I Have some issues concerning my thyroid. About 6 months ago, I have some symptoms of Hypothyroidism. My endo put me on 25 mcg levothyroxine. I was afraid of starting the medication as it is life-time medication. My test was not bad, from my point of view. My recent blood test, however, is as follows (20-June-2018):
TSH 2.18 ulu/ml (0.55-4.78 ulu/ml)
FT3 2.78 pg/ml (1.7-4.2 pg/ml)
FT4 1.14 ng/dl (0.82-1.44 ng/dl)
Anti - TPO 16.4 IU/ml (up to 5.6 IU/ml)
Anti-Tg 8.0 IU/ml ( less than 4.1 IU/ml)
Others:
Vit D 17.72 ng/ml < 20 deficiency
Iron Serum 24 ug/dl (50-170)
Ferritin in serum 14.8 ng/ml (4.63-204)
I'm currently on VitD3 5000 IU & Iron supplement.
I'm feeling terrible. Most of hypo symptoms, fogy, fatigue, no concentration, low blood pressure, muscle pain, hair loss, feeling cold most of nights. My question is how to deal with Hashimoto? Can levothyroxine ease my symptoms? Should I start levo now. Please help.
P.S. I'm 32 yo & mother of two kids.
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Sarahmsa
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Bloods retested after 6-8 weeks and dose likely increased again until TSH is around one and FT4 towards top of range and FT3 at least half way in range
Look at gluten free diet too
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
I am sorry for you, being a young mother of two children too, as I didn't develop hypo until mine were adults.
Yes, start levo but a 25mcg dose is very low, in fact it is a supplemental dose. I assume because your TSH wasn't too high that's why he prescribed 25mcg.
You take it with one glass of water on an empty stomach and wait an hour before eating.
Make another appointment for a blood test six weeks - should always be at the very earliest possible (TSH drops throughout the day and may mean not getting the rise you need) after you begin dose and you should get another increase up to 50mcg. He should also test B12, Vit D, iron, ferritin and folate.
First thing to do is make sure your blood tests are always at the very earliest, fasting (you can drink water) and allow a gap of 24 hours between your last dose of levo and the test and take afterwards. Your TSH is highest a.m. and can mean the difference between getting an increase or doctor reducing.
The TSH is from the pituitary gland and tries to pump out for a failing thyroid gland but it has no connection to the thyroid gland itself.
You have to read and learn as many doctors know nothing about clinical symptoms. The aim is to relieve all of them and we are back to normal.
You need to get the following (privately if GP or lab wont do all).
TSH, T4, T3, Free T4, Free T3 and thyroid antibodies.
Antibodies can be reduced by going gluten-free which helps stop the attack on the thyroid gland.
Always get a print-out of your tests for your own records and post if you have a query. Members always need the ranges of the results to comment as labs differ in their machines.
We have two private labs which will do the tests the NHS wont.
Your GP should increase your dose to 50mcg which is a starting dose and the aim is a TSH of 1 or lower with Free T4 and Free T3 in the upper part of the range. The latter two are rarely tested.
Hypothroid must be treated as it affects our whole metabolism from head to toe and we need optimum thyroid hormones and it is a life-long condition.
Many doctors think somewhere within the range is fine but it isn't. We need a TSH of 1 or lower. Some will tell you you'll have a heart attack or something similar if our TSH is too low but this is not true.
With an optimum dose (one that makes you feel well) you should feel back to normal.
Thanks Shaws... very good information for me. My main concern is the anti-bodies (Hashimoto). I don't know is it just starting. No scale is seen for values of anti-bodies. Hope to control it as possible. thanks again.
Hashimoto's is an Autoimmune Thyroid Disease - the commonest cause of hypothyroidism.
You can help reduce the attack of the antibodies on the thyroid gland by going gluten-free. The antibodies wax and wane when they attack the gland until you are hypothyroid.
Levothyroxine is a replacement hormone as you are not able to make enough of your own. In the same way as a diabetic doesn’t produce enough insulin ( or is unable to utilise it properly). Levothyroxine doesn’t ‘treat’ the disease process just replaces the hormone. If you thyroid doesn’t produce enough hormone you become more and more unwell and it takes longer for your body to recover once you start taking hormone replacement. It is extremely rare for thyroid function to improve, it normally gets worse as the thyroid eventually fails completely, so hoping it will improve is not realistic. I appreciate it is a lot to take in, but levothyroxine should hopefully help.
I was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s by a private Endocrinologist after feeling absolutely dreadful.
Anyway, he said no medication would help me, in fact it would make me worse.
However, once I joined this forum I knew this wasn’t true, I needed medication.
As he refused to prescribe any thyroid medication I was left on my own.
Fast forward months of getting worse, I went to my GP, full thyroid was taken and my TSH was 12.2 and other thyroid results out of range, surgery phoned me to see the GP and I was immediately put on Levothyroxine, something that should of been prescribed by my Endocrinologist.
My point is, without medication my thyroid got worse, so yes you need this medication.
The thyroid will not fix itself, despite what some people may think.
Your very lucky your GP has given you Levothyroxine with your thyroid results.
Others have mentioned the NHS will not normally help until your TSH is 10 or over, trust me you don’t want to get to that point especially as you have young child.
The dosage your on 25mcg is too low, in fact it could make you feel worse than better.
I started on 50mcg of Levothyroxine, my GP was going to start me on 25mcg until I politely pointed out that 25mcg was for elderly or people with heart issues.
I’m currently on 100mcg of Levothyroxine with a blood test due July, I’m getting better but, not quite 100% yet.
Vitamin levels must be good as well, others this doesn’t help your thyroid either.
I believe it is better to start with 25 mcg and see how you feel before increasing to 50 mcg. Everyone is different. You don’t want to possibly over shoot your optimum dose (without knowing). Also the body usually responds better with gradual changes.
But with thyroid hormone a 25mcg dose is very often enough to turn your own thyroid production down, but not enough to offer decent level of replacement hormone. If under 50 years old, unless have heart condition or been hypothyroid for very long time, it’s recommended by NHS guidelines to start on 50mcg
SlowDragon, I live in the U.S. and not familiar with the NHS guidelines. Can you please direct me to (or post the link) to where the guidelines talk about a low dose of thyroid hormone turning down your thyroid production. Thanks.
Thanks for the links. It appears the NICE guidelines link access is only available in the U.K.
I was able to get access to the NHS link you posted but didn’t see anything there about the 25 mcg dose causing a reduction of thyroid hormone production. Perhaps it was in the other link that I could not access.
I have been learning a lot via this site and greatful I found it!
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