2 Weeks Off Medication

[HarrietJW]

I have been 2 weeks without my medication as I was looking to get a baseline reading as I have been on all different medication this year. I have finally found a Dr that has prescribed me 3 grains of NDT per day. I was previously on 125mcg Levothyroxine + 10mcg T3 (sourced from Thailand). After having 2 weeks off is it ok to go straight into 3 grains or should I ease in. My results are as follows (even though I feel the same as when I was on Levothyroxine)

TSH- 26 (0.2-4.2)

T3 - 2.94 (3.1-6.8)

FREE THYROXINE 6.8 (12.22)

THYROID PEROXIDASE ANTIBODIES - 259 (<34)

[StitchFairy]

Crikey, I guess you might be feeling pretty bad not having any thyroid meds for two weeks. I have never been able to make sense of the need to get a baseline reading. If your thyroid isn't working, it's obvious your TSH will just keep going up and up and your hormone levels down and down as the meds run out of your system.

If I were in your shoes, I would definitely not start off on 3 grains. That is a very high dose. I'd start on 1/2 grain for a few days, and slowly increase by half or even a quarter grain. If you start on three grains you risk having already put yourself on the road to overdosing but you won't know it.

[helvella in reply to StitchFairy]

Have we ever seen any evidence at all [1] that doing this sort of off-medicine baseline by not taking any thyroid hormone for a fortnight has any logical, scientific or medical justification?

Without those, nor can it possibly have any ethical or moral justification.

[1] I do, of course, mean evidence as in proper randomised controlled trials - so beloved of the medical fraternity. Not "I wonder if this would do something interesting or just make the patient very ill?".

[HarrietJW in reply to helvella]

Thanks for your comment

[HarrietJW in reply to StitchFairy]

Thank you, that's good advice. In all honesty I feel fine, the same as I do on meds. I have started back on them today.

[StitchFairy in reply to HarrietJW]

Fingers crossed you have a smooth ride to getting on the right dose.

[LAHs]

Geez, two weeks! I once misplaced my medication for two days and missed but one day. The second day I dashed back to the hospital in a panic and confessed my stupid error with great embarrassment and begged for a duplicate refill. I was ready to argue all day if necessary - or until I collapsed with, well god knows what as a result of no medication (for one day)..

I would start with one pill for a week, then two, for a week, then two and a half then three. In a perfect world you should take your TSH after every dose increase, but that will not happen. When I switched to NDT I just did it cold turkey with no negative effects. You need to get up to speed as soon as possible. Take your pulse as you go, stop and drop back to the previous dose if your current dose causes too high a bpm. It is said that your temperature is also a good indication for approaching the right dose. That didn't happen in my case so I can't speak of it.

If your thyroid just doesn't work you will notice it in a couple of days. Cutting your medication for two weeks was very stupid of your doc. He should at least have said to return at the first sign of feeling unwell (not gravely ill, just unwell).