Irene

[Egnig]

I am currently taking 100 of leveroxine after thyroidectomy about 7 years ago. I am completely exhausted

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

Egnig

You will get more replies if you put a heading explaining your question rather than a name, that way you will attract the attention of members who have some experience of whatever your problem is. You can edit your post by clicking on MORE then EDIT, make changes then click SUBMIT.

To be able to offer any suggestions we need to see your current results for

TSH

FT4

FT3

also, because optimal nutrient levels are essential for us Hypo patients and for thyroid hormone replacement to work properly, we need to see results for

VIT D

B12

FOLATE

FERRITIN

Please post results with their reference ranges (these vary from lab to lab) and include the unit of measurement for Vit D and B12.

The reason for your exhaustion could be undermedication but it could also be low nutrient levels.

[shaws Administrator]

You have my sympathy. I have my thyroid gland and was so very unwell on levothyroxine alone I can fully understand. For those with no thyroid gland at all, I do feel for their continued suffering.

The very least (and I'm not medically qualified) but ask your endocrinologist if you could have a trial of T4/T3. I hope he/she will do so. Quite a number of researchers have found that many patients improve with T3/T4 combination. There was another thyroid hormone replacement that used to be prescribed (NDT = thyroid stimulating hormone which contains all of the hormones a healthy gland would produce but through 'False Statements' made by the "organisation" it was removed from being prescribed).

I was so very, very unwell on levothyroxine - worse than before I was diagnosed with a TSH of 100. The addition of some T3 to a reduced levo was miraculous (and I'm not saying that everyone would have the same affect).

Due to the Pharma Companies' who provide the T3 in the UK charging astronomical sums of money for one packet, it was withdrawn.

I believe those, especially without a thyroid gland, should be prescribed a combination T4/T3 at the very least.

If you have an Endocrinologist ask if you could trial a T4/T3 combination as you feel very, very unwell. I find it puzzling that the professionals take more notice of the results of a blood test than taking the patients' symptoms into account. These are supposed to be relieved.

[Hidden]

That is hardly surprising. Those with athyreosis are most unlikely ever to feel well again on levothyroxine monotherapy. It makes no difference on the dose, the timing, before/after meals, body temperature, extra vitamins, certain foods and food additives, blood test results............NOTHING has any effect EXCEPT switching to NDT (or perhaps T3/T4).

Even then, the longer you leave it to transfer, the less of your previous health will you manage to salvage. That is certainly what happened to me. Some on forum will say you should have blood tests and take certain products to improve certain results but, to me, this is the equivalent of cleaning the car and checking the tyre pressures when there's no fuel in the tank.

[pennyannie]

Hello Egnig

Can I just add that a fully functioning working thyroid would be supporting you daily with approximately 100 T4 - Levothyroxine + 10 T3 - Liothyronine:

If you are being prescribed monotherapy with levothyroxine your body needs to be able to convert this T4 into T3 which is the active hormone that the body runs on. I read T3 is about 4 times more powerful than T4 and the average person uses about 50 T3 daily just to function.

Your conversion of the T4 into T3 can be compromised f your vitamins and minerals are not maintained at optimal levels, so it's necessary that ferritin, folate, B12 and vitamin D be tested and be well up in the ranges, and not just " anywhere " .

Even with excellent conversion you will see that you have lost your own natural production of T3 and this actually represents around 20% of your overall well being, and overtime, as I'm sure you know, this pulls you down even further.

Some people do get by on T4 only : some people at some point in time stop converting the T4 into T3 and some people simply need both these vital hormones dosed and monitored independantly to bring them into balance and into the upper quadrants of the ranges.

I lost my thyroid to RAI thyroid ablation for Graves Disease back in 2005 and became very unwell about 8 years later and found myself on this amazing forum asking for help, just like you.

There is much to read and understand, and suggest you look to the Thyroid uk website, the charity who support this platform where you 'll find so much information, including private companies who will process your blood test if your doctor doesn't oblige.

It's a massive learning curve and you need to become your own best advocate and this first step is to undertake a full thyroid blood panel to include the vitamins and minerals and then start a new post with the results and ranges back on here for considered opinion.

[Egnig]

Thank you.