Hello all. I am in need of some advice. My blood work done in April is below..this was the bloodwork done to diagnose me with hypothyroidism:
TSH w/ Reflex to Ft4: 5.863 uIU/mL (Above high threshold)
T4 (Thyroxine), FREE: 0.82 ng/dl (Normal range)
I've been on 25mcg of Levothyroxine..a generic brand from Mylan for about a month now. I saw that they had mannitol as a innactive ingredient. I also saw that it could cause a lot of unwanted side effects. A couple weeks ago when I was bumped up to 50mcg I had a massive panic attack, chest pain, acid reflux..etc. I still have been struggling with anxiety. Today i feel so sluggish and fatigued, even after sleeping from 9pm to 7am this morning. My doctor told me I had bad anxiety and that was causing all the symptoms ive been having with slight chest pain, heart rate increased, getting really hot and then cold, constipation, loss of appetite, dry mouth. I started taking cbd oil for the anxiety and it seemed to help a bit but it also could be causing my dry mouth. I haven't taken any today. Please let me know of any tips or anything I should be doing! Thanks!
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Unless you are very frail with a heart disease, the starting dose of levo is 50mcg with a blood test and 25mcg increase every six weeks.
Blood tests have always to be at the very earliest, fasting (you can drink water) and allow a gap of 24 hours between last dose of levothyroxine and the test and take it afterwards.
Too low a dose can backfire as it isn't providing the hormone replacement our body needs to function. Our heart and brain need the most T3. T3 is the Active Hormone and levothyroxine is the inactive hormone - also called T4. Levo has to convert to T3
It is more informative for us, the patient, if doctor tested Free T4 and Free T3 but these are rarely tested.
Also if you quote results it must always be accompanied by the ranges. Ranges are in brackets after the results - labs differ and ranges enable members to comment upon them.
If you had a higher TSH, the aim is a dose increase of 25mcg every six weeks until it is 1 or lower. Many doctors, however, seem to believe that if it reaches somewhere in the range, even the highest, we're on sufficient and should relieve our symptoms. Not true.
I would think you have more than one clinical symptoms! Before levo and blood tests were introduced we were diagnosed upon clinical symptoms alone and given NDT (natural dessicated thyroid hormones - now withdrawn from the NHS through False Statements). Symptoms are a priority and to relieve them is the aim. Not to cause us to develop more.
If you think it is your tablet that is giving you unpleasant symptoms, try taking one anti-histamine tablet 1 hour before your next dose and if you have no symptoms, ask for another make. Sometimes fillers/binders can have a bad effect on us.
GP should also test B12, Vit D, iron, ferritin and folate. Everything has to be optimum.
Always get a print-out of your results and it should state the result plus ranges.
The aim is a dose of levo to bring your TSH to 1 or lower. Our Free T4 and Free T3 should be towards the top part of the ranges. T4 is inactive and has to convert to T3. T3 is the active thyroid hormone needed in our millions of T3 receptor cells. As you're in the USA, maybe an NDT (natural dessicated thyroid hormone) - that was the original replacement prescribed since 1892 up until the introduction of levo only along with the blood tests. Before this we were diagnosed upon our clinical symptoms alone and dose increased slowly until
One of TUKs Advisers (deceased) would never prescribe levothyroxine. Only NDT or T3 for 'thyroid resistant patients'. The link below might be helpful and it is by the Adviser, Dr Lowe. He only took one blood test for the initial diagnosis i.e. hypothyroidism/hashimotos or T3 alone for people who were thyroid hormone resistant.
Other medication at least 2 hours away, some like HRT, iron, calcium, vitamin D or magnesium at least four hours away from Levothyroxine
Many people find Levothyroxine brands are not interchangeable.
Once you find a brand that suits you, best to make sure to only get that one at each prescription. Watch out for brand change when dose is increased or at repeat prescription.
Many patients do NOT get on well with Teva brand of Levothyroxine. Though it is the only one for lactose intolerant patients
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