Newbie

[Chelsee90]

Hi I am new to the forum. I am 27 years old and female and I was diagnosed Hashimotos in 2012. I currently take 25 mcg of Levothyroxine and waiting on thyroid results. I have symptoms of low stamina, poor concentration, muscle aches, constipation, feeling cold and I am wondering if I am under medicated? Thank you for reading.

[shaws Administrator]

I am really shocked if you were diagnosed in 2012 and are only taking 25mcg of levothyroxine daily! 25mcg is an incremental dose usually, unless you are very frail with a heart disease.

50mcg is start dose with increases of 25mcg until your TSH is 1 or lower. Many doctors make a huge mistake by assuming that once diagnosed and our TSH is 'in range' that is sufficient. That is definitely untrue and they are poorly trained.

I would advise a private blood test and if you wish you can do home pin-prick test and post results with ranges onto a new post for comments.

This is the procedure to follow:

When you are due a blood test, it has to be the very earliest possible, fasting (you can drink water) and allow a gap of 24 hours between your last dose and the test, and take it afterwards.

This helps keep the TSH at its highest as that seems to be the only results doctors take notice of and may adjust our dose unnecessarily.

With regard to the TSH we are looking for a TSH of 1 or below.

Many doctors believe that if it is 'anywhere' in the range that we are now on sufficient dose. That might be o.k. if we don't have hypothyroidism and have no problem with our thyroid gland..

Request the GP to test B12, Vit D, iron, ferritin and folate as deficiencies can also give symptoms.

Always get a print-out of your blood test results, with the ranges as labs differ and ranges make it easier to comment.

If you've had a recent blood test, request a copy (and do so from now on) and post the results with the ranges on a new post.

[Chelsee90 in reply to shaws]

Thanks for reply, I had a thyroid blood test which included TSH, Free T4 and Free T3 3 weeks ago. Thyroid antibodies were done 7 months ago and I have had B12, folate, ferritin and vitamin D done last month. The thyroid test was done fasting, I left 24 hours between the dose and blood draw and early morning.

[shaws Administrator in reply to Chelsee90]

Put them on a new post with the ranges for comments.

[Chelsee90 in reply to shaws]

Thanks I will post them when I know what they are.

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Have you only ever been on 25mcg or has dose been up and down?

[Chelsee90 in reply to SlowDragon]

Dose has been up and down