Thank you all for your posts, I am so grateful. I have printed off all of them and will study them. I had no idea about any of this. My doctors have been useless, I suppose they cannot know about everything. I am feeling so bad at the moment, this has been going on for 3 years, I have really had enough, you have given me hope if I could only feel able to do anything, instead of struggling everyday. Thank you all again.
FEELING SO TIRED: Thank you all for your posts, I... - Thyroid UK
FEELING SO TIRED
See/contact your GP and request they test
Full thyroid TSH, Ft4 and Ft3
Plus vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12
Book test for early morning, ideally before 9am if possible and take last dose levothyroxine 24 hours before test
Come back with new post once you get results
Even if GP requests TSH, Ft4 and Ft3 tested, often the lab will refuse
But you may be lucky
If not you can test via private test companies…..I gave you links in previous post
Thank you again, I have this morning contacted Medichecks, I feel so awful at the moment, you have given me hope. I feel my doctor has let me down, so will not bother with them. To hell with the expense, go without something else. Thank you again. I will be back.
Here’s the tips on DIY finger prick test First time…..allow yourself plenty of time and read all instructions first
healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...
Alternatively you can pay extra for private blood draw at a clinic near to you (if there’s one close by)
They have quite a number available.
Or more expensive, a nurse can visit you. If choose this they need to understand you need early morning test done
Thank you. I have been in contact with Medicheck, there is not a clinic near here, so will have to pay for a visit. Should I have the advanced test please?
10% off the price with this code
thyroiduk.org/help-and-supp...
get a 10% discount using code THYROIDUK10. A doctor’s report and private thyroid test interpretation are included in the fee.
It’s not worth having the doctors report. It slows up sending results out and is not worth waiting for
You can just not tick the box for Dr report
Please c ould you help me. I want to get a private blood test, I can spend up to £150, I have been on Medicheck and the bluehorizon, there does not seem to be a clinic near me, they are all too far away, so will have to have home visit. do not know which sort of test to have. Sorry to bother you, but I feel so awful, I can't think.
It’s this test
medichecks.com/products/adv...
£79
Plus £55 for home visit by nurse
Go to basket
The blood test - £79
Nurse - £55
Click - check out securely
Then you need to create account
At next page button for
Gift card or discount code - click apply
get a 10% discount using code
THYROIDUK10
You need to make sure the nurse knows test 9am or earlier if at all possible
Only book test for Monday or Tuesday morning ideally, post off to lab straight away posting in a “priority postbox”
Come back with new post once you get results
Which brand of levothyroxine are you currently taking?
Teva brand upsets many people.
So if on Teva might be worth trying different brand
Many patients do NOT get on well with Teva brand of Levothyroxine.
Teva contains mannitol as a filler, which seems to be possible cause of problems.
Teva is the only brand that makes 75mcg tablet. So if avoiding Teva for 75mcg dose ask for 25mcg to add to 50mcg or just extra 50mcg tablets to cut in half
But for some people (usually if lactose intolerant, Teva is by far the best option)
Teva, or Aristo (100mcg only) are the only lactose free tablets
Most easily available (and often most easily tolerated) are Mercury Pharma or Accord
Mercury Pharma make 25mcg, 50mcg and 100mcg tablets
Accord only make 50mcg and 100mcg tablets
Accord is also boxed as Almus via Boots, and Northstar 50mcg and 100mcg via Lloyds ....but Accord doesn’t make 25mcg tablets
beware 25mcg Northstar is Teva
List of different brands available in U.K.
thyroiduk.org/if-you-are-hy...
Posts that mention Teva
healthunlocked.com/search/p...
Teva poll
healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...
Once you find a brand that suits you, best to make sure to only get that one at each prescription.
Watch out for brand change when dose is increased or at repeat prescription.
Levothyroxine is an extremely fussy hormone and should always be taken on an empty stomach and then nothing apart from water for at least an hour after
Many people take Levothyroxine soon after waking, but it may be more convenient and perhaps more effective taken at bedtime
verywellhealth.com/best-tim...
Are you currently taking any other medications or vitamin supplements
No other medication or supplements at same as Levothyroxine, leave at least 2 hour gap.
Some like iron, calcium, magnesium, HRT, omeprazole or vitamin D should be four hours away
(Time gap doesn't apply to Vitamin D mouth spray)
If you normally take levothyroxine at bedtime/in night ...adjust timings as follows prior to blood test
If testing Monday morning, delay Saturday evening dose levothyroxine until Sunday morning. Delay Sunday evening dose levothyroxine until after blood test on Monday morning. Take Monday evening dose levothyroxine as per normal
I am taking codeine sulphate for arthritis and omeprazole. Thank you for your time.
Omeprazole should be at least 4 hours away from levothyroxine
Taking levothyroxine at bedtime if you take omeprazole in morning
Omeprazole is a PPI
You need to keep very careful watch on vitamin levels on PPI
What vitamin supplements are you currently taking
Omeprazole will lower vitamin levels especially magnesium and B12
gov.uk/drug-safety-update/p...
webmd.com/heartburn-gerd/ne...
pharmacytimes.com/publicati...
PPI and increased risk T2 diabetes
gut.bmj.com/content/early/2...
Iron Deficiency and PPI
medpagetoday.com/resource-c...
futurity.org/anemia-proton-...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi...
sciencedirect.com/science/a...
Not taking any vitamins at the moment, I do have a good diet, fresh fruit and veg, not much red meat. I cannot tolerate cows milk so have Soya.
If you’re lactose intolerant you need a lactose free levothyroxine tablets
Teva - available in 25mcg, 50mcg and 100mcg tablets. But Teva contains mannitol and this upsets some people
Aristo brand is lactose free. Only available in 100mcg tablets
High percentage of autoimmune thyroid patients are lactose intolerant
However soya is not recommended for any thyroid patients
There are other milk alternatives
Rice, almond, oat etc
So soya milk is likely causing you some issues
thyroidpharmacist.com/artic...
Are you on dairy free diet?
Goats cheese or milk might be tolerated….
thyroidpharmacist.com/artic...
Thank you for even more info. I have never been tested for lactose intolerance. I gave up milk about 40 years ago because of eczema, and it worked, but do not follow a complete dairy free diet,, I do eat cheese and some food products that contain a little milk. I forgot I do take theiCal-D3. I am grateful for your advice.
Again any calcium or vitamin D supplement needs to be minimum 4 hours away from levothyroxine
nhs.uk/medicines/levothyrox...
There are some foods and drinks that do not mix well with levothyroxine:
drinks containing caffeine, like coffee, tea and some fizzy drinks, can reduce the amount of levothyroxine your body takes in. Leave at least 30 minutes after taking levothyroxine before you drink them.
calcium-rich foods, such as milk, cheese, yoghurt and broccoli, can reduce the amount of levothyroxine your body takes in. Leave at least 4 hours between taking levothyroxine and eating calcium-rich foods.
soya in food and supplements may stop levothyroxine working properly. If you regularly eat soya or take soya supplements your doctor might need to do extra blood tests to make sure you're getting enough levothyroxine.
kelp (a type of seaweed) can contain high levels of iodine, which sometimes makes an underactive thyroid worse. Do not take supplements containing kelp if you're taking levothyroxine.
I don't think that many people who join this forum have any idea of the symptoms of a dysfunctional thyroid gland. I found that neither did any of the doctors/specialists I consulted. I was given diagnosis for 'this - that - and anything else except hypothyroidism.
We can also sign up to become a member of Thyroiduk.org.uk who are behind this forum. I shall give you a link of its history.
thyroiduk.org/help-us-to-he...
Thank you will join. I also have been tested for everything. As I am on Levothyroxine and tests say normal, it seems that is it, get on with it.
Reading other members questions and responses we will know more than many medical persons who we would expect to know more than the basic symptoms. In fact I doubt many doctors know anything at all about symptoms of a dysfunctional thyroid gland.
One of my GPs phoned to tell me:-
"Your TSH is too low, your T3 too high and T4 too low.".
My response: I know doctor, my TSH is low because I take T3 only therefore TSH will be low. T3 will be high because I take T3 only. His response was "but T3 converts to T4". I'm sorry doctor that's incorrect.
Hi
Well I hate to disagree with you but doctors should know, thyroid conditions are extremely common, especially amongst women. If I was getting on my sexism high horse I might be tempted to suggest that it might be the reason why it's so poorly understood and treated.
Historically women have often suffered from very poor treatment from doctors. Levothyroxine is one of the most commonly prescribed medications in the world.
It's ignorance, stubbornness, arrogance and not keeping themselves upto date with medical advances and guidelines on treatment. It's keeping people ill.