Am I over medicating?

[LizT10]

I am concerned I may be overmedicating. My symptoms are: Feeling incredible tired, Indigestion, Diarrhoea, Palpitations first thing, high blood pressure (150/110 average), aches and pains in muscles and I have lost three kilos over the last three months whilst eating at least 2500 calories a day ( I feel desperate for food at regular intervals through the day). I am 69, 5ft 6 in and now weigh 62 kilos - I always used to be 65 kilos. I currently take 112.5 mcg Levothyroxine

Any comments welcome based on these recent blood test results:

T 4 18.9 (11.0 - 23.0)

TSH 0.71 (0.27 - 4.5)

Folate. 7.4. (2.0 - 18.7)

Ferritin. 117.8 (20.0 - 260.0)

B 12 492 (197.0 - 771.0)

Look forward to any feedback - It is totally impossible to speak to my GP. I was told the first telephone appointment I could have was four weeks from now!

Many thanks

LizT10

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Yes possibly

Suggest you either get full thyroid test now

TSH, Ft4 and Ft3

Or reduce levothyroxine to 100mcg daily and retest in 6-8 weeks

What vitamin supplements are you currently taking

No vitamin D result?

NHS easy postal kit vitamin D test £29 via

vitamindtest.org.uk

all thyroid blood tests early morning, ideally just before 9am and last dose levothyroxine 24 hours before test 

This gives highest TSH, lowest FT4 and most consistent results. (Patient to patient tip)

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...

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...

monitormyhealth.org.uk/

Just Thyroid includes BOTH TPO and TG antibodies -£49

randoxhealth.com/at-home/Th...

Only do private testing early Monday or Tuesday morning. 

Watch out for postal strikes

[LizT10 in reply to SlowDragon]

Thank you so much for your helpful reply. I take Vitamin D every day.

I will go privately and get a full blood test in order to find out my T3 levels.

More to follow.....

[DippyDame]

Without an FT3 result (as part of a full thyroid test as SlowDragon advises) it's impossible to say.

In most cases so long as FT3 is within the ref range overmedication is unlikely.

T3 is the active thyroid hormone and for good health must be available in an adequate and constant supply.

Medics don't give T3 the credit it deserves!! Instead they focus on TSH which science proves is not a reliable marker

thyroidpatients.ca/2021/07/...

Also, both undermedication and overmedication can cause similar symptoms....so to evaluate thyroid function we need to examine both symptoms and full labs.

You've clearly travelled a long bumpy thyroid road for some time now so, to get to the bottom of what is going on, try and have that test, post your results and members will help.

Good luck!

[LizT10 in reply to DippyDame]

Thank you very much for your reply. I will go privately and get a full blood test and can then see what my T3 levels are. Yes, I have never really got on well with Levothyroxine. I felt much better when I wasn't taking anything and my TSH and T4 were way out. I also seem to have the side effect of anxiety which I have never suffered from before.

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to LizT10]

Anxiety common issue when hypothyroid/on levothyroxine

[DippyDame in reply to LizT10]

Good decision....it sounds as if you are under, or even wrongly, medicated

Correct medication should sort out the anxiety

Post the results then we can see what is going on!

[Knackeredandcross]

I would say your iron is too low. I was told at least a level of 200 or this can cause palpitations and fatigue.

Ferritin ranges