overmedicated

[ABVI]

HI I have been unwell since April was tested and was being over medicated, I went down to 100mg in mid August and am feeling much better but have ongoing stomach issues - gas and hearburn mainly, and occasional flare ups with weak muscles, some pain in thyroid and some shortness of breath. My levels are now normal apparently and TSH levels are now up and approaching normal and I am generally much much better but muscles still very tense and stomach still not right and still losing hair. I have just started eliminating coffee, alcohol, fizzy drinks, chocolate, mint and reducing gluten which seems to be helping and am having thyroid scan next week. Is there anything else I can do to help myself as my GP seems mystified by my symptoms. Am going to ask to be referred to endocrinologist but from posts here that does not necessarily seem helpful!

[Clutter]

Welcome to the forum, ABVI.

It helps members to advise if you post your thyroid results with the ranges (the figures in brackets after results).

[Marz]

What do you call normal results ? If you have copies of your latest tests results with ranges it would help members to comment if you could post them.

Reducing gluten will not help to heal the gut - as it is important to be completely gluten free for good results - and yes it can take a long time.

Have you had your B12 - VitD - Ferritin - Folate tested ? - and do you have the results ? They all need to be optimal for your thyroid meds to work well and for you to feel good.

Are you taking any other medications in addition to the T4 ?

[ABVI]

HI at work at the moment but will post latest test results - I meant they are now within normal range (apart from TSH which I had not realised had been low for the last 18 months). Will request tests for vits. I don't take any other meds apart from levothyroxine. Been hypo for about 5.5 years and been fine up till now only since April been feeling horrible and tests showed I was being over medicated.

[greygoose in reply to ABVI]

Having a low TSH does not mean you're over-medicated, unless your FT3 is over-range.

Once you are on thyroid hormone replacement, the TSH is irrelevant, as long as it doesn't go high. It doesn't matter how low it goes. Unfortunately, doctors don't understand this.

The TSH doesn't make you feel anything. It's the high or low T3 that causes symptoms. Was your FT3 over-range?

[Clutter in reply to greygoose]

GG,

High FT4 also counts as over medication. I felt terribly ill when I was over replaced with FT4 > 35.0.

[greygoose in reply to Clutter]

Just because doctors count it as such, doesn't mean it is. What was your FT3 when your FT4 was over 35? You probably weren't converting well and your FT3 was low, Or, your FT3 was also over-range, and that was making you feel bad.

However, as the OP doesn't give her results, we're only guessing, aren't we.

[Clutter in reply to greygoose]

GG,

It was nothing to do with what doctors say, I related my personal experience which is that high FT4 made me very unwell. FT3 was mildly over range 7.59 (3.2-6.2). FT3 dropped into range after a 25mcg dose reduction but FT4 remained >30 for 7 months despite further reductions. Once FT4 was in range FT3 dropped below. I've subsequently over medicated T3 and had FT3 8.4 without feeling over medicated.

[greygoose in reply to Clutter]

OK

[Joesmum in reply to Clutter]

Hello Clutter,

I know this is an old thread but I'm very interested in what you said about being overmedicated with a raised FT4 level and feeling utterly dreadful ( as I would imagine)

But then being slightly overmedicated with raised FT3 levels and not feeling dreadful.

Is there anyway you can try and explain this to me?

I'm wondering from a personal pesrspective you see. I don't seem to feel well when both my FTs are high in range. Not over range just High in range and yet I have had an FT3 over range with a just below mid FT4 and felt fine!?

Any thoughts..?

Thanks.

[Clutter in reply to Joesmum]

Joesmum,

I can't explain why I felt bad with FT4 over range but not when FT3 is over range. It's just what I felt.

If you don't feel well with FT4 high in range you probably need a T4+T3 combination so that you can have FT4 mid range with FT3 high in range.

[Joesmum in reply to Clutter]

Thanks for the reply Clutter.

[Clutter in reply to ABVI]

ABVI,

Normal range is very broad which is why it is important to know the results and where in range the results are. As Greygoose said, low TSH will not make you feel over medicated and does not mean you are over medicated as long as FT4 and FT3 are within range. It is high FT4 &/or FT3 which make you feel over medicated. Having said that, if you feel better on a reduced dose it is likely you were over medicated whether or not it was reflected in your results.

[ABVI in reply to Clutter]

hI Sorry for confusion as mentioned will post most recent results (which dr says are within normal range) later. I meant my previous results showed FT3 and FT4 as slightly out of average range 24.4 or something from memory. My TSH has been low for a while - that is separate to the overmedication thing

[ABVI in reply to ABVI]

As mentioned before for last 5 years have been fine on levothyroxine and no adverse symptoms so just not used to analysing the results or what different things mean for different symptoms - all I know is I was feeling very rubbish with overmedication symptoms and now feel better but still not well.

[ABVI]

Just found results of test on June 2016

Serum free T4 level 24.6 pmol/L 10.5 - 24.5pmol/L

Graph

Serum TSH level 0.33 mU/L 0.27 - 4.2mU/L

Latest test results

October 2016

Serum free T4 level 17.7 pmol/L 10.5 - 24.5pmol/L

Graph

Serum TSH level 3.04 mU/L 0.27 - 4.2mU/L

As mentioned I feel better - just not well