My symptoms have returned

[THnewhame70pz]

Hi everyone 10 months on and I’m back with similar symptoms as before:

TSH high and T4 on upper limit.

T4 -=24.7 normal range 10.5 to 24.5.

TSH =5.76 normal range 0.27 to 4.2

After my last post I began to take the Thyroxine on its own and my bloods and symptoms normalised, l felt better. Now I have an almost constant headache my eyelids are heavy ? swollen and I keep feeling like I’m going to faint (really transient only lasting for a microsecond) & I’m really tired . My advanced nurse practitioners increased my thyroxine from 75mcg daily to 100mcg daily 7 days ago which hasn’t helped. My Gp has given me new request forms today for the following blood tests which I’ll do tomorrow. Do I need to take the thyroxine as usual or should I omit it until the blood test had been done?

Ferritin

Serum Folate

B12,

renal profile,

liver function,

thyroid function tests,

FBC,

thyroid peroxidase Abs,

HbAtc.

Many thanks

[greygoose]

You need to leave a 24 hour gap between your last dose of levo and the blood draw. Is that what you normally do?

[Hidden in reply to greygoose]

I always do. I wait until after my bloodwork to take my daily dose.

It's even more important to wait if you take Cytomel T3 or NDT because it's totally absorbed (95%) within 4 hours of ingesting it.

[greygoose in reply to Hidden]

Yes, but you don't leave a gap of 24 hours with T3 or NDT. Just 8 to 12 hours.

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

My advanced nurse practitioners increased my thyroxine from 75mcg daily to 100mcg daily 7 days ago which hasn’t helped. My Gp has given me new request forms today for the following blood tests which I’ll do tomorrow.

There really is no point in doing a thyroid function test 7 days after a dose increase. It takes about 6 weeks for levels to stabilise after changing the dose so testing tomorrow will not reflect results from either the lower or the new dose. By all means have the thyroid antibodies and the other tests done but no point in doing TSH, FT4 and FT3.

Do you take Biotin or a B Complex? If so then don't do any tests because if the testing equipment also uses biotin (most do) then unless you leave the B Complex/Biotin off for 7 days it can give false results.

[THnewhame70pz in reply to SeasideSusie]

Hello SeasideSusie & thank you. I don’t take Biotin or B complex and I am aware of leaving a six week gap between the blood tests but I went to my Gp today because there’s no improvement and I’m feeling ill. I haven’t had any bloods done by my practice for about 12 months and I did mention to my Gp today that I had accessed this site. I said that I hadn’t had any of the blood tests recommended on this site and that rather than just increasing my thyroxine I would like to have the tests you recommend to be done. This might explain why my go is sending me for thyroid function even though she nows that it’s premature.

[Maramonro in reply to SeasideSusie]

Sorry for jumping in, but I’m my case results change right away, within a few days after dose change. For example when my thyroid was removed my tsh went up to 11, just few days later with Levo replacement and since it wasn’t sufficient it went up to 27 within two weeks after the surgery. Endo changed it to 150 tyrosint and after two doses my tsh came down to 14 from 27, and after 10 days to 3,6. So every body is different, as in my case dose change affect my body immediately.

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to Maramonro]

The example you are quoting is from immediately after you had your thyroid removed. THnewhame70pz is talking about after being stable for quite some time. So maybe not the same thing.

[THnewhame70pz in reply to SeasideSusie]

Thank you for clarifying this information for me

[Maramonro in reply to SeasideSusie]

Yes probably not the same as we all respond differently. I was just saying that in my case my body absorbs tyrosint immediately and I can see the change in my blood test and symptoms right away. That could also be the case with some other people but not all of course.

[THnewhame70pz in reply to Maramonro]

Thank you for responding to my message, I agree it’s a complicated disease and we do respond differently. It’s good to hear that you are well and thank you again for trying to help

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Ask the nurse/GP to include vitamin D test too

[meme]

Make sure FT3 is tested.

[THnewhame70pz in reply to meme]

Thank you meme

I had bloods done this morning but when I see my Gp next week I will ask about TF3 testing