levothyroxine?

[Gabbie248]

I been on levothyroxine 25 mcg for 4 weeks for only for 30 days I really didn't have any bad side effects yet getting my blood test done next week I really hope I don't have to take a higher dose because I heard that your hair will fall out an u will really start to feel the side effects of levothyroxine

[shaws Administrator]

Your dose is very small for a starting dose - unless you are very frail with a heart disease.

Normal doses begin at 50mcg and every six weeks thereafter we have a blood test which should always be at the very earliest, fasting (you can drink water) and allow a gap of 24 hours between last dose of levothyroxine and the test and take afterwards. Your dose should be increased until your TSH is 1 or lower (not somewhere in range as most doctors seem to believe) and Free T4 and Free T3 in the upper part of the ranges (the latter two ae rearely tested.

If we are hypothyroid our body has stopped producing the hormones which keep us alive and that's why we take replacement hormones, without which we will become very ill indeed.

T4 (levothyroxne) is an inactive hormone and it has to convert to T3 (liothyronine) the Active hormone and it is T3 only which is reqired in our millions of T3 receptor cells and the brain and heart contain the most.

Thyroid Hormones do not cause problems for us as they keep us alive but sometimes fillers/binders can affect us in different ways. These are the clinical symptoms of hypothyroidism and thankfully we don't get them all and when on an optimum dose they should be resolved.

Below you will note how many clinical symptoms there are of hypothyroidism.

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/about_...

[Jazzw]

Levothyroxine doesn’t make your hair fall out. Yes, it’s listed on the side effects page but in my view, that’s because hair loss is one of the side effects of not being on *enough* levothyroxine.

25mcg levothyroxine wouldn’t be a replacement dose for a hypothyroid mouse. You’ll need more.

If you’re hypothyroid you need the amount of levothyroxine that makes hypothyroidism symptoms go away. The list of side effects of having undertreated hypothyroidism is long and unpleasant.

Most people do just fine on levothyroxine - we don’t see them here on this forum because they’re happy with their treatment. Don’t anticipate problems before they happen - the likelihood is you will be one of the people who’s just fine on levothyroxine.

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Ask you doctor to test ferritin, folate, B12 and vitamin D at next blood test.

Low vitamins are extremely common. These often need improving by supplementing, but essential to test FIRST

As others have said, 25mcg is only half the recommended starter dose. Levothyroxine should be increased slowly in 25mcg steps, retesting 6-8 weeks later each time. This continues until TSH is around one and FT4 in top third of range, FT3 at least over half way in range

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...

Being under medicated causes low vitamins. Low vitamins, especially low ferritin or low zinc are often cause of hair loss

Always get actual results and ranges on all blood tests. Keep good record of how you feel and what dose at each test result

For full Thyroid evaluation you need TSH, FT4 and FT3 plus both TPO and TG thyroid antibodies tested. Also extremely important to test vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12

Low vitamin levels are extremely common, especially if Thyroid antibodies are raised

All thyroid blood tests should ideally be done as early as possible in morning and fasting. Do not take Levothyroxine dose in the 24 hours prior to test, delay and take immediately after blood draw. This gives highest TSH, lowest FT4 and most consistent results. (Patient to patient tip, best not mentioned to GP or phlebotomist)

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

Gabbie

If it helps, I have been taking Levothyroxine for 43 years, never has it made my hair fall out nor have I ever had side effects.

Some people do react to certain brands due to the fillers, but because you have been taking yours for 4 weeks and have no reaction to it, I would say that the brand you are currently using suits you well. When your dose is increased, I would ask to stay on the same brand.