Started levothyroxine

[Elena116]

After having my symptoms ignored for about 18 months and being offered antidepressants and having 2 thyroid tests the doctor has agreed to start me on levothyroxine based on my private bloods and the presence of high thyroid antibodies. I am to start on 50mcg levothyroxine with an increase to 75mcg 3 weeks after that and a retest in 6-8 weeks. She said it will take some time for me to feel better.

All bloods below

Oct 2015

TSH 7.2 (0.2 - 4.2) and Free T4 15.2 (12 - 22)

Feb 2016

TPO antibodies 804.5 (<34)

TSH 0.98 (0.2 - 4.2)

July 2017

TSH 55 (0.27 - 4.20)

Free T4 10.2 (12 - 22)

Free T3 3.0 (3.1 - 6.8)

I have been told I am iron deficient and folate deficient and vitamin D deficient as well.

Thankyou

[Nanaedake]

Have you got your blood test results for your vitamin deficiencies? If so then post them here for good advice from SeasideSusie who is the vitamins guru here. You need to start supplementing for those as you will find that levothyroxine will work much better if you optimise your vitamin levels.

It will take a while for you to feel well but your doctor has given good advice about starting levothyroxine so thank goodness you found a good doctor after your slow diagnosis. A good result so far from your appointment.

Most people don't feel well until they reach a TSH of around 1.0 or a little lower. As you have antibodies and Hashimotos you might need to go gluten free which can lower antibodies and help to resolve gut issues for better absorption of vitamins.

[Elena116 in reply to Nanaedake]

Ok will post vitamin and mineral results now thankyou

[humanbean]

Oct 2015

TSH 7.2 (0.2 - 4.2) and Free T4 15.2 (12 - 22)

Although there is no way to know now, I bet your Free T3 was very low in Oct 2015. Both Free T4 and Free T3 have an effect on the TSH. Your TSH was unusually high given that your Free T4 was still well within range (although I'm not suggesting your Free T4 was good).

I presume that the tests done in Feb 2016 were prompted by your high TSH in Oct 2015. And of course, with your TSH being low in range you didn't get treated. But your positive antibody result shows why your TSH had changed so dramatically - you have autoimmune thyroid disease, also known as Hashimoto's Thyroiditis (but that name is not used by UK doctors).

You must have been going through a Hashi's flare or "hyper" flare in Feb 2016. Both those phrases are unknown to doctors by the way, they are patient names for what happens to the patient when their thyroid antibodies become very active and start their "job" of destroying the thyroid, as they frequently do.

You should have been treated long before now. The evidence of your thyroid problem was there in those first two sets of results.