Given Levothyroxine

[Maddison19]

GP has started me on 50mcg Levothyroxine based on below results

Thyroid peroxidase antibody 573.5 IU/mL (<34)

TSH 10.3 mIU/L (0.27 - 4.20)

Free T4 9.2 pmol/L (12 - 22)

Free T3 3.3 pmol/L (3.1 - 6.8)

And a retest in 6-8 weeks

Also

Vitamin D total 24.7 (<25 severe vitamin D deficiency. Patient may require pharmacological preparations)

Vitamin B12 194 (190 - 900)

Folate 2.1 (2.5 - 19.5)

Ferritin 13 (15 - 150)

Started ferrous fumarate 3 times a day for anaemia

Given loading injection of B12 and tested for pernicious anaemia

Given loading dose of 300,000IU vitamin D

Give folic acid but been told not to start this until tests for pernicious anaemia have come back

Hope this is all ok.

Thanks

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Sounds very good. How nice to read of GP doing correct treatment

Always take Levo on empty stomach and then nothing apart from water for at least an hour after.

Many take on waking, but it may be more convenient and possibly more effective taken at bedtime

verywell.com/should-i-take-...

Many people find Levothyroxine brands are not interchangeable. Once you find a brand that suits you, best to make sure to only get that one at each prescription.

All thyroid tests should be done as early as possible in morning and fasting and if taking Levo don't take it in the 24 hours prior to test, delay and take straight after. This gives highest TSH and most consistent results

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK]

Maddison19,

Is your GP secretly a member of this forum?

Agree with SlowDragon - after a torrent of almost unbelievable posts regarding treatment - reading a sane and sensible approach at least lets us know some doctors "get it".

Also agree with SlowDragon that taking at bed-time works well for some. I always have taken it then.

[Maddison19 in reply to helvella]

Hi no I just picked a good one I guess

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to Maddison19]

Someone has to be lucky!

I'll repeat the warning that makes are not interchangeable. When I started, although I knew that many people did find this to be the case, my intention was to ignore that and I would be fine on anything. I was very, very wrong.

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to helvella]

I have just found same is true for T3

Uni Pharma - good

Mercury Pharma- terrible

Morningside Healthcare - good so far