Hello

[Tiredteach]

Hi everyone. I'm new here and have just been diagnosed with Hashimotos thyroiditis. Reading all your posts, I can see that I'm not alone in dealing with ignorant gps! I started feeling awful about 9 months after my mum died suddenly in Jan 2015. I went to my doc who prescribed me an anti depressant, which I threw in the bin! Again I went in July 2016, this time to be told I was low in vit d. The fatigue, hair loss, weight gain and feeling cold were getting worse. Ofte the fatigue would floor me in the middle of the morning at work (no mean feat when teaching kids) so I went back in March 2017. The doc said I sounded hypothyroid so ordered a multitude of tests. NhS thyroid function test (march 2017):

Tsh - 3.5

T4 - 10.9

He didn't even call me to tell me. When I called the surgery they said all was fine. But I wasn't fine- I still had awful symptoms!! I ordered a blood test from blue horizon medical as I'd read that antibodies should also be tested and the doc wouldn't do it- said no need!

Blue horizon test (may 2017):

Tsh - 5.7 (0.27 - 4.2)

T4 13.4 (12 - 22)

T3 - 4.1 (3.1 - 6.8)

Tpo- 63 (<34)

Tgb - 623 (<115)

The analysis also said B12 was low at 238.(no REF range)

I took these results to gp who said that I had hashimotos and prescribed 25mcg of levothyroxine. That was it!! I've had to read all about this condition by myself and look for things I can do to help heal myself.

Sorry for the ranty intro 😁

I'm just glad that I'm no longer alone.

[Treepie]

You should have another blood test in 6-8 weeks. The aim should be to have TSH at 1 or below and FT4 and FT3 above half way in the range. The dose you have been given is a start dose .

You should supplement B12 in methylcobalamin form and Bcomplex to keep the B vits in balance.

[Tiredteach in reply to Treepie]

Thank you. I have to go back at beginning of July for a blood test. How long does it take for the levothyroxine to help ease the symptoms?

[Treepie in reply to Tiredteach]

That is a tricky question.Too low a dose can make things worse as the pituitary senses the hormone you are taking and may " instruct " your thyroid to produce less.

Once on sufficient some symptoms go fast . Some of mine within a month but others took a year and some folk have symptoms for longer as it is often difficult to achieve the right balance.

[radd]

Tiredteach,

Welcome to our forum and sorry to hear you still feel so unwell.

Levothyroxine takes up to 6 weeks to initially saturate the body which will only tolerate small increases at any one time. Your doctor should retest thyroid hormone levels after 6 weeks, adjusting the dose according to results, as 25mcg Levo is a very small dose.

Leave 24 hours between last dose and blood draw and have the blood drawn early in the morning whilst fasting (water only) as this is when TSH is highest.

It is important to take your pill on an empty stomach with a glass of water, 1 hour before food, 2 hours before supplements and 4 hours before calcium, iron or Vit D supplements.

Depending on how long your hypothyroidism has remained undiagnosed, your symptoms may continue for a while, but you should start to see an improvement once you are wholly medicated. The goal of Levothyroxine is to restore the patient to euthyroid status and for most people that means TSH just above or below 1.0. Symptoms can lag behind good biochemistry by weeks//months.

People with thyroid issues often have vitamin deficiencies. Ask your GP to test Vit B12, Vit D, folate and ferritin as optimum levels are required to ensure good thyroid hormone synthesis.

Post any recent blood test results complete with ranges ( numbers in brackets) and members will comment.

A good book to read is "Your Thyroid & How To Keep It Healthy" by Dr Barry Durrant Peatfield.

As you have Hashimotos Auto immune Disease, diagnosed by elevated thyroid antibodies, another good read is "The Root Cause' by Isabella Wentz.

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Hashimotos

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/about_....

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Hypothyroidism

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/about_...

[Tiredteach in reply to radd]

Wow! Better advice than the gp gave me. Thanks

[Phoenix605]

Hi, the best advice i can give is to read up as much as you can. I have copies of excerpts from books and research papers and links given by members which I take with me to appts on my Ipad as some GPs are seriously lacking in thyroid knowledge, others are just plain wrong!

On a positive note, your GP has started treatment a lot earlier than many would, even with positive antibodies, many fob patients off until their TSH goes above 10.

He has also accepted your private results which is also uncommon so he may be open to gentle 'education'.

Beware the non words normal and fine always get your numbers and certainly initially insist on booking an appt to discuss results and plan of action - give yourself a couple of days after the results are back so you have time to post for advice and do your research. Insist on retesting every, 6-8 weeks until you are optimally medicated and feeling well, they try to save money by suggesting 3 months - I didnt know any better in the beginning and it meant it took a year to get up to 125mcg which is my optimal (🤞) I could have been feeling better months earlier. You may find that on your first test after treatment starts your numbers go a bit squirrely, my TSH jumped up and the practice pharmacist asked if I was even taking my meds, cheeky mare! Apparently, relief at getting some outside assistance can make your pituitary jump for joy , affecting TSHsecretion.

As for feeling better, it can be a bit of a rollercoaster, it took me a year. I usually felt a bit better about 10 days after a dose raise and then it gradually tailed off until the next one. On the last raise feeling better did not tail off and my numbers were good. I was still having some symptoms, fatigue and brain fog, which could not be explained but some essential vit tests showed deficiencies and putting those right has finally got me feeling in a good place. I tried 4 GPs at the practice before I found one who understood anxiety, depression and paranoia were symptoms not illnesses, so dont stick with a bad one (and yes they have all gone).

PS ranting is good for the soul (and thyroid treatment😜😜😜)

[Tiredteach in reply to Phoenix605]

Thank you so much for the great advice. Who needs a gp?! 😆

[Saggyuk in reply to Tiredteach]

Well done for throwing anti-depressants in bin, putting your foot down and getting control of it so early