Started thyroxine today - thank you for all your advice!

[KayS68]

Hi - wanted to thank everyone who has replied to me and given me invaluable advice on my posts - especially SlowDragon

Had my blood test results back yesterday and sat with my GP for a while - I'm not doing well with my MH, and he is incredibly supportive. My TSH has increased more 3.78 (0.3 - 4.2) and FT4 around the same as it was, still under range 11.3 (12 - 22). Anyway he started me on thyroxine at 50mcg, which I took this morning. Hoping it will help 🤞🏼

Rest of my bloods aren't great - WBC still high, renal profile shows higher creatinine and GFR reduced from 55 to 41! CRP is 10 (range 0 - 5). And my cholesterol is high. Well, I am fat. *shrugs*

Anyway - I wanted to say thank you - all of your info helped me get through this with a modicum of understanding and helped me to speak to the doctors involved from a position of knowledge. That's invaluable, I think - often doctors prefer us not to know much!

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Great to hear your GP did listen

Low GFR is likely to improve as your dose of levothyroxine takes effect (and as dose of levothyroxine increases)

Low GFR linked to being hypothyroid

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...

[KayS68 in reply to SlowDragon]

I had read those links you gave me - I totally forgot to mention it to GP, but main thing now is see how thyroxine helps and stop my MH crap. Thank you again.

[SlowDragon Administrator]

High cholesterol is linked to being hypothyroid too

nhs.uk/conditions/statins/c...

If you have an underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism), treatment may be delayed until this problem is treated. This is because having an underactive thyroid can lead to an increased cholesterol level, and treating hypothyroidism may cause your cholesterol level to decrease, without the need for statins. Statins are also more likely to cause muscle damage in people with an underactive thyroid.

[KayS68 in reply to SlowDragon]

Ah ok - more stuff I didn't know! GP didn't mention the results - that might be exactly why - I saw them online and in my low mood got more pissed off! lol

[SlowDragon Administrator]

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

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

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)

Vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12 need to be regularly tested and frequently need supplementing to maintain optimal levels

[KayS68 in reply to SlowDragon]

Great - I will start a new "note" on my phone with all this info on for when I speak to GP - he's calling me on the 19th to see if I feel any better and said we will need to re-do the bloods to keep an eye on the levels. Thank you for that link!!!

I need to look into more about foods (if there is more than that) - I had my tablet then left over an hour before I had my coffee, but I did have milk in it. My struggle in the morning is not having coffee - even waiting an hour felt like I was counting down the minutes.

I'll mention checking those when we do the next blood tests.

Thank you so much again - I honestly would not be at this point with things, had you not helped me with all your knowledge and support.

[2leapittoo in reply to KayS68]

I found your article great. This answered my question also but I a not verywell on thyroxineatall. Every fewdaysI get the runs andaheadache Im only on 25 oneday 50 next. Can I change meds? I have not got a very nice gp, he takssoquickly Im 75 with it but he makes me feel an idiot. Last nightI was up 3 times with tummy pains.

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Many people take Levothyroxine soon after waking, but it may be more convenient and perhaps more effective taken at bedtime

verywellhealth.com/best-tim...

You can just change to taking it at bedtime....if you think it will suit you

Need to not snack for ideally 2 hours in the evening before taking levothyroxine at bedtime

Levothyroxine is an extremely fussy hormone and should always be taken on an empty stomach and then nothing apart from water for at least an hour after

[2leapittoo in reply to SlowDragon]

helpful I get anxious in the morning early and sometime take at6am too early on empty stomac.

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Many people find Levothyroxine brands are not interchangeable.

Once you find a brand that suits you, best to make sure to only get that one at each prescription.

Watch out for brand change when dose is increased or at repeat prescription.

Many patients do NOT get on well with Teva brand of Levothyroxine. It’s a Marmite brand in that some love it ...others don’t mind and some hate it

Teva is the only brand that makes 75mcg tablet.

So when ready for next dose increase, if avoiding Teva for 75mcg dose ask for 25mcg to add to 50mcg or just extra 50mcg tablets to cut in half

Teva and Aristo are the only lactose free tablets

List of different brands available

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

[KayS68 in reply to SlowDragon]

Thank you - I think I had seen people mention Teva. Mine is Accord... I will definitely keep an eye on that. So strange to think a brand can made such a difference.

[Kimkat]

Can I just ask what is MH and CRP?

[helvella in reply to Kimkat]

Abbreviations and Acronyms

Some years ago, I started compiling a list of many of the abbreviations and acronyms that appear here regularly. The idea was to make it relatively quick and easy to look up abbreviations and acronyms without being too waylaid by the many irrelevant possibilities web searches tend to return.

I continue to update the document quite frequently!

dropbox.com/s/2423slilh0or6...

If you have not downloaded a copy for some time, perhaps months or years :-), I suggest you download a new copy.

Please, if you think there is anything missing or wrong, let me know. Post on the forum or send a Private Message.

CRP = C-reactive protein

MH = Mental Health

[Kimkat in reply to helvella]

Thank you 😊

[KayS68]

So sorry! I’m so used to using those.