I am not at all surprised you still have symptoms and that is because you are woefully underdosed. You have an Autoimmune Thyroid Disease, also called Hashimoto's or hashi's for short due to having high thyroid antibodies.
These antibodies attack the thyroid gland and wax and wane (sometimes you feel 'hyper' (not hyperthyroid) as they attack the gland and, at other times, they wane. To reduce antibodies' attack, going gluten-free can help,
In the UK doctors are directed (for some unfathomable reason) that no prescriptions should be given until the TSH is 10. In other countries it is 3+ with symptoms.
So you are very, very underdosed and it seems your doctor is like the majority i.e. they believe that once the TSH reaches somewhere in the range that you're on sufficient. That is not true.
The reason for taking thyroid hormone replacement is to relieve the patient of all their disabling clinical symptoms (doctors know none these 'modern' days when blood test results have taken over from symptoms):-
MAR-2018
TSH 4.30 (0.2 - 4.2) Far too high, should be around 1 or below
FT4 16.8 (12 - 22) (too low - should be nearer 22)
FT3 3.5 (3.1 - 6.8) (too low - should be nearer 6)
You need blood tests every six weeks - they have to be at the earliest, fasting (you can drink water) and allow a 24 hours gap between last dose and test and take afterwards. This helps keep the TSH at its highest as it drops throughout the day. TSH is from the pituitary gland which tries to flag the thyroid gland to produce more hormones. The aim is 1 or lower.
Ask GP for an increase of 25mcg with a blood test every six weeks until TSH is 1 or lower. I will add in SeasideSusie who will advise on your Vit D.
You also need B12, iron ferritin and folate tested. Deficiencies in these also cause symptoms. Below is a list of symptoms and you can tick off the ones you have and tell your GP all have to be relieved.
We used to get doses between 200 to 400mcg (on NDT - NDT the original thyroid hormone replacement made from pigs' thyroid glands and contain all of the hormones a healthy gland would produce). NHS has withdrawn this which used to be widely prescribed. Now it is levothyroxine (T4 only) it is supposed to convert to T3. T4 is an inactive hormone and converts to T3 - the only Active thyroid hormone and is needed in all of our T3 receptor cells and we have millions in our body and brain and heart have the most.
Also ask for iron, ferritin and folate at the next test. Everything has to be optimal.
Seriously low Summerszo. Copy and paste them into a new post for more comments. B12 is disgraceful. Did you know that we can get dementia or Alzeimers and before doctor supplements he has to ensure you don't have Pernicious Anaemia before supplementing. It should be nearer 900. I don't know much about folate or iron and both are too low Ferritin is also too low. Everything is deficient.
Just want to confer with Shaws that you are very undermedicated for hypothyroidism at 25 mcg starter levothyroxin dose since last December ie 7-8 months! Plus your folate and ferritin are deficient, and Vit D, B12 and iron struggling at very bottom of ranges...what is your doctor thinking ( or not thinking) about!? Disgraceful, and / or lazy doctoring!
Vit D is recommended to be 100-150nmol/L according to the Vit D Council, the Vit D Society and Grassroots Health.
You need more like 5000iu D3 daily and retest in 3 months. You also need D3's important cofactors according to the Vit D Council, particularly Vit K2-MK7 and magnesium vitamindcouncil.org/about-v...
As you have Hashi's, for best absorption you would be better using an oral spray like BetterYou which comes in 3000iu dose, so it would be best to take 6000iu daily until you retest.
As for these
FERRITIN 17 NG/L (30 - 400)
IRON 9 UMOL/L (6 - 26)
FOLATE 4.2 NG/L (4.6 - 18.7)
VITAMIN B12 193 PG/L (190 - 900)
You need to speak to your GP. Your ferritin and iron results suggest iron deficiency anaemia, you are folate deficient and your extremely low B12 suggests you need testing for B12 deficiency/pernicious anaemia.
Hashi's can lead to gut/absorption problems which lead to nutrient deficiencies, so you need to address the gut problems. Check for coeliac and see SlowDragon's post near the end of this thread for information and links about how to address poor gut function
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