16 Days on upped dosage, still feeling rough

[Jelley93]

Hello again, Ive been on an increased dosage now for over two weeks. Yet I still feel rough I was on 100mcg now 125. Ive noticed very slight changes but nothing drastic. I have booked a medichecks advanced thyroid function test for 31/05/2021 to see if there is anything else that maybe causing my issue. I have managed to go back work but I am still struggling at the moment

[tattybogle]

personally , i've learned the hard way to wait 5 weeks before i even think about a decision on how i feel on a different dose. and then if it's not anything screamingly obvious like chronic constipation indicating under-treatment , or constant fast heartbeat , tremor in fingers, or very frequent bowel movements indicating over- treatment. i still leave it until more like 8-12 weeks have gone by to get an idea if there will be slow improvements over time... sometimes there have been , and if i'd made my mind up earlier i would have changed dose and probably ended up slightly over medicated and then had Doctor breathing down my neck again .. (and he would probably have reduced by too much again and left me stuck on it for 6 months, so wasting much more time than the extra few weeks i allow to see how it goes once i'm settled)There's a high chance TSH ft4/3 will change again anyway if you test before at least 6 weeks.

One time the GP reduced too much and it was really obvious due to constipation after about a week , and that didn't improve by 6 weeks , so i did insist that was put back up. But other times when i though 'this is crap' , it slowly improved over a few months and i gradually realised i was able to increase activity, was sleeping much better and was feeling much less stressy/agitated.

I think it's a benefit to have given a dose a really decent trial period.... it's much easier to confidently say "i know i'm undermedicated on X dose regardless of what my TSH is telling you" if you really did allow time for it to settle down and allow your deiodinaes (T4 to T3 conversion) to adjust to the new status quo.

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

Jelley93

It can take up to 6 weeks for the full effect of any dose change, I tend to need 7-8 weeks and the change is very subtle, there is no eureka moment for me when I can say "Wow, that feels better!", it's more like I reach a point where I realise I don't feel quite as bad as before.

I think expecting to notice much after only two weeks isn't all that realistic.

If you've been on the increased dose for just over two weeks, you probably increased round about 6th/7th May, then testing on 31st May is a waste of time and money, give it 6-8 weeks for your levels to settle.

It's all about patience with thyroid hormone replacement I'm afraid.

[Jelley93 in reply to SeasideSusie]

Yes started increase on 8/5/21. I am taking my thyroxine around 2-3am. Well away from breakfast. When I felt normal I actually forgot about the thyroid issues. However probably my mistake as I used to take the levo straight after breakfast. That with the undermedication probably a perfect storm

[SlowDragon Administrator]

You had been left woefully under medicated for at least 2 years.

It’s not a quick fix unfortunately.....as others have said...no point testing until minimum 6 weeks....and ideally a 8 weeks or longer after any dose change or brand change in levothyroxine

What vitamin supplements are you currently taking?

[Jelley93 in reply to SlowDragon]

I started on B12 1500 and vitamin D 4000. I've ordered a B complex too

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Jelley93]

Remember to stop taking vitamin B complex a week before ALL BLOOD TESTS

Did you test first before starting B12 and vitamin D?

[Jelley93 in reply to SlowDragon]

Not really. Basically I was supplementing for a couple of years with no adverse affects. When on 100mcg. At the time I was fine and had no problems at all. However I guess the supplement might have masked the fact I was not on enough levo. It's weird though because when I first got put on 50mcg my symptoms went within a week. Although my levels wasn't right I felt better.

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to Jelley93]

Jellley93

Taking B12 without testing isn't ideal but excess is excreted so at worst you are paying for expensive urine.

Vit D should always be tested before supplementing. This because it's crucial to know what dose to supplement with. Vit D is a fat soluble vitamin so any excess is stored and can lead to toxicity.

If your level is low, taking too little will do nothing at all to raise your level and you'll be wasting your money.

If your level is already good then you risk taking too much and possible toxicity.

The Vit D Society and Grassroots Health recommend a level of 100-150nmol/L. We need to know our current level which decides the dose required to reach the recommended level.

When taking Vit D there are important cofactors we need to take as well.

D3 aids absorption of calcium from food and Vit K2-MK7 directs the calcium to bones and teeth where it is needed and away from arteries and soft tissues where it can be deposited and cause problems such as hardening of the arteries, kidney stones, etc.

D3 and K2 are fat soluble so should be taken with the fattiest meal of the day, D3 four hours away from thyroid meds if taking D3 as tablets/capsules/softgels, no necessity if using an oral spray.

Magnesium helps D3 to work. We need Magnesium so that the body utilises D3, it's required to convert Vit D into it's active form. So it's important we ensure we take magnesium when supplementing with D3.

Magnesium comes in different forms, check to see which would suit you best and as it's calming it's best taken in the evening, four hours away from thyroid meds if taking magnesium as tablets/capsules, no necessity if using topical forms of magnesium.

naturalnews.com/046401_magn...

drjockers.com/best-magnesiu...

[shaws Administrator]

Do you take your dose with one full glass of water? This is the reason why we should,

Oct. 5, 2004 -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Jones Pharma Inc. (a wholly owned subsidiary of King Pharmaceuticals) have warned healthcare professionals via letter of postmarketing reports of choking, gagging, tablets stuck in throat, and dysphagia associated with the ingestion of levothyroxine sodium tablets (Levoxyl), mainly when the tablets were not taken with water, according to an alert sent yesterday from MedWatch, the FDA's safety information and adverse event reporting program.

Levothyroxine is indicated in the treatment of hypothyroidism.

medscape.com/viewarticle/49...

[Jelley93 in reply to shaws]

Yes I take with a swig of water from my bottle

[shaws Administrator in reply to Jelley93]

How much is a 'swig' - is it a 'full' glass?

🙂

[Jelley93 in reply to shaws]

No just enough to take the tablets with

[shaws Administrator in reply to Jelley93]

With one glass of water tablets should go directly into stomach. A tablet with insufficient water could get stuck in throat.

Quote:

"Oct. 6, 2004 -- People who take the thyroid hormone replacement drug Levoxyl are advised to drink a full glass of water when taking the pill to reduce the risk of choking or gagging on the tablets.

The FDA and the Levoxyl's manufacturer, Jones Pharma International, have sent a letter to doctors warning them of reports of choking, gagging, and difficulty swallowing caused by tablets of Levoxyl that have become stuck in the throat.

Some patients who take the drug, which is used primarily to treat hypothyroidism, have reported these side effects while taking the drug. But most of these problems disappeared when they took the tablets with a full glass of water.

webmd.com/women/news/200410...

[Lotika]

You have my sympathy. I think waiting out a dosage change is a strange form of torture, even if necessary! But we will get there eventually and one day we will be adequately medicated and feel better again. The wait g is hard though, isn’t it?

[Jelley93 in reply to Lotika]

Certainly is as you are left in limbo by Drs who know you are unwell but fob you off. Saying we will test in a month or so