Taking a T4 tablet gives me a headache.

[paulla]

I wonder if any body else finds that they get a headache after they take a T4 tablet (50microgrm). After about half an hour of taking it I know it has been absorbed because I get a headache. In fact it got so bad that I stopped taking it in the morning and take it when I wake up during the night with the hope that the headache is not so bad by the morning.

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

paulla

Headache is listed in the patient information leaflet as a known side effect.

Possibly try a different brand in case it's one of the excipients rather than the levothyroxine causing your headache.

[paulla in reply to SeasideSusie]

Susie that was quick! Thank you.

I have already changed from a different brand for this reason. The headache is similar to the one I get if I take high calcium foods. I wonder if it is increase in calcium in the blood that does it?!

I noticed that if I have some yogurt at bed time ( the only dairy food I have) the headaches are worse. I buy my own tablets and at the moment I have rather a lot of this brand.

[Lalatoot in reply to paulla]

Try halving the tablet and taking it at different times to lower the amount.

[SlowDragon Administrator]

See from your profile that you have been on levothyroxine for 3 years....yet you are still only on 50mcg starter dose

Headache may be symptom of being under treated, rather than due to levothyroxine

Do you have any recent blood test results you can add

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 is in top third of range and FT3 at least half way through 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

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)

All four vitamins need to be regularly tested and frequently need supplementing to maintain optimal levels

[SlowDragon Administrator]

How low was vitamin D?

How much vitamin D are you prescribed

Have you had levels retested?

Parathyroid level should rise with vitamin D deficiency and drop once no longer Vitamin-D deficient

GP will only prescribe to bring levels to 50nmol. But improving to around 80nmol or 100nmol may be better

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/218...

vitamindsociety.org/pdf/Vit...

Once you Improve level, very likely you will need on going maintenance dose to keep it there.

Test twice yearly via vitamindtest.org.uk

Vitamin D mouth spray by Better You is very effective as it avoids poor gut function

It’s trial and error what dose we need, with hashimoto’s we frequently need higher dose than average

Local CCG guidelines

clinox.info/clinical-suppor...

Government recommends everyone supplement October to April

gov.uk/government/news/phe-...