decrease might have improved things but that was a huge drop for no good reason.
If you were not feeling quite right on 200mcg there may be other things to look at such as serum iron, ferritin, folate, vitamin B12 and vitamin D. Lower levels of these can cause symptoms but also affect how well the body uses thyroxine. It may be that one of these needs tweaking. If you get these done, post the results on the forum as some of the reference ranges are far too low and you may benefit from supplementing. Many people with thyroid disease find they need to supplement with some or all of the above.
Anecdotal evidence suggests that some people with hypothyroidism need slightly less Levothyroxine in the summer months than in the winter months. A drop from 200mcg to 125mcg in one go is a big drop. Your doctor should have dropped your dose to 175mcg if you felt over dosed. Maybe 150mcg if you felt very overdosed. I think you should take control of your dosage. If you feel over dosed just take 25mcg less for a while and see if your symptoms improve. Keep they extra tablets for when you feel underdosed. It's your body and only you know how you feel.
In a person with a fully functioning thyroid their thyroid is constantly changing the amount of hormone it produces in response to increased activity, some infections, probably stress, and anything else affecting their body including the time of day. It isn't surprising that people like us taking a fixed dosage don't always feel their dose is right.
Sounds like a big jump. I'd get back to the doctor and tell him you're not really feeling at all good and can he raise it some more - maybe even go back to 200? Don't beat yourself up over it - just get back to him and tell him you (or both?) misjudged it.
I asked my doctor to lower my levo once. He reluctantly did, but told me he preferred to treat test results than my 'feelings'. Anyway a month later I went back and asked to be put back on my previous dose and he was fine about it. We tried it and it wasn't right. In retrospect I think I had a virus that was making me feel bad.
Humanbean I have, I will be going back to my previous endo who had me at 200mg. I went to him for a 2nd opinion, dumb mistake on my part. I see my last dr in a few weeks.
Totally agree with everyone else. There was no justification for dropping your dose like that. The man knows nothing about thyroid. And, by the way, he's doing the wrong tests! Those are the totals, and tell you nothing useful. You need your Frees to be tested - FT4 and FT3. With that TSH, your Frees were probably about mid-range. So, no wonder you feel so bad with almost half your dose taken away!
greygoose I'll be seeing my last endo in a 2weeks, I'll have to tell her what I did which will probably confuse her as to why I would go else where for a 2nd opinion. I hope she understands. I'll take the 125mg till then, as I do not want to call previous endo who isn't going to care anyways.
You're entitled to ask for a second opinion. There's nothing unusual in that. It might be embarrassing to admit that you actually agreed to his crazy plan! But we all make mistakes.
The ability to reply to this post has been turned off.
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.