Over medication Levothyroxine

[Maggiv]

I’ve just had a rotten few weeks. Without going into too much detail I’ve suffered from PTSD in the past. Something else has set me into a bit of a downward spiral again. I was wondering whether I should reduce my Levothyroxine slightly until the symptoms pass as they include pounding heart and anxiety. Also loss of appetite and I’ve lost a 12 lbs in two weeks. Any advice would be appreciated. Thank you.

[Lalatoot]

It takes 6 - 8 weeks for the full effects of any dose change to happen. When I am undermedicated I have a pounding heart, lose weight and have anxiety - I also had the same symptoms when I was hyperthyroid. Without blood results you don't always know if you need to increase or decrease your dose.

[Maggiv in reply to Lalatoot]

Thanks

[Lalatoot in reply to Maggiv]

Sorry I couldn't give a more supportive response.

[Maggiv in reply to Lalatoot]

No problems. Thank you. X

[Knackeredoldhag in reply to Lalatoot]

I have the same problem! Happened recently- thought I was Hyper/over medicated, & the blood test results were TSH 13, FT4 9 (UK NHS ranges)

I was so surprised- had the pounding heart, couldn’t sleep & lost weight. Also had bad headaches & anxiety, I thought I was losing my mind.

[Maggiv in reply to Knackeredoldhag]

Thanks.

[Buddy195 Administrator]

Hi Maggiv, sorry you have been feeling unwell. When did you last have your bloods checked for your thyroid and what were the results? Do you have your vitamins checked/ supplement? I get palpitations and a worsening of anxiety, including weight loss, when I’m under medicated, so I wouldn’t recommend you reduce your Levothyroxine without first testing and posting your results on this forum.

I find following a mindfulness app helps ease my anxiety (this was not so easy at first!) Try to do more of whatever you find relaxing and remember to keep posting on this forum. Others understand & are here to support.

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Can see from recent posts you started on HRT relatively recently

Many people find they need dose increase in Levothyroxine on HRT

As others have said, hypothyroid symptoms can be remarkably similar to hyper for some people

Have you had bloods retested since starting HRT?

Add results and ranges if you have had them done

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 you have autoimmune thyroid disease (Hashimoto's) diagnosed by raised Thyroid antibodies

Ask GP to test thyroid and vitamin levels

Recommended on here that all thyroid blood tests should ideally be done as early as possible in morning and before eating or drinking anything other than water .

Last dose of Levothyroxine 24 hours prior to blood 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 do your tests?

Private tests are available. Thousands on here forced to do this as NHS often refuses to test FT3 or antibodies or all vitamins

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/testin...

Medichecks Thyroid plus ultra vitamin or Blue Horizon Thyroid plus eleven are the most popular choice. DIY finger prick test or option to pay extra for private blood draw. Both companies often have special offers, Medichecks usually have offers on Thursdays, Blue Horizon its more random

[Maggiv]

25/07/2019

Serum TSH level

Serum TSH level 1.95 mu/L [0.35 - 5.5]

Comment: Suggests adequate thyroxine replacement

B12/folate level

Serum vitamin B12 level 688 ng/L [190.0 - 910.0]

Serum folate level 12.8 ng/mL [3.3 - 99999.0]

VITAMIN D

Serum total 25-hydroxy vitamin D level 104 nmol/L [50.0 - 99999.0]

Test outside scope of UKAS accreditation..

<30 nmol/L Deficiency

>30 - 50 nmol/L Insufficiency

>50 nmol/L Adequate Status

[SilverAvocado in reply to Maggiv]

Maggiv, Ideally you want to see a full thyroid panel, which is TSH, freeT4, and freeT3. In these results you've only got TSH. This only gives us very limited information about your thyroid hormone levels. In this case, your TSH is pretty high, which shows you were undermedicated in July.

Hopefully you were given a dose increase then, but doctors are often rubbish, so maybe you didn't. With this undermedicated result it's unlikely you're overmedicated now, but things can always change over a few months.

I think these vitamins look okay.

[McPammy]

Looks like you need help with vitamin D. It’s very low. This can cause low mood. I’d speak with your Dr and m request vit D supplements. He should give it to you with a low of 25. It should be around 75-100. Vit D is very important for mood and bone density.

My partner suffers from vit D deficiency. They get very down and have lower back problems. The sunshine helps but during the winter you’ll need supplements.

[Barbaraj in reply to McPammy]

Her Vitamin D level is optimal at 104 - the 25 refers to the test she had.

[Maggiv]

Thank you.

[Welshcake1983]

First thing you need to do is see your gp and have your blood tested. That’s a lot of weight lost in a short period of time. Don’t reduce your thyroxine without having seen your your gp and having your blood tested. It’s horrible feeling like you do I get it regularly but not that amount of weight in such a short period of time. Hope this helps and you feel better soon.

[Maggiv in reply to Welshcake1983]

Hi. Thanks. On the advice of everyone I’m contacting my GP today. X

[Maggiv]

Hi. Thanks. On the advice of everyone I’m contacting my GP today. X

[Kevz3016 in reply to Maggiv]

Make sure you mention the weight loss as this is to much to quick.

[Maggiv in reply to Kevz3016]

I will thanks.

[crusaders1]

Go get your thyroid tested because you are describing overactive symptoms and most likely need reduced or off them completely. Until your bloods are done you wont know and if you reduce them and wait any length of time the gp will presume the results are based on your current dosage. That's what happened me. Hope you get sorted but dont ignore it.

[FancyPants54 in reply to crusaders1]

She is also describing under active symptoms. It's not a given that's she's over medicated at all. She's also recently started HRT and that will have a bearing, could even be the culprit.

[crusaders1 in reply to FancyPants54]

You could be right although I was underactive for 12 years and only get those symptoms being overactive but I guess we are all different and have different experiences but still stands she needs her bloods done again. I'm just through menopause and not knowing I had relapsed I thought I had delayed menopause symptoms ie hot flushes fast heartrate and severe anxiety which I ended up with severe chest pain in ED as they thought I'd had a heart attack. None of it is nice. Hope she gets sorted. Glad I joined this to see how experiences vary so much.

[Maggiv in reply to crusaders1]

Thanks everyone.

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Conversion of FT4 to FT3 can be affected by HRT

Just testing TSH is completely inadequate

You need TSH, FT3 and FT4 tested together. Ask GP to test all three (lab may still refuse even if GP requests)

Weightloss can be hypothyroid symptom as well as hyperthyroid

NHS frequently refuses to test FT3, so you may need to test privately

Recommended on here that all thyroid blood tests should ideally be done as early as possible in morning and before eating or drinking anything other than water .

Last dose of Levothyroxine 24 hours prior to blood 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)

Medichecks or Blue Horizon are the most popular choice. DIY finger prick test or option to pay extra for private blood draw. Both companies often have special offers, Medichecks usually have offers on Thursdays, Blue Horizon its more random

Remember to stop taking any supplements that contain biotin a week before any blood tests as biotin can falsely affect test results

[Esselstyn]

I have been over medicated in the past and under, I tend to play by ear now, but in the early days the blood tests did work for me. I am one of the lucky ones who respond well to levothyroxine.

The reason why I am responding to your message is that I recently read a book which had some fascinating information on PTSD. Its called Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker, its a best seller and rightly so, it has a part, possibly a whole chapter, I cannot quite remember, about why some people get PTSD and others recover quicker from trauma. Essentially we have a time in our sleep when we stop producing adrenaline and at this time we organise our thoughts and put them away without the attached emotion. The sleep scientist who wrote the book met a Dr who was treating people with high blood pressure and giving them a medication, which had the side affect of curing their PTSD, it was lowering their adrenaline while they were sleeping. I hope this information is helpful to you.

[Maggiv]

Thank you.