blood test results

i had another set of blood done, this time by the nhs and they were slightly different?

on 50mcg levo my tsh was 3.30 (0.35-4.90)

ft4 11.4 (9.1 - 17.6)

ft3 4.1 (2.4 - 6)

i feel like an increase is needed for sure, but theres no way i can take 75mcg, it felt awful. so my only choice is to try the inbetween dose do you think? 62mcg?

with regards to vitamins , although they were not tested this time when my thyroid is in its optimal range, so are my vitamin levels, not the other way around.

i feel tired and groggy. will 12.5mcg levo reallt make this much of a difference?

thanks x

[Simplyred57]

You didn’t happen to get Teva 75mcg tablet , as that happened to me and Teva made me feel terrible 🤷🏼‍♀️

[Hidden in reply to Simplyred57]

noooooo i never take teva.

[fuchsia-pink]

If you're tired and groggy (and who wouldn't be with these results) your thyroid is NOT in its "optimal range" - it's barely within the lab range at all which isn't enough. I'd say you are still VERY under-medicated - you need TSH to be less than 2 and probably less than 1 and free T4 and free T3 to be in the top third or higher of the lab range (currently free T4 is a feeble 27%; free T3 is better but still less than 50%)

By all means try the small increase - it won't do any harm - or maybe try a bigger increase and take your levo in two doses as you're very sensitive. Good luck x

[Lalatoot]

Increases can make you feel awful. For me the awfulness hits weeks 2, 3 and 4 of an increase. It is normal to feel worse first.Some folks need gentle increase so 12.5mcg is where to start. My body hated different doses on different days so I was prescribed 25mcg tablets and halved them so I could take the same amount each day.

I also split my dose taking a 50mcg tablet in the morning and the rest of my dose just before bedtime. My body preferred it this way.

[Hidden in reply to Lalatoot]

thank you ! yes i feel awful for a week after an increase ... and i also cant tolerate alternate days with a 25mcg difference

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

thanks for this. my doc told me i cant split pills its good to know others are also splitting pills ans its not just me whos sebsitive to it. the doctor makes me feel like im being over the top when it comes to 25 differences affecting me

[fuchsia-pink in reply to Hidden]

You absolutely CAN split pills!

Levo is a "storage" hormone, so you don't need to take the same dose every day. So if you need a part-dose you can split a tablet or take a whole one on alternate days, according to what suits. If you split a tablet, I'd always finish one before starting the next, including licking up any crumbs off your finger if the tablet crumbles, so if you don't cut it exactly in half, you are getting the full tablet as soon as you can.

If you ever try lio, you should do the same dose every day as it has a short half-life. You can also split lio tablets - and many of us do - the instructions tell you to dissolve in water and throw away the unused part, which is bonkers when (a) it doesn't dissolve very well; (b) it's easier to split than muck about dissolving and (c) it's so expensive!

It's down to doing what works best for you

[Hidden in reply to fuchsia-pink]

thank you. Liothyronine didnt agree with me at all, i feel very lucky in that respect ! i have no conversion issues when its comes to T3 and feel much better taking levo.

Ill split the pills for few weeks and see what happens.

[tattybogle]

yes 12.5 is enough to make a difference to how you feel ,and to blood tests. or it is for me anyway .. 100 not enough / constipated .... 125 bit too much /jumpy / all sort of odd pains / bad sleep ....... 112.5 ... better . took a few months to be sure .. but definitely better.

i wouldn't get too hung up on results being different . you would get different results even an hour earlier /later on the same day at the same lab .. so different results a few days later at a different lab isn't surprising.

These ones show a little more T4 (cant remember what T3 was) than the previous set and, consequently a little lower TSH.... but they are still showing basically the same picture ie .. ' you could probably do with a bit more thyroid hormone replacement'

results are only one clue to the direction to go , symptoms related to dose history are equally important, so trying 62.5mcg to see how it feels for a few months is a sensible next step.

[Hidden in reply to tattybogle]

thanks for this reply 🙂 i was worried that 12.5 wont change anything.... hopefully it might be that little tweak i needed then!! ive got a retest in 6 weeks, hopefully itll be spot on

[tattybogle in reply to Hidden]

splitting pills /alternating doses to get smaller adjustments than 25mcg is very usual , lots and lots of NHS GP's prescribe like this. if your GP thinks it's 'over the top' to be trying to adjust doses by finer increments that 25 mcg.. then he's probably the sort of bloke that would try adjusting an antique clock with a hammer .

pay no attention to the silly man .. he clearly needs to listen more and talk less.

[Hidden in reply to tattybogle]

thank you 😌 x

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Hidden]

Common to need to fine tune dose

You can also split daily dose into two smaller doses….,can make higher dose easier to tolerate

Eg taking 50mcg waking and 25mcg (or 12.5mcg) at bedtime

Personally I split my levothyroxine (100mcg at bedtime)

Rest of dose waking …around 6am……And dose is fine tuned….125mcg per day 5 days week and 112.5mcg twice week

Approx how much do you weigh in kilo

[Hidden in reply to SlowDragon]

i am 58kg exactly

i am taking 50 accord and now splitting the 25 of another one, its got pink foil on the back but struggling to recall the name .... pretty sure its mercury pharma

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Just because that happened previously doesn’t mean the same thing will happen this time

But yes, many people find they need to increase in smaller steps…..

Which brand of levothyroxine are you currently taking

You can cut a 25mcg in half to give 12.5mcg daily

Or cut a 50mcg tablet in 1/4 to give 12.5mcg