Struggling to talk !!

[19mags66]

Hi ,

Been on Levothyroxine 50mg for nearly 3 month. Symptoms coming back like tiredness , feet killing when walking , no weight loss , constipation , hair loss etc etc.

Past 5 week I have been struggling with talking ( unusual for a woman 😀) Get into a conversation and my voice tone lowers , finding it harder to get words out. To me I sound like tone lowers, too others I sound hourse. Really annoying is this to do with thyroid. ??

I am booked in next week for bloods but have read not to take mess night before. My doctor says I must take them up to having bloods that morning, what's right way ???

Many Thanks for response,

Mags

[JJ2202]

Hi my voice lowers too when I talk without me realising so I know the feeling. My endo is adamant my symptoms are not thyroid and I have similar ones to you. I hope you get the answers you need and that you feel better soon. x

[19mags66 in reply to JJ2202]

Thanks JJ 😀 just fed up of not feeling my normal self, since being diagnosed think I've took a nose dive. I was always on the go , now it's no- go . Just cannot get that momentum, and well forgetting things OMG it's worrying lol x

[shaws Administrator in reply to 19mags66]

50mcg of levo is a starting dose and should be increased by 25mcg every six weeks (after blood tests) until your TSH is 1 or lower and you feel well.

Some people do complain of a hoarse voice and it might be the thyroid gland is a bit swollen. I am not medically qualified but if it goes on get GP to refer you for an examination on your gland. I'll give you a list of symptoms which you can tick off and then as your dose is increased they should gradually resolve.

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

If GP hasn't tested B12, Vit D, iron, ferritin and folate. All have to be optimum - not just somewhere in the range.

[19mags66 in reply to shaws]

Looking at my bloods test all it says is TSH and NTSH . This is for Wednesday 30th.

[shaws Administrator in reply to 19mags66]

You should request a print-out of the results which should include the tests done and the numbers with the ranges.

[19mags66 in reply to shaws]

I got that last time , really do not understand it ATM . So do not understand the medical jargon. Was my boss that told me what to ask for when going for blood tests. As I had underactive for years on and off. Just knew something was not right. My boss had her thyroid taken out and she self medicates with live pigs thyroid . She says doctors have no idea about thyroid and can be quite ignorant .

[shaws Administrator in reply to 19mags66]

Your boss is right and the fact that there are over 60,000 on this forum alone, speaks for itself.

When you get your blood tests with the results, put them on a new post and members will comment on them.

[19mags66 in reply to shaws]

Aww thanks will post results x

[shaws Administrator in reply to 19mags66]

Also put the ranges and these are the figures in brackets after the results.

[shaws Administrator]

50mcg of levothyroxine is a starting dose and you should have had a blood test after six weeks with an increase of 25mcg and so on until you are symptom free and TSH 1 or below.

For us to get the best possible result is to have the very earliest possible blood test appointment, fasting (you can drink water) and allow a gap of 24 hours between last dose and test and take levo afterwards. This system benefits us, the patient, as doctors are apt to stop increasing once the TSH is 'somewhere' in the range when it should be 1 or below. few doctors seem aware of this fact.

If you take levothyroxine before the blood test your results will be skewed. Few doctors know much about testing/diagnosing.

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

19mags66 You will get patient to patient tips here on the forum, from members with hundreds of years of experience of living with thyroid disease between them. Your doctor had, most likely, a few hours tuition in med school at best, is probably not hypothyroid, doesn't know what it feels like, and worships the god TSH because he has been told to.

So, when having thyroid tests, the advice we always give (and some enlightened doctors actually do, but they are few and far between):

1) Book the earliest appointment of the morning

2) Fast overnight (you can have water)

3) Leave off Levo for 24 hours

This gives the highest possible TSH which is needed when looking for an increase in dose or to avoid a reduction. It also gives the exact same conditions if you follow this advice for every test, then you can compare results accurately.

TSH is highest in the morning and it lowers during the day, and eating lowers TSH.

[19mags66 in reply to SeasideSusie]

Thanks, I've got into the habit of waking around 4am as I get up for work at 5.10 , whoa bitide not having my morning black coffee.

So it's better to not take it that morning?? My app is not till 17.30pm ??

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to 19mags66]

A 5.30pm appointment will do you no good at all, your TSH will be at it's very lowest and any hope of an increase could well go flying out of the window. You really, really need to cancel that appointment and make an early morning one, 9am at the latest. And for that appointment, change the time of your meds so that you leave close to 24 hours between your dose of Levo and the blood draw.

[19mags66 in reply to SeasideSusie]

Thanks , I'm struggling finding a place ATM everywhere seems booked up. Only time I can get in , in when my meds run out . Not good . Place I work I just can't walk out . But will see if I can get a AM app. Thank you for info . Much appreciated .

[JJ2202 in reply to 19mags66]

I am the same, if I need an early morning blood test I need to book the whole day off work just for it. I catch a private bus to work and if I miss the bus I can't get to work! Nightmare!

[19mags66 in reply to JJ2202]

Thing is soon as you mention levothyroxine to surgeries elsewhere they have an available slot , mind boggles , never when u want it. But a lot of surgeries now do not take bloods. Not good for full time workers that could go after work .