Should I reduce Levo for a few days?: I have... - Thyroid UK

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Should I reduce Levo for a few days?

Gravety profile image
9 Replies

I have Graves. I had iodine treatment 2 years ago. GP practice not offering thyroid checks during Covid 19. For a number of weeks I have been sweating profusely and my scalp and skin has excessive lesions/dryness. I take 100mg levo x 4 days a week and 125mg x 3 days a week (after 2 years of trial and error - but readings can still be up and down). My last bloods in October showed Vit D was extremely low/negative, so have taken daily. In absence of blood test, should I assume I'm over on Levo and cut back for a few days?

Thanks,

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Lora7again profile image
Lora7again

Do you have any blood results to share with us?

Gravety profile image
Gravety in reply toLora7again

No. Readings for Thyroid were within range in Oct 2019, though Vit D was extremely low and have been taking daily.

SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator in reply toGravety

How low was vitamin D and how much are you supplementing?

Obviously needs retesting

Lora7again profile image
Lora7again in reply toGravety

What do you mean within range? The reason I ask is because what might be within range might not be what suits you. For example my T4 is top of the range at 0.22 but it suits me but others might find it too high. We are all different and what suits one does not suit all.

Gravety profile image
Gravety in reply toLora7again

I get it now. Thanks.

SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator

Suggest you consider getting FULL testing FIRST ...

Low B12 can cause sweating

Dry skin suggests under medicated and hypothyroid

For full Thyroid evaluation you need TSH, FT4 and FT3 tested. Also EXTREMELY important to test vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12

Low vitamin levels are extremely common, especially after RAI for Graves’ disease

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 as NHS currently rarely tests Ft3 or all relevant vitamins

List of private testing options

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

Medichecks Thyroid plus ultra vitamin

medichecks.com/products/thy...

Medichecks often have special offers, if order on Thursdays

Thriva Thyroid plus vitamins

thriva.co/tests/thyroid-test

Blue Horizon Thyroid Premium Gold includes vitamins

bluehorizonbloodtests.co.uk...

Gravety profile image
Gravety in reply toSlowDragon

I will. Thanks.

Fruitandnutcase profile image
Fruitandnutcase

If you can afford it I’d buy a Medichecks home fingerpick thyroid test that includes vitamin D and B12. Make sure you get the one with vitamin D - I bought the wrong one last time and didn’t get vitamin D. The test comes with instructions and is pretty easy to do. I always do it first thing, straight out of bed so that I’m nice and warm, I jump up and down a bit and have a drink of water before i start and that gets the blood flowing.

That way you will have a much better idea of what is going on before you alter anything you are taking at present. I imagine you will also be testing more than your GP tests for and you will get your test results back in your inbox in a couple of days.

As for ‘within range’ - it might be within range but it if you don’t feel good then it doesn’t sound like it’s optimal for you. You could be right at the top or right at the bottom - the range is enormous, you’re u can feel dreadful and still be ‘within the range’.

Gravety profile image
Gravety

Thank you. I will get a medichecks test.

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