Self medication for hypo

[patez]

Hi everyone.

Lots of you know me already, and I have listened very carefully to all your advice.

I have decided that I need to "try" and sort out what I firmly believe to be a thyroid problem, most probably hypothyroid, based on the replies I have had on here.

I am going to have to go down the route of a self medicated trial period of levothyroxine though!

From what I know, initial dosage would be 50 mcg daily, for a period of 6 weeks, and then have TSH, T3 & T4 tested again?

I know that you cannot condone self medication, but I would like to ask what I would be looking for in future thyroid TSH, T3 and T4 tests?

Patez

[RedApple Administrator]

Patez, an initial dosage of 50 mcg levothyroxine daily would be for someone who has confirmed hypothyroidism. Your test results do NOT confirm hypothyroidism, therefore it is unwise to pursue this course of action, most especially without medical supervision.

However, if you are insistent on a trial of levothyroxine, then you should not consider a starting dose of more than 25mcg daily. Monitor your symptoms very carefully and retest TSH, FT4 and FT3 after 6-8 weeks. Once you have the new test results, you can post them on forum for members to comment, always bearing in mind that no-one here is medically qualified.

[patez in reply to RedApple]

Hi

Thanks for the advice.

I was taking into account of my age, and the recommended dosage for a 60 year old person with suspected hypothyroidsim?

But I have considered the initial dosage.

I will follow your advice.

Titrate slowly.

Thanks for your advice.

Patez

[MaisieGray in reply to patez]

patez If you are 60 yrs of age, the BNF/NICE starting dose guidance is:

For Adult 50 years and over

Initially 25 micrograms once daily; adjusted in steps of 25 micrograms every 4 weeks, adjusted according to response; maintenance 50–200 micrograms once daily, dose to be taken preferably at least 30 minutes before breakfast, caffeine-containing liquids (e.g. coffee, tea), or other medication.

[patez in reply to MaisieGray]

Hi.

Thank you for the very useful info/advice.

Patez

[patez in reply to MaisieGray]

Hi.

I would like to ask how people "adjust" to not being able to have a cup of coffee 1st thing in the morning, after waking up and taking the levothyroxine, and no breakfast or coffee for 30 minutes to 1 hour after waking up?

It is very life changing!

How do people manage this?

Wake up, but no coffee or breakfast, before having to go to work!

Get up 30 minutes earlier, but then just sit around doing nothing, but desperate for that morning coffee and breakfast?

Is that what I have to do?

Patez

[Hidden in reply to patez]

I take mine when I wake up early in the morning, but before I get up, so just go back to sleep. If you sleep all the way through the night until your alarm goes off then it obviously won’t work. I think a lot of people take it last thing at night instead.

[MaisieGray in reply to patez]

No it's no big deal, unless we make it so. You can always take it at night, as I do, there's some evidence that some people do better with night dosing. But if you want to take it in the morning, there's no need to be sitting around doing nothing! Have your shower, get dressed, feed the cat, read the newspaper, watch the tv, listen to the radio, empty the dishwasher ...... Or have your breakfast and coffee and take your tablet 2 hrs later at work. Consistency is more important than timing.

[Hidden]

Lots of people on this site self medicate it's the only way for many to feel well. Post you blood test results with the ranges to answers first.