Hi there I am new 🙃: I have hypo so my blood... - Thyroid UK

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Hi there I am new 🙃

Jasmol profile image
4 Replies

I have hypo so my blood tests show as I am only just getting my Head round it I really do need some advice when will I feel better I’m on 50mg

Ievo started off at 25mg

Two years ago Hair falling out went to docs told “ plug hole effect” nothing to be concerned about.

I do work nights which I love in November 17 I stated feeling unwell I little fuzzy even though I by have had 10 hours sleep not interested in going out

I have had a hysterectomy 2008 suffered with collic related to my periods

shoulder ops

Always suffered constipation from a child

Vertigo viral the list goes on ....

Not requested my blood results I do trust my doctor so hopefully we can get me balanced soon 😂

Blood test should not take my meds before hand ( how many hours)

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Jasmol profile image
Jasmol
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SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator

50mcg is only a starter dose, normally bloods retested after 6-8 weeks and dose increased in 25mcg steps until TSH is around one and FT4 towards top of range and FT3 at least half way in range

Can you add your TSH, FT4 and FT3 results

Do you have Hashimoto's also called autoimmune thyroid disease, diagnosed by high thyroid antibodies

Have you had vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12 tested?

Private tests are available

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

Medichecks Thyroid plus ultra vitamin or Blue Horizon Thyroid plus eleven are the most popular choice. DIY finger prick test or option to pay extra for private blood draw. Both companies often have money off offers.

All thyroid tests should be done as early as possible in morning and fasting and don't take Levo in the 24 hours prior to test, and take straight after. This gives highest TSH, lowest FT4 and most consistent results. (Patient to patient tip, GP will be unaware)

If antibodies are high this is Hashimoto's, (also known by medics here in UK more commonly as autoimmune thyroid disease).

About 90% of all hypothyroidism in Uk is due to Hashimoto's

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

tukadmin@thyroiduk.org

Official NHS guidelines saying TSH should be between 0.2 and 2.0 when on Levothyroxine

See box

Thyroxine replacement in primary hypothyroidism

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

Nice guidelines saying how to initiate and increase. Note that most patients need somewhere between 100mcg and 200mcg

cks.nice.org.uk/hypothyroid...

Jasmol profile image
Jasmol in reply to SlowDragon

Thank you

Hashimoto's I have no idea take it I should be asking the doc when I go back mid March with my test results

Treepie profile image
Treepie

50mcg is still a low dose.You need to have and post blood test results and ranges which are shown in brackets for advice.

Ideally you want TSH,FT3,FT4, ferritin ,folate D3 and B12 as well as anibodies.NHS rarely tests FT3 but it is the most important as it is the active hormone every cell needs.

Danielj1 profile image
Danielj1 in reply to Treepie

Speaking as someone who could not take more than 50 and tried a number of other avenues to fix it all - there are answers but they are desperately complex and take a huge amount of effort to understand and resolve.

I could give you a shopping list but we are all different - if it helps as a start my top 3 are magnesium oil, dried beef liver capsules, black cumin seed oil. If I had a choice of these 3 over all the rest of the supplements on the planet this is all I would take.

That is not saying if you need all the standard recommendations then of course do so.

My honest take as a non medical expert is that if you judge a supplement by the actual measurable effect you can feel as a difference from taking them - that is how I judge my list above. Yes, I have tried all of the above B,D, C, selenium but am finding once your digestion and liver picks right back up and you absorb much more from your diet the

Need for specific supplements is less. The very best supplements are very expensive and I have to be clear they add value and are essential...

Good luck.

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