Well wasn’t it just grand to be diagnosed with borderline hypothyroidism just as I became 65 in May last year… hence my username! I could not believe it, I had no outward symptoms. I had only gone to the Doctor because I’d had a course of antibiotics for a cat bite and ended up with a furry tongue that refused to clear up so I was sent for a blood test. I had been packing for weeks full of energy and with military precision to move house at the end of May. I was prescribed 50mcg Levothyroxine and told to see my new GP in three months. By July my head was getting foggy, my legs would buckle with weakness as I got out of a car. My hip became so painful I limped. I ached all over as if I were 105 years old. End of July into August I would sit like a zombie unable to focus on things to do. Sometimes I would be naughty and not take a tablet. On those days I could focus and function and I realised it was the tablets that made me feel so weird in the head. I began to feel suicidal, crying a lot, crying even as I woke up in the mornings. It did not matter to me that I had three wonderful daughters and three grandchildren. I wanted to die. At the end of August my husband rang Shropdoc. I was on the brink. I was offered Prozac but I refused. It was now the end of the three months and I went to see my new GP. I begged that I could stop taking the Levo. The doctor said he couldn’t understand why my previous Doctor had started me off at 50mcg. I fought my corner. I had no symptoms of hypothyroidism so he agreed to let me stop the Levo. Within a week or two I was bouncing around like a spring lamb and functioning as my normal happy, positive self. By December symptoms were actually beginning to kick in, tiredness, fatigue, thumping heartbeat, breathless. You can imagine my reluctance to go back on Levo but I did at 25mcg. It just wasn’t enough to be told my TSH was okay or normal, keep taking the tablets. I wanted to know what was going on in my body, I never wanted to feel suicidal on Levo again so I saw a private Doctor in London at the end of January this year. The main things that stood out in the blood results were:
ESR 24 (mm/hr 1 – 20)
Active B12 254 ( pmol/L 25.1 – 165.0)
Immunology
Intrinsic Factor antibodies 8.1 ( U/ml Normal: <6 U/ml)
Thyroid Antibodies
Thyroglobulin Antibody 138.4 ( IU/ml 0 – 115 )
Cortisol
Sample 1. Post Awakening 35.60 (7.45 – 32.56)
Sample 2. +4-5hours. 11.96 (2.76 – 11.31)
Sample3. .. 18.37 (1.38 – 7.45)
Sample4. Prior to sleep 2.99 (0.83 – 3.86)
T3: T4 Ratio 0.29 (0.50 – 2.00)
Iodine (Urine) 243 (100 – 199)
The private doctor gave me Adrenal Support. Natural Glandular 100mg. Three capsules daily. DHEA 25mg, one capsule daily and Serotone 5HTP 100mg, two capsules at night. I stopped the DHEA after a few weeks as I broke out in spots on my face and head. I have felt happy, energetic and focused. I did not realise how ‘wired’ I was until the Natural Glandular kicked in. Now I’m chilled! I have gone at my own pace increasing the dosage of Levo. I’m now on 75mcg. My GP took a copy of my blood results. She was very interested. She can’t do much for me but at least she listens and is sympathetic.
I’m due another telephone consultation at the end of June with the Private Doctor. I know he will want me to have another blood test but I shall turn to Blue Horizon for that.
I worry what hypothyroidism has in store for me in the future. How much Levo is enough? Will I get more symptoms as time goes on that Levo can’t fix? I read daily on your forum, I think I’d be a basket case if I hadn’t found you so from the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH. xx
My Story
Cellular hypothyroidism v glandular hypothyroidism. A Paper.
Can I ask for some advice on my test results?
Blood test results - advice please
