Constant Headache Med Increase?: Underactive... - Thyroid UK

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Constant Headache Med Increase?

whymestill profile image
12 Replies

Underactive since 2009

Tsh = 7.24

Range 0.30-5.50 mu/L

Free T3 = 3.6

Range 0.0-7.0 pmol/L

Free T4 = 26.7

Range 11.5 - 22.7 pmol/L

On 175mcg levo (25mcg increase last week)

I have a continual dull headache for over a week now and also behind my right eye, and a horrible metallic taste in my mouth.

A recent celiac blood test has come back negative.

I get waves of despair that lasts less than a minute then fades.

Does anyone think this is all linked to the meds increase?

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whymestill profile image
whymestill
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12 Replies
SeasideSusie profile image
SeasideSusieRemembering

whymestill

There's something not right there with an over range TSH and over range FT4.

Have you got previous results you can post so we can compare.

Have you had results like this before? If not then possibly there may have been something amiss with the testing and I would ask for it to be repeated but remember the advice given here

1) Earliest appointment of the morning

2) Leave off Levo for 24 hours

3) Fast overnight - that is you can have your normal evening meal and supper the night before, then just water only until after the blood draw (delay breakfast until afterwards).

whymestill profile image
whymestill

Can a Doctor prescribe this? My doctor thinks that my results and hormones are normal

SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator

You need vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12 tested

Do you have Hashimoto's? Also called autoimmune thyroid disease diagnosed by high thyroid antibodies

As advised in previous post you need both TPO and TG thyroid antibodies tested and vitamins

Hashimoto's affects the gut and leads to low stomach acid and then low vitamin levels. Low vitamin levels affect Thyroid hormone working

Poor gut function can lead leaky gut (literally holes in gut wall) this can cause food intolerances. Most common by far is gluten.

According to Izabella Wentz the Thyroid Pharmacist approx 5% with Hashimoto's are coeliac, but over 80% find gluten free diet helps, sometimes significantly. Either due to direct gluten intolerance (no test available) or due to leaky gut and gluten causing molecular mimicry (see Amy Myers link)

Changing to a strictly gluten free diet may help reduce symptoms, help gut heal and slowly lower TPO antibodies

amymyersmd.com/2017/02/3-im...

chriskresser.com/the-gluten...

thyroidpharmacist.com/artic...

scdlifestyle.com/2014/08/th...

drknews.com/changing-your-d...

whymestill profile image
whymestill in reply toSlowDragon

I was tested in 2009 for antibodies result was 5000 abnormal they retested a few months later and it had gone down to 349 abnormal, I haven't been tested since

whymestill profile image
whymestill

I was last tested in 2009 for antibiotics and my results came back at 5000

I got put on 25mng Levi and got tested later that year and it was 345. It hasn't been tested since

SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator in reply towhymestill

Typically most people eventually need somewhere between 100mcg and 200mcg Levothyroxine

NICE guidelines saying how to initiate and increase. Note that most patients eventually need somewhere between 100mcg and 200mcg Levothyroxine

cks.nice.org.uk/hypothyroid...

Ask GP to test vitamins or get tested privately - details listed in post above

Come back with new post once you have results and ranges

Your next step is to try strictly gluten free diet

whymestill profile image
whymestill in reply toSlowDragon

My meds got upped to 175mcg last week Slowdragon but I feel awful

SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator in reply towhymestill

Have you ever had vitamins tested?

Strictly gluten free diet helps many of us too (I was utterly amazed, despite no gut symptoms)

jgelliss profile image
jgelliss in reply towhymestill

I found when my FT-4 where high for me with a very low TSH that would give me bad headaches .

humanbean profile image
humanbean

Free T3 = 3.6 Range 0.0-7.0 pmol/L

I have never seen a reference range for Free T3 where the bottom of the range was zero. I suspect someone who really did have a Free T3 of zero would be a corpse.

diogenes Is it possible for a living person to ever have a Free T3 of zero?

whymestill profile image
whymestill in reply tohumanbean

Yes that is the range at the lab 0.0-7.0pmol/L

humanbean profile image
humanbean in reply towhymestill

Oh, I'm sure you're reporting the range you were given correctly.

But the lab that uses that reference range should be ashamed of telling people such nonsense.

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