What starting dose would you recommend for thyroid S?

[connorje888]

I'm 21 and have not been well since I was 14 or 15, but a lot of my symptoms go back to when I was a kid. I've only recently found out it could be a thyroid problem, so I am new to all of this. I think its worth noting my mum occasionally has an enlarged thyroid that swells up and has the same fatigue and low body temperature as I do. Both of her brothers (my uncles) had diagnosed thyroid conditions (one underactive, other hypothyroid) but my mum hasnt been officially diagnosed

On a day to day, my symptoms are

- Fatigue, regardless of me sleeping ok

- very high anxiety

- A general sense of not feeling well or happy at all

- Cold hands and feet and just cold even if im in a warm place (i sometimes will warm up and feel warm for short periods of 20 mins or so then go back to being cold)

- I've had some hair loss on my legs

- Seborrheic dermatitis which isnt as bad as it use to be but still on and off

- Dont have a very high libido at all. I can go a week or two without feeling libido generally, or longer, but it does vary

- My mind is fuzzy a lot and I feel like my mind is else where. Like I just feel really distant

I have had a blood test done at the doctors and my T4 came back as 17.0 and my TSH was 3.2 which is classed as normal levels. I am at this point where people have messaged me and said, that you can be in the normal range and still have a problem with your thyroid. So I am going to get some Thyroid S and take it. I honestly dont have anything to lose at all. What dose should I start off with?

[pennyannie]

Hello Connorje

Welcome to the forum :-

First and foremost in order to give you a considered opinion we need to see current blood test results, to include TSH, T3, T4, thyroid antibodies, and ferritin, folate, vitamin D and B12.

Your doctor may help you with some, if not all of the above and considering the current climate would suggest you get these blood tests actioned privately, and then when with the results start a new post detailing all the results including the ranges.

There are private companies as detailed on the Thyroid uk website who undertake these blood tests and you can even arrange a home visit, and a nurse will visit your home, to take the blood.

[connorje888 in reply to pennyannie]

thanks. i have a medichecks blood testing kit here now, i just cant use it yet with the coronavirus shutting all the clinics down

[pennyannie in reply to connorje888]

Hey there,

So, I'm presuming then that the test you have ordered needs a venous draw - guess you could ask for home visit, I'm sorry, but I can't think of another option at present .

[connorje888 in reply to pennyannie]

thank you , i will ask them if they can do a home blood test , thats a good idea

[shaws in reply to connorje888]

I'd request the Free T4 and Free T3 are tested instead of T4 and T3 - the 'frees' are more informative.

Are you aware that blood draw has to be at the earliest possible, fasting (you can drink water) and allow a gap of 24 hours between last dose of levo and test and take afterwards.

[connorje888 in reply to shaws]

thanks, yeah i am getting those tested as soon as i can. i've never taken or been on thyroid meds so no problem there, but when i request the blood test i will get it as early as possible because i have heard that else where as well

[shaws in reply to connorje888]

Yes, the earliest blood draw as the TSH is highest early a.m. and drops throughout the day, which could mean be ing diagnosed are not and it also gives a better result as the TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) is highest early a.m. and drops throughout the day and TSH is what doctors use for confirmation.

We adults usually have a fasting test but I am not sure about children.

[connorje888 in reply to shaws]

i hope it reveals something is going on with my thyroid so i can do something about it, ive missed out on so much time being indoors feeling terrible for as long as i can remember. just hope it shows something..

[connorje888 in reply to shaws]

i will do my best to get it taken at 9am or earlier

[greygoose]

I agree with pennyannie. It would be a very bad idea to start taking any thyroid hormone replacement without knowing exactly what you're dealing with. And, whoever suggested you should, was very irresponsible. Just having a TSH and an FT4 test doesn't tell you the whole story. And, whilst you don't give us any ranges (essential that you always give ranges because they vary from lab to lab), your FT4 looks good.

As to not having anything to lose, I can assure you that you do. Thyroid hormone is not something that you want to over-dose on. You could damage your heart and do all sorts of other damage to your body.

Also, do you have a sustainable source of Thyroid S? If you are hypo, starting it, and then having to stop because you've run out, could actually make things worse.

[connorje888 in reply to greygoose]

the ranges for t4 were 10-20. i think it might be a case of getting my medicheck test done and seeing what that says

[greygoose in reply to connorje888]

In that case, your FT4 would be euthyroid (normal). But, you need to know what your FT3 is.

It might have been better to get a finger prick test. That you could have done without the intervention of a nurse or phlebotomist.

[Marz in reply to connorje888]

Which test kit did you order? Does it test your vitamins minerals and anti-bodies ?

[connorje888 in reply to Marz]

yeah its this one: medichecks.com/products/thy...

[greygoose in reply to connorje888]

Did you ask for the doctor's report? Rather a waste of time, actually. He'll only say the same as an ordinary GP would say, because that's all he is, not a thyroid specialist.

rT3 is a pretty useless test. It will tell you if your rT3 is high, but it won't tell you why. And, there are many, many reasons, only one of which has anything to do with thyroid.

[connorje888 in reply to greygoose]

i already have the test with me at home so too late .. im sure there is some use to rt3 if its included in the test?n yeah the doctors report will be included , when i have the blood sample sent off and ive got my results

[greygoose in reply to connorje888]

You shouldn't make assumptions like that. Logic is pretty hard to find in the medical world. rT3 is useful for research purposes, but not for diagnosing and/or treating thyroid.

[connorje888 in reply to greygoose]

hmm, ok. i guess the test is still ok though since it tests for some nutrients. i just wish i could get it done and sent off already but the clinic is closed due to coronavirus

[greygoose in reply to connorje888]

Is it really? I didn't know that.

I just mentioned about the rT3 because it's a very expensive test, and pushes up the price of the bundle. I'm sure there are bundles of tests out there that do the nutrients but without the rT3.

[connorje888 in reply to greygoose]

yea the clinic that i was going to take my blood sample taken at is closed, all the other ones will be closed as well as far as i know. yea its definitely pushed the price of the test up a fair bit. might see if its not too late to get my test changed

[greygoose in reply to connorje888]

Good idea.

[Hidden in reply to greygoose]

I agree with Greygoose, you should not self-medicate with thyroid hormone unless you´ve been diagnosed with hypothyroidism. Especially not taking a drug containing T3 which is the most active thyroid hormone. Taking it when not justified could cause some pretty unpleasant side effects and, as Greygoose points out, be dangerous.

You should not assume you have hypothyroidism based on your mother´s symptoms or the fact that her brothers have thyroid disorders. It increases the likelihood, yes, but you still need a proper diagnosis.

Can´t you get a doctor to run tests (TSH, FT4, FT3, preferably also thyroid antibodies)? If one or several tests come back borderline low or high, they should be repeated regularly to monitor your levels. If you end up diagnosed with hypothyroidism, it would be better if you could have treatment prescribed by a doctor. Most people who end up self-medicating do so because their doctors won´t prescribe a high enough dose to make them symptom-free, or will keep them on T4 only drugs when they have low FT3 levels, but you are not there yet.

[shaws]

Welcome to our forum and am sorry you have hypothyroidism.

You will learn a lot from members, who're very supportive and will help you in some way.

If you copy/paste your above post and put it into your Profile page, this then allows other members to read about your journey before they respond to a question. It is helpful to have a background and you will not have to repeat your hypo history..

[Catseyes235]

Well you have the classic symptoms of an under active thyroid. My TSH is way under one and quite normal for me . Dosages start low and build up over maybe a year or more. Patience is the key but start on lowest then every six, eight or more weeks increase the dose but really give it a chance to get into your system. Sounds like your doctor needs education. And why has your mothers goitre not been dealt with? Good luck with everything..

[connorje888 in reply to Catseyes235]

its definitely a thyroid problem i think just based on my low body temperature and fatigue etc alone. really frustrating to not be able to get a blood test done right now with everything being on lockdown. ive got a medichecks blood test kit with me now that checks for ft3, ft4, tsh etc but cant use it!

[Catseyes235]

I think you’re doing the right thing with self treatment. Just take it slow and be patient. I actually did go a little bit over treated for a while ...got a bit speedy and hot but a slight drop and all fine for about 40 years after yo-yo ing for the previous 10 or more.

[connorje888 in reply to Catseyes235]

so which NDT are you on? or are you on prescription?

[Catseyes235 in reply to connorje888]

Not on NDT ..on straightforward Levothyroxine 125 mcg with occasional extra 25mcg. but had gone up to 175 for a short time then down to 150 mcg for decades. Most people start and stay on Levothyroxine and only take NDT if problems. My daughter was on ?NDT but now having problems accessing it as was from Thailand.

[connorje888 in reply to Catseyes235]

thanks a lot. guess i will start with say 1/4 of a tablet and just increase it in small increments. could i ask you if you ever took your waking temps before? mine was 97.58F now upon waking a minute ago

[Catseyes235]

Sorry I don’t know about grains and stuff only Levothyroxine which is usually 25mcg increasing to 50mcg after 6 weeks if still symptomatic. then see how you feel and if you need to increase after 6-8 weeks or even longer if you are feeling okay. You may not need a whole lot more at this point.

Maybe you could start a new conversation on this site asking what the equivalent of 1/4 of a tablet of whatever you are taking is?

Your temperature is fine and certainly not low but it’s not the best indicator on a daily basis. Feeling cold, weight gain (like fluid build up ) hair loss, dry and sometimes itchy skin are signs. Loss of appetite may occur. If you get really bad you feel overwhelmingly tired but can’t necessarily sleep.

Just start on your quarter grain if you haven’t already and see how you feel after a few weeks....and most of all be patient...it takes a while for thyroxine to build up and bed in.

I know you’ll get a lot of advice on supplements and what to eat, what to test for, and all sorts .....but I think keep it simple in the early days ....try and eat well as you can and find distraction in reading, writing etc.

I don’t know where you live but am guessing you are in lockdown. Take care.