Newbie - please help with blood test results as doctor wants to decrease Levo.

[annettecollins1]

This site is amazing - I have been reading your posts for a while and I am becoming much more informed. You are so supportive and helpful. Brief history - I had a TT in 2002 due to Thyroid Cancer and I have been on Levothyronine since - 100mcg for 4 days a week and 75mcg for 3. My doctor wants to lower my dose of Levo because my TSH was slightly below range and T4 above. However, these results were taken from a blood test carried out at lunchtime (having taken Levo as I didn't know it would be tested). I have osteoporosis. I wondered if I had a problem converting T4 to T3 as I still have hypo symptoms? Results as photo. Any advice will be much appreciated. Many thanks.

[shaws Administrator]

Refuse to lower your dose your bloods are fine. In fact, my personal view, having a thyroid gland. If I didn't I would want T3 added to my T4. T3 being the active thyroid hormone required in all of our cells. T4 is inactive. Read the first page of this link and you'll realise why we are complaining and needing reassurance on this forum.

web.archive.org/web/2010112...

If they took your TSH blood test every hour there would be a change as it drops throughout the 24 hour of the day, being higher early a.m.

[annettecollins1 in reply to shaws]

Thank you so much for your reply - it and the article are very helpful. Through reading comments on this website I have realised that I probably need T3 as well as T4. Many years ago I did have both but T3 was stopped after a short time. For years I have thought my Levo dose is low for someone without a thyroid - am I right in thinking that ? Also, I know people have discussed conversion from T4 to T3 - is mine OK? I have a letter to call doc so I need as much help as I can get to fight my corner . Many thanks .

[greygoose in reply to annettecollins1]

You're conversion isn't brilliant, but I've seen worse! However, if you can get hold of T3, and reduce your T4 a little, you'll probably feel better for it.

Doctors are obsessed with THS - as you've probably noticed - but it really doesn't matter how low it goes, as long as the FT3 doesn't go over range. However, be aware that if you take T3, your TSH will more than likely become suppressed, and your doctor really won't like that!

[shaws Administrator in reply to annettecollins1]

I do have a thyroid gland but I was much worse on levothyroxine and had more symptoms than before I was diagnosed with a TSH of 100.

I am on T3 only now and have no symptoms and feel well. That's the main aim of any thyroid hormones, relieve symptoms and return patient to good health.

Reading all these posts the majority seem not to reach this stage and it's down to the restrictions (my view and am not medically qualified) put up by the authorities.

[annettecollins1]

Thanks so much for your comments Shaws and Greygoose - they have made me want to ensure that my dose is not reduced even more and I think that I will need to get some T3. Doctors have never looked into why my Levo intake is on the low side and I have always asked (even though I don't have a Thyroid). Is it unusual to have a low dose and still present with high T4 and suppressed TSH? I was supplementing with B12 until about a month ago and my reading is 460 - is that OK? My Folate is also under range. I really appreciate your feedback as I have been helped so much already by reading your posts in the past.