These are the results from my blood tests. My doctor prescribed me with oroxine 100mcg. I’m wondering if the dosage is too high?
It is also my first time being diagnosed with hypothyroidism.
In addition, I started getting symptoms on Wednesday and went to the doctors on Thursday. By Saturday, I was feeling okay, just slight tingliness. But on Sunday, a few hours after taking the meds, the symptoms worsened. I’m not sure whether it is because of the meds or because on the hypothyroidism already.
TSH: 4.37 (ref. range: 0.40 - 3.80)
TF4: 15.9 (ref. range: 10.0 - 22.0)
Vit D: 30 (ref. range: 50 - 150)
Fe: 36.5 (ref. range: 7.0 - 26.0)
%Sat: 73 (ref. range: 16 - 45)
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borahae
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Good heavens!!! YES! Starting you out at 100 mcg is DOUBLE what you should be started on! What on earth is this doctor thinking? This CANNOT be a thyroid knowledgeable doctor! My advice to you is to not take 100 mcg because it will make you very sick and to find a new doctor before this one kills you. Cut the pill in half and only take the standard starting dose, 50 mcg. Please do not take 100 mcg!
Yes, you are hypo, but even if you had TSH at 25 and FT4 that was below range, no intelligent doctor would ever start a patient out on 100 mcg T4! Free T3 test is missing, so that doctor cannot possibly have the complete picture about what is going on with your thyroid. He also failed to test antibodies to find out if you have Hashimoto's.
Hi, I read the doctor’s notes and it states that I have either subclinical hypothyroidism or early hypothyroidism. And that an antibody study is recommended, but no I have not had it done. my B12 have also not been tested.
You are hypothyroid. Regardless of whether it's early, subclinical, or central hypothyroidism, or Hashimoto's, 100 mcg is never ever prescribed as a starting dosage. Prescribing too high a dose could cause heart failure, stroke or death.
For goodness sake, SS! Stop scaring the poor girl like that! Starting someone on 100 mcg may be a bit of a shock to the system, but it's NOT going to cause a heart attack! That's rediculous. And you're being very unkind to someone who is new to all this!
borahae , if 100 mcg feels a bit much, cut the pill in half and just take half for a while. And tell the doctor what happened. And, in future, make sure he doesn't increase the dose by more that 25 mcg at a time. You body needs to get used to having thyroid hormone slowly. But, it doesn't put you in any danger at all, because levo is a storage hormone, not active. And, it takes about six weeks to be fully absorbed, converted and used in the body. When did your doctor tell you to go back for a retest?
I am very worried about you and that your doctor didn't know about safely prescribing T4. Here is the prescribing info for Oroxine. This is T4 thyroid hormone. Generic version of this medication is called Levothyroxine.
"Dosage / Direction for Use
Initiate therapy w/ low dosages (eg, 25 or 50 mcg daily & increase at intervals of not less than 2 wk by not more than 50 mcg increments). Maintenance: Adult 100-150 mcg daily. Congenital & acquired hypothyroidism Childn ≥12 yr Approx 2 mcg/kg daily; 6-12 yr Approx 4 mcg/kg daily; 1-5 yr Approx 5 mcg/kg daily; 6-12 mth Approx 6 mcg/kg daily; 0-6 mth Approx 8 mcg/kg daily."
Here is much more comprehensive prescribing information for T4. Prescribing information is the same for generic or for the name brand. Notice that even severely hypothyroid patients are not ever started on 100 mcg.
It takes 4-6 weeks for T4 supplementation to reach full therapeutic effects. That's why we are re-tested at 6 weeks, to see how we've responded to the medication and to see what our levels are. That's also why doses are not typically increased any sooner than every 6 weeks. Sooner than that, and you won't know how well you've responded to the current dose.
Hi, thank you for the information, I’m actually quite worried too. I’ve planned an appointment after my ultrasound tomorrow. I’ll try rest till then, right now my heart beat is faster than norm, but I’m not feeling any pain.
You're welcome. If you don't like what the medication is doing to you and other effects that will only worsen, you don't need to risk you health or potentially damage your heart by taking it. Being over medicated as you are can cause heart problems. Your heart should not be beating faster than normal. That is a sign of being over medicated. 2x the normal starting dosage is hurting you and will continue to hurt you even more as your thyroid hormones rise, and likely to over range.
This is not a good doctor to see for thyroid disease because he does not understand the treatment for this disease. You need one who knows what the right starting dosage is and who also knows the dangers of over medicating a patient. Whoever you see needs to test your two thyroid antibodies, TPOab and TGab. Then you'll know if you need to address autoimmunity in addition to hypothyroidism.
borahae There is no need to be "very worried" as you are young and presumably otherwise well with no cardiac issues, and unlikely to be adversely affected in any way by starting at 100 mcg Levothyroxine. There's no way of knowing if the effects you are feeling are what you would have felt when starting at any dose, or even perhaps, due to an intolerance to one of the inactive excipients in the tablet. From years in various patient fora I've read of others safely reporting a starting dose of 100 mcg, and whilst it's not recommended here in the UK, because it's generally better for a number of reasons to start such drugs lower and slower; it doesn't thereby imply that you are going to be remotely sick, never mind very sick. Take it calmly - being anxious could simply raise your heart rate and cause you to feel unwell - and as greygoose suggests, take half a tablet for a while if you feel you need to reduce your dose.
However, here is what is written in the CMI for Oroxine (which is presumably the Australian equivalent of the UK's PIL):
"Your doctor will decide on the right dose for you. It may take a few weeks for Oroxine to begin working. Until it begins working you may not notice any change in your symptoms. Follow your doctor's instructions carefully, as they may differ from the information contained in this leaflet. If you do not understand the instructions on the blister pack, ask your doctor or pharmacist for help.
How much to take
The usual starting dose for adults is 50 to 100 micrograms daily. The dose may be increased over time. The average adult maintenance dose is 100 to 200 micrograms. Lower doses are used in the elderly and children."
Hopefully that helps you to feel a little more calm about your dose.
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