My thyroid number is very high 40

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My thyroid number is very high 40 becsuse I skipped dosages I'm having headaches feel like I'm under water and nausea if I move around are these symptoms normal?

[cjrsquared]

If by ‘thyroid number’ you mean TSH then 40 is high. You are potentially causing yourself long term irreversible damage to heart ,bones and even brain. Please start taking your medication again and get repeat blood tests in 6 weeks. Your symptoms may be due to hypothyroid but could also be something else, potentially an inner ear infection, suggest you see a medic and own up to missing meds to check.

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK]

The first thing to understand, for you and us, is why you have skipped dosages?

If you simply have not set things up to make it easy to take your medicine reliably, something has to change. Set alarms on computer or phone. Set appointments on your calendar (paper or computer). Put your tablets, or just today's tablet, in a place you simply cannot miss it.

If there is a reason other than forgetting or whatever, then let us know. We just might be able to help with answers.

It is very important not to take erratically and end up, we assume, severely under-dosed. Depending quite how much thyroid hormone your own body can make, then continuing failure to take could end up as a medical emergency. "Myxoedema coma" is a term which is applied to a state in which your body has effectively started to close down. You might not literally be unconscious but it is a very dangerous state to be in and requires immediate treatment.

Myxedema coma is a severe and life-threatening form of decompensated hypothyroidism with an underlying precipitating factor. The mortality rates may be as high as 25–60% even with best possible treatment. The term myxedema coma is a misnomer, and myxedema crisis may be an apt term as quite a few patients are obtunded, rather than frankly comatose.

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...

Obtunded = less than sharp, less than fully conscious

[shaws Administrator]

Before I was diagnosed as hypothyroid, the word 'hypothyroid' had no meaning for me.

Now I am hypothyroid I know how serious the condition is if untreated.

You probably had no idea when diagnosed that if we don't take daily tablets that we can cause more serious problems. Our heart and brain need the most T3 which is the active thyroid hormone. T4 being the other and that is what we are prescribed, i.e. levothyroxine also known as T4. T4 converts to T3 and we have millions of receptor cells in our body and all need T3 thyroid hormones.

I am sure, now you have been given advice,that you will take your daily dose of levo. Just as we wash face/brush teeth and don't even think about it.

Put levo where it is easy accessible and that you see it first thing so there's no missing doses.

The aim is a TSH of 1 or below.

There's a routine for blood tests, so that you get the most accurate results. That is to have the very earliest appointment, fasting (you can drink water) and allow a gap of 24 hours between your last dose and the test and take it afterwards.

That's why, in the UK, we no longer pay for any other prescriptions for any other conditions we may develop and the other members have set it out clearly what can happen.

Just get into a routine, i.e. take tablet with one full glass of water when you get out of bed and wait one hour before you eat as food also interferes with the uptake of the hormones.

This must be the daily routine so that you don't rush off somewhere and haven't taken the tablet.

At the next test request doctor to test B12, Vit D, iron, ferritin and folate. All have to be optimum so that everything works as it should.

Always get a print-out of your blood test results with the ranges for your own records and post if you have a query.

[Fruitandnutcase]

I can’t understand why you aren’t taking your prescribed medication - and consider yourself very lucky to have had it prescribed. No wonder you don’t feel good.

Get yourself organised and take it every day with water. Take it on an empty stomach and wait at least an hour before you eat.

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Get a weekly pill dispenser and keep it by the bed

Either take first thing in morning or last thing at night (always same time of day, but some prefer taking at night, others prefer morning)

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. Watch out for brand change when dose is increased

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?