Stopping levothyroxine

[Oldtymetedd]

Hi I had thyroiditis back in March & have been on levothyroxine since 50m my levels are ok now but the doctor wants me to come off of it in a month to see what happens ? I’m not sure about this as he said u can just stop taking it ? Has any one heard that u can just stop it ?

[Peanut31]

Hi

You mentioned that your GP states your thyroid levels are ok.

This happens all the time on here, when GP states normal.

What they mean is the blood results are within the lab ranges.

You can’t just stop talking Thyroid medication, it’s a medication you will be taking for life.

Can you get hold of your blood tests and post the results on here.

How are you feeling? I see you mention your on 50m? presume your mean 50mcg of Levothyroxine?

If that’s correct 50mcg of Levothyroxine is a starter dosage.

Best Wishes

Peanut31

[Oldtymetedd in reply to Peanut31]

Hi

I did think you could not stop taking it

I could ring my doctors Monday to try to get results

I’m feeling tired again & that’s why I had my blood test earlier than I should have I’ve also got muscle ache s my face goes quite puffy & when I exercise I only do twenty minutes every other day it whiles me out for the rest of the day my last bloods in June were ft4 17.1 and Tsh 1.09 after taking levothyroxine since April he said there much the same ?

[Peanut31 in reply to Oldtymetedd]

Hi

You need the official print out of your blood tests, including the lab ranges.

You are entitled to a copy of those by law, or better still does your surgery offer on line services, booking appointments and accessing your blood results on line?

Mine do, just go into the surgery and ask them if they offer this service, take ID with you.

It’s also important to remember when you have your thyroid tested it should be first thing in the morning, before 9am.

Don’t take your Levothyroxine before the blood test, no eating and only drink water.

Why? Well this is a tip we offer our members on here and does not need to be mentioned to your GP/nurse/ Endocrinologist.

Your TSH is always higher in the morning, this enables you to either start on Levothyroxine with a high reading or get an increase in your Levothyroxine without having to beg the GP.

You need to test TSH, T4 & T3 to get the whole thyroid picture.

If your still feeling unwell your not on the correct dosage of Levothyroxine, as said 50mcg is only a starter dosage.

Have you had your vitamin levels tested? Vitamin D, B12, iron, Ferritin?

Vitamins play an important role in supporting the thyroid.

Best wishes

Peanut31

[greygoose]

I think your doctor is a little confused - doctors often are because they don't have the education to back up their theories.

If, in the unlikely case that you're taking levo when you don't need it, you can stop it and your thyroid will start working again and all will be well. However, misdiagnosis of that kind are as rare as hen's teeth! If you are diagnosed hypo, they you will be very, very hypo and will really need that thyroid hormone replacement you're taking. And, if you stop, what will happen is that your thyroid will start struggling again to make the inadequate amount of hormone that it was making before you started THR. Your Free levels will drop and your TSH will rise, and all your previous symptoms will start creeping back in again - probably with a few extra, to boot. And you will get sicker and sicker.

It's amazing to me that doctors don't seem to understand that the reason your levels are now 'in-range' is that you are taking thyroid hormone replacement - levo. It is the levo that is keeping the levels in-range. Levo is not like aspirin that cures a headache, levo doesn't cure anything, it just keeps you afloat. You can stop aspirin when the headache has gone, but if you stop levo, you will sink. It's as simple as that. I don't know why they can't get that through their stupid heads!

[spongecat]

What the others have said.

Your doctor wants to see what happens? You are not a lab rat.

[Oldtymetedd]

Hi

Exactly what I thought this is a consultant at the hospital that had said to stop taking it then in a month do another blood test to see

[Angel_of_the_North]

Your doctor is an ignorant sadist. Hypothyroidism does not "go away" and being without meds could make you very ill and low thyroid can damage the heart and brain. Why does he nee to know what will happen - you are not a guinea pig in his private lab experiment? Just say that you are not happy to do that and do not agree, as you cannot see the benefit to you. Then make sure you see a different doctor.