Just had my Blue Horizon blood results back, not entirely sure if they are good or bad. I'm using Levothyroxine, 50 mg. Does my dosage need to be slightly higher as the results are looking a little low? All I know from when I first had my bloods taken at the surgery was that my TSH was 4.2.
Thank you in advance!
Thyroid Function
TSH 2.60 0.27 - 4.20 mIU/L
Free T4 14.46 12 - 22 pmol/L
Free T3 4.28 3.1 - 6.8 pmol/L
sip1 Yes, you are under medicated. The aim of a treated hypo patient is for TSH to be 1 or below or wherever it is needed for FT4 and FT3 to be in the upper part of their respective reference ranges if that is where you feel well.
Thank you SeasideSusie. I'm assuming the GP will look at that and think it's fine? Are they happy to increase the dosage when it comes back 'in range'?
I asked my dr to increase when I was in range and she told me she had the degree!!!
Oh! Meaning that she knew best, and you didn't know what you were doing sort of thing?!
Degree in what though 
I have a degree, from the University of Life, household management, money management, parenting, wife-ing (is there such a word?), first class honours too
A degree in information about the thyroid taken from the dark ages, that's what! And yes - wife-ing is a thing 
Takes a lot of patience and work to get a wife-ing degree doesn't it!
I hate these arrogant *&^%s. A degree is worth less every year. When I was at school, only 20% of the age group got 5 O levels. Now the aim is for 50% to get a degree - hmmm. All a degree means is that you spent enough time reading the books and doing the essays/practicals to pass. Anyone can read books and study. How does she know you haven't got a degree in biochemistry, for example?
My daughter has a biochemistry degree and a PhD ! Doesn't pretend to know more about my health than I do
Sip1,
The goal of Levothyroxine is to restore the patient to euthyroid status. For most patients that will be when TSH is 1.0 or lower with FT4 in the upper range. FT4 needs to be in the upper range in order that sufficient T3 is converted. Read Treatment Options in thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/about_... Email louise.roberts@thyroiduk.org.uk if you would like a copy of the Pulse article to show your GP.
Thank you Clutter. Is it a case of increasing the dosage, and will my GP even agree to that if it's all 'in range'?
Sip1,
No idea what your GP will agree to but a valid argument to being told that 2.6 is within range so you can't have a dose increase would be to counter with "so is 0.27 and I would probably feel much better with a dose increase delivering higher FT4 and FT3 and lower TSH."
Thank you. I've pretty much decided I'm going to increase by 25 mg and see how I feel, and then have the blood test at the docs and tell them. If I feel better, then they can tell me off all they want but I really couldn't care less!
sip1 You've had some great replies, nothing to add other than I especially like Ruthi's Option 1
You have two options
I would probably wait till I have my next supply and then increase it without telling the doctor that you have done so. If you improve you can go and confess, with the great news that you now feel much better. She might be cross, but if you are still in range she would be hard pressed to argue that you should go back down and suffer.
Alternatively I would suggest asking the GP for a trial raise, on the clear understanding that if it doesn't help, you'll go back to the lower dose, and then pester her for a solution!
Oh Ruthi I do like Option 1 , especially the bit about being in range, she certainly couldn't argue with that! I like your style
Option 1 was exactly what I was going to do! I'm not even going to wait, I'm due another prescription anyway - and like you say, if I'm still in range and feel better they can't argue (maybe).
The GP I see is very good actually, so he probably wouldn't mind. I did actually self treat with NDT some time ago, because I have 'chronic fatigue' and at the time my TSH was about 2.6 ish and my FT3 and FT4 was low ish. I told my doc I was self treating, and he was ok about it. It didn't make any difference with the fatigue, and I eventually decided to stop taking it altogether. The fatigue didn't get worse, so I assumed it had nothing to do with my thyroid at the time. I have however noticed 'extra' tiredness lately, and also weight gain and ridiculous hunger, so I'm thinking that may well be thyroid related. We'll find out!
I'm going to add in another 25 mg (I'm on 50 mg) and see how I feel. Does that sound about right?? I'm going to have to rely on how I'm feeling I guess until my next blood test, which is due (at the doctors) any time now really. I wanted to do my own 'proper' test before they did their rubbish one!!
Yes, 25 is the right amount to go up, although 12.5 might be enough. You need to wait at least 2 months before testing.
Hmmm yes I wonder if 12.5 would be better, although the tablet is so tiny I don't know if I'm going to successfully cut it that small?! I have a pill cutter, but even so.....
You don't need to cut the pills unless you want to. You could take 50mcg one day and 75mcg the next and this averages out to a 12.5mcg per day increase.
If you choose to cut pills you can buy pill cutters from chemists or online. My experience of them has been poor though - the usual result is an uneven cut or a pill that is crushed. Other people find ones that are good.
My preferred solution is to buy a hobby knife or scalpel with spare blades.
You want something like this - avoid oddly shaped blades :
amazon.co.uk/Silverline-456...
Unfortunately that particular scalpel is an add-on item, you can't buy it on its own.
You can take 50mcg one day and 75mcg the next day. This equals 12.5mcg increase per day.
Quite a few increase in this sort of small step as they near correct dose.
Better than trying to cut up tiny pills
How long since diagnosis? And what were your numbers then?
They told me in October that my thyroid was borderline. I only knew the TSH though then, which was 4.2 I think. Then it was retested after being on Levothyroxine for 6 weeks which came back at 1.9, and now it's 2.6 but also now I obviously know the FT3 and FT4 which is much more useful!
Right, so your TSH hasn't moved much in response to 50. I suspect you'll be fine upping by 25.
Thank you - I'll try it for a week or two and see how it goes. Is it normal to feel hungry with an underactive thyroid?! Just craving junk all the time!!!!
Craving high sugar junk food can be due to Candida
From this page
thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/testin...
"The aim of thyroxine replacement therapy is to normalise plasma TSH and to achieve a clinically euthyroid state. To obtain this, FT4 and TT4 have to be maintained at, or just above, the upper reference interval".
NB: Dr. Toft, Consultant Physician, states in the British Thyroid Foundation newsletter Issue No. 23 that normal ranges are: T4 (10 – 25) and TSH (0.15 – 3.5). He also states that "the correct dose is that which restores good health; in most patients this will be associated with a level of T4 in the blood towards the upper part of the normal range or even slightly high and a TSH level in the blood which is in the lower part of the normal range.
"Trust me I am a doctor" on BBC 2 tonight is looking at Management of thyroid issues, Prof Toft is going to be on there too.
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