Hi I was diagnosed in March 2018 with underactive thyroid. To be honest when I was told I have underactive I felt so relieved to find my symptoms (tiredness, goitre, difficult swallowing, feeling cold, puffy eyes) had a cause to them.
I had constipation since 2011, it has been treated with laxatives but they took ages to work. I also take painkillers for aches and pains, also period cramps. And corticosteroids for recurring eczema.
The reason I have come here today is, can hypothyroidism resolve so quickly within 2 months? Please see both sets of results:
75mcg Levothyroxine doesn't really seem to have helped with my symptoms and my doctor says it would take a while for hypothyroidism to stabilise, can it really have sorted it?
Thankyou
- Elizabeth
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Glitzychick
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You need further increase in Levo. Dose should be increased in 25mcg steps until TSH is around one and FT4 towards top of range and FT3 at least half way in range
Your FT4 is right at bottom of range and FT3 is to low
Ask GP for 25mcg dose increase and bloods will need retesting in 8 weeks
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, delay and take straight after. This gives highest TSH, lowest FT4 and most consistent results. (Patient to patient tip, GP will be unaware)
Your Thyroid antibodies are both very high. This confirms cause as autoimmune thyroid disease also called Hashimoto's
Hashimoto's affects the gut and leads to low stomach acid and then low vitamin levels
Low vitamin levels are extremely common as result and can affect Thyroid hormone working
Ask GP to test vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12
Also ask for coeliac blood test
Poor gut function can lead leaky gut (literally holes in gut wall) this can cause food intolerances. Most common by far is gluten.
According to Izabella Wentz the Thyroid Pharmacist approx 5% with Hashimoto's are coeliac, but over 80% find gluten free diet helps significantly. Either due to direct gluten intolerance (no test available) or due to leaky gut and gluten causing molecular mimicry (see Amy Myers link)
Changing to a strictly gluten free diet may help reduce symptoms, help gut heal and slowly lower TPO antibodies
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
(Many of us need TSH nearer 0.2 than 2.0 to feel well)
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