Hi all just some advice. I've been taking 175mg of levothyroxine for a while and these are test results from 16th Jan.
I've felt great on this dose , haven't experienced any heart palpitations, High BP or any other symptoms apart from feeling energetic and dropping a bit of weight which does suit me.
Medichecks recommended that my dose is too high and see my GP.
My question is if I don't have symptoms of overactive thyroid, could this cause damage in the long term if I continued on this dose ??
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Jonpaul0_1
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I am having the same problem. Had no blood tests for 2 and a half years during Covid, but had one recently with very low tsh. Asked to return for another blood test, but told them I felt fine and not necessary. GP says have another test in 3 months. I am very worried they will try to reduce my levo! I feel great, so leave me alone, I cry!
I’ve been on 200mcg for at least 14 years and sadly stayed between 215 and 230 for quite a few years. My blood test always showed I was a little high and my dr said if I feel okay not to it change it. Recently , for some reason my blood tests showed low TSH (or however it works) so my Dr added Cytomel and I lost 40 pounds in two months and feel the best I have in years. I had a 85 % thyroidectomy with radiation when I was 12 due to thyroid cancer and am by nature a relatively thin person. Im now 47, 5’10 and weigh 179. I just feel if my Endo says I’m okay and is monitoring my blood work, I’m going to go with it . Now I am on 200mg levothyroxine and 25mg of Cytomel and I feel the best I have in years.
I would say so long as you don’t have symptoms of over medication and you feel ok that is basis to warrant staying on the current dose. Do not allow the Endo or dr to railroad you into a change that you not want. It should go on how you feel. I asked a gp once when he increased a medication. What happens in 5 weeks when I come back and I feel good? Well then you can keep the medication because it’s doing its job and I am not doing mine by removing the medication. That is in New Zealand. He was a locum. I had him for 6 months. I loved him. He wore Hawaiian shirts and flip flops
If you feel well with these results the sticking points from a conventional doctors viewpoint will be that your T4 is over range and your TSH too low and the suggestion of 'becoming hyperthyroid ' might be levelled at you.
Once on any form of thyroid hormone replacement it is essential to dose and monitor on Free T3 and Free T4 readings and not the TSH.
The TSH was originally introduced as a diagnostic tool to help identify a person suffering with hypothyroidism and was never intended to be used once the person became a patient and taking any form of thyroid hormone replacement.
Looking back at your previous post some 4 years ago your vitamins and minerals were not optimal and if these haven't improved and not maintained at optimal it will down regulate your T4 to T3 conversion and possible why your T4 is a little over range.
I now aim to maintain a ferritin at around 100 : folate at around 20 : active B12 75 ++ and vitamin D at around 100 :
We generally feel at our best when our T4 is in the top quadrant with our T3 tracking slightly behind at around 60/70% through the range.
The accepted conversion once T4 is up in the top quadrant is said to be 1 / 3.50 - 4.50 - T3/T4 - so if we divide your T4 by your T3 we get 4.20 - so slightly wide of centre - but this could well be improved with optimal core strength vitamins and minerals.
My doctors are always reducing mine from 200mcg down to150mcg now their they trying to reduce to 125 due to low TSH- I feel my best on 200mcg but they stress it’s dangerous for my heart as I’m on blood pressure tablets-I simply can’t function on the low dose just tired all the time - I’m 70 yrs old & been on thyroxine for 21 yrs & the doctors are still pretty much in the dark about the workings of the thyroid now as they were then - I’m changing my doctor soon keeping my fingers crossed she understands the thyroid a little better.😗
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