Weight gain

[Greg28]

Help . My doctor has reduced my levothyroxin from 100mg to 75mg since doing so i have gained over 2stone in weight he did it to try and give my thyroid a kick to sort itself out. Im not happy and now they wont increase it back to 100mg. I run twice a week over 5k each time, i do boogie bounce one night a week, and walk a minimum of 10000 steps a day . Im at my wits end as this weight isn’t going down its going up. Has anyone else had this or is suffering like this. I cant carry on like this 😪😪😪

[fuchsia-pink]

Love the idea that if part of you doesn't function properly it just needs a "kick" and it'll "sort itself out". Not. [Does he apply the same logic to his wife, I wonder, if she isn't "behaving"?]

Can you change GP? - this one sounds a right idiot

Suggest you get full blood testing - TSH, free T4, free T3 and key nutrients - ferritin, folate, vit D and B12. You are probably very under-medicated. I find it pretty well impossible to lose weight unless both "frees" are nice and high in range. Good luck x

[humanbean]

Do you know any blood test results from when you were on 100mcg Levo? And have you been tested by your doctor since your dose was reduced? You could ask for access to your GP records, including blood test results, online if you live in England. If you can't get this access for any reason then ask the receptionists at your surgery (NOT the doctors) for a printed copy of all your blood test results from, say, the last 2 - 3 years. It would be worth having copies of results going back as far as before your diagnosis, if that is possible.

I agree with fuchsia-pink . Your doctor's knowledge of how the thyroid functions is abysmal.

If you have any problems getting hold of copies of your results or getting access online then this link from the information commissioners office is worth reading, because it tells you how to word a request if your GP surgery won't obey the law :

ico.org.uk/your-data-matter...

For further info on your right of access to your medical records our forum guru on the subject is DJRI. Read her posts here :

healthunlocked.com/user/djr1

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Do you always get same brand of levothyroxine?

When were. Vitamin levels last tested

What vitamin supplements are you currently taking?

Do you have Hashimoto’s

Bloods should be retested 6-8 weeks after each dose (or brand) change in levothyroxine

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)

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 vitamins including folate (private blood draw required)

medichecks.com/products/thy...

Thriva Thyroid plus antibodies and vitamins By DIY fingerpick test

thriva.co/tests/thyroid-test

Thriva also offer just vitamin testing

Blue Horizon Thyroid Premium Gold includes antibodies, cortisol and vitamins by DIY fingerprick test

bluehorizonbloodtests.co.uk...

If you can get GP to test vitamins and antibodies then cheapest option for just TSH, FT4 and FT3

£29 (via NHS private service ) and 10% off if go on thyroid uk for code

thyroiduk.org/getting-a-dia...

monitormyhealth.org.uk/thyr...

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Suggest you get vitamin D tested now

vitamindtest.org.uk

Ask GP to include folate, ferritin and B12 test at next blood test in 6 weeks

Plus thyroid antibodies if not been tested

About 90% of primary hypothyroidism is autoimmune thyroid disease also called Hashimoto’s diagnosed by high thyroid antibodies

Important to know if you have Hashimoto’s

[Greg28 in reply to SlowDragon]

I asked for a vitamin D test and they refused to do it as it costs too much. No dont always get the same brand of tablets. All my doctors has offered me is to go to weight management

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Greg28]

Yes thousands of U.K. patients forced to get vitamin D tested via NHS postal kit £29

Might get 10% off if order vitamin Dvia monitor my health

thyroiduk.org/getting-a-dia...

Insist thyroid antibodies and other vitamins are tested at next test....or test privately

Come back with new post once you get results

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Greg28]

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

Are you currently taking Teva?

Teva, Aristo and Glenmark are the only lactose free tablets

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Teva poll

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

academic.oup.com/jcem/artic...

Physicians should: 1) alert patients that preparations may be switched at the pharmacy; 2) encourage patients to ask to remain on the same preparation at every pharmacy refill; and 3) make sure patients understand the need to have their TSH retested and the potential for dosing readjusted every time their LT4 preparation is switched (18).

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

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

verywellhealth.com/best-tim...

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)

If you normally take levothyroxine at bedtime/in night ...adjust timings as follows prior to blood test

If testing Monday morning, delay Saturday evening dose levothyroxine until Sunday morning. Delay Sunday evening dose levothyroxine until after blood test on Monday morning. Take Monday evening dose levothyroxine as per normal

[Greg28]

The brand is Teva

[jrbarnes]

My Dr tried the same. Instead of an increase he kept trying to decrease and no it does not stimulate more conversion of T4 to T3, at least not in my case. If you compare your test results from 100mcg and 75 mcg you'll probably find your T3 levels are now greatly reduced, in addition to lower T4 levels. Even a 5-10% reduction in my T4 has debilitating and disabling consequences. Currently, I'm going through that suffering right now, after my usual Levo became unavailable. A drop in 25 mcg would leave me bedridden!

[penny]

It sounds as if you need to change your doctor; if a private vitamin D test is £29 why is one done by the nhs ‘too expensive’? At the moment there are studies linking low vitamin D to Covid-19 severity so having an optimal level of vitamin D is more important than ever. (Low vitamin D is also linked so several cancers.)

If you post your blood test results on here the good folks, who do know what they are talking about, will interpret them.

Good luck.