I had a TT 4 years ago, I have intermittent hypo times and generally feel unwell, with no medical help offered.I was put on iron tablets. I’ve been taking one in the morning m with my Levo, and one in the evening.
I keep having these awful hypo days, with dizziness and nausea. They say it’s labrinthitis, but I’m checking if it’s because iron prevents my Levo dose working?
Anyone heard this? Thanks x
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
No other medication or supplements at same as Levothyroxine, leave at least 2 hour gap.
Some like iron, calcium, magnesium, HRT, omeprazole or vitamin D should be four hours away
(Time gap doesn't apply to Vitamin D mouth spray)
Many people take Levothyroxine soon after waking, but it may be more convenient and perhaps more effective taken at bedtime
verywellhealth.com/best-tim...
So yes it’s highly likely your levothyroxine hasn’t been absorbed properly
How much levothyroxine are you currently taking?
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. Teva contains mannitol as a filler, which seems to be possible cause of problems. Teva is the only brand that makes 75mcg tablet. So 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
healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...
Teva poll
healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...
Recommend getting FULL thyroid and vitamin testing 6-8 weeks after starting to take levothyroxine correctly
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 if been under medicated
Ask GP to test vitamin levels
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 thyroid antibodies or all relevant vitamins
List of private testing options
thyroiduk.org/getting-a-dia...
Medichecks Thyroid plus ultra vitamin
medichecks.com/products/thy...
Medichecks often have special offers, if order on Thursdays
Thriva Thyroid plus vitamins
Blue Horizon Thyroid Premium Gold includes vitamins
bluehorizonbloodtests.co.uk...
Thanks
I still feel very unwell . I had a video consult with my Gp , and managed to persuade her to send me for a full Thyroid blood workout , including b12 , b6 , ferritin, and Calcium, and T 3 ! I said it’s ridiculous to base a health plan on only part of the picture. She’s looking at poor absorption of my meds, or a deep infection from a tooth abscess , and parathyroid glands playing up and possibly annoying my aural nerve and making me dizzy.
So , at last , a bit of attention! She’s offered to refer me back to Endocrinology, I requested a new one, mine was patronising and said I’m cured, without even seeing me after my surgery.,
What do you think?
Ps she said the Path lab has been known to refuse T3 tests as against policy, but says I can try! How olde world is this???
It will take 6-8 weeks to recover from taking levothyroxine incorrectly
You need vitamin D tested too
Hello Peachykeen
I too have Graves Disease, diagnosed 2003 and given RAI thyroid ablation in 2005, a treatment I deeply regret, but we are where we are.
Graves is an autoimmune disease and as such it's for life, it's in your blood and your DNA.
Obviously now you haven't a thyroid the worst of the symptoms are gone, but now you have to deal with the hypothyroidism, which isn't an easy fix for some of us.
A fully functioning working thyroid would be supporting you on a daily basis with approximately 100 T4 + 10 T3 daily. T3 is the active hormone that the body runs on and I read it is about 4 times more powerful than T4 - Levothyroxine, and most people use about 50 T3 a day just to function.
T4 - Levothyroxine is a storage hormone and your body needs to be able to convert it into T3 - the active thyroid hormone, commonly referred to as Liothyronine. This conversion can be compromised if your vitamins and minerals are not maintained at optimal levels and ferritin especially needs to up and over 70 , to be able to fully utilise the T4 and convert it into T3, and it is low T3 that gives you the debilitating symptoms of hypothyroidism.
It is essential that you are dosed and monitored on T3 and T4 blood test results with the intention of bringing both these vital hormones into balance and at a high enough level to be acceptable to the patient.
It is not acceptable to be monitored on a TSH blood test and dosed to keep you in range, and then offered antidepressants as some sort of consolation prize. This happened to me and I became very unwell some 8 years after my thyroid died, burnt out by the RAI.
The thyroid is a major gland responsible for full body synchronisation including your physical, mental, emotional, psychological and spiritual wellbeing, your inner central heating system and your metabolism.
Some people can get by on T4 - Levothyroxine alone, some people simply converting the T4 into T3 at some point in time, and some people simply need both these essential thyroid hormones dosed and monitored independently to bring the hormones into balance and offer the patient some QOL.
You might like to start reading up as you will fare better if you become a little more knowledgeable : the Elaine Moore Graves Disease Foundation website is all things Graves and since Elaine Moore has Graves herself it resonates and makes all the more sense:
Your Thyroid and How to keep It Healthy is written by a doctor who has hypothyroidism and Barry Durrant-Peatfield writes in an easy to understand, sometimes funny, insightful way, about all this is all about and the knock on problems one might experience when the thyroid malfunctions.
We may not have this amazing little gland any longer, but we do need to know, what it's meant to do so we can try and compensate accordingly.
Several previous posts show you likely have poor vitamin levels
Likely poor converter
Examples of why getting full testing is essential
You need to stop any supplements containing biotin for a week before any kind of testing (usually B Complex and "hair and nails" supplements, but check everything you take).
Iron supplements must be stopped for a week before iron/ferritin testing too. Also, iron must be tested after overnight fasting (except for water), just like thyroid testing. Eat breakfast after your blood has been taken.
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