Reduced dose

[sally1202]

I have been told to reduce my Levothyroxine by 25mg to 150mg by my doctor following recent blood test as he wasn’t comfortable with my numbers. I am feeling dreadful on the lower dose but it has only been a few days. Will I adjust or do I need to go back to my usual dose where I felt good?

[greygoose]

Can you post those results with the ranges, please, so that we can understand what he was talking about?

It's possible that he was just looking at - or just testing - the TSH, believing that it would tell him all he needs to know. It doesn't. Not that he would understand the other tests, anyway. The most important number is the FT3, and if he didn't test that, he has no real way of knowing if you're over-medicated. It sounds as if you weren't. But it would be best to look at the actual results before commenting.

[sally1202 in reply to greygoose]

TSH 0.001 (0.27-4.2)

Free T3 5.1. 3.1-6.8)

Free Thyroxine 31 (12-22)

[greygoose in reply to sally1202]

OK, so that explains it. You have a bad conversion problem. Your FT4 was very high - so obviously your TSH was suppressed - but your FT3 was only just over mid-range. You needed all that T4 just to get that small amount of T3.

And, so, if you lower your levo (T4) your FT3 is going to reduce as well. T3 is the active hormone, so if it's too low, you're going to get symptoms.

If your doctor really wants to lower your levo, then he's going to have to add in some T3 to replace it, or he's going to have a very sick patient on his hands. But, I doubt he knows any of that. So, you've either got to educate him/persuade him or buy your own T3 and self-treat. Your conversion is very, very bad.

[sally1202 in reply to greygoose]

Thank you for this. It explains things clearly for me. I actually have some T3 I purchased last year but have been scared to self medicate.

[greygoose in reply to sally1202]

Nothing to be scared about. Just add 1/4 tablet to your levo. Always make sure you take it on an empty stomach, just like you would levo.

It would be a good idea to get your vit D, vit B12, folate and ferritin tested.

[sally1202 in reply to greygoose]

Ok. My tabs are 25mg so 1/4 of that?

I check the Vit D and B12 regularly as I have MS. I have B12 injections monthly. My ferretin and folate are ok too.

Thank you.

[greygoose in reply to sally1202]

Yes, 6.25 mcg T3.

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to sally1202]

Can you add the actual results of vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12

These need to be optimal