Hi everyone my name is Amber I have been diagnosed with hypothyroidism and I take 50mcg levothyroxine my latest bloods I have been told are normal and I have symptoms of feeling wiped out dry skin heavy cycles muscle weakness joint pain pins and needles dizziness any advice welcome thank you
TSH 4.01 (0.2 - 4.2)
Free T4 12.8 (12 - 22)
Free T3 3.6 (3.1 - 6.8)
By the look of those results you definitely need more thyroid medication. The aim is to bring the TSH to below 1, go back and ask them to “work with you” explaining you’re still symptomatic and your blood results are showing much room for improvement. Take care, big hugs. Look after yourself and be well informed xx
Welcome to the forum, Amber18.
You are undermedicated to have TSH 4.01 and FT4 low in range while taking 50mcg. Ask your GP to increase dose.
The goal of Levothyroxine is to restore the patient to euthyroid status. For most patients that will be when TSH is 0.3 - 1.0 with FT4 in the upper range. FT4 needs to be in the upper range in order that sufficient T3 is converted. Read Treatment Options in thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/about_... Email dionne.fulcher@thyroiduk.org if you would like a copy of the Pulse article to show your GP.
Hi! In my opinion and I've been through a lot. You're feeling this way because your tsh is still high, optimal is 1.5ish, maybe bit lower, maybe bit higher. It depends on how you feel. So your dosage needs to be upped in order to bring it down. You'll feel much better when you get there. God bless!
As others have said you need a dose increase because you still have symptoms of underactive thyroid. You simply do not have enough T3 for cellular functions around the body. Your thyroid is failing to produce T4 (which is inactive and undergoes a change to become the active T3) so you have been prescribed a synthetic T4 to make up the shortfall.
As explained you need the doctor to give you an increase to 75mcg (always 25mcg increments when titrating levels) and to repeat your blood tests in 6-8 weeks to give a chance for the body to convert to T3 and for this to percolate your cells around the body. If necessary this needs to be repeated until you are asymptomatic.
It can take some time so you will need a little patience 
Out of interest did the doctor also test your vitamin and mineral levels and autoimmune? These can be out of whack when you are hypothyroid and contribute many symptoms too and are needed for the thyroid hormones to work properly.
What your doctor mistakenly believes is that if your blood test results are 'somewhere' in the 'normal range' that you are on a sufficient dose.
He couldn't be more wrong. When diagnosed as hypothyroidism and given levothyroxine, the aim is a TSH of 1 or lower, with a Free T4 and Free T3 in the upper part of the range, not the bottom.
Tell him you are a member of the NHS Choices Thyroiduk.org.uk.Healthunlocked Forum for help/advice on dysfunctions of the thyroid gland and have been told you need an increase of 25mcg every six weeks till your TSH is 1 or lower, with a Free T3 and Free T4 in the upper part of the range, not the bottom.
Blood tests for thyroid hormones has to be the very earliest possible, fasting and allow a gap of 24 hours between last dose and test and take afterwards. This helps give us the best result and may prevent doctor adjusting dose unnecessarily.
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