Levothyroxine

[Iriscarolyn]

Can't believe I just sat here with my levo and can't remember if I have just taken them, what should I do?

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

Do you not have a routine where you take them at roughly the same time each day, eg on waking or before bed?

[Iriscarolyn in reply to SeasideSusie]

Thank you x

[ffranny in reply to Iriscarolyn]

I do this a lot ...brain fog esp in the morning its part of the thyroud experience for me..and I have other meds which i want to take apart from the thyroid ones. ppl advise a pill box but I can still look and think did i fill it? did I take it or not? i forget to fill a pill box so now i keep my meds on one side of the table and when i have taken it i move the pack to the other side.

[Maggimai in reply to ffranny]

I keep track of my med taking by filling in the date and time on calendar each day, as soon as I take my pill I write it on calendar, anytime I have doubts I check the calendar also I write the date I start the pack on the pack and check from that date, it tells me if I have taken the days tablet, or not.

[Iriscarolyn in reply to SeasideSusie]

I take before going to bed at 9:30 pm xxx

[SlowDragon Administrator]

For the future get your self a weekly pill dispenser and keep it by the bed.

It's incredibly easy to be uncertain if you have taken a daily pill.

[Iriscarolyn in reply to SlowDragon]

Thank you x

[Hidden in reply to Iriscarolyn]

Even with my 7 day pillbox things are not always certain for me, esp if I fill them willy nilly. So I fill my pillbox weekly on the same day religiously. I get all my pill bottles out on the table and do nothing else until my box is ready for the week. And I try not to be interrupted. I always pop my container in my purse so I always have my pills. Nothing is foolproof but every little memory jogger helps. For my morning thyroids and for my anticoagulants-when I was still taking them- I also set my phone alarm as these are too important to miss. For my phone I use different ringtones. I'm 74 and I need all the help I can get.

[Peanut31]

Hi Iriscarolyn

It can be easy to forget if you have taken it, if not in a routine.

I take mine early in the morning 6am. Before I go to bed I put my Levothyroxine in a pill box by my bed with a glass of water.

My vitamins I have another pill box with morning, lunch, dinner printed on the box,

I take my vitamins to work and keep them by my computer so I don’t forget to take them.

Best wishes

Peanut31

[Iriscarolyn in reply to Peanut31]

Thank you x

[MCDW]

I wouldn't worry - one day missed isn't going to have much effect (if that is what has happened). I too put my tablet in a container by the bed to take on waking so I don't forget.

[Iriscarolyn in reply to MCDW]

Thank you. Yes decided to leave it for last night, will take as normal tonight ✅

[LiziBG]

I take a large glass of water with a cover over it which I put on my dressing table every night. I always take my levo with full glass of water so I know if my glass is empty I have taken it ☺

[Iriscarolyn in reply to LiziBG]

Thank you x

[susiemalc]

I write M (for Monday),T (for Tuesday),W,T,F,S,S on a new pack of levo pills the day I start it. Before I did this there were several times when I was not sure if I had taken my levo or not. This has really helped me to avoid either missing a day or taking two by mistake. Don't beat yourself up - very easy thing to do!

[Iriscarolyn in reply to susiemalc]

Yes I do normally, opened a new packet and didn't get around to doing that, but it does help thank you x

[Lonhu]

I often do this, and I know I shouldn't do, but always take another. I think if My brain is that bad I need a top up anyway!

[Iriscarolyn in reply to Lonhu]

Ha ha I like you thinking 🤣🤣🤣

[Iriscarolyn]

Thank you everyone, have now put my letters on for each day again xxx

[Greengrass21]

I use a daily pill box because I have been taking them for 24 years and sometimes can’t remember if I’ve taken them or not, I just check and if there still in there I’ve forgotten 😂 I would take them, I’ve always done that and I’m not dead yet 😀

[Katherine1234]

Iris I think you are going to be ok if you have missed one day...not to big in the scheme of things. I once took 2 by mistake and panicked!!! but felt good the whole day...wished I had added the sums up! my doctor had been keeping me woefully under medicated on 50mcg for 16 years :0(

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Katherine1234]

I hope you are now optimally treated on Levothyroxine and vitamins good too.

So very many doctors keep patients for years on far too low a dose

[Iriscarolyn in reply to SlowDragon]

I am thank you, my doc has been great and is always checking me, and I hope you all get looked after too xx

[Katherine1234 in reply to SlowDragon]

Awww! Slow Dragon....I am down on the ground dearest...but the wonderful doctor from B12 charity took all my blood tests over the years and made a diagnosis not something my doctor has done in 17 years, all I got was a label of ME/CFS. I have severe low B12 with enlarged red blood cells, very low morning cortisol, been under medicated on Levo all those years (which he thinks might have bought every else down) and undiagnosed celiac, it looks like I could have an iron anemia hiding under there too. I will have to self inject B12 every day for 2 weeks as I have balance problems and nerve and brain nerve damage, then go to 3 times a week and probably have to stay on that injection routine for life. He said 6 months time I would have been in a wheelchair with an MS diagnosis and I know he is right. I have upped Levo from 50mcg (my doctor kept me on that starting dose because my TSH was in range, did not matter that it was 4.5) I have upped to 75mcg and will be going on 100mcg shortly. I will have to take a low dose hydracortisol. Had to go gluten free, I think I have all the vitamins and minerals right, I rattle this end dearest :0) but if it gets me on my feet I am a happy bunny :0) Xx

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Katherine1234]

Brilliant.

Make sure to also test for low vitamin D too. Level should be at least 80nmol, but around 100nmol probably better

I had over 20 years entirely inappropriate thyroid treatment too (info on my profile)

As well as avoiding absolutely all gluten, look at avoiding all soya, including soya lecithin. You can find chocolate without soya lecithin. Co-op, Waitrose, Divine, some Green & Black plus several others

[Katherine1234 in reply to SlowDragon]

SlowDragon vitamin D is up to 73 now, I am getting to the 100 :0) I am avoiding soya but it is in so much chocolate these days, going to look for the ones you suggested, off to look at your profile dearest Xx

[Iriscarolyn in reply to SlowDragon]

Yes, she has me on stexerol-D3 1000IU and levothyroxine 100micrograms and Levo 25 micrograms at the moment taking 100 one day 125 the next xxx

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Iriscarolyn]

That’s quite a low dose of vitamin D, especially if you have Hashimotos

Have you had levels of vitamin D retested?

Vitamindtest.org.uk £29 NHS postal kit

B12, folate and ferritin levels been tested?

What about TPO and TG Thyroid antibodies

[Iriscarolyn in reply to Katherine1234]

Ive been on them for 3 years so fairly new to it, so doctor keeps her eye on me, also on Vit D too xxx

[Iriscarolyn in reply to Katherine1234]

I'm new to this, 3 years since being diagnosed, doc keeping her eye on me, they keep changing the dosage according to my blood tests, so it's good they do. Xxx

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Iriscarolyn]

The dose should not keep changing. Probably means you have autoimmune thyroid disease (Hashimoto's) and/or low vitamins

Dose should be increased in 25mcg steps (retesting 6-8 weeks after each dose increase) until TSH around one and FT4 in top third of range, FT3 at least half way in range

If either of both TPO and TG thyroid antibodies are high then this is Hashimoto's

Vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12 need testing and very often need supplementing to bring to optimal levels

For full Thyroid evaluation you need TSH, FT4, TT4, FT3 plus TPO and TG thyroid antibodies.

Plus very important to test vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12

Private tests are available. Thousands on here forced to do this as NHS often refuses to test FT3 or antibodies

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 ideally be done as early as possible in morning and fasting. If on Levothyroxine, don't take 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)

About 90% of all hypothyroidism in Uk is due to Hashimoto's. Low vitamins are especially common with Hashimoto's. Food intolerances too, especially gluten. So it's important to get antibodies tested.

[Iriscarolyn in reply to SlowDragon]

Hello slowdragon. I don't know I see her around every six weeks, she said she checks everything and hasn't said about Hashimotos, I am on statins too, I hate taking any tablets, as I am sure everyone will be the same, so I'm a patient who tends to not want any and it's taken her a year to get me to take statins, I am also dieting/fasting to get my weight down as I would like to come off as many tablets I can, still a long way to go, but getting there at 1lb per week loss, don't know if it will help, but I must feel better when I get to my goal however long it takes, but I will ask her about hashimotos next I see her, and thank you all so much for your advice, it makes you feel less alone xxx

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Iriscarolyn]

High cholesterol is linked to being hypothyroid

NHS recommendation is not to treat with statins when hypothyroid

nhs.uk/conditions/statins/c...

Majority of hypothyroidism is due to autoimmune thyroid disease (Hashimoto’s)

Low vitamins are extremely common as direct result

Ask for vitamin D to be retested to see if has improved

TPO and TG Thyroid antibodies should be tested

B12, folate and ferritin too

Read as many posts as possible on here to learn as much as possible

Many (literally 1000’s) forced to get private blood tests as NHS often refuse to test FT3 or both antibodies

Extremely common to be not correctly treated

If you have Hashimotos then many many people are gluten intolerant and find strictly gluten free diet gives benefits

Vitamins can be low as result

[Iriscarolyn in reply to SlowDragon]

Oh no, l am really freaking out now, this doctor has looked after me since another one missed my ruptured appendix, spent 13 days in hospital, just before my husband passed away with prostate cancer, now I don't know if I should stop taking the statins.

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Iriscarolyn]

Stay on them for now, but discuss with GP

More likely to get muscle pain than non hypo patients. In which case review it.

[Iriscarolyn in reply to SlowDragon]

Okay, thank you

[PDS1]

Buy a pen which writes on anything and put the date above each tablet every time you start a new pack. Job done.

[Vi_h4157]

Awe I know that feeling very well I got myself a little doset box with each day printed on it, it does help, try it

[Angelic69]

A bit late to answer you query but it should say on the advice sheet what to do if you have taken too many ect.