Thyroid Medication Question + Hashimoto's

[Jmay88]

I am currently on WP Thyroid, similar to Armor, in the US. My free T4 is ok, but my endo wants me to lower my dose with the Free t3 reaching above the upper part of the range (range limit 4.2 and I am at 4.9). Advises me to lower it from 2 grains taken incrementally throughout the day to 1.5 grains w the addition of 25 mcg of synthetic t4 only med, Levoxyl, to ensure that my t4 does not get too low in lowering the WP Thyroid total dose. I tried the Levoxyl one day and felt horrible!! (I used to be in this med only for years and did ok until I suffered from a lot of stress in my life). I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's years ago, and I think that Levoxyl has iodine in it, which I am supposed to avoid. I would greatly appreciate it if anyone could recommend a synthetic t4 only med that does NOT have iodine in it. At this point I am still on two grains of WP Thyroid, but am taking less of it per dose throughout the day to lessen the t3 spike. Not sure if that will really lower my t3 though per blood test results. Also, how is it recommended to prepare for blood tests? I've seen mixed recommendation re that one is to not take their meds prior. I take my NDT sublingually and test 2-4 hours after I take my meds. My endo recommended that I wait at least one hour after. (I take adrenal glandulars too) Thx!!

[greygoose]

Hi jmay, it would actually be impossible to find thyroid hormone without iodine, because that's what thyroid hormone is. Every molecule of T4 contains four atoms of iodine. One atom is released every time a molecule of T4 is converted to T3, and recycled. So, WP Thyroid contains iodine, too. So, if Levoxil doesn't agree with you, it's not because of the iodine, it's just because Levoxil doesn't agree with you. Which happens. I wouldn't take it, if I were you.

When people say you shouldn't take iodine, what they mean is, EXTRA iodine, as in kelp supplements, or something like that. And, that is because you get enough iodine from your food and your thyroid hormone replacement. Any more would be over-dosing, and that's not good.

You should leave 12 hours between your last dose of WP Thyroid and your test. If you leave one hour, all you are testing is the hormone you've just taken. Not what is normally in your blood. So, that FT3 is abnormally high.

If you feel good on 2 grains, I think it would be a mistake to lower it. If you left a 12 hour gap, you might even find you need an increase in dose! And, as for the FT4, it's bound to be low when you're taking any form of T3, because the body does not need as much T4, and therefore doesn't hang on to it.

Your doctor doesn't have a very good grasp on thyroid, does he. lol