Hi am a newbie ,unfortunately I have been prescribed Levo for under active thyroid.I work as a health &social care worker but never had much knowledge of he condition ,I really don't what to make of it.Been feeling tired & not myself for a while .Only been on it for a week ,but feeling better.I suffered very bad depression causing nasty thoughts ,I do hope the medication will help things .
Try not to worry, there are many clinical symptoms of hypothyroidism but if you have a sympathetic doctor hopefully he/she will be knowledgeable.
Our Thyroid Gland is one of the most important as it's hormones drive our whole metabolism from head to toe.
Levothyroxine also known as T4 is inactive and it's job is to convert to T3, which is the active hormone and levo is raised gradually so that the patient begins to feel better. The dose of levothyroxine you take today takes about six weeks to leave your system and that's why blood tests are done around every six weeks are done initially with an increase in dose, usually about 25mcg of levo each time.
Your GP should also test your B12, Vit D, iron, ferritin and folate as we can be deficient and they can also cause clinical symptoms.
Our Brain and heart in particular as well as the billions of receptor cells which need T3 converted from levothyroxine (T4).
Blood tests have to be at the very earliest, fasting (you can drink water) and allow a gap of 24 hours between your last dose of levo and the test and take it afterwards. This prevents your results being skewed and unnecessary adjustments in your dose.
Bad thoughts are not unusual as you feel very unwell and don't quite know what's going on with your body.
I shall give you a list of symptoms and the aim of levothyroxine is to bring your TSH to 1 or lower. Some doctors mistakenly believe anywhere in range is fine but it isn't so be aware that it should be 1 or lower.
thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/about_...
If GP hasn't tested for thyroid antibodies ask for these as well as B12, Vit D, iron, ferritin and folate too. All have to be optimum.
Always get a print-out from the surgery of your results with the ranges. Labs differ so we need the ranges in order to comment.
thanx for your words very helpful .
Hi Hidden
Glad you are feeling a bit better. Takes a bit of time for the T3 hormones to percolate through to where it is needed (pretty much everywhere, hence the massive symptoms list) and when you go back for your blood retesting in around 6-8 weeks you might need another dose increase. It can take time to get the titration right, I think it took about just over 2 years for me but I'm one of the lucky ones that can tolerate the T4 monotherapy and can now (with a few supplements) go to the gym three times a week without conking out afterwards with exhaustion to do weightlifting and long, slow cardio....and slowly oh so slowly the large waistline is decreasing and my mood is lifted. 
In fact I'm now more likely to conk out on the days I don't go to the gym but a quick brisk walk sorts that out.
The nasty thoughts and depression are horrid and debilitating and as Shaws says can be part of this condition but it will get better. I had terrible morbid thoughts about death and dying and all that is part of that subject. I cannot tell you what a weird time that was, I filled up my Kindle with so many books on the pros and cons of the death penalty, how crematoriums work, is there an afterlife, methods of mediaeval executions (good grief!) etc.etc.........ghastly stuff! All that has gone now but I'm left with enough knowledge to go on Mastermind! 
This is a condition where it is important to understand what is going on and many of us recommend Barry Durrant-Peatfield's book Your thyroid and how to keep it healthy as a good starting point.
This is such a great help site, so much help if you need it or want to share your woes or worries and happy things! Plenty of sympathetic ears are here, so welcome!
Thanx spongecat thought I was going mad !! so glad to hear some one else went through the same know what you mean also feeling so tired thank God it is soonest mended
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