Hello everyone
I'm newly diagnosed (yesterday) and feel shocked ! Assumed my feeling crap and zombie like was due to depression and anemia- wasn't expecting this!!! I feel like poo when will I start to feel human again I'm on 50mg Levo but also taking sertraline nearly one year!
Tia
Welcome to our forum Karin.
You say you've been on sertraline for a year but if I was a betting woman, I'd suspect that you actually were undiagnosed hypo!
You should have a blood test around every six weeks with an increase of 25mcg levo until you are symptom free. Many doctors stop increasing if TSH is within range but it should be around 1 or lower for us to feel reasonably well.
Levo should be taken first thing with one glass of water and wait for about an hour before eating. Food can interfere with the uptake of hormones.
Blood tests should be fasting although you can drink water and the earliest possible appointment. Allow about 24 hours between your dose of levo and the test.
Also ask for B12, Vit D, iron, ferritin and folate to be tested as well and always get a print-out of your results for your own records and you can post if you have a query.
Thank you I will when I return in Nov for my next blood test and good to know re eating as I ate
Straight after this morning - would that include black tea ?
I'd only take water and leave sufficient time for the hormones to be digested in your stomach. Milk and Coffee should also be avoided at the same time as taking levo.
Hello me again
I thought it might be a good idea after reading through all these posts to visit a specialist endocrinologist thru my health care so I was told to get my GP to write a referral - she seemed to be not in 100% agreement- but it thought this was Way I could be thoroughly tested for the things you mentioned! Why are the GP not 'up for' you seeking further medical advice when it isn't their specialty? Am I doing the right thing ?
As it is deemed 'easy' to treat patients with a dysfunction of their thyroid gland, it is assumed doctors can treat us as equally well as Endocrinologists. Even some Endos don't come up to scratch and a number of members have been very disappointed and more if they've paid good money which is really wasted as they don't get any further help/advice through their appointment.
You can also take Levo at bedtime, if that suits you better. But again no food or drink other than water after. And needs to be at least 2 hours after food (longer after a feast)
There is some research to say it might also work better (for some of us anyway)
verywell.com/should-i-take-...
Also ask GP to test thyroid antibodies. 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.)
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.
When you get results suggest you make a new post on here and members can offer advice on any vitamin supplements needed
If you have Hashimoto's then you may find adopting 100% gluten free diet can help reduce symptoms, and lower antibodies too.
Ask to have your thyroid antibodies tested to check for Hashimotos thyroditis. They won't have tested for it. Very important.
Then let us know the results.
Also if T4 alone doesn't help research Natural Dessicated Thyroid. This gives all the T's that we need.
Mary Shomon has good books to read.
Dr Datis Khazzarian is fab and has a website and brilliant books.
Kriss Kresser website.
You need to research to make yourself well as sadly GP's knowledge on thyroid matters are limited!
Anti depressants are such an easy way out for the dr. The way you feel I guarantee is due to your thyroid. Get medicated properly and come off them. I was left on for 7 years and all along it was my thyroid.
OMG !
Thanks everyone / you have been very kind in replying and also helpful! But omg what a minefield ! So much to learn, know, investigate!! I'm feeling very overwhelmed. I can't remember what it is to feel good, well, alive. Roll on next blood test.
I hope everything goes smoothly for you as most of the members on this site have had to read and learn in order to improve their health.
I'M New
I'm not new 
Hi, I'm new..
Hi I'm new on this site.
I'm beyond depressed
