Finally advice

Hi I have lost weight recently and I am on a reduction plan of the levothyroxine so far 100m. I have just learned after many years that I should take the tabs an hour before any food meds etc. Never was told this only ever adhered to box label one per day and usually with my other meds before breakfast. So how much of the 150m was not getting through? Any ideas please?

[TJc64]

Hello , I was the same as you and for many years took my Thyroxine and had porridge with milk and several coffees. I was then told to start taking at night instead before bed . Or in the morning an hour before breakfast and no coffee. I was on 100mg . My TSH levels have consistently reduced and now I am on 25mg and 10mg T3 . I was on 50mg T4 . I have also been mostly gluten free for 2 years and now dairy free . I take all the recommended supplements . I would start taking it at night on an empty stomach and then retest in a few weeks . No one told me either !

[shaws Administrator in reply to TJc64]

Medical personnel are unaware that food interferes with the uptake of thyroid hormones.

I will say that your combination dose of 25mcg levo and 10mcg of T3 equal approx 55mcg of levo which is low to say the least. Are you well with plenty of energy?

[TJc64 in reply to shaws]

No I am not but I went to the Endocrinologist and due to a suppressed TSH of 0.02 he said that if I wanted to add T3 then I should reduce T4 from 50mg to 25 and take 10 mg of T3 . It's only been 3 days since I started this and have a lot of muscle pain and swelling in hands and ankles. I agreed to this and he gave me a prescription which cost £170 for 14 pills .

[shaws Administrator in reply to TJc64]

Did you have your blood test at the very earliest appointment, fasting (you can drink water) and did you allow a gap of 24 hours between your last dose of levo and the test? If not your results will have been skewed.

We have to have an optimum dose, gradually increased every six weeks until we have relief of clinical symptoms. We shouldn't have more additional symptoms.

I'd request a prescription for levothyroxine and increase your dose and keep your T3 for a bit later on. I'd phone and ask for a prescription for T4. I am assuming he is private as you had to pay for T3. So request your GP if you are in the UK and ask for a prescription for levo for 50mcg.

[TJc64 in reply to shaws]

Yes to the first questions. I did my last test with Blue Horizon. I did the test first thing before breakfast leaving 24 hours between. Doses of Thyroxine . I put my usual prescription in today for 50mg . The Endocrinologist will of course write to my GP . Regarding the T3 . My last results were .

TSH 0.01

T4 total 74.9

FT4 17.50

FT3 4.23 .

This was 6 weeks ago .

Vit D was insufficient otherwise all other Vits were within range . I am gluten and dairy free .

Also I supplement with selenium , Magnesium, Vit C 100mg soluble and I take Thorne Vit b complex . I did a cortisol test and my adrenals were shot to pieces producing virtually no cortisol. The Endocrinologist disregarded this . I am to contact him in 4 weeks .

[shaws Administrator]

I don't know if it would be possible to tell you. If you have a print-out of your most recent results with the ranges and post for comments. If you don't have them today put them on a new post.

[Hidden]

Thanks for the information I am down to 100mg so far but I am thinking maybe some more. I also had a vit d deficiency but now take that every day. Feeling rubbish, think there must be a withdrawal process.

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Hidden]

You probably feel rubbish because your now on too low dose of Levo

Have you been retested since dropping dose?

Why do you think you needed to reduce dose anyway?

Do you have test results for vitamin D, folate, B12 and ferritin. These are often too low then we can't use Thyroid hormones and feel mix of hyper and hypo because there's too much medication slopping around going nowhere

If you have Hashimotos then are you on strictly gluten free diet. Very many of us find it helps significantly

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to SlowDragon]

Dose is not really very dependent on weight

How much weight have you lost ?

[Hidden in reply to SlowDragon]

7 stones on a slimming world diet in just under a year

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Hidden]

Impressive weight loss.

You probably need full Thyroid and vitamin tests to see where you are. If you drop Levo dose too low the weight may pile back on.

There are weight to dose Levo calculators on the web to give approx idea. But every person is very different.

Plus your metabolism changes over time and depends on fitness too

[Hidden]

Thanks for that I will look. Appreciate the advice.