I’m new to taking levothyroxine, I’ve been taking it 2 weeks now 25mcg for an under-active thyroid.I take it around 9pm as I take desogestrel, I have for 10 years in a morning and didn’t want to swap anything around as it works best with my daily routine.
For the past few days now I feel as though I have something stuck in my throat, everytime I swallow it’s uncomfortable and noticeable, there isn’t any lumps to touch, could this be a side effect of the tablet or incorrect dosage? I’ve googled side effects and I’ve not come across anything similar.
Thank you!
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Crazycatlady_101
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Standard starter dose of levothyroxine is 50mcg (unless over 65 years old).
Starting on too low a dose can cause increase in symptoms
Feeling of lump in throat is common symptom
Can you add your results from before starting on levothyroxine
Bloods should be retested 6-8 weeks after each dose increase
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.
Also note what foods to avoid (eg recommended to avoid calcium rich foods at least four hours from taking Levo)
Important to see exactly what has been tested and equally important what hasn’t been tested yet
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
Ask GP to test vitamin levels and thyroid antibodies if not been tested yet
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)
All four vitamins need to be regularly tested and frequently need supplementing to maintain optimal levels
If TPO or TG thyroid antibodies are high this is usually due to Hashimoto’s (commonly known in UK as autoimmune thyroid disease).
About 90% of all primary hypothyroidism in Uk is due to Hashimoto’s. Low vitamin levels are particularly common with Hashimoto’s. Gluten intolerance is often a hidden issue to.
I was diagnosed with hypermobility syndrome and I wasn’t happy with the result I was in constant pain with my joints so went back to dr where she suggested I trial vitamin b and levothyroxine for 6 weeks then go for a blood test.
I went for the blood test and confirmed it was for vitamin b and thyroid the phlebotomist said no just the vitamin b so I tried to correct her and she still said vitamin only. I went ahead with the blood test and that was it that was last year in March, I didn’t see the dr after that or since.
It was only a couple of weeks ago the dr had rung and asked me to have a blood test to test my thyroid and now the results show underactive.
I just feel lost now, I don’t know if I need a blood test or repeat prescription (I will ring and find out) but it’s all just so new!
You don't need a new blood test yet. One usually tests six weeks after starting a dose of levo. And then, the dose should be put up by 25 mcg, and you retest six weeks after that. Doctors are notoriously bad at explaining things! Probably because they don't really understand it all themselves. But, now you've found this forum, we should be able to answer all your questions.
Are you still taking the B vitamin? Which one is it? B12? How much are you taking? When you go for your next test, you should ask for vit D, vit B12, folate and ferritin to be tested.
Also, when you go for your retest, make sure the blood draw is early morning - before 9 am - and fast over-night. Leave a gap of 24 hours between your last dose of levo and the blood draw. Then, when the results are ready, ask for a print-out - it is your legal right to have one, and they can't refuse. That way, you can post the results and the ranges on here for feed-back.
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