Feeling worse on increased thyroxine

[Cecilbenhard]

I’m on a low dose of thyroxine - just increased about 2 weeks ago to 50 mcg. It’s taken me about a year to get from 25 - 50 mcgs because I seem to be very sensitive to increases in dose. I am 66 years old active and slim. Since increasing to 50 mcgs I felt great for the first week and then gradually getting the same symptoms as before I.e. sore limbs at night, cramps, poor sleep and tiredness. Has this happened to anyone else on increasing dosage? I’m trying to get my levothyroxine dosage up but it’s hard.

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Which brand of levothyroxine are you currently taking

Is this same brand as previously

Essential to also test vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12

What vitamin supplements are you currently taking

Extremely common to feel worse before feeling better

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

What were thyroid results before dose increase

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

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)

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 antibodies and vitamins

medichecks.com/products/adv...

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 down to £26.10 if go on thyroid uk for code

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

monitormyhealth.org.uk/

Also vitamin D available as separate test via MMH

Or alternative Vitamin D NHS postal kit

vitamindtest.org.uk

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Did you get vitamin levels tested

Previous posts say you are mainly vegetarian, so presumably you supplement B12 daily and regularly retest ferritin levels?

Low vitamin D causes bone pain, low magnesium or low iron can cause cramp

[Lalatoot]

Usually weeks 3 and 4 after and increase for me are difficult and I feel worse. Things will improve hopefully.It took me ages to build up to a dose too. I split my levo into 2 doses on the advice of an endo and this helped.

Also I discovered much later on that what I thought were symptoms caused by the levo were symptoms caused by being on too low a total daily dose. I found this out the hard way by reducing my levo and all but coming off it - making myself very ill in the process.

Try and keep going for 8 weeks and then get bloods done to see the effects of the increase. All the best.