Latest thyroid results

[sobs1962]

Had my thyroid bloods done yesterday afternoon at 4pm after eating both breakfast and lunch, whilst taking a biotin containing supplement and because of no warning, I took my levo at 6am yesterday morning.

Results

TSH 0.03(0.35 - 5.50)

T4 19.4(10.0- 20.0)

Actually really surprised my T4 level wasn't higher than that considering the above circumstances, however a levo dose reduction is inevitable and likely to be to 75mcg, which means having to take Teva levo as its only brand that makes a 75mcg tablet, and despite telling them, I get some horrible side effects, they seem to have chosen to ignore this. Teva give me palpitations and make me feel like I'm going to pass out and the young doctor, I will be discussing my thyroid with tends to be very dismissive and quite patronising and condescending too and having just had a stroke, my brain isn't working very well and I can't be sure I'll say the right things. I'm now terrified that I'll end up with worst constipation ever and zero energy plus horrendous brain fog, on top of a stroke and don't think I have the energy to enter into battle with a doctor, who like most has no clue about thyroid disease. Honestly the worst thing for me is the horrendous constipation, I'm very likely to end up with as have suffered it since age of 8 (52 years) and it's caused me so much pain and discomfort over the years,it's almost given me a phobia about pooing,I've had both piles and anal fissures in the past and definitely can't cope with that level of pain at the moment. If someone could try to put my mind at rest regarding all this, I'd definitely be extremely grateful.

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

I wouldn't take too much notice of those results due to the circumstances of the test. If your GP wants to alter your dose then tell him that you took biotin on the day of the test and it is known that this affects blood test results, some NHS lab reports actually state this. As to be retested another day before any change of dose is made.

which means having to take Teva levo as its only brand that makes a 75mcg tablet,

But you can get 75mcg from taking 1 x 50mcg plus 1/2 of a 50mcg tablet. Or you can alternate a 100mcg tablet with a 50mcg tablet the next day. You don't have to take 1 x 75mcg tablet.

Check your pharmacy bag, if it contains Teva refuse to accept it. Tell the pharmacist you have adverse reactions and cannot take Teva levothyroxine under any circumstances. Presumably you have already told your GP this, asked for NO TEVA to be put on your prescription, and that you have filled in a yellow card report

[sobs1962 in reply to SeasideSusie]

I haven't actually filled in a yellow card report, as tried to do that when I had a bad reaction to another drug and found it nigh on impossible, just kept going round in circles and getting nowhere fast

[sobs1962 in reply to SeasideSusie]

I intend to refuse dosage decrease and ask for blood tests to be done again in a couple of weeks, during which time, I'll stop taking my vitamin b complex which is the supplement containing biotin and will insist on ft3 being tested as both propranolol and Lansoprazole are blocking conversion, wish me luck, as I think I'll need it, doctors don't like it when patients are knowledgeable about their medical conditions as they can't bully them into unsolicited changes of medication or other changes.

[tattybogle]

What dose are you on now sobs ?Since fT4 is in range and not as high as we were worried it would be, then perhaps you can negotiate a much smaller reduction.

eg . Say you'd be willing to reduce dose by just 12.5mcg , not 25mcg ?

[sobs1962 in reply to tattybogle]

I'm on 100mcg, but would struggle to cut pills in half as have no way of doing so, did buy a pill cutter, but it's now broken, might sound like a weak excuse, but my anxiety has been so bad especially since my stroke, so don't need any more unnecessary stress.

[tattybogle in reply to sobs1962]

just so you know ...you don't have to cut pills in half . The usual way GP's prescribe a dose halfway between 75mcg and 100mcg is either:

" take alternate days of 100mcg /75mcg."

or "take 75mcg every Mon / Wed / Fri and 100mcg every Tue /Thurs /Sat /Sun"

They just write the prescription for some 100mcg, some 50mcg, and some 25mcg tablets. It helps to get a weekly pill box so you don't get confused .. but 'alternate dosing' is a perfectly normal way of prescribing ... GP's use it all the time to get smaller dose adjustments.

[sobs1962 in reply to tattybogle]

Well, I was thinking that myself, however, I've now realised that a levo decrease, is very likely to lead to even higher cholesterol levels and I'm already on maximum dose 80mg of atorvastatin as it is, so it would appear that they're actually trying to kill me.