Heat intolerance

[raine-wager]

I was wondering if anyone else can't function in this heat.? All I want to do is sleep. I'm on Levo 50mg and recently had a pacemaker. Been on Levo 3 months then got shingles 4 weeks ago and pacemaker 2 weeks ago. I was starting to feel better then about 5 weeks ago started getting tired. Now with the heat all I do is sleep.

[SlowDragon Administrator]

What are your most recent blood test results?

50mcg is only a starter dose. You are likely ready for next dose increase.

You should have bloods retested

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. When 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)

[raine-wager in reply to SlowDragon]

Added test results above. Endo doesn't do t3 or vitamins. T4 was 16 last time. B12 and D were mid range 6 weeks ago.

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to raine-wager]

Well you need full testing to see exactly what is going on, including vitamins and antibodies

[raine-wager in reply to SlowDragon]

It took me 2years to see the endo. Hopefully he will ring me now results are back.

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to raine-wager]

Can you add your actual results for vitamin D, folate, B12 and ferritin

Do you have Hashimoto's? Diagnosed by high thyroid antibodies

You should chase endo up and explain how exhausted you are and that you are ready for dose increase in Levothyroxine

Always take Levo on empty stomach and then nothing apart from water for at least an hour after.

Many take in morning on waking, but it may be more convenient and possibly more effective taken at bedtime

verywell.com/should-i-take-...

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 or with each new prescription

What other medication are you on, it may be interfering with Levothyroxine. Always take any other medication at least 4 hours away from Levo

[raine-wager in reply to SlowDragon]

Endo rang has stopped Levo because he says if I'm tired it's not doing any good I said it's a starting dose he would not increase. I asked if my t3 was tested he said no. What do I do now? Can't really afford to go private..

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to raine-wager]

That's ludicrous.

Your results clearly show you are under medicated with low FT4

Who initially prescribed Levo for you? The GP or this endo

Suggest you get the list of recommended thyroid specialists from Thyroid UK. They are not all private, some are NHS

please email Dionne at

[e-mail]

And get full Thyroid and vitamin testing privately if GP unhelpful

Test needs to be done after 6-8 weeks on constant dose

Do you have enough Levothyroxine to carry on taking until you can get full bloods tested (next week ideally)

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

Medichecks do offers on Thursdays for £79 instead of £99 (plus £25 for blood draw if you don't fancy DIY finger prick )

All thyroid tests should ideally be done as early as possible in morning and fasting. When 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)

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 .

Link about thyroid blood tests

thyroiduk.org/tuk/testing/t...

Link about antibodies and Hashimoto's

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

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

List of hypothyroid symptoms

thyroiduk.org/tuk/about_the...

NHS guidelines saying standard starter dose is 50mcgs

beta.nhs.uk/medicines/levot...

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to raine-wager]

raine-wager

B12 and D were mid range 6 weeks ago.

What are the results?

Serum B12 is better at the top of the range, 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."

Vit D is recommended to be 100-150nmol/L (or 40-60ng/ml) according to the Vit D Council, the Vit D Society and Grassroots Health.

[datsoon1]

how the heck do you cope? you are a brave person,

[raine-wager in reply to datsoon1]

I'm not at the moment just sleeping all the time. But I think it's more to do with the heat. I really don't know though..

[Marz]

Your FT4 result above is towards the bottom of the range. This must convert into the ACTIVE hormone T3 which is needed in every cell of the body including cells of the heart ... Your FT3 result will also be low which can be the cause of heart issues. Both the FT4 & FT3 need ti be nearer the top of the range.

Please do your research to understand the importance if thyroid hormones and the heart and have the tests done ASAP suggested by SlowDragon . We have to read and learn so much for ourselves these days to find wellness - don't wait for others 😊

Do you have the actual results for VitD and B12 ? Is it possible you are on medications that are causing the fatigue. Also Low Ferritin can cause fatigue ...

[shaws Administrator]

For a start your FT4 level is just above the bottom of the range, which would lead me to think that your most important Free T3 level will also be low.

I am sorry you developed other problems too due to heat.

You are still on an introductory dose of levothyroxine and it should be increased by 25mcg every six weeks until both FT4 and FT3 are towards the upper part of the range. We cannot feel an improvement unless our FT3 is optimum.

T4 is also called levothyroxine which is an inactive thyroid hormone. It's job is to convert to T3 (liothryonine) and it is T3 which runs our whole metabolism. Dose of T4 has to be slowly increased by 25mcg every six weeks until TSH is 1 or lower but, most important, that FT4 and FT3 have to be nearer the upper part of the range, FT3 in particular. You should have a 25mcg levo increase every six weeks. Many endocrinologists wont increase if TSH is around 1.

I do not know why doctors and endocrinologists ignore the Free T3. It is the most important for us to recover our health.

Let's hope he is knowledgeable because many despite the status, Endocrinologist, may not enable us to recover our health if FT3 remains low.

[raine-wager in reply to shaws]

It's so hard like fighting a loosing battle. Endo didn't think I had thyroid problems but put me on Levo anyway. Wasn't interested in private bloods. Never had a scan or xray on thyroid. I just feel grateful I got Levo. My symptoms are endless. I self medicate vitamins. On vit d fultium. Also take furosemide and aspirin. Not had any recent bloods only tsh and t4..

[Sally39]

Yes it has got to me to all I feel is sleepy and so drained with the heat

[Americalover]

I almost fell asleep in the office yesterday. My colleague had to put the fan in front of me. I was overheating. I am on 25mcg for about three weeks now. I don't like the heat I sweat profusely and overheat.

[eeng in reply to Americalover]

25mcg is a very low dose. I found once I was on a higher dose of T4 I started being able to regulate my temperature properly, and although I am finding the heat oppressive, I no longer get profuse night sweats in the way I did before I started on Levothyroxine.

[Americalover in reply to eeng]

I guess I have to persevere longer until the doctor sufficiently increase my medication.

[yurirx]

Hello!

Your story is just like mine.

I too suffered from intense heat tolerance! Almost unbearable ! Ever since I had my thyroid taken out and was on levo I was always overheating.I would be sweating in the winter.

After 10 years of suffering like this, I finally found a solution. I cut out all gluten and dairy products. And now I can regulate heat much much better!!

[yurirx in reply to yurirx]

Also I would like to add. I also felt very sleepy as well, especially after I had eaten something containing gluten. I could not function normally and would need frequent naps. Finally I would have unstable heart rhythm and intense depression. All of this, thank God! resolved promptly after I went off gluten and dairy! One another benefit of going off gluten was that I needed a far lesser amount of levy than before.

[raine-wager]

The thing is I rarely sweat just want to sleep.

[purple64]

I have graves (hyper) so already hor without the heat we have at the moment😤

[Hidden]

Hi I’m not sure you are a man or woman and how old are you ? I have heat intolerance from menopause .

[raine-wager in reply to Hidden]

61 woman

[serenfach]

I have melted. There is a sticky puddle on the floor that used to be me. Please mind where you are treading as I hope once it is cooler I can "pull myself together".

[crimple]

I over heated all the time on just levo. Woke up in the middle of the night, throwing off covers then after a while too cold and so it went on. Since adding a small amount of T3 to my T4 have not had the problem and in fact I sleep a lot better and can tolerate the current heat wave! My T4 and T3 levels on just levo alone were always low in range.

[nouvelleespoir]

I was blessed enough to see my Functional Medicine Doc in the states about a month or so ago, and he said that it's not unusual to have heat intolerance with Hashi's and low vitamin/mineral/electrolyte numbers. The hormonal imbalances don't help, and neither does a diet that allows for sugar or gluten, as they both cause malabsorption of whatever we're trying to suppliment that may be low (for me it has been iron, magnesium, and B3). So, I'm being way more conscientous again about diet (I relaxed a touch since moving to France, since the quality of the food is so much better, and I wasn't feeling a problem with bread and such like I did in the States with all the GMOs), and working to repair the leaky gut problem so we can reverse this.