I’m new to your forum and really looking for help and guidance.
I was diagnosed in my early 20’s with an under active thyroid. I took the medication given and never felt any benefit, I even thought I felt worse. I would tell my drs the issues I was having but they just ignored me and blamed my under-active thyroid. They would order more tests to check my thyroid levels and that was that. I was told my levels were fine with the medication (150mg) . I was like this for years, had four children and was closely monitored and my medication level only ever changed once and that was for a short time.
Then about five years ago I had issues with an irregular heart. I had missed beats and added beats and my heart would race as well as be very slow. I ended up in an ambulance when my heart went very peculiar and was measuring 240bpm. They did look at my heart and do some tests, I was given a tape to check what it was doing but in the end it was just put down as “one of those things”. Anyway my heart kept racing and being irregular and I still had other issues like brain fog, headaches, depression, hives, skin irritation, stomach upset, dizziness and constantly catching colds and being ill. I decided to stop taking my medication.
After stoping taking my medication I slowly started to feel better, my heart rarely became irregular and never raced like it had. I still had some issues but they all seemed less.
Then a couple of months ago out of no where I had a horrendous pain in the left hand side of my abdomen, worse than childbirth. This pain ended up going as quickly as it arrived and only lasted half an hour. Due to this I ended up having bloods taken. They never found out what the pain was about (thought it might be ovarian cysts) but they picked up on my thyroid being low.
During the conversation about why I had decided to stop taking my thyroxine my dr started saying my levels were never good. I got quite upset and said I had only had my dosage changed once and that the drs I’d seen had always said it was good. She checked back on my history and apologised and she couldn’t understand why that was the case as my levels had always been low.
I started taking the levothyroxine 7 weeks ago. Surprise surprise the first week I got a cold and I’ve still got one. I’ve been ill nearly the whole time and my mood has dropped terribly. My hives are worse , I ache , I’m tired and I’m lost as to what I’m meant to do.
My new Dr did sound like she was really going to try and help and started me off on just 50mg and said we would monitor and slowly increase depending on my bloods. I have blood tests next week.
Honestly I think I had believed this was all in my head but it is very obvious now that I really am worse on the medication. My heart is currently fine, that’s what really concerned me enough to try without before. Even writing this is awful because my brain just doesn’t seem to work as it should with all the fog and feeling distant. I really need to know what I should be asking and what to be doing but I’m in a situation where my brain is struggling to work this stuff out.
Thanks for getting through my long post.
Written by
GreenPlantLady
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First thing is, do you have any actual blood test results? if not will need to get hold of copies. You are legally entitled to printed copies of your blood test results and ranges.
UK GP practices are supposed to offer online access for blood test results. Ring and ask if this is available and apply to do so if possible, if it is you may need "enhanced access" to see blood results.
This is best option as can then look at these historic blood test results GP mentions
In reality many GP surgeries do not have blood test results online yet
Alternatively ring receptionist and request printed copies of results. Allow couple of days and then go and pick up.
The aim of Levothyroxine is to increase the dose slowly starting at 50mcg. Bloods should be retested 6-8 weeks after each dose increase
Increases in 25mcg steps upwards until TSH is under 2 (many need TSH under one) and FT4 in top third of range and FT3 at least half way in range
NHS guidelines on Levothyroxine including that most patients need somewhere between 100mcg and 200mcg Levothyroxine. Also what foods to avoid (note recommended to avoid calcium rich foods at least four hours away from Levo)
For most people: 50–100 micrograms once daily, preferably taken at least 30 minutes before breakfast, caffeine-containing liquids (such as coffee or tea), or other drugs.
This should be adjusted in increments of 25–50 micrograms every 3–4 weeks according to response. The usual maintenance dose is 100–200 micrograms once daily.
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
Recommended on here that all thyroid blood tests should ideally be done as early as possible in morning and fasting. This gives highest TSH, lowest FT4 and most consistent results. (Patient to patient tip, best not mentioned to GP or phlebotomist)
Last Levothyroxine dose should be 24 hours prior to test, (taking delayed dose immediately after blood draw).
Suspect you have autoimmune thyroid disease also called Hashimoto's diagnosed by high thyroid antibodies
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Hi guys new here, looking for advice please :)
New member seeking guidance
New here - advice please.
New to this website and looking for advice/info/help.
New to the group, guidance on results appreciated
