Stopping thyroxine - have I inhibited my own production?

[Health_thyro_674]

Hi all,

My endo recently started me on Levothyroxine for a trial period due to low TSH levels - he picked these up in a routine blood test and suggested I take the supplement to see if I felt less tired (although I actually have no other symptoms hypothyroidism).

I stopped taking the Levothyroxine about a a fortnight ago as I noticed no difference in tiredness levels or otherwise. Now however I feel I have gained a small amount of weight that I absolutely cannot shift. Is it likely that taking thyroxine (25, 50 to 75mg dosages over 2 months) would have inhibited my own production of the hormone altogether?

Would be great to hear your thoughts!

Thanks.

[shaws Administrator]

I think you mean that the Endocrinologist prescribed levo due to high TSH levels.

Weight gain is a clinical symptom of hypothyroidism so you may be hyopothyroid.

If you can get a print-out of your most recent results, with the ranges and post for comments. If you don't have them today, make a new Post.

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/about_...

[greygoose]

So, you went from 25 to 75 mcg levo in two months? Your endo doesn't have much idea what he's doing. And, no, of course you didn't feel any better, you didn't have time to feel better. One needs to stay on each dose for six weeks to feel anything. Although, it might have been better if he'd started you on 50 mcg rather than 25 mcg.

And, yes, it probably did inhibit your thyroid production completely. And it will take time for it to come back again. It's a mistake to stop cold turkey. Reductions should be made as slowly as increases. So, you've put your body into shock.

Levo isn't a 'supplement', not like magnesium or vit A, it's a hormone which one takes to replace the hormone your thyroid can no-longer make. And, if your thyroid cannot make it, then you need to take replacement hormone, because you cannot live without it. This business of 'a trial' is a nonsense. Either you need it or you don't. Do you know what your TSH reading was? I think you've got a bit of a duff endo, there!

[Angel_of_the_North]

That makes no sense at all. Levo is for HIGH TSH - underactive thyroid. It's not the TSH (produced by the pituitary gland) that make you feel well or ill, it's the thyroid hormones free t4 and free T3. If your thyroid was capable of producing enough hormones, you wouldn't have been put on levo to start with as they are very reluctant to prescribe until your bloods are way, way over normal. If you have autoimmune thyroid disease (Hashis) your levels will fluctuate as the antibodies destroy your thyroid, so you may feel overactive, or well without meds for short periods of time, but will go back to being more hypo afterwards. Do not stop your meds - before they were discovered, people went mad. got heart disease and died slowly. You don't want that.