I have recently had an increase in my levothroxine to 75mg. I feel better on that than on the 50mg I was on earlier. But my TSH check recently revealed a level of 0.22 (last one on 50mg was 1.57).
Stupidly, on the morning of the test I forgot NOT to take my levothyroxine and the test was 1.5 hrs later.
Would that have affected the test and should I repeat it? I am guessing the doc will want me to go back to 50mg..... 
Please advise
Was TSH all they tested? Doctor should not be dosing by the TSH, it's absolutely the wrong thing to do for so many reasons:
* it's not a thyroid hormone, it's a pituitary hormone
* once below 1 it's a very bad indicator of thyroid status
* dosing by TSH assumes that your pituitary is working perfectly, but that's not an assumption you can make
* you are only over-medicated if your FT3 is well over-range, and as they don't even test that...
Taking your levo before the test will not impact your TSH, only your FT4 - if tested! TSH is affected by the time of day the blood draw is done. What time was it? TSH is highest before 9 am. 
Refuse to reduce dose
Remain on current dose a further 6-8 weeks and then retest again
If Ft3 is not over range you’re not over medicated
Ft4 would be falsely high if took levothyroxine before test.
TSH is highest just before 9am
ALWAYS test thyroid levels early morning and last dose levothyroxine 24 hours before test
Get FULL thyroid and vitamin testing done ….privately if necessary
When were vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12 last tested
What vitamin supplements are you currently taking
Approx how much do you weigh in kilo
Unless extremely petite likely to need further increase in levothyroxine in coming months
Which brand of levothyroxine are you currently taking
Do you always get same brand levothyroxine at each prescription
Private tests are available as NHS currently rarely tests Ft3 or all relevant vitamins
List of private testing options and money off codes
thyroiduk.org/getting-a-dia...
Medichecks Thyroid plus antibodies and vitamins
medichecks.com/products/adv...
Blue Horizon Thyroid Premium Gold includes antibodies, cortisol and vitamins
bluehorizonbloodtests.co.uk...
If you can get GP to test vitamins and antibodies then cheapest option for just TSH, FT4 and FT3
£29 (via NHS private service ) and 10% off down to £26.10 if go on thyroid uk for code
thyroiduk.org/getting-a-dia...
NHS easy postal kit vitamin D test £29 via
Thanks Slow Dragon and Grey Goose. I take Mercury Pharma and following advice on this forum insist on not changing whilst I am titrating up. Needed to change pharmacies twice to achieve this. I have been on this journey for about 15 months now. I only get more than the bare TSH test if I absolutely beg for it. T4 has been done a couple of times, T3 once. Not aware FreeT3 has ever been done. I am told the lab frequently 'refuses' to do T4 and that has certainly been reflected many times in the lack of info back from them over the past year.
I am historically/genetically short of B12 so I've been supplementing that for 20 years. Was originally diagnosed from the differential between persistently rising TSH and very low T4. I had to really lean on them really heavily even to check the T4, having been asking various doctors in different practices for years if my thyroid was malfunctioning as I slowly grew in size and eventually ground almost to a halt through lack of sleep, misery, hair loss and dire brain fog.
Folate is quite low at the last test three months ago and with the B12 deficiency I have often struggled with ferritin over the years. Took forever to get any doc to take the B12 depletion seriously either as I was so young when it presented. My family have a history of bowel cancer 60plus and I already have diverticular disease so am keen to make sure I do all I can to avoid that. Being on the levothyroxine has helped a lot with motility.
My doc has in fact decided NOT to take me down from 75 to 50 again (hurrah), but recommended I take 50 instead of 75 two days per week. Retesting TSH in 6 weeks to see if I have come up to between 0.3 and 1. Perhaps I should do as you say and ask (beg) for all the vitamins and a full thyroid panel then. Be amazed if I get it so perhaps should use your recommended private options.
I will make sure I don't take the levo for 24hrs before my next blood test and have it first thing in the morning as you suggest.
Thank you so much for your help. I have learned a lot from this forum. Indeed, would never have been diagnosed without it. If you think there is anything further I should know, pls advise.
On levothyroxine we absolutely must have OPTIMAL vitamin levels
Are you vegetarian or vegan
Pre or post menopause
Are you on B12 injections
What other vitamin supplements are you currently taking?
Optimal vitamin levels are
Vitamin D at least around 80nmol minimum and around 100nmol maybe better
Serum B12 at least over 500
Active B12 at least over 70 (private testing)
Folate and ferritin at least half way through range
Thousands upon thousands of U.K. patients forced to test privately to make progress
Links in my first reply
Approx how much do you weigh in kilo
75mcg is very low dose
Personally I would get FULL thyroid and vitamin testing done now before even considering reducing dose
Ft3 should be at least 50-60% through range. Ft4 often needs to be higher
Approx how much do you weigh in kilo
Thanks very much. Have been wondering about MTHFR for quite some time. Maybe I should get tested for that.
My B12 supplementation has always been done by sublingual lozenges. Having gotten down to 222 on the B12 scale many years ago and feeling profoundly awful, I had to do that because I was already taking multivitamin and clearly not absorbing it. Docs refused to give me the jab because I was JUST within range. Because I work and simply can't function below about 330, I've just done my own thing so I've never qualified for the jab under NHS blood tests. It hovers now between about 400-600.
At one stage I took a BComplex but didn't seem to absorb it very well so I've gone back to methylcobalamin. I recently tried to take folic acid to raise the folate but it caused a dreadful skin reaction and made me feel ghastly. I've bought some methylfolate which is more tolerable but I can't take very much of that either. Feel better when eating lots of greens and a little red meat.
Neither vegan nor vegetarian. Weight about 87kg. Postmenopausal.
Thanks for the vitamin ranges - very helpful.
As you have B12 injections it’s recommended also to supplement a good quality daily vitamin B complex, one with folate in (not folic acid) as well This can help keep all B vitamins in balance and will help maintain B12 levels between injections too
Difference between folate and folic acid
chriskresser.com/folate-vs-...
Many Hashimoto’s patients have MTHFR gene variation and can have trouble processing folic acid.
thyroidpharmacist.com/artic...
B vitamins best taken after breakfast
Thorne Basic B recommended vitamin B complex that contains folate, but they are large capsules. (You can tip powder out if can’t swallow capsule)
IMPORTANT......If you are taking vitamin B complex, or any supplements containing biotin, remember to stop these 7 days before ALL BLOOD TESTS , as biotin can falsely affect test results
endo.confex.com/endo/2016en...
endocrinenews.endocrine.org...
In week before blood test, when you stop vitamin B complex, you might want to consider taking a separate methyl folate supplement and continue separate B12 if taking B12 supplements rather than injections
Low B12 symptoms
b12deficiency.info/signs-an...
With serum B12 result below 500, (Or active B12 below 70) recommended to be taking a B12 supplement as well as a B Complex (to balance all the B vitamins) initially for first 2-4 months.
once your serum B12 is over 500 (or Active B12 level has reached 70), stop the B12 and just carry on with the B Complex.
B12 sublingual lozenges
amazon.co.uk/Jarrow-Methylc...
cytoplan.co.uk/shop-by-prod...
healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...
How other member saw how effective improving low B vitamins has been
TSH slightly too low
TSH level 0.22
TSH "too low"...dose reduced
TSH results
Is this TSH and T4 too low?
