Help...advice

[ter1461]

I have on and off trying to take T4 as I’m hypothyroid. It doesn’t seem to agree with me though and I can’t get hold of NDT at the moment. So today I quartered a tablet and took 12.5mg and again after an hour I’m feeling burning in mouth and tingly through body. So strange to feel this way or am I not the only one. I do need it as my last blood test are not good as noted below. I was told to go very low on starting and very slow so as my body gets used to it but I’m thinking if this is how it makes me feel 😬. Is this quite normal on starting? Any word helpful thanks.

TSH. 3.11 (0.3-4.2)

T4 5 (5.5-11)

FT4. 1.07 (0.78-1.53)

T3. 0.8 (0.7-2)

FT3. 2.59 (2.1-4.4)

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Well you have to take enough Levothyroxine to make improvements

Starting low and slow may be necessary for a few people

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

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

Essential to get vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12 tested and supplement to bring to optimal levels

[DippyDame]

Just had a brief look at your previous posts.

You have chopped and changed both your med and your doses and have increased meds too quickly.

Your body hasn't had a chance to catch up with these changes

You're right! You are hypo and you need to be medicated

Your FT4 is 38.67% through the ref range

Your FT3 is 21.30% ......

Both should be close to 75% through their respective ranges.

Your TSH should be close to 1%

Have you had nutrients and antibodies tested

Folate, ferritin, vit D and vit B12 all need to be optomal

Raised antibodies suggest Hashimoto's

Do you take your levo on an empty stomach and about an hour before eating or drinking coffee, tea etc....water only!

When you say you took 12.5mcg ....was that levo?

Have you tried another brand....this might help

prescriber.co.uk/article/le...

Just wondering if the reaction is an indication that your system needs more levo......

the body reacts to both under and over medication.

Thyroid medication is not a quick fix (think headache/aspirin) and yourbody needs time to adapt to each change of dose.

Maybe time to go back to the beginning and start again.

[ter1461 in reply to DippyDame]

I have gone back to the beginning. These numbers are without medication after six weeks. I started today on 12.5mg levo (eutorox) I’m in Spain. I feel it within one hour of taking it, like a tingling tongue and throughout body, foggy head etc... just weird. I wanted to know if anyone else has these symptoms on taking it or feel nothing and just increase accordingly and ok.

My ferritin is a bit low so I’m working on hay as was at 34 last resting. B12 is good folate good as is Vit d.

TPO antibodies on testing were >1300 Thgb 250.

I’ve tried mercury, Teva already and same thing same feeling.

[DippyDame in reply to ter1461]

I take it you mean 12.5mcg (micrograms) not mg (milligrams)

OK... but why 12.5mcg levo.....starter dose for under 65s is 50mcg

Have you tried taking 50mcg then re-testing and increasing to 75mcg after 6 weeks and so on.

Your TPO antibodies are elevated indicating Hashimoto's

yourhormones.info/endocrine...

Investigating Hashi's in addition to optimising your thyroid hormones and nutrients should help

I no longer take levo but I didn't have any symptoms like yours when I either started or increased the dose....and I eventually took 175mcg! I don't have Hashi's but have a form of thyroid hormone resistance.

I'm sorry nobody has yet come to say they share your symptoms.

It doesn't look as if I've been much help....hope you find the answers you want

[ter1461 in reply to DippyDame]

The reason I’m starting so low is because at 50 I feel awful within few hours like sensitive

[DippyDame in reply to ter1461]

Are you taking any other medication that might affect the levo?

[Heloise]

I've heard of those symptoms but not necessarily from a T4 pill. What are the other ingredients that might be causing this? Does it pass after a while?

B12 deficiency can cause tongue issues. There are some people who do not have the best result from using Levothyroxine usually because they can't convert the T4 to FT3. There are many "syndromes" when you have Hashimoto's which are still at work even after treatment begins.