Reducing synthroid

[Eshep]

Long story short, I was given thyroid meds when I did not really need them. If I stop taking Synthroid, will my tsh just go back to what it was pre Synthroid. Only been taking Synthroid 5 months but it has lowered my tsh way too low and I feel worse than I did before I took it. I didn’t really even need it to begin with and now I am afraid I’ve permanently damaged my functioning thyroid. Please help. If my thyroid is working correctly and I stop Synthroid will it just go back to where it was?

[Jazzw]

Possibly. I see your labs were

TSH 2.0,

free t4 .8 (.9-1.8)

free t3 2.5 (2.3-4.2)

when first diagnosed - is that right? Which was 9 months after having your baby?

Your T4 was under range though, which would have been having a detrimental effect.

You could certainly try - but just so you know, what tends to happen is that to start with you feel a lot better for stopping the thyroid hormone replacement - then may gradually feel more and more under the weather. But if your thyroid is capable of doing its job, it should be back to normal within 2-3 weeks, so you’d know within a month if that was the right thing for you.

Would be best to do it with medical supervision though, if you think it’s something you’d like to try.

[Eshep in reply to Jazzw]

Thank you Jazz. I agree with doing it under medical supervision. I am currently on 100mcg, was going to cut down to 25mcg. Think within a couple weeks I will know how this much lower dose treats me?

[greygoose]

What proof do you have that you didn't need it? That's a very rare thing to happen. It's usually the other way round.

But, no, even if you did take it when you didn't need it, it won't have permanently damaged your thyroid. It won't have had much effect on the thyroid at all. It's thyroid hormone replacement, and just replaces hormone that thyroids can no-longer make enough of. And, if you stop taking it, the thyroid will just carry on where it left off - wherever that was.

But, you should know that there's no such thing as a too low TSH. It doesn't matter how low it goes once you're taking THR. Because the TSH itself doesn't make you feel anything at all. It's T3 that causes symptoms.

[Bluedragon]

Hi, I understand you’re not feeling well- but your FT3 was really too low. Do you know where your levels are now? Do you have B12, folate and ferritin - oh and vitamin D levels too? Everything has to be in balance to feel well.

[elicarol]

I am hypothyroidism and had a hormone producing tumor removed along with the adrenal gland 2007 On synthroid for 11 years blood levels they said are in range .Alot of issues all these years even with levels ok I felt bad 3months off synthroid and my blood test are the same on it and off it. They cant figure whats going on. Off it I feel better now I sleep before up 3 days at a time. I think my adrenal problems are causing my symptoms so now they are checking my other adrenal i never needed synthroid