My doc told me I had an underdeveloped thyroid and I should take 50 μg. I took the medication for 6 months till it got raised too 75 μg and still no improvement at all.
I feel tired all the time
I shed a lot of hair
and I have anxiety and depression issues
Can someone of you help me
Welcome to our forum and there is no thyroid history in your profile, i.e. when diagnosed, with what (hypothyroid or Autoimmune Thyroid Disease). The latter is also called Hashimoto's if you have thyroid antibodies in your blood.
I shall give you some hints to get the best out of blood tests and you should always get a print-out of the results with the ranges for your own records.
Ranges are in brackets after the results and are necessary for members to comment upon them.
First is to always get the very earliest appointment, fasting (you can drink water) and allow a gap of 24 hours from your last dose of levothyroxine and the test and take afterwards.
Levo should be taken, usually first thing on an empty stomach with one full glass of water and wait an hour before eating.
Ask for B12, Vit D, iron, ferritin and folate to be checked as we can be deficient and everything has to be optimal.
The aim is to get an increase of 25mcg of levo every six weeks until the TSH is around 1 or lower and a Free T4 and Free T3 in the upper part of the ranges (the latter two are rarely tested).
I agree with Shaws, you need to get your nutrients checked. For some reason people with thyroid issues, particularly long standing thyroid issues, become low in B12, D, Ferritin, folate (some or all of them) even if they eat a good balanced diet. It seems thyroid issues affect the body's ability to absorb these nutrients from our food. Supplementing anything that isn't optimal really helps our bodies to make best use of the thyroxine, in fact some people find that once their nutrient levels are good (not just somewhere in the normal range) they need to take less thyroxine to feel good.
Also bear in mid that each time your thyroxine dose changes it takes 6-8 weeks to have its full effect. Thyroxine (T4) builds up in the bloodstream and waits there until the body needs some active hormone (T3), when it gets converted. Some people don't convert well, and if our nutrient levels aren't really healthy conversion is more difficult.
Are you taking any other medication?
Most people eventually need somewhere between 100mcg and 200mcg Levothyroxine, it must be increased slowly in 25mcg steps until TSH is around one and FT4 towards top of range and FT3 at least half way in range
Bloods should be retested 6-8 weeks after each dose increase
As others have said, low vitamin levels are extremely common. They must be tested FIRST and very often need supplementing to improve
Essential to test vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12. Always get actual results and ranges. Post results when you have them, members can advise
For full Thyroid evaluation you need TSH, FT4, FT3 plus TPO and TG thyroid antibodies and also very important to test vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12
Private tests are available. Thousands on here forced to do this as NHS often refuses to test FT3 or antibodies or vitamins
thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/testin...
Medichecks Thyroid plus ultra vitamin or Blue Horizon Thyroid plus eleven are the most popular choice. DIY finger prick test or option to pay extra for private blood draw. Both companies often have money off offers.
All thyroid tests should ideally be done as early as possible in morning and fasting. When on Levothyroxine, take last dose 24 hours prior to test, and take next dose straight after test. This gives highest TSH, lowest FT4 and most consistent results. (Patient to patient tip, GP will be unaware)
If antibodies are high this is Hashimoto's, (also known by medics here in UK more commonly as autoimmune thyroid disease).
About 90% of all hypothyroidism in Uk is due to Hashimoto's. Low vitamins are especially common with Hashimoto's. Food intolerances are very common too, especially gluten. So it's important to get TPO and TG thyroid antibodies tested at least once .
NICE guidelines saying how to initiate and increase. Note that most patients eventually need somewhere between 100mcg and 200mcg Levothyroxine
No improvement with Levothyroxine increase
GP won’t increase thyroid medication 
Improvement then worsening thyroid
Anxiety after increasing medication
Still feeling Awful, but results are improving
