Newly diagnosed

Being ill for a year before diagnosis is not uncommon

A TSH that high means your very hypothyroid

25mcg is a miniscule dose that barely treats a fly ...50mcg is correct starter dose retest should be 6 weeks after initial dose and dose raised by 50 mcg every 4 weeks after

Correctly treated

TSH will be 1.0 or below

FreeT4 should be around 19 (10-22)

Freet3 which is the vital test should be 5 or 5.5 (3.2 -6.8)

What other illnesses do other family members have right back 2 generations inc aunts and uncles etc

She should be interested in your TSH, because it indicates that your FT3 - the most important number - is low; and that she put you one the wrong dose to begin with. It was too low, and has shut down what little production your thyroid was managing, but wasn't enough to replace it. Doctors just do not get it. Any of it!

Diane17884

I asked in particular for vit b12 as I have alot of the symptoms. My level was 287.

I have read (but not researched so don't have links) that BCSH, UKNEQAS and NICE guidelines recommend:

"In the presence of discordance between test results and strong clinical features of deficiency, treatment should not be delayed to avoid neurological impairment."

Do you have symptoms of B12 deficiency - check here b12deficiency.info/signs-an...

If so, take a list of your symptoms to your GP and ask for further testing for B12 deficiency/pernicious anaemia. Your B12 is low in range, your GP shouldn't be going purely by the fact that you fall within the range, she should take any symtoms into account.

Do not supplement with B12 until further testing has been carried out.

According to an extract from the book, "Could it be B12?" by Sally M. Pacholok:

"We believe that the 'normal' serum B12 threshold needs to be raised from 200 pg/ml to at least 450 pg/ml because deficiencies begin to appear in the cerebrospinal fluid below 550".

"For brain and nervous system health and prevention of disease in older adults, serum B12 levels should be maintained near or above 1000 pg/ml."

Check out NICE Clinical Knowledge Summary > Initiation and Titration of Levothyroxine

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

The aim of a treated hypo patient generally is for TSH to be 1 or below or wherever it needs to be for FT4 and FT3 to be in the upper part of their respective reference ranges when on Levo if that is where you feel well. See Thyroxine Replacement Therapy in Primary Hypothyroidism pathology.leedsth.nhs.uk/pa... scroll down and you will see in the box

TSH Level ..... This Indicates

0.2 - 2.0 miu/L ..... Sufficient Replacement

> 2.0 miu/L ..... Likely under Replacement

When you have a print out of your results, post them on here along with their reference ranges.

Diane, I’d say you need to see another doctor in the practice if that’s possible. Your current doctor doesn’t apparently seem to have a clue about wonky thyroids! Anxiety is a symptom of underactive thyroid - so replacing your thyroid hormone deficiency with levothyroxine will likely start to fix that. It won’t make it worse!

Where do these doctors go to medical school? I despair sometimes, I really do...

Thanks for the replies everyone. I'm going to phone the doctor tomorrow and get my levo increased to 50mg and see what her reaction is to further b12 testing. If not I will try supplementing

I totally agree you need to se another doctor. You won't get well based on the advice of this one. What does she think TSH range is for? I would be bed bound with a TSH of 23 and also such a low B12 even if in range is dreadful. Needs to be nearer 1000. I am permanently on B12, methylcobalamin 5000 per day. It is water soluble so you cannot overdose and Vit D level is also very important, should be minimum 100. I have been hypo since 2007 and had raised antibodies since 2013 and only improved after taking advice from here, good vitamin levels and gluten free diet. Even then it takes a while to feel better. Hope things improve for you. NHS is very much DIY and doing my own blood tests, Medichecks or Blue Horizon, meant I was in control!

Start taking at least 200mg of vitamin C in split doses every single day plus at least 200mcg of magnesium glycinate or malate or at a pinch oxide 3 times a day to help heal adrenals etc

Magnesium citrate is not really recomended but it will address constipation which is typical in hypo so finish it

Suggest you order mag glycinate 2 bottles at pipingrock.com its cheaper even with shipping to import from them ....so long as your contents do not exceed £15 customs cannot charge you VAT ...you might want to check if they have vit c cheap too

Its highly likely you are gluten intolerant or actually coeliac ...hashis and gluten go hand in hand ...to reduce antibody levels going totally gluten and even dairy free is vital

Do also check very very carefully that not one single piece of cookware is aluminium or non stick coated ...use only definite cast iron or stainless steel or glass

Not slow cookers , george foreman type grills, pod coffee makers...phone your water supply company and ask if they use any form if aluminium salts or flouride in their treatment works

I have always suffered with egg intolerance since I was little but seems to have escalated the last few years. I'm now intolerant to almonds, celery and just recently milk. I decided to go gluten, dairy and soya free after reading a lot about hashi and decided it wouldn't do me any harm. I do think there is already a small difference which is encouraging.

I did check the fluoride levels and from what I can gather no fluoride is added in Scotland. I'm only drinking bottled water, reckoned the purer the better. I haven't heard anything about aluminum before?