I was diagnosed with Hypothyroidism last April ( 5.? TSH) and looking back feel I've been Hypothyroid for decades (now 61) with multiple miscarriages and an autoimmune response diagnosis at the time. Having a myriad of health problems relating to digestion, allergy, menstrual imbalance and depression for many years before this, not to mention fatigue, particularly related to glucose conversion, it seemed too much of a jigsaw to work out. I had a new level of fatigue after a major op, (the wall coming down!) which wouldn't go away, hence the bloods and diagnosis.
I've been having palpitations way before my diagnosis and when I mentioned this to my GP, he just dismissed it as irrelevant to Hypo symptoms (though know it isn't).
The initial 75 mcg of Levothyroxine kicked in after 3 weeks, but only partly helped, as then I felt tired and dizzy most of the time. I eventually went back to work on a phased return, then full-time with relapses and now struggling with a 4 day week - It's been a juggling act throughout getting someone to do my cleaning/shopping deliveries so I can come home and flop on the sofa.
Although the test results moved into normal range, with the help of an Endocrinologist, I convinced my GP to increase my dose to 100mcg. Again I saw some improvement in the fatigue with it taking longer to come on and now only wake up exhausted when I've been on the sugar/carbs , and the tiredness maybe takes a bit longer to come on, but am far from well getting dizzy every time I overdo it in any way and most of the other Hypo symptoms like tinnitus, cramp, coldness, joint problems, carpal tunnel (though a lot better), dry eye...not improving (only the constipation has gone) but a TSH of just above 0.
I decided to self-medicate as a trial after the test result and have been on 125mcg for about a month.
Nothing is any better (maybe taking a bit longer to get exhausted) and stools are softer (not too soft!) but the palpitations are worse and I am more anxious and more tired and wired. I'm just starting to lose weight but hardly eat anything!
I've always had spouts of anxiety/stress and can be very restless...and work at the moment is manic, so that may account for some of this.
I'm adverse to admit to my GP what I've gone, but am I getting Hyper (though still have Hypo symptoms) and if so is this dangerous?
It's obvious now that Levothyroxine only goes so far for me, but where do I go from here?
I'm scared of what the GP might put me on. Should I come off Thyroxine completely and go onto Armour or something else. I've heard Thyro-Gold is very good.
(Incidentally, I recently was seeing a very good nutritionist, who ran a stool test and found out I have a lot of nasty bacteria in my gut which needs treating and says this causes lots of bad symptoms)
Any advice welcome!
Written by
PennyH-D
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It's very difficult to help people without something to go on.
I'm curious about how you found out your vitamins and minerals were all "normal".
To give you a made-up example... Ferritin (iron stores) is often measured as part of a set of blood tests. A common reference range (what doctors call the "normal" range - a misnomer) is roughly 20 - 150 ug/L, although labs do differ.
Imagine three patients A, B, and C all have their ferritin level measured.
A has a ferritin level of 15 ug/L.
B has a level of 85 ug/L (mid-range).
C has a level of 150 ug/L.
Which patient has a normal level? Well, according to many, many doctors they all do because all the results are in the reference range. Which patient will feel best ? Probably patient B. Patient A will almost certainly feel the worst. But no, patient A will be told their tiredness, and aching, and weakness are all in their head because their blood test showed they were normal.
If Patient A was to take iron supplements and raise their ferritin level to around 85 - 100 they will feel a lot more energetic. And of course, a ferritin level of 85 - 100 is normal, so doctors can't complain about it.
There is actually a bit more to the issue of iron supplementing than that, but I'm sure you get the idea.
If you want to get a complete set of thyroid tests and the basic nutrient tests done privately it can be done with a finger-prick test. It can be ordered from here :
Both the above companies have occasional special offers, so always check the home page of each site. Also, for more info on private testing and possible discounts through Thyroid UK :
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How long is a piece of string (aka am I hyper or hypo)?
hyper to hypo and back
From Hypo to Hyper - I know this is not possible so what's going on?
Hunger - hypo or hyper
Hypo but getting hyper symptoms 
