Thyroid issues

[Lokki4020]

Hi I've been diagnosed with my thyroid disorder for 3 or 4 years now it took about five years for them to figure it out and it almost killed me. when they finally found out it was my thyroid they said my TSH level is off the charts and I don't think I've ever felt right or normal I guess a lot from my own fault I take my pills until I start feeling good and then I forget to take them or don't bother taking them cut my hair starts falling out again. lately I got tested and my TSH was at 20 the doctor said that 0.4 is on the high side I'm just wondering what are all the side effects and and problems that can cause with the body?

[shaws Administrator]

You can cause serious damage if you are careless with taking thyroid hormones.

Thyroid hormones enable our body to function normally, i.e. brain and heart needs the most and we have billions of T3 receptor cells in our body.

If you do not take thyroid hormones at all you can go into a myxedema coma.

It is classed as a fatal disease if untreated. That's why in the UK, for any other illnesses at all we get free prescriptions for life.

You need a new blood test, TSH, T4, T3, Free T4, Free T3 and antibodies.

B12, Vit D, iron, ferritin and folate. Everything has to be optimum.

Blood tests have to be at the very earliest possible, fasting (you can drink water). The usual tests which are taken by GP is TSH and . I'd suggest you get a private test initially and I will give you a link:

TSH, T4, T3, Free T4, Free T3 and thyroid antibodies. (if you haven't antibodies tested before).

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/testin...

Always get a print-out of your results with the ranges for your own records. You can post if you have a query.

[Lokki4020 in reply to shaws]

I'm always low energy feel like I'm depressed all the time they're going to put me under depressive meds but when they realized I wasn't taking my medication like I should have been they figure they should check that first I'll get my results from my first test today got done when they discovered it some of the doctors I talked to the can't believe how bad my numbers were they never seen anybody is bad in numbers as mine were I'll post them here thank you for your response appreciated

[shaws Administrator in reply to Lokki4020]

It looks to me (and I am not medically qualified) that you lack T3. T3 is the only active hormone required in our billions of receptor cells, the brain and heart need the most.

Levothyroxine is T4 and converts to T3, so we need sufficient.

Put your results, with the ranges. We need the ranges as labs differ and it makes it easier to respond.

I am sure you will be able to tick off more than a couple of clinical symptoms:

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

If they were going to give you depressive meds it shows to me that you aren't on sufficient levo but I do know it has been caused by yourself because you didn't realise how important it is to take thyroid hormones.

Make a new routine. As soon as you get up or awake, take levo with one full glass of water and wait about an hour before eating. By the time you get up and wash etc an hour passes quickly.

Or you can take it at bedtime as long as you've last eaten about 3 hours before. Stomach always has to be empty.