Brain fog!: Hello everyone I am six months post... - Thyroid UK

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Brain fog!

Raali profile image
13 Replies

Hello everyone I am six months post partial thyroidectomy and sufferibg from terrible brain fog! Can you guys please tell me what helps- as this is practically driving me insane and I feel very depressed because of this! I have recently switched my dose of levo from 50 mcg to 75 mcg and added another 5 mcg to my 5mcg of t3 dose so in total I am taking 10 mcg. I am hoping it will help some how. My labs are free t4 0.8 Range 0.7- 1.7 and freet3 2.1 range 1.7-3.7. Please can anyone tell me how long does it take for the brain fog to get better? Will I ever get better?

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Raali
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SeasideSusie profile image
SeasideSusieRemembering

Raali

FT4: 0.8 (0.7-1.7)

FT3: 2.1 (1.7-3.7)

Are you sure those are Free T4 tests? They're certainly nothing like the ranges we normally see here, or are you not in the UK? FT3 normally has a range of something like 3.1-6.8, and FT4's range is usually something like 7-17 or 9-19 or 12-22.

If they are Free T4/T3 then you are undermedicated. As you take T3 then your FT4 is going to be lower in range than if you took Levo only, but your FT3 is only 20% through range and that is why you are having those symptoms, it needs to be much higher. Hopefully your increase in dose will help. I would retest 6-8 weeks after increasing, see where your levels are and how you feel.

Raali profile image
Raali in reply to SeasideSusie

Hi seaside Susie! I don’t live in Uk so that is why the ranges are different. Can you please tell me the ratio of t4 to t3? Am I on the correct dose or do I need to increase right away or shall I wait for a couple of weeks to see what happens? Thanks!

SeasideSusie profile image
SeasideSusieRemembering in reply to Raali

I can't work out the ratio with those ranges. I can only work it out with UK ranges/units of measurement. But ratios of FT4/FT3 don't matter when you're on a combination of Levo and T3, you just need your levels to be wherever they need to be for you to feel well. Some people do fine with a low FT4 and FT3 higher in range, personally I need both mine around 75% through range (I take Levo plus T3), it's just whatever suits the individual.

I have recently switched my dose of levo from 50 mcg to 75 mcg and added another 5 mcg to my 5mcg of t3 dose so in total I am taking 10 mcg.

Retest 6-8 weeks after you increased to these amounts.

No-one can tell you what the correct amount for you is. We are all individual and we have to tweak doses until we find the dose that suits us best.

But what we do need for any thyroid hormone to work is optimal levels of vitamins and minerals. So if you haven't already had them tested, it's advised to test

Vit D

B12

Folate

Ferritin

Raali profile image
Raali in reply to SeasideSusie

Thank you Seaside Susie! I am low in ferritin and don’t know how to bring it up. Also I feel well when my free t4 is around 1 and free t3 around 3 in the range given above. I recently started taking some methylated vitamins and I feel they are cause more brainfog. Also when is the best time to take the medicine to match the body’s natural rythym I take my medicines around 8:30 in the morning as I wake up around 9:30 and go to work around 12 pm? Is that too late? Shall I be taking them closer to when the body produces it’s natural cortisol to match the circadian rhythm? Will that make a difference? Thanks for your help, I really appreciate it! Mind you I had my surgery in Uk and before the surgery my endo measured my free t4 which was 19 in the Uk range but at this range I was having hyper symptoms unfortunately they never measured my free t3. The above ranges where I feel normal were tests done a month before I left for the Uk to have my surgery.

SeasideSusie profile image
SeasideSusieRemembering in reply to Raali

It depends how low your Ferritin is. If it's very low in range you should have an iron panel and full blood count to see if there is any anaemia.

People vary with when they take their thyroid meds. Some take them early morning, some at night. Some split T3 into multiple doses, some take it all in one dose. You just have to experiment to find what suits you best. Just take it on an empty stomach, one hour before or 2 hours after food and with water only for one hour each side, and 2 hours away from any other medication and supplements, some need 4 hours.

Raali profile image
Raali in reply to SeasideSusie

Thanks again! My ferritin was just 30 in the range of 15 to 150. I actually felt better when I took my t4 at night and t3 in the morning. My brain fog wasn’t that bad! I think I will switch again to see if it helps and perhaps take t3 two hours before I wake up. So if I take my thyroid meds at night when shall I do my blood tests to check my levels? What’s the normal gap? Also how can I bring ferritin up?

SeasideSusie profile image
SeasideSusieRemembering in reply to Raali

When booking thyroid tests, we advise:

* Book the first appointment of the morning. This is because TSH is highest early morning and lowers throughout the day. If we are looking for a diagnosis of hypothyroidism, or looking for an increase in dose or to avoid a reduction then we need TSH to be as high as possible.

* Fast overnight - have your evening meal/supper as normal the night before but delay breakfast on the day of the test and drink water only until after the blood draw. Eating may lower TSH, caffeine containing drinks affect TSH.

* Leave off Levo for 24 hours before blood draw, if taking NDT or T3 then leave that off for 8-12 hours (alter time of meds the day before if necessary). Take after the blood draw. Taking your dose too close to the blood draw will give false high results, leaving any longer gap will give false low results.

These are patient to patient tips which we don't discuss with doctors or phlebotomists.

With a ferritin level of 30 I would be inclined to ask for the full blood count and iron panel. If any problems show up then GP should prescribe.

Ferritin can be raised by eating liver regularly, maximum 200g per week due to it's high Vit A content, also liver pate, black pudding, and including lots of iron rich foods in your diet

apjcn.nhri.org.tw/server/in...

pennyannie profile image
pennyannie

Hello Raali

just as a point of reference -

A fully functioning working thyroid would be drip feeding you, on a daily basis approximately 100 T4 + 10 T3.

It's good to see you have both T3 and T4 being prescribed and both these essential hormones should be dose managed to bring your levels up into the upper quadrants of the ranges, and to dose to relief of symptom and give you back a level of wellness acceptable to you.

Raali profile image
Raali in reply to pennyannie

Thanks Pennyannie! I take the t3 myself! My endo doesn’t know this! Shall I wait for it to work or increase my dose right away as they say you should increase t4 by 25mcg every 4 to 6 weeks. Is this the dose you take? Also I take both doses together at the same time. Is that how should be taking it? And also will I see results in another 6 to 8 weeks?

pennyannie profile image
pennyannie in reply to Raali

Hey there Raali

If you are still under an endocrinologist I think it only right that you face up and talk about the fact that you are " topping up with T3 " yourself.

I do not use T3 or T4 - I am taking Natural Desiccated Thyroid.

Raali profile image
Raali in reply to pennyannie

Hi again! Was it easy to get NDT in uk?

pennyannie profile image
pennyannie in reply to Raali

I think you need to read up on all the thyroid hormone options and then you may feel better placed to make the transition, if and when.

For any thyroid hormones to work effectively, your vitamins and minerals need to be optimal.

In the short term get your ferritin, folate, B12 and vitamin D tested and repost with the ranges so people better qualified than me can advise you, if necessary.

There is no quick fix, it's a slow build starting with the strong building blocks of vitamins and minerals.

Raali profile image
Raali

Hi Barbara can you please elaborate as to what treatment he was given! Please I need help as my two very young kids are getting ignored! I have zero quality of life, i would really appreciate it!

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