Am I on right dosage?

[StarBegum]

Hi I am new on here and have been following posts and reading peoples comments. I was diagnosed with am underactive thryroid nearly 6 years ago after the birth of my son. It was so bad that I literally kept falling asleep and not having any bowel movements. I started off with 150mcg Levo and over time I have come down to 125mcg. I think over the past two yrs I have felt my health deteriorate with many other symptoms esp acges and pains, numbness, brain fog, slow reactiom, swallowing problems and a burning tongue problem. Currently docs have out me on iron and vit d tablets and have stated my b12 levels are fine. A while back I asked my doctor what my levels where and he stated the following:- Tsh- 0.76 T4- 14.1

I am on 125mcg and I honestly dont feel right...I have gained a lot of weight which had initially dropped when I was on 150mcg and many other symptoms which I mentioned earlier. A while back I stopped taking my meds to try out something natural and I feel that knocked my thyroid off balance!! Went on to 150mcg and doc said my levels are fine and I should not have done that so back to 125mcg. Anyways if anyone can help much appreciated.

[bluebug]

You need to find out the ranges of your Thyroid hormone results. Personally your T4 level looks low so if 150mcg made you feel OK then it was the right dose. Unfortunately doctors don't go on symptoms but on test results.

In addition if you have never had these tests done you need to get your ferritin, folate, vitamin D and vitamin B12 levels tested.

I suggest you go back to the doctor and say you feel unwell. If the doctor insists your thyroid hormones are OK then demand that you get your ferritin, folate, vitamin D and vitamin B12 levels tested as hypothyroid patients are often deficient in one or more of these which makes you feel terrible.

Please read this link and make sure you understand it so you can be assertive with the doctor - thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/diagno... (Please note Thyroid UK is a recommended charity on NHS Choices so you can say that to the doctor)

Once you have had the tests get a COPY of the results and ranges. This should be free or a few pence if you get them within days of the results coming out. If the receptionist is difficult state clearly you want the a copy of the results with ranges for your own health records and it is your legal right under the Data Protection Act 1998. If the receptionist is still difficult come back here immediately and start a new thread so you can get advice on how to get the practice to comply with the law.

Once you have the results post a new thread with the results AND ranges so people can advise you.

[StarBegum in reply to bluebug]

I will book an appointment and get my bloods taken again. I have asked to be referred to an endo but I have so many other issues they only seem to do a referral at a time. I recall my vit d and iron levels being low hence i am taking tablets for that. I think range was 10-22 and 0-5. I will do a new post once I get results. Many thanks.

[StarBegum in reply to StarBegum]

Just checked the range as follows

Tsh 0.3 -5

T4 12-22

[StarBegum]

Hi eljii I am on 125mcg. I personally dont think the levo is absorbing as it should plus I am getting really bad gut issues!

[bluebug in reply to StarBegum]

If you have gut issues then you won't be absorbing your nutrients and even if you supplement your nutrient levels won't rise at a good pace.

Do you have a formal diagnosis for your gut? If not, I would look into changing your diet to a gluten free low carb high fat diet as you could have leaky gut.

[StarBegum in reply to bluebug]

No I am seeing a Colon specialist due to fissures and piles which I feel have been affected due to the gut issues. I will ask if they deal.with that area or if i need a seperate referral

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Would be a good idea to know if you have Hashimoto's, have you had thyroid antibodies checked?

There are two sorts TPO Ab and TG Ab. (Thyroid peroxidase and thyroglobulin) Both need checking, if either, or both are high this means autoimmune thyroid - called Hashimoto's, the most common cause in UK of being hypo.

NHS rarely checks TPO and almost never checks TG. NHS believes it is impossible to have negative TPO and raised TG. It's rare, but not impossible, there are a few members on here that have this.

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

Vitamin and minerals levels are very important, but standard NHS thinking, doesn't at the moment seem to recognise this. You will see, time and time again on here lots of information and advice about importance of good levels of B12, folate, ferritin and vitamin D, leaky gut and gluten connection to autoimmune Hashimoto's too.

chriskresser.com/the-gluten...

drgominak.com/vitamin-d-hor...

Thyroidpharmacist.com

[StarBegum in reply to SlowDragon]

Ferritin is 12 previously 8

Vit D 21 previously 17.5

FBC normal

ESR 20

Thyroid function normal

CRP less than 1

ANA negative

Thyroid peroxidase antibodies strongly positive

A report from my rheumatologist!

[bluebug in reply to StarBegum]

Has any doctor recommended and prescribed treatment for your ferritin and vitamin D levels?

Also with vitamin D what have they prescribed? As if they are not prescribing you something like 60,000IU-70,000IU of D3 per week for 8-12 weeks then they are not treating you properly.

[StarBegum in reply to bluebug]

My rheumatologist did ask to put me on 10,000 IU for 6 weeks and then follow on with normal however my docs hasnt done this. I am on D3 tabs of which vitamin d is 400 IU the other i take is ferrous fumerate. I think best bet would be to see an endo!

[bluebug in reply to StarBegum]

Since your GP is a cheap fool you need to take control yourself and buy your own tablets as by the time you get your endo appointment you could have easily got your vitamin D levels up.

At the moment where I live you are in the severely deficient category and waiting around to see if an endo will prescribe it is putting your health at risk.

In addition there is no guarantee that the endo would follow the same protocol as the rheumatologist as even if they are in the same hospital depending where they trained and who they know they can go by different prescribing guidelines.

Go on to Amazon and buy 10,000IU Solgar vitamin D3 softgels and take one every day. When my level was lower than yours I had to take 10,000IU per day for 12 weeks and my level was still insufficient which is under 75nmol/L. So if you need to buy more than 6 weeks supply just buy them.

You want to get your level around but preferably slightly over 100nmol/L. Once you have finished them get a blood test via City Assays. Then start a new thread and report your test result.

[StarBegum in reply to bluebug]

Thank you for that. I will book an appointment with gp and remind them that they were meant to put me on a higher dose.

[Treepie in reply to StarBegum]

You have Hashimotos and as Slow Dragon says going gluten free may help.I have fissures but not gut issues that I am aware of ,I am not gluten free but found getting the vitamins up helped.