High cholesterol due to wrong levels?

[Nellups]

Hi been living in France for the last 27 years, am a 56 year old women, had my thyroid totally removed over 10 years ago, have had an up and down journey with health ever since. Taking 125 Levothyrox per day never felt really right

My cholesterol since removal has steadily climbed, gone down abit when my levels have changed, Im on a continuous battle with my doctor as he wants to put me on Statins which I refuse. I have had a heart check all ok, and the cardiologist agreed that the TSH levels play a big part in my cholesterol levels.

The biggest problem I have is the doctor also believes if my levels are in the norms then I’m fine, even if I don’t feel it! Since the new Levothyrox that come out in March in France I have felt worse put weight on can not move it even though I try to walk over 20 kilometers per week and eat healthily, my joints are painful, I get panic attacks brain fog generally feel rubbish.

Last results

Cholesterol 3.12 g/l (8.05 mmol /l)

Ferritin 181 ng /ml. ( norms up to 150)

TSH. 0.409

Last results before change of tablets 0.792 five months before

T4L 13.3 ng/L Hardly changed

They never check T 3

Over the last two months have knocked out taking two tablets a month and I have felt slightly better, the doctor won’t change level I take, have asked to change the tablets to another brand to see if that would help, the pharmacist gave the name to ask for, which is the same as the original Levothyrox. Waiting to see if the Doctor will give me a new prescription for it tonight.

Have heard about T3 helping when taken with the normal medication, could it be I need T 3 to sort my levels out? Or is the doctor correct that it’s all normal?

I would really really like to feel better and get rid of the excess weight

[greygoose]

Why don't you go back and see the endo if your GP is being a pain? In France, you don't need your GP's permission to see the endo, just ring for an appointment.

You know that a lot of people have been having problems with levo since they changed the formulation? There have been several posts about it this week. This is just one of them :

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

So, until all that's sorted out, I don't know what you can do about it. You could try saying to your endo that it might be a good idea for you to go on T3 for a while, as the levo no-longer suits you. But, you would have to get your FT3 tested first.

[Nellups in reply to greygoose]

Thank you doe the info, but pleased to say my doctor has now changed my tablets so fingers crossed it may be the beginning of sorting things out. On the other point I have asked about T 3 but told by my endo and doctor it’s not needed, even though they don’t test for T 3 here and won’t ! My endo actually said it’s a typical hype from the Americans! And basically didn’t know what they are doing!

Have been to other endos but nothing changes all the same 😔

[greygoose in reply to Nellups]

Typical endo rubbish. They have no idea what they're talking about! And it's always someone else that is wrong. How can it be hype? American endos have nothing to gain from giving their patients T3.

But, it's strange, I've never had any trouble getting my FT3 tested in France. I just insist on it. They don't understand the results, but I do. And, mostly I manage to get T3 prescribed. Both by endos and GPs. Maybe I just blind them with science until they give me the T3 to get rid of me! lol

But, calling it T3 doesn't help. They often don't know what that is. It's best to talk about Cynomel or Liothyronine. Because if they look that up in their big books, they can find it. T3 isn't in the list of 'drugs' they can prescribe.

[Nellups in reply to greygoose]

Maybe I should push then? My endo made me feel stupid when I enquired about it . Where you based in France?

[greygoose in reply to Nellups]

I'm in the Oise, near Chantilly.

All endos do that! Especially when they're not too sure what they're talking about/feel out of their depth. They know it puts the patient off asking too many questions. Best to do your homework before going to see one, all about t3 being the active hormone, etc.

[Nellups in reply to greygoose]

I’ve had a lot of arguments with doctor on my Thyriod treatment, when they changed the formula on Levo, I felt so ill, and my TSH dropped very quickly but all I got was it was in the normal range! Suffering with very bad acid reflux, stomach cramps, anxiety panic attacks etc, so he sent me to have exploratory examinations, which came back saying I had very bad inflammation of the gut! I asked why the specialist said acid but maybe to do with my tablets. So it was why I really pushed to change them. Just hoping now things might get better now just started them 😎

[greygoose in reply to Nellups]

So, what did he change them to? As far as I know, there's only one brand of levo in France.

[Nellups in reply to greygoose]

It’s a German brand L-thyroxine henning. A different formula

[greygoose in reply to Nellups]

Ah, OK. Well, that's good of him.