Thyroid levels and monthly cycle

[Orla9298]

Feeling a bit frustrated (and upset) at the moment as I’ve just been to my GP after my monthly cycles have become erratic. I’m pretty certain I need a dose increase and that’s what’s caused my cycles to pack in. I was on 175 of Levo daily for years and my Antibodies were all within range from being gluten free. For some reason on the 175 dose my tsh was always around 0.8 or 1 and my T3 around the top of the range, which was all fine, but then my tsh started dropping and dropping until it went to 0.05. Because I’ve been doing ivf they insisted I needed a dose decrease to get my tsh up towards 1. I’ve now been on 150 levo for around 5 months and suddenly my last four cycles have gone nuts - I had a 19 day, a 26 day, a 28 day and now an 11 day! And I appear to not be ovulating for the first time in 4 years too!

My antibodies are now out of range and my GP insists I don’t need a dose increase. My most recent results are posted on the photo after being on 150 for 5 months.

Am I worrying over nothing?? I’ve made the massive step to move to donor egg ivf after 5 full rounds with my own eggs so I don’t know how that would work with such erratic periods.

Thank you to anyone who can help or offer advice xx

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Yes your FT3 is now too low

Dr Toft, past president of the British Thyroid Association and leading endocrinologist, states in Pulse Magazine,

"The appropriate dose of levothyroxine is that which restores euthyroidism and serum TSH to the lower part of the reference range - 0.2-0.5mU/l.

In this case, free thyroxine is likely to be in the upper part of its reference range or even slightly elevated – 18-22pmol/l.

Most patients will feel well in that circumstance. But some need a higher dose of levothyroxine to suppress serum TSH and then the serum-free T4 concentration will be elevated at around 24-28pmol/l.

This 'exogenous subclinical hyperthyroidism' is not dangerous as long as serum T3 is unequivocally normal – that is, serum total around T3 1.7nmol/l (reference range 1.0-2.2nmol/l)."

You can obtain a copy of the articles from Thyroid UK email print it and highlight question 6 to show your doctor

 please email Dionne at

[e-mail]

Likely vitamin levels may be dropping too. You need folate, B12, ferritin and vitamin D tested

Add results and ranges if you have them

Recommended on here that all thyroid blood tests should ideally be done as early as possible in morning and fasting. Last Levothyroxine dose should be 24 hours prior to test, (taking delayed dose 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)

Is this how you did the test?

[Orla9298 in reply to SlowDragon]

Thank you, yes this is how I always do my tests and then take my dose afterwards.

Thank you for your help. She re-ran all my bloods again today (but wouldn’t do T3 or antibodies!!) so I’ll wait and see what they come back as and maybe repeat my private medichecks.

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Orla9298]

Your TPO antibodies are above range in these test results, confirms the cause of your hypothyroidism is due to autoimmune thyroid disease also called Hashimoto's

So low vitamin levels are likely unless you are supplementing regularly

With Hashimoto's we frequently need suppressed TSH and high FT4 in order to have high enough FT3

[Orla9298 in reply to SlowDragon]

I’ve just had the results of yesterday’s tests, my tsh is now 0.37 and T4 is 16.9!!! No idea how that is even possible for tsh to drop and T4 like that on the same levo dose as the last results which was about 3 weeks ago?

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Orla9298]

TSH often drops when under medicated....one of the many reasons it's unreliable

Pituitary makes TSH and it needs plenty of FT3 to do so

You are very likely under medicated and vitamin levels dropping as direct result

[danym in reply to Orla9298]

what were your results on the 175 mg dose?

are you taking any fertility meds? those could impact the numbers as well.

[Orla9298 in reply to danym]

On the 175 my tsh was normally around 0.8, T4 about 25 and T3 about 5.6 but then suddenly the TSH plummeted to 0.05 and didn’t return which is why they insisted on lowering my levo to 150.

I’ve not been on fertility meds for about a year now.

[danym in reply to Orla9298]

how about adding some t3 med since your ft3 seems to be much lower.

did you change anything in the way you take the levo? did you add nay new supplements?

[Karinyaa]

I used donor eggs for ivf too. Our clinic developed so called 3D modeling technique. Meaning they take photos of the chosen donor and father, from all possible angles. Then with the help of a special program they superimpose the digital pics and get the image of the future kid! That was really awesome! I'm here to say, if together with your dr you've made the decision to try luck with donor eggs – then that's the most optimal step in your very situation.