please help I am at my wits end. Was given levothyroxine 25mg last year. After a couple of weeks started getting chest/sternal pain. Was also taking vit d, b12. I stopped the levothyroxine and pain stopped. Each time I went back on levothyroxine and again pain returned. My latest b12 is now normal 812. vitamin d still low at 21.9. tsh 6.8 and t3 t4 normal. My doctor switched to np thyroid and started today. I am feeling anxious, depressed and have neuropathy to legs and feet. I am not diabetic.
thank you for any help.
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kittycat01
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If so what brand of 25mcg levothyroxine were you on?
What is the unit of measurement for your Vit D - nmol/L or ng/L and are you supplementing, if so what dose?
Obviously with TSH of 6.8 you need medication, you are hypothyroid and anxiety and depression are symptoms of hypothyroidism. Now you've changed to NP Thyroid hopefully things will improve.
SeasideSusieThank you for your reply. I live in U.S. my d3 measurement is 21.9 ng/ml and I am taking 5,000 d3 ui supplement. My endocrinologist prescribed 50,000 2xweek but my primary md said that was too much and that could cause muscle pain. Also my tpo is 119. I am seeing my endocrinologist next week. I am confused but I will see what endocrinologist says and go by his recommendations.
OK, as you are in the US I can't help with brands of Levo, we do have one brand here that many people have adverse reactions to and it's down to the fillers.
Here in the UK our guidelines for Vit D deficiency allow for 50,000iu once a week for 6 weeks, so I can see why your primary md was concerned. 5,000iu daily will do the job but more slowly.
The Vit D Society and Grassroots Health both recommend a level of40-60ng/ml so it's a good idea to check your level in 3 months to see how you are progressing. Once you've reached the recommended level then a maintenance dose will be needed to keep it there, which may be 2000iu daily, maybe more or less, maybe less in summer than winter, it's trial and error so it's recommended to retest once or twice a year to keep within the recommended range.
Doctors don't know, because they're not taught much about nutrients, but there are important cofactors needed when taking D3.
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.
For D3 I like Doctor's Best D3 softgels, they are an oil based very small softgel which contains just two ingredients - D3 and extra virgin olive oil, a good quality, nice clean supplement which is budget friendly. Some people like BetterYou oral spray but this contains a lot of excipients and works out more expensive.
For Vit K2-MK7 I like Vitabay or Vegavero brands which contain the correct form of K2-MK7 - the "All Trans" form rather than the "Cis" form. The All Trans form is the bioactive form, a bit like methylfolate is the bioactive form of folic acid.
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.
Don't start all supplements at once. Start with one, give it a week or two and if no adverse reaction then add the next one. Again, wait a week or two and if no adverse reaction add the next one. Continue like this. If you do have any adverse reaction then you will know what caused it.
Presumably your TPO antibodies are over range so this confirms autoimmune thyroid disease, known to patients as Hashimoto's, which is where the immune system attacks and gradually destroys the thyroid.
Fluctuations in symptoms and test results are common with Hashi's.
Most doctors dismiss antibodies as being of no importance and know little or nothing about Hashi's and how it affects the patient, test results and symptoms. You need to read, learn, understand and help yourself where Hashi's is concerned.
Some members have found that adopting a strict gluten free diet can help, although there is no guarantee.
Gluten contains gliadin (a protein) which is thought to trigger autoimmune attacks so eliminating gluten can help reduce these attacks.
You don't need to be gluten sensitive or have Coeliac disease for a gluten free diet to help.
Supplementing with selenium l-selenomethionine 200mcg daily is said to help reduce the antibodies, as can keeping TSH suppressed.
Hashi's and gut absorption problems tend to go hand in hand and can very often result in low nutrient levels or deficiencies. This could be why your Vit D is so low. It's important to also test B12, Folate and Ferritin. All nutrient levels need to be optimal for thyroid hormone to work properly.
SeasideSusieThank you so much. You've been very helpful. I am taking the vitamin d and b12 sublingual due to poor absorption from several intestinal surgeries in the past. Folate level is normal, calcium level is normal but ferritin is over 400. Doctor can't give a reason.
Thank you SlowDragon for your reply.I am 71 yr female. My iron panel in normal range from last lab work. Iron Bind (TIBC) 290. UIBC 178. Iron 112. Iron Sat 39. RBC 4.23 HGB 13.4 Hematocrit 40.5.
I was told couple of years ago from a nurse that my ferritin level is high because I have a colostomy. Don't know if thats true. My primary never acknowledged if that so I'm assuming that is the reason.
Back in Sept 2018 my THS was 8.02 but my T3 and T4 were normal. I didn’t start Levo for another year.
One problem, I think, we all have is that our baseline levels are never looked at. If we had tests much earlier in life GPs would know where to start. They would know what to aim for, what is normal,for us as individuals.
Too much Levo, too quickly can cause increased heart rate, I believe. Could this be causing the pain? What about asking if you can take 25mg every other day for a couple of months? If you can tolerate it then it can be increased to daily, if you need it.
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