I am just wanting a bit of advice from you lovely people on here. I haven posted for awhile as I havent been well but nothing related to my thyroid. I went for my bloods doing at doctors 2 days ago.....only app I could get was afternoon and as my bloods were overdue I decided to go for it. Results came back as TSH 0.05(0.2-4.0) and then saying Below reference limit.
I have been on 75mgs for almost 10 years and during this time I have upped the dosage myself and I feel better on 100mgs but gp wont up my dosage....even though I have told him I feel better on a higher dose. So for the past 12 months I have upped it myself to 100mgs and felt better but then I was prescribed Amitriptyline on repeat for a pain in my left side that doctors dont know what the cause is. After taking this for a few months....it sorted my pain out but some of my underactive thyroid symptoms returned...ie...extreme tiredness and weight gain. I asked doctor if Amitriptyline couod be interacting with my Levothyroxine and he said no! He said my tiredness was probably due to other reasons????? I havent had my vitamins checked since when I did a blood test with Medichecks over a year ago....that shown my ferritine to be high but my gp wouldnt test me and basically ignored Medichecks results. I have an app with gp on 21st Nov.....I have a feeling he or she is going to reduce my Levo.....so can anyone advise me on what to say when I go please. I have learnt so much on this group....far more than any doctor has ever told me. I saw an Encronologist last year and I told her that my dose was too low and I used the weight and mgs ratio thats been mentioned on here and she told me that only applies to people that have had their thyroid surgically removed and as I still have mine then that doesnt apply to me????? I told her I upped my dosage myself and she told me not to do that as it will affect my heart. I dont want my dosage lowering when I go see doctor on 21st. When I say that my T3 needs checking they look at me as if I have grown another head!!!! Any words of advice will be gratefully received.....thankyou in advance.
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Bunnyhopps
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Only do private testing early Monday or Tuesday morning.
Watch out for postal strikes, probably want to pay for guaranteed 24 hours delivery
If GP says " I have to reduce your dose because the guidelines say i can't let you have a below range TSH" .....
The first paragraph in the NICE (NHS) Thyroid Disease, Assessment and Management guidelines says :
nice.org.uk/guidance/ng145
"Your responsibility
The recommendations in this guideline represent the view of NICE, arrived at after careful consideration of the evidence available. When exercising their judgement, professionals and practitioners are expected to take this guideline fully into account, alongside the individual needs, preferences and values of their patients or the people using their service. It is not mandatory to apply the recommendations, and the guideline does not override the responsibility to make decisions appropriate to the circumstances of the individual, in consultation with them and their families and carers or guardian. "
Comprehensive list of references for needing LOW TSH on levothyroxine
In a study evaluating tissue function tests before total thyroidectomy and at 1 year postoperatively when using LT4, it was found that peripheral tissue function tests indicated mild hyperthyroidism at TSH <0.03 mU/L and mild hypothyroidism at TSH 0.3 to 5.0 mU/L; the tissues were closest to euthyroidism at TSH 0.03 to 0.3 mU/L [48]. A normal serum TSH level consequently does not necessarily indicate a euthyroid state at the tissue level.
Using levothyroxine together with amitriptyline can alter the effects of both drugs. You may need a dose adjustment or more frequent monitoring by your doctor to safely use both medications.
Presumably you are NOT taking amitrityline at same time as levothyroxine
Thankyou so much for replying.....I take my Levo first thing on a morning and I dont eat or drink anything until at least an hour later. I take Amitriptyline around 8pm in the evening. I have upped my Levo a few times in the past 10 years and blood tests always came back 'normal' so I told doctor that upping my meds still gave me 'normal' results but as you know they dont listen to you. It just seems a coincidence that the only the only change in my meds is taking Amitriptyline and I get an 'abnormal' result. I only upped my Levo from 75mgs to 100mgs so not a massive increase. Going by my weight I worked it out that I should be on 125 mgs but I didnt want to run out of Levo as I arent sure where I could buy it from. I did buy a few boxes a couple of years ago when my husband worked overseas as it was available over the counter so thats how I have been able to up the dosage. I will book private tests so thankyou for replying.
Fab idea.....I will say that. I just wish the medical world were more helpful....not once in 10 years have I ever been told that my vits need checking or that my bloods need doing as early as possible and to not take my levo dose beforehand.....this group, and you and the other knowledgable ladies have been an absolute godsend for me....you have helped me so much.
Few GPs seem to be unaware of the 'timing' of blood draw and I'm sure it's down to hypo patients sussing out 'how to get the best results from a blood draw when taking thyroid hormone replacements".
One of my GPs informed me that T3 converted to T4 and I told him that was incorrect.
You are so right... I have mentioned to gp and nurses in the past that I need the earliest app but they just say its not possible????? In almost 10 years of having bloods done I have never once been offered an early app for blood draw!!!! You lovely ladies on here know more about Thyroid issues than any gp or Encro.
The advice given on this forum to have the earliest blood draw, is to get the best results in our favour as you are aware.
I am positive that the majority of the medical professionals are completely unaware of the difference it can make to our results or for improving patients health'.
A GP phoned me and stated:-
"Your TSH is too low - your T3 too high and T4 too low".
"Yes doctor". TSH is low because I take T3 alone.
T4 is low because I take none.
GP's response - "But T3 converts to T4! "No doctor that's incorrect".
It's good that we have access to the internet as, collectively, we would not have suggestions that could help restore our health by removing clinical symptoms.
Thankyou so much for your reply......not sure where I would be right now if I hadnt found this group. I relay info back to my husband and he too thinks this group is a godsend!
The forum also enables those who are newly diagnosed (or not yet) how to get the best results from a blood test.
Also, to learn how best to recover their health and alleviate very unpleasant symptoms.
I have had a few comments from GPs that are ridiculous - the first informing me that I had no problems at all. Unfortunately he did not understand that a TSH of 100 meant the patient required thyroid hormone replacements.
Thanks to Thyroiduk (before this forum was available) I restored my health. I was also able to consult with the last two GPs who had been trained (before blood tests) of the clinical symptoms a patient may have.
Very unfortunate that both of these doctors were then punished by threats by the medical profession for restoring patients health and prescribing other than levothyroxine.
p.s. if you wish, you can click on my name and it takes you to my history page .
Thankyou for this....I will definately read your history page and thankyou so much for this.....its just mind boggling how the medics deal with Thyroid problems. I was diagnosed almost 10 years ago and for 7 of those years I only had the doctors to go by...then I came across this group and I learnt more in a short time reading everyones comments and advice than I ever did in the years since I was diagnosed. Bizarre.
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Advise please
URGENT ADVISE NEEDED A.S.A.P. PLEASE
Advise please
Looking for some advise and support please.
Can anyone help or advise please?
