Existing on Levo 25, anyone?: I’d be very... - Thyroid UK

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Existing on Levo 25, anyone?

Jollypolly profile image
12 Replies

I’d be very interested to know if anyone with Hashis satisfactorily exists on 25 mcg.Levo

I’ve had problems all my life with thyroid treatment.

I think I have improved somewhat ..and many of the awful symptoms seem to have dissipated or disapppeared …

But still get extreme fatigue and depression and anxiety if not on SOMETHING.

HOWEVER, AS ALWAYS…TOW OR THREE OR POSSIBLY FOUR WEEKS IN TO SAY, 50 mcg Levo…

And the palms and anxiety and more begin yet again.

Forced to hold back…stop the Levo in order to stop the palps….

Doctors always say 25 not sufficient to get int the bloodstream..but I’m not sure ..

I’m so sensitive to everything..land although used to take between 75-100…albeit very unsatisfactorily, now , at 72, I can’t seem to tolerate much of anything. I’ve had to stop all t3 for now as it makes these symptoms worse..

But I wonder whether a few years of t3 in small doses has helped to heal my thyroid somewhat,and now I don’t need it…

It’s all a mystery..

All I know is, I can’t going round and round the same garden🙄🙃🌝

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Jollypolly
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12 Replies
shaws profile image
shawsAdministrator

Your dose is low and that could be the reason you don't feel so well.

If you have a print-out of your latest blood tests, post them with the ranges.

You might feel better if you can get a trial of T4/T3 - ask your GP but if you're in the UK an Endocrinologist is supposed to be consulted. Few are keen on prescribing but some may do so.

Is this the procedure you take when you are going to have blood drawn for thyroid hormones?

1. Make the earliest possible blood test.

2. It is a fasting test and do NOT take thyroid hormones before the test. You can take it afterwards.

3. Also Request a new bloosd test,TSH, T4, T3, Free T4, Free T3 and thyroid antibodies,

Post your results on a new post for comments.

Jollypolly profile image
Jollypolly in reply toshaws

Thanks Shaws but you have misunderstood my situation.I’ve had. Any years of trialling with t3 and t4…I have my own t3 but not using them since later last year…I can’t seem to tolerate much at all….I have only just come up with the idea of 25 daily and this is day one !!!

50 daily leads me into trouble wishing two to four weeks …fast heart rate..palps and increasing anxiety….this is why I’m wondering..

As certainly many of my old symptoms have gone…even though I can be extremely uncomfortable with the ones which are left.

shaws profile image
shawsAdministrator in reply toJollypolly

Carry on with what you've found is enabling you to feel better and hopefully you will get to a 'sweet' point and feel well again. You can slowly increase your

Are you aware that 25mcg of T3 is equal to around 100mcg of T4? This is because T3 is an active thyroid hormone and our brain and heart have the most T3 receptor cells T4 is inactive and is supposed to convert to T3.

I used to take a higher dose of T3 but now take 25mcg which is about equal to 100mcg of levothyroxine.

Jollypolly profile image
Jollypolly in reply toshaws

Oh dear ! Another complete misunderstanding ! Perhaps I don’t write clearly enough…I DO NOT TAKE ANY T3 at present as I can’t tolerate ANY …not even 2.5

I am down to Levo only…and when I take 50 for two to four weeks it soon becomes intolerable also…and I have to cut it all out for two or three weeks to get my heart back to something like normal

shaws profile image
shawsAdministrator in reply toJollypolly

I am not saying for you take T3 - what I emphasised is that 25mcg T3 is not equal to 25mcg T4. 'in its effect' 25mcg T3 is approx equal to 100mcg of T4.

SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator in reply toJollypolly

To tolerate levothyroxine we must have GOOD vitamin levels

What are your most recent vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12 results

Which brands of levothyroxine have you tried

You may need to split levothyroxine dose into 2,3 or even 4 smaller doses spread through the day

Have you seen a thyroid specialist endocrinologist

Have you ever trialed liquid levothyroxine…..member’s who can’t tolerate levothyroxine tablets often find liquid levothyroxine a vast improvement, and usually split the dose

Liquid levothyroxine is expensive so has to be initially prescribed via endocrinologist

If after all these different options

You may need to take a beta blocker in order to tolerate levothyroxine

You might find my profile info helpful…..terrible anxiety….on propranolol for 20 years in order to tolerate levothyroxine.

Jollypolly profile image
Jollypolly in reply toSlowDragon

Thanks for this..it s extremely interesting…I’ll look into all your points..

Jollypolly profile image
Jollypolly in reply toSlowDragon

Hi again…my blood results from last weekVit D - 113.3 …over 75 being optimal…at present I’m taking 4000 iu for the first time and I think it may be the reason my sleep has improved.

FOLATE - 10.7

FERRITIN - 44 Ref rang 13-150

B12 - 1000 ref range 197-771

SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator in reply toJollypolly

Presumably you are supplementing B12 / vitamin B complex

Ferritin is too low as you are presumably aware

Are you pre or post menopause

What’s your diet like.

Are you gluten free/dairy free….

Or vegetarian or vegan

cks.nice.org.uk/topics/anae...

In all people, a serum ferritin level of less than 30 micrograms/L confirms the diagnosis of iron deficiency

Look at increasing iron rich foods in diet

Eating iron rich foods like liver or liver pate once a week plus other red meat, pumpkin seeds and dark chocolate, plus daily orange juice or other vitamin C rich drink can help improve iron absorption

List of iron rich foods

dailyiron.net

Links about iron and ferritin

An article that explains why Low ferritin and low thyroid levels are often linked

preventmiscarriage.com/iron...

irondisorders.org/too-littl...

davidg170.sg-host.com/wp-co...

Great in-depth article on low ferritin

oatext.com/iron-deficiency-...

drhedberg.com/ferritin-hypo...

This is interesting because I have noticed that many patients with Hashimoto’s disease and hypothyroidism, start to feel worse when their ferritin drops below 80 and usually there is hair loss when it drops below 50.

Thyroid disease is as much about optimising vitamins as thyroid hormones

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

restartmed.com/hypothyroidi...

Post discussing just how long it can take to raise low ferritin

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Never supplement iron without doing full iron panel test for anaemia first and retest 3-4 times a year if self supplementing. It’s possible to have low ferritin but high iron

Medichecks iron panel test

medichecks.com/products/iro...

Low Iron and thyroid link

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Posts discussing why important to do full iron panel test

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Chicken livers if iron is good, but ferritin low

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Jollypolly profile image
Jollypolly in reply toSlowDragon

THANKYOU for taking time and trouble..I eat very good diet ..as much organic as possible…loads of olive oil daily in salad and on all veg…loads of the greens…

An egg daily and a square of 85% chocolate,..

Can’t seem to cope with liver any more…

Is the folate ok du think?

I take high quality b complex…but stopped the B12 a while back…

Du think I should restart that?

SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator in reply toJollypolly

How good or bad our diet is …is pretty irrelevant

How good or bad gut function and nutrient absorption is more important

Frequently when hypothyroid we have low stomach acid, poor nutrient absorption and low vitamin levels as direct result

Do you know what top of folate range is ….if it’s 3-20 your folate is pretty good. If range is 5 -60 ….folate could be better

Jollypolly profile image
Jollypolly

Thanks for the input…Test results didn’t show range for folate..

I take your point about gut absorption and am now doing something about it …

Bought betain HCI and pepsin with bitters.. and Digestive enzymes..

And stop Tea with meals…extremely difficult…

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