Newbie

[Amber116]

Hi can you get fast heart rate and weak pulse when taking 50mcg levo. Diagnosed 2012 and been taking 50mcg levo since end of august thankyou

[greygoose]

The end of August was three days ago! The levo hasn't had time to do anything, yet.

[Amber116 in reply to greygoose]

Ok but I had it reduced

[greygoose in reply to Amber116]

You reduced the levo after three days?

[Amber116 in reply to greygoose]

Thankyou I was taking 200mcg levo and 20mcg T3 and felt well on this but endo did not like results and told me to reduce to 50mcg 3 days ago

[greygoose in reply to Amber116]

Your endo is an idiot! Can you post the results he didn't like, please?

[Amber116 in reply to greygoose]

TSH <0.02 mIU/L (0.2 - 4.2)

Free T4 20.3 pmol/L (12 - 22)

Free T3 5.6 pmol/L (3.1 - 6.8)

[greygoose in reply to Amber116]

OK, so he didn't like the suppressed TSH. He doesn't know very much about thyroid, does he.

Once you are on thyroid hormone replacement, the TSH is irrelevant, and it doesn't matter how low it goes. Slashing your dose like that, just because of a low TSH was sheer lunacy! Reductions in dose should be 25 mcg T4 and 5 mcg T3 at a time! Not surprised you have a high HR, your poor body doesn't know what's hit it!

And, there was no real justification for a reduction, anyway! Your FT3 was only just over mid-range, and that's the most important number! You weren't over-medicated! I should ask for a second opinion, if I were you.

In the meantime, do you still have any T3 you can add back in?

[Amber116 in reply to greygoose]

Thankyou yes I have T3 left but only 2 months of it left. Current endo has said T3 is dangerous to take and I am reluctant to see him again

[greygoose in reply to Amber116]

2 months is good. And, during that time, you can source another supply on internet. Write a new post, and ask people to PM you their trusted sources. You don't won't to make yourself ill to pacify an idiot. And, if I were you, I really wouldn't see him again!

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Amber116]

This result was fine. FT4 and FT3 both in range.

Taking T3 we are almost guaranteed to have low TSH

If you felt well, it probably didn't need reducing at all and certainly no more than 12,5 or 25mcg

You don't have to do as he advised

[Amber116]

Other symptoms are feeling cold hair loss swollen feeling eyes goitre constipation joint pain weight gain tiredness thankyou

[greygoose in reply to Amber116]

Those are hypo symptoms.

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

Amber116 I'm guessing you have high antibodies - Hashimoto's, that you had a hyper episode, your endo panicked, reduced your dose because he doesn't understand Hashi's or know how to treat it.

If you confirm you have Hashi's, I'll post some information for you.

[Amber116 in reply to SeasideSusie]

I think it's Hashimotos but no one else in family has it. Mum has underactive thyroid but can't be sure if Hashimotos as she hadn't had antibodies tested. She also has diabetes and multiple sclerosis and Cushings and polycystic ovaries. Family history of heart disease and high cholesterol and high blood pressure thankyou

Thyroid peroxidase antibodies 298.3 IU/mL (<34)

Thyroglobulin antibodies 305.8 IU/mL (<115)

[greygoose in reply to Amber116]

You do have Hashi's, the antibodies are over-range. But, the problem - according to the results you posted above - was not a Hashi's flare, it was an idiot endo!

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to Amber116]

As Greygoose says, you do have Hashi's but it was the suppressed TSH that panicked your endo and there was no need to reduce your meds.

Some information about Hashi's for future reference so that you can understand what happens and recognise any Hashi's flares (and it's very likely that your endo doesn't know any of this considering how he panicked about your TSH. I'm betting he's a diabetes specialist, most of them are, and knows diddly squat about thyroid!).

Your high antibodies mean that you are positive for autoimmune thyroid disease aka Hashimoto's which is where antibodies attack the thyroid and gradually destroy it.

The antibody attacks cause fluctuations in symptoms and test results. When the antibodies attack, the dying cells dump a load of thyroid hormone into the blood and this can cause TSH to become suppressed and Free T4 and Free T3 to be very high or over range. You may get symptoms of being overmedicated (hyper type symptoms) to go along with these results that look as though you are overmedicated. Unless a GP knows about Hashi's and these hyper swings, then they panic and reduce or stop your thyroid meds.

The hyper swings are temporary, and eventually things go back to normal. Test results settle back down and hypo symptoms may return. Thyroid meds should then be adjusted again, increased until you are stable again.

You can help reduce the antibodies by adopting a strict gluten free diet which has helped many members here. Gluten contains gliadin (a protein) which is thought to trigger autoimmune attacks so eliminating gluten can help reduce these attacks. You don't need to be gluten sensitive or have Coeliac disease for a gluten free diet to help.

Supplementing with selenium l-selenomethionine 200mcg daily can also help reduce the antibodies, as can keeping TSH suppressed.

stopthethyroidmadness.com/h...

stopthethyroidmadness.com/h...

hypothyroidmom.com/hashimot...

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

Gluten/thyroid connection: chriskresser.com/the-gluten...

The aim of a treated hypo patient generally is for TSH to be 1 or below or wherever it is needed for FT4 and FT3 to be in the upper part of their respective reference ranges when on Levo only. Add T3 into the mix and TSH may well be suppressed, FT4 can lower and FT3 should be nearer the top of it's range.

Other members of the family don't have to have Hashi's for you to have it. And it's very likely that if your mum's antibodies were tested she might find that she has it too.

[silverfox7]

When I changed to NDT I saw a new Endo. He said when you take NDT your TSH ( and I thought here we go again!) will be suppressed or even zero, your FT4 can fall to halfway down the range and your FT3 should be high in the range! I could have kissed him! Sadly he was only there for a year but so refreshing to find someone who understands! The previous one when I tentatively suggested adding T3 said I didn't need it as over the last year it had risen to halfway so it should continue.