Now I have to take Levothyroxine 25 MCG Tablet once a day.

[sarajuarez2912]

My Endo said my TSH level was 10, so she prescribe me Levothyroxine 25 MCG Tablet, I start taking in the Morning on empty stomach. Can anyone tell me about this medicine. Thank you. I was diagnosed as having both Graves and Hashimoto back in 2016, took Methamizole back in 2016 for 6 months then told to stop as I was hypo, because of it, been without medication for 4 years as I was fluctuating on my TSH as normal and hypo, but more hypo, until yesterday was the first time my TSH level was higher than ever, being a 10. Thank you for anything of help.

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Standard starter dose of levothyroxine is 50mcg (unless over 65 years old).

The aim of Levothyroxine is to increase the dose slowly in 25mcg steps upwards until TSH is under 2 (many patients 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 note 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...or Graves

Ask Doctor to test vitamin levels and thyroid antibodies

Sounds like you have Hashimoto’s...not Graves

Bloods should be retested 6-8 weeks after each dose increase

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).

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

If you have high antibodies, levothyroxine could have been started as soon as TSH was over range....rather than wait until TSH over ten

[greygoose]

Levothyroxine is not medicine in the normal sense of the word. It's not a drug, it's the thyroid hormone T4. Usually called levo for short.

Levo needs to be taken on an empty stomach, with a large glass of plain water, leaving at least one hour after before eating or drinking anything other than water, because levo easily binds to nutrients which impairs absorption. You also need to leave at least two hours before taking any other medication or supplements. Four hours either side if taking iron, calcium, magnesium, vit D or oestrogen.