Feeling worse the first 2 weeks after raising Levothyroxine dose

[Mallibu]

When I raised from 25 mcg to 50 mcg, and then when I again raised to 75 mcg (since my last TSH result was 3.6) I have been noticing a very interesting pattern. The first 3-4 days I feel a bit better, but all around no different. And then for the following two weeks I'm feeling WORSE hypothyroid than before with: * Tiredness / Sleepiness * Body aches / Heavy legs * No libido * Flat mood & Water retention

Which they slowly dissapear into the weeks 3 & 4. Has anyone noticed this phenomenon? If yes, what are your symptoms when you adjust your dose?

Do you have any early signs or way of knowing if this dose is fine or not?

[shaws Administrator]

Levothyroxine is T4 only and it is an inactive hormone. It's job is to convert from T4 to T3. T3 is the Active thyroid hormone needed in all of our T3 receptor cells.

Maybe you're on too low a dose of levo at present and increases are gradual every six weeks of 25mcg until you are symptom-free and TSH is around 1 or lower.

Levothyroxine has a long half-life and it could be that you need a number of weeks with each increase until you have sufficient T3 in your body. You might find that a T4/T3 combination works better for you but that would mean sourcing your own T3.

You could have a blood test, the earliest possible, fasting (you can drink water) and allow a gap of 24 hours between last dose and test and take it afterwards. This method keeps the TSH at its highest as doctors seem to only look at the TSH and they don't test FT4 and FT3 which are helpful tests. I shall give a link for explanation:-

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/testin...

[greygoose]

All sounds pretty normal to me.