Hi folks, hope everyone ok at this busy time if year. Just a question to ask. We have had some stress going on in our home for the last 8 months, it is a situation with one of our sons and came completely out if the blue, no warning. I take 100mcg Levo per day, haven't had a GP blood test since May 2021 but have one booked for 12th December. I also have a Medichecks test kit to do in the New Year. I have felt quite jittery, shaky, not quite myself for the last couple months. Thought I may have been over medicated but am now wondering if your stress levels effect the Levothyroxine levels in your body? I know over a year ago I was told that for me, having any infection showed up abnormal blood results( not normal for me)? Just wondered if you kind people had any thoughts ? Thank you in advance.
Stress and Levothyroxine: Hi folks, hope everyone... - Thyroid UK
Stress and Levothyroxine
Hi DoeStewart, stress can definitely affect your thyroid levels. Sometimes I’ve needed to adjust thyroid medication upwards and sometimes downwards in times of stress. I only adjust very small amounts (eg 12.5mcg Levo daily) then retest again after 6-8 weeks. It’s important that your key vitamins are optimal particularly in times of stress. I have found Thorne Basic B useful for improving my B12 and folate, whilst balancing other B Vitamins. I’ve also found taking a daily magnesium supplement helpful. I use magnesium glycinate as this is gentle on the stomach, other other types are available.
Best wishes to you. I hope you can find some time to do more of what you enjoy to try and alleviate the stress.
Thank you so much for your reply, I am very grateful for your input. I take vitamin B complex,, D and K2. Can you advice the name of your magnesium tablets please, I got powder to make into a drink but that has an effect on my tummy !!. I have stopped the B complex since last week due to getting blood test on 12th December. I have also thought about cutting back on Levo but as I take 100's, I don't have any 25's to split into 12.5 mcg. I will see what shows up on blood test but if TSH is under the range again I will end up with the usual fight to keep my dose.
SeasideSusie has great links on magnesium, so will copy her in.
This is supplement I’m currently taking
Epsilon Magnesium Glycinate - Chelated Magnesium Bisglycinate Supplement - 120 Easy to Take Vegan Capsules amzn.eu/d/6en8Qu2
My GP prescribed 100 Levo as 2x 25 and 1x 50 tablet which was easy to split further using a pill cutter.
Yes easy for you to split your Levo then. I have some spare 100's and a pill cutter so obviously I could cut them into quarters, maybe I need to try and cut the quarters into half to make 12.5's? . Thank you.
Sorry, only just read that you have given me the name of your magnesium tablets, thank you again.
DoeStewart
There are many types of magnesium so we have to check to see which one is most suitable for our own needs, these are the links I have which explain what each form of magnesium is useful for:
naturalnews.com/046401_magn...
The following link is included purely to describe the different forms of magnesium, ignore the fact that it mentions calcium is necessary, calcium is only necessary if you test and found to be deficient and then your GP should address that
explore.globalhealing.com/t...
and ignore the fact that this is a supplement company, the information is relevant:
swansonvitamins.com/blog/ar...
Thank you very much for the information, I will read it and then send off for some.
thanks for these helpful pointers . Weird however that the first article says to avoid magnesium aspartame and the second recommends it ! Not sure which to choose really I have a history of AF but also digestive issues having ahd bowel cancer so maybe I will try taurate
Hey there again :
Yes most definitely :
Apart from the obvious, non optimal vitamins and minerals down regulation of T4 into T3 can also occur because of any physiological stress ( emotional or physical ) depression, dieting and ageing - so sorry to read of your upset and hope you can see some light at the end of this tunnel you find yourself in.
Hi penny Annie, lovely to hear from you and thanks for your reply. I am trying to relieve the stress but unfortunately at the moment there is no way to resolve the problems - I wish there were. I really feel shaky inside and hands are shaking, awful feeling, breaths are very shallow. I'm not looking forward to the usual arguement with the GP when they see my below range TSH( always below) and this in itself is adding to the stress . Things are never simple are they?. Thanks again.
If there's time, or why not delay the NHS thyroid function test and run a finger prick blood test yourself just to see where your T3 and T4 sit before seeing the doctor - and Monitor My Health is an NHS laboratory - and hopefully these results will alleviate some additional pressure, or show up anything that a TSH blood test can't ?
Sorry, thought I had answered you 🙈. With the postal strikes running from this Friday and all weekend I doubt it would get to me and back before the strike is on. It may be worth cancelling my blood test though and doing the Monitor My Health in the mean time?
No worries - yes that sounds like a plan.
In this way you will have T3 and T4 results to compare with previous test results and able to identify if there is a conversion problem before the doctor even sees your presumed low suppressed TSH and says anything.
Why not bring forward the Medichecks full thyroid panel plus vitamins and minerals which you already have there for 2023, you are only a little bit early as then we have full details to offer considered opinion on, if required ?
Good plan, yes I can sort that out round the postal strike. Seems to make sense when I have already paid for the test. 👍
When you return the test kit, upgrade the postage to Special Delivery. Guaranteed next day. And they are trying to keep up with that. It stands much better chance of swift delivery than any other service right now. I use post all the time for my customers and it’s all over the place right now.
Hi, yes I've just been looking at the postal strike days, there are so many of them that I doubt I'll get anything sent off this month. I could do finger prick test for Monitor My Health ( I think) but can't do it for Medichecks full thyroid and vitamins so I have a lady who takes the blood for me and I post off. I know it is best if bloods are posted Monday or Tuesday so I would need to organise the blood draw, even if I could get her Tuesday 13th, there are strikes 14th and 15th? I don't want to run the risk of my test not getting to them.
Doe, so sorry you're having a stressful time....not answering on the levo /TSH front, but wonder if you've considered the following, that may help with the stress/anxiety.
Postpone your blood test......call up your medic reception and change the date as you are unable to make this one? You needn't give a reason.
B vitamins.... I've found taking extra B vits helpful when/if anxiety strikes. They are flushed from the body if not needed.
Milky drinks...I'm not lactose intolerant, so milky drinks are food and calming for me.
Essential oils....happy to advise on soothing calming ones if you're interested?
Count yourself hugged....xx
Oh thank you so much - hug greatly appreciated. I am thinking I may postpone the blood test, its just my last prescription request had on it that I need the bloods doing ASAP!!. What a mess eh?. I will try the milky drinks, especially before bed, they may just soothe me and allow me to sleep without my mind racing. I can't thank you enough for taking the time to reply xx
Yes, they do that, re asking you to take a blood test..... and I delay mine until I feel ready 
Christmas is coming, suspect they won't chase you up on it until sometime in January....of course, book one in if you feel you need one, otherwise wait?
Banana at bed-time is another useful calming aid ..... bananas have tryptophan in them
everydayhealth.com/diet-nut...
webmd.com/diet/foods-high-i...
You may find these links helpful too More hugs xx
Yes I think if I can move it to after Christmas, do the Monitor My Health thyroid test in the mean time so I know what's going on and try the calming measures you have kindly suggested - many many thanks.
You say your breathing is shallow: simple trick I was taught by an Alexander technique teacher to try and help convince your body it is not stressed. Do some controlled breathing. Normal breath in, send it out slowly and gently, then hold for a few moments. wait and then breathe in again, out again and hold. Keep doing gentle holds after the outbreath; none of it enough to make you feel odd or breathless etc, just gently. Some people also do 'square' breathing where they hold a little after the in-breath too, I don't find that so helpful. But a gentle wait after the outbreath tells your nervous system there is no need for fight or flight, panic over. It should help to steady you a little and is comforting.
As others have said above, I also never do an NHS test now unless I've done one of my own first and know roughly what to expect.
Thank you so much for that very helpful advice, I will definitely give that a go. To be honest the GP surgery blood test request came out of the blue. I hadn't had a test there since May 2021, I get my Levo script every 2 months and nothing said about going in for a blood test until my request this month for my repeat medication. I had already sent for Medichecks test kit and intended to do my own bloods in January just to make sure I was on the right track still. I now have a red flag on my repeat script until I have the surgery blood test on 12th December. I have just been looking at the postal strike dates and am wondering how on earth I can manage to post anything off this month as the strikes seem to be a few days each week? I may just see if I can delay the test at the surgery or if they are awkward about my repeat script then I'll just have to bite the bullet and go for the bloods. Thank you once again.
Every thing is about Thyroid levels - too little , too much, just right. Every time I think I have some incurable disease - no it's not, the Doc just got my thyroid sups wrong again. Given up on docs for the fine tuning. Jittery says a smidge too much thyroid to me.
Or too little! I've been jittery since I started T4, it can also be a symptom of being undermedicated. No way to know without bloods.
or go up or down for a few days, see what works best for you
You are so right, all my surgery is interested in is the TSH ,( like most). It doesn't matter how many times I tell them that since having partial thyroidectomy my TSH has never risen to any level they are happy with. They put my meds up and down like a yoyo and it takes so long to feel well after a dose reduction has left you on your knees. I must be quite sensitive to changes as I also react like this if I get an infection - bizarre?. I have refused to lower my dose in the past, its such a fight and to be honest I'm not in the right frame of mind for an arguement. I am erring on lowering my dose a smidgen and once I have blood results I can see if what I am doing is correct or not. Hard reducing by 12.5mcg when I only get 100mcg Levo on my script but I have a decent pill cutter. I could always take 100/75 alternate days see if that helps? Thanks for your reply.
or take you thyroid with food - that will knock the edge off
Thats a thought? I wonder if that would work?
It gives you delayed release and takes the edge off the whole dose, but how much depends of what you eat and your body . My guess is 2-5% but just experiment on yourself. Keep a diary
Thank you - anything worth a try at this point.
Hi,
I think it is constructive to understand that our adrenals are 'upstream' of our thyroid function. And that any stress affecting them first ('fight or flight' response, cortisol, aldosterone etc., will, through the hypothalmic-pituitary-adrenal axis and other mechanisms, start a 'chain-reaction' across our various exquisitely interlinked bodily feedback loops.
There are quite distinct characteristics of adrenal and thyroid issues, as well as some overlap. And it is as well to figure out which is which before adjusting doses etc..
Your circumstances and symptoms certainly suggest you should attend to the adrenal issues first.
It may be worth looking at this recent set of posts - they nominally relate to symptoms of peripheral neuropathy, carpal tunnel and pins and needs in the hands, but there is an extensive discussion of adrenal signs, symptoms, support and other links: healthunlocked.com/thyroidu.... I hope it helps and that you feel more on an even keel for Christmas.
Thank you for your imput, I will read the link you have given. Best wishes to you.
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