Still having symptoms after reducing Levothyroxine - please advise..

[Sarahlouise1980]

Hi,

I was reduced from 150mcg to 125mcg as I was suffering symptoms of over medication such as daily headaches and an intolerance of heat. I had results after 8 weeks on the 125mcg dose:

TSH <0.005 (0.38 - 5.33)

Free T4 16.4 (7.0 - 16.0)

Free T3 5.0 (3.8 - 6.0)

The doctor has said these results are fine and no action needed but I am still suffering! The daily headaches have subsided but I am still very sensitive to heat and my eyes are dry and slightly bloodshot. I am also experiencing hair loss much like when I was under medicated. The doctor suggested reducing to 100mcg but I feel that may be too much of a reduction - should I try reducing by 12.5mcg by alternating 125/100mcg?

Any advice would be great!

Thank you!

[shaws Administrator]

You could have a sensitivity in something within your dose. You could try one anti-histamine tablet, taken one hour before dose, to see if there's a benefit. If so, you may have to change levo to another make of levothyroxine. Sometimes we can have a sensitivity to fillers or binders in the tablet.

[Sarahlouise1980 in reply to shaws]

Thank you for you reply shaws only I have always stuck to the same generic brand of Levothyroxine. The 100mcg are Actavis and the 25mcg are Mercury Pharma. Do you think it’s possible the hair loss is from when I was over medicated on 150mcg of Levothyroxine towards the beginning of the year? Is it possible hair loss is delayed?

[shaws Administrator in reply to Sarahlouise1980]

I cannot answer your question re hair loss. Several scientific papers have shown that many do not recover on levothyroxine alone and need a T4/T3 combination. My own findings were that as T3 was added to T4 it was a 'light-bulb' moment and I felt that oxygen was flooding my body.

Eventually, as I decided to look after my own health instead of seeing doctors who made me worse. I found that dropping T4 altogether (this doesn't happen to everyone) improved my health and I've had no symptoms since. Symptoms could return if the makers of the hormones may alter some fillers/binders in some of the thyroid hormones.

Re hair loss. It is stated that if we have one autoimmune disease we can develop others. I had Pernicious Anaemia diagnosed a long time before hypo and then three years after hypo I developed Alopecia Areata and have lost all of my hair every summer for the past 9 years which then grows back in the winter (if only it was the other way around). They are all autoimmune diseases. So I'm sorry I cannot help re hair loss and I know there's many posts about it. Has your hair loss been diagnosed as alopecia or is your hair just becoming sparse. There are quite a number, I believe, of people who complain of hair thinning/loss etc.

[jgelliss in reply to Sarahlouise1980]

Hair loss can be from low Iron . You might want to run labs with Iron/ferritin levels on your next lab work .

[Sarahlouise1980 in reply to jgelliss]

Thank you, I’m on ferrous gluconate for low iron and my levels are good. I’m sure the hair loss is delayed a few months from when I was over medicated x

[jgelliss]

I agree that alternating the doses would be a first step to take and see how you feel before you lower further your dose . I don't know if your on any nutrients but that is very helpful too . Vitamin "D" K2 , B-12/folate , B-Complex , Iron if you test low , Vitamin "C" , Magnesium , Celtic Sea Salt for adrenal/electrolytes .

Best Wishes .