Latest results

[knitwitty]

Just wanted to update everyone who has helped me over the last couple of months.

My latest results arrived this morning, they are:

TSH 2.78 (0.27-4.2)

FT4 14.4 (12-22.0)

FT3 4 (3.1- 6.8)

I am speaking to the doctor tomorrow, I am hoping that she raises my Levo to 50mcg (started on 25mcg 6 weeks ago).

I felt a bit better after about two weeks but began to feel unwell again about 10 days ago.

She initially said that TSH needs to be 1 or just below, so I am hoping all will go well.

Any comments welcomed.

[shaws Administrator]

Your GP sounds as if she knows how to treat a patient who has hypo, i.e. TSH of around 1

50mcg is a low dose and symptoms will not be relieved until you get near a TSH of around 1 or lower.

FT4 and FT3 are too low at present and the nearer the upper range the better.

[knitwitty in reply to shaws]

Thank you Shaws, sadly she is leaving the practice and this will be my last opportunity to speak to her before she goes, I am going to ask her who I should see for my ongoing treatment. She is the first person who has actually taken me seriously in a long time.

I know I was started on a low dose as I am over 50, I also have a mitral valve prolapse so that may have also affected the starting dose. (I read on here that MVP can also be linked to hypothyroidism).

I am just hoping that she can recommend someone who is as good as her at the surgery, at least I have started on my ( hopefully!) journey to recovery.

I had forgotten how good it feels to have high levels of T4 and T3 until I went temporarily hyper a few months back and for a couple of weeks I had the T's in the upper end of the range, it was as if a black cloud had lifted and I had energy and optimism once again.

Thanks for your support, good health.

[shaws Administrator in reply to knitwitty]

I am glad you are feeling much better. It is a wonderful experience to feel life coming back into our body.

The following is from the link below:-

Conclusion A full starting dose of levothyroxine in cardiac asymptomatic patients with primary hypothyroidism is safe and may be more convenient and cost-effective than a low starting dose regimen.

jamanetwork.com/journals/ja...

The following from link below:

"The 50mcg tablet of Levothyroxine is better than other doses of levothyroxine.

Why?

Because each dose of levothyroxine is a different color and contains different inactive ingredients and fillers.

These fillers act to cause symptoms by themselves (which can be confused with hypothyroid symptoms), but they also reduce absorption and the effectiveness of thyroid hormone in your body.

​The 50mcg tablet of Levothyroxine is special in that it is white and does NOT contain any fillers or additives when compared to the other dosages.

This presents a unique opportunity where you can switch your current dose of Levothyroxine to 50mcg increments to potentially benefit from this.

Let's say you are currently taking 150mcg of Levothyroxine.

You could easily switch to taking 3 of the 50mcg tablets of Levothyroxine which would be the same equivalent dose and get rid of all of the fillers/dyes in the process.

Make sense?

Something as simple as this change can actually improve how you are feeling.

Even better is that most physicians won't have a problem with switching your dose (but they may put up resistance to switching your medication entirely.

restartmed.com/levothyroxin...

[knitwitty in reply to shaws]

Thank you for those links, they make for very interesting reading.

I think I shall just have to go along with the 25mcg incremental increases at least I feel I am finally getting somewhere.

[shaws Administrator in reply to knitwitty]

Yes - we have to go along with the GP. As you said at least you are getting something.