hi, I’ve had under active thryoid for about 9years. Been ‘coping’ ok, I work and I’m a full time carer …. Recent blood tests are causing concern, I’m currently on 250mg a day.
With the full respect to everyone as we are all learning to cope but I believe I’m on a pretty high level? NHS not being that helpful, just take more but there has got to be a better option? I’m thinking ask doc to sign me off work for a month and try sort myself out ??
welcome to forum
Your dose It’s higher than the average but you need what you need.
Larger active people would need more than a sedate petite person.
Do you think you are getting best absorption from your dose?
How & what time do you take eg away from food / other medications & supplements?
Which brand do you take, do you stick with same brand?
Most importantly what are your results?
What is doctor going by?
TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) is a pituitary hormone which signal thyroid to increase / decrease production of new hormone. It’s assumed if TSH is in range so are actual thyroid hormone. This isn’t always the case. TSH can be unreliable.
Have the thyroid hormone - free thyroxine & free triiodothyronine (FT4 & FT3) been tested?
Levo is T4 you body has to convert it the a more active & powerful FT3. What are your levels?
Welcome....
It sounds as if you need a full thyroid test so that your thyroid function can be accurately analysed.
FTT includes TSH, FT4, FT3, vit D, vit B12, folate, ferritin ...and antibodies TPO and Tg to test for thyroid autoimmune disease
To ensure we can obtain all of these labs many of us have private tests.
thyroiduk.org/help-and-supp...
You are legally entitled to request lab results from reception at your surgery but NHS don't test all of the above
250mcg levothyroxine is a large dose....you may need it but without labs we cannot be sure
It is possible that you have impaired T4 to T3 conversion or perhaps poor absorption....again right now we cannot tell
Essential that you optimise the nutrients I listed above to support thyroid function/ conversion.
But first we need more information....with that we can then help suggest ways forward
One step at a time...
You may find this helpful ....
thyroiduk.org/if-you-are-hy...
Good luck ....and feel,free to fire as many questions as you need answers for!
I hope you mean 250 mcg !? Without your test results and ranges it’s difficult to say but yes it seems high though men can often take more than women. Please do post results so we can make an assessment! Thanks
Hello Givemeaname and welcome to the forum:
T4 - Levothyroxine is a storage hormone and to work effectively needs to be able to be converted by your body into T3 which is the active hormone that the runs the body.
For optimal conversion of T4 into T3 - the active hormone T4 should be taken on an empty stomach and then wait around an hour before eating or drinking anything.
Your ability to convert the T4 into T3 can include no optimal levels of ferritin, folate, B12 and vitamin D inflammation, any physiological stress ( emotional or physical ) depression, dieting and ageing and any other drugs may have a contra indications.
A fully functioning thyroid would be supporting you on a daily basis with trace elements of T1. T2 and calcitonin plus a measure of T3 at around 10 mcg plus a measure of T4 at around 100 mcg.
Your dose is high in comparison to many, and as you say you need to sort yourself out and be signed off for a month you obviously are struggling -
Can you share your blood test results with forum members so we can try a throw a light on the results and ranges rather than guess what's going on ?
I agree with the other members who suggest obtaining and posting full bloods.
Many GPs are a pain recall things thyroid.
A few years ago my dose was 500mcg a day and doing nothing for me. Times move on, I work at nutrient levels and added ndt to levo. ( I was ndt only for many years having been diagnosed in the early sixties before levo).
Long term with lots of questions.
All symptoms of under active thyroid but ‘normal’ blood test
Under active Thyroid and struggling with Lack of T4 and low TSH
Long term effects of just not taking the medication ?
Are my symptoms part of under active thyroid
