Thyroidectomy why do I have to take Thyroxine and what dose do I need

[Moakey]

I have had a partial thyroidectomy, and have been put on Thyroxine 50mcg daily , what does Levothyroxine contain and am I taking enough

Thanks

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

Levothyroxine contains a synthetic form of the hormone thyroxine which our bodies make and which we can't live without. As you've had a partial thyroidectomy your remaining thyroid may not be able to make enough thyroxine naturally so you have been given synthetic thyroxine. You should be having tests to ensure that you are getting the right amount so it's normal to test 6 weeks after starting Levo to check your levels, if necessary an adjustment in dose can be made in which case retesting should be carried out 6-8 weeks later.

Did your doctor not explain any of this?

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Do you have any blood test results from before starting on Levothyroxine?

You will need bloods retested 6-8 weeks after each dose increase in Levothyroxine

Standard starter dose is 50mcg Levothyroxine

The aim of Levothyroxine is to increase the dose slowly in 25mcg steps upwards until TSH is under 2 (many need TSH significantly under one) and most important is that FT4 in top third of range and FT3 at least half way in range

NHS guidelines on Levothyroxine including that most patients eventually need somewhere between 100mcg and 200mcg Levothyroxine.

nhs.uk/medicines/levothyrox...

Also what foods to avoid (eg recommended to avoid calcium rich foods at least four hours from taking Levo)

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 vitamin levels and thyroid antibodies if not been tested yet

You may need to get full Thyroid testing privately as NHS refuses to test TG antibodies if TPO antibodies are negative

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)

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...

For thyroid including antibodies and vitamins

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

Cheapest option for just TSH, FT4 and FT3 £29 (via NHS private service )

monitormyhealth.org.uk/thyr...

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A partial thyroidectomy leaves about half still in place. If that starts working again then you do not need any medication at all. By taking Levothyroxine you are probably hindering the residue from recovering. There does not seem to be any point in leaving any of the gland intact if you are simply going to override its function in life.

After my partial thyroidectoy in 1989, I took nothing at all. I may have taken about 3 months to recover, but that gave me another 14 or so years of perfectly normal life. If I had taken levo, this may have ensured that I became addicted to the dreaded stuff, my remaining tissues may have died off and I would have been forced to take early retirement on ill health grounds, losing me not just my health but enough salary and pension to have a serious and permanent effect on my standard of living.

The choice is yours. Suggest you talk this over with your doctor.

I welcome the day when the medical fraternity wakes up about thyroid issues.