I keep getting heart burn and pain in my stomach. I am really really tired and light headed. My period is really weird and I just feel crap. I'm aware that these symptoms are the same for lots of things (heart attack included minus the period stuff)...but I wanted to know if common with hypo!? I'm on 75mcg of levo which I'm taking around 630am and awaiting recent blood test results. I am taking feonella (progestogen only pill) in the evenings so avoid mixing with the levo.
So are these symptoms as I really don't know anything as I'm just trying to get my head around all this and I don't want to Google and convince myself I'm having a heart attack of these are common symptoms of hypo!
Thanks!
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Aussieboo
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Have you had both TPO and TG thyroid antibodies tested to see if cause of being hypothyroid is due to autoimmune thyroid disease?
If not, ask GP to test.
If antibodies are high this is Hashimoto's, (also known by medics here in UK more commonly as autoimmune thyroid disease).
About 90% of all hypothyroidism in Uk is due to Hashimoto's. Low vitamins are especially common with Hashimoto's. Food intolerances are very common too, especially gluten. So it's important to get TPO and TG thyroid antibodies tested at least once .
Low vitamins are extremely common, especially if under medicated
Also request vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12 are tested
Private tests are available. Thousands on here forced to do this as NHS often refuses to test FT3 or antibodies
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)
Blood test should be 6-8 weeks after each dose increase
Many people find Levothyroxine brands are not interchangeable. Once you find a brand that suits you, best to make sure to only get that one at each prescription. Watch out for brand change when dose is increased
Always take Levo on empty stomach and then nothing apart from water for at least an hour after.
Many take on waking, but it may be more convenient and possibly more effective taken at bedtime
Thanks for all the detail. So I'll just put how I an feeling right now down to hypo. I went to the Dr and requested new bloods and she said if my readings were still low we could talk about increasing my dose so I am justvwaiting on the results. I think I will do a private test and get the rest done as I feel really unwell again at the moment. I'll have a look at all the links you have given me too. I really don't want to be a pain I am just really confused and having had no information at all I am trying to learn all of this on my own. Thank you again and I'll get reading and I'll post my new bloods when I have them.
She did test my sodium, creatinine, chloride and potassium etc...not sure if any of those are different words for folate and ferritin. Vitamin d wasn't tested.
I am going in to see her this week about the results ( I managed to find them tonight on my online booking system which was cool). Since I am feeling symptomatic and my t4 is still on the lower end and my tsh is in the 2s (has come down from 3.98 though!) Should request an increase up to 100mcg or even every second day to see if that makes a difference? Should I also ask for the t3 and if they dont do that..get it done to see the bigger picture?
And I just found that a Anti TPO test was done in December and my reading was 600 (range 0-34 😟) .. so that would point to autoimmune ?? Should I request that one is redone!?
Hashimoto's affects the gut and leads to low stomach acid and then low vitamin levels
Low vitamin levels affect Thyroid hormone working
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
Great. I'll talk to her about the tpo test that was done...as no one has even mentioned it and it's results to me. I'm seeing a different Dr to the one who initially diagnosed me and she seems to want to help so will see. Is it still worth asking for the t3 test? I'll ask her about the vitamins. I'm assuming my b12 looks good as it seems to be mid range.
I already had ibs so hard to know what's what ha!
I am going to request the increase in levo and hopefully I will start to feel better. The is for all the information. As much as I am feeling overwhelmed and very emotional at the moment, I am very grateful and taking it all in... so thank you for taking the time to respond.
Many many people with Hashimoto's find their IBS improves by going gluten free, but it's best to rule out coeliac disease with blood test first, if GP will agree. But it's far more likely gluten intolerance than coeliac
Doctors ignore the autoimmune aspect of thyroid disease, as there is no specific medical treatment for it
But testing and improving vitamins, getting Levothyroxine dose optimal and trying strictly gluten free diet are the first three steps
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
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