Dr wants me to stop taking levothyroxine

[Berry49]

Been taking 50mg levothyroxine for several months, after last blood test dr sent results to endo at hospital who have advised I stop taking Levo altogether and dr says to start hrt. Not happy about this decision as most of my symptoms are hypothyroid related. Any suggestions, I am going to seek a 2nd opinion too but can’t get to see another dr for 3 weeks! Help!

[Hadabadday2]

You need to post your latest results so others can advise you of your next move.

[Berry49 in reply to Hadabadday2]

Yes I will Do, just dont have them to hand atm. I'm just reluctant to stop taking levo completely.

[Marz in reply to Berry49]

Please do not until members here have seen your results

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

Sounds like your doctors don't understand your Hashimoto's. Endo maybe a diabetes specialist? Presumably your latest results are possibly showing low TSH, high Free T4/T3, if so then probably a temporary Hashi's flare. Your dose may need adjusting but it will be a temporary flare and things will settle down again.

[Marz]

I am almost 72 and managed to escape HRT during menopause I personally think it is something that has short changed women without checking first that their thyroids are optimal ....

So do post your thyroid test results with ranges.

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Can you add your most recent blood test results for TSH, FT4 and FT3 plus vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12

With high antibodies this confirms you have Hashimoto's and as already found strictly gluten free diet helps too it's obvious you need Levo (and possibly small dose of T3 adding too)

Dr Toft, past president of the British Thyroid Association and leading endocrinologist, states in Pulse Magazine,

"The appropriate dose of levothyroxine is that which restores euthyroidism and serum TSH to the lower part of the reference range - 0.2-0.5mU/l.

In this case, free thyroxine is likely to be in the upper part of its reference range or even slightly elevated – 18-22pmol/l.

Most patients will feel well in that circumstance. But some need a higher dose of levothyroxine to suppress serum TSH and then the serum-free T4 concentration will be elevated at around 24-28pmol/l.

This 'exogenous subclinical hyperthyroidism' is not dangerous as long as serum T3 is unequivocally normal – that is, serum total around T3 1.7nmol/l (reference range 1.0-2.2nmol/l)."

You can obtain a copy of the articles from Thyroid UK email print it and highlight question 6 to show your doctor

 please email Dionne at

[e-mail]

Also request list of recommended thyroid specialists at same time

Official NHS guidelines saying TSH should be between 0.2 and 2.0 when on Levothyroxine for majority of patients

See box

Thyroxine replacement in primary hypothyroidism

pathology.leedsth.nhs.uk/pa...

Professor Toft recent article saying, T3 may be necessary for many

rcpe.ac.uk/sites/default/fi...

[Marz]

Do you have your results now - with ranges ? If so start a new post so more people see it 😊