Confirmation This Is Normal When Starting or Increasing Thyroid

[Trina64]

I have posted a few times in the past and have been grateful for those sharing their experience. I have slowly increased my levothyroxine for the last few months starting at 25mcg. I have been at 50mcg for 3 weeks and plan to test in another 3 weeks. I have been on 5mcg of T3 for 3 months as well. I have done okay and actually felt more like myself this past weekend. My brain is clearing up, my physical energy is getting better, and the constipation is much improved. I still have a low body temperature and run a heater in my office, skin is still dry, and my weight doesn't budge even though I am on a healthy diet and gluten free. I eat very little processed foods and sugar.

Here is the issue, starting this week I have been a little jittery. I don't have anything to feel anxious about and I am not worried about anything. I have a good life and don't feel stressed. I am just trying to get on with my day and ignore these sensations. I am probably bit more irritable too. I keep telling myself that my body is just now starting to get some T4 (it was at the very bottom of the range) in it and it is trying to figure out what to do with it and it will calm back down in a matter of time.

I have had all kinds of blood work done recently and everything looks great, including ferritin, B12 and Vitamin D. I do supplement 2000IUs a day of Vitamin D though just to keep it up. I had to back off the B12 supplements because mine was very high and now back to close to the top of the range. I don't think folate was tested.

It is so frustrating after having such a great weekend and feeling closer to myself to now feel all these weird sensations and being a little jittery. I am not close to saying I am "my normal self", but I felt like I was seeing some light at the end of this long tunnel, but now I am not so sure.

I am seeing an endo, so I really have to advocate for myself. I have seen three functional medicine doctors and that didn't work out very well. If I call my endo about how my body feels, he will probably tell me to reduce my dose. I figured it was probably best to grit it out and see what my blood results are in 3 weeks.

Is my assessment correct and that I just need to give it time to work itself out and see what my results are in 3 weeks?

Thanks to all you wonderful people who have been through this and are willing to help those of us trying to just get balanced again.

[Lalatoot]

Trina, yes grit it out. Weeks 2 and 3 of a dose change are the worst for me and I have sometimes given up and reduced, only to have to go back through the increase again as I really needed it.

The body has to rebalance and all the knock on effects have to happen and this takes time.

Be kind to yourself at the mo x

[Trina64 in reply to Lalatoot]

Thanks! Hormone stuff is SO hard! It effects every single cell in the body and everywhere has different reactions. I am glad to know I am not the only one that finds it not easy to level out. I work with a woman who has thyroid issues and she doesn't seem to be bothered with increases and decreases.

[Regenallotment Ambassador in reply to Trina64]

I hear you! We are all wired up differently and some of us take a while to settle, it’s early days, go easy on yourself 🌱

[Trina64 in reply to Regenallotment]

Thanks! I guess it really is early days, but it seems like forever in the middle of it. I live by myself and if you saw my place you would think I had 3 toddlers and 2 messy teenagers living with me. After working all day, I don't have what it takes to clean my place. I keep telling myself that it will get done in time.

[Regenallotment Ambassador in reply to Trina64]

oh yes, the day off when you catch yourself cleaning you will realise you feel better than you did 👏 it will come, keep going with good food, improving vits, rest, acceptance and optimising thyroid hormones. 🌱

[Trina64 in reply to Regenallotment]

Thanks for your encouragement. I was diagnosed years ago and started on levothyroxine and didn't have the first issue. I just know one day I was driving to work and realized I felt much better. Over the years, doctors have either messed up my dose, the NDT I was taking went out of production, or the last one (NP Thyroid) did not work for me. So, I am starting all over and it has not been fun. My symptoms are much worse this time around, so that may be why.

[Trina64 in reply to Regenallotment]

Hi Again! I increased my dose to 75mcg and the first week was okay. I am on day 10 and I am having horrible mood swings. This is awful! I hope it levels out soon. I don't know who I am at the moment.

[SlowDragon Administrator]

this week I have been a little jittery. I don't have anything to feel anxious about and I am not worried about anything. I have a good life and don't feel stressed. I am just trying to get on with my day and ignore these sensations. I am probably bit more irritable too. I keep telling myself that my body is just now starting to get some T4 (it was at the very bottom of the range) in it and it is trying to figure out what to do with it and it will calm back down in a matter of time.

Very common as dose is increased …..try to fit in some gentle exercise morning and/or afternoon….just a short walk around the block or yoga or similar …..nothing too strenuous

It should improve by week 6-8

What’s your ferritin level like

[Trina64 in reply to SlowDragon]

It was tested on March 10th and was 79.5 (10-106ng/ml).

[Trina64 in reply to SlowDragon]

I am hoping this levels out soon. I don't know if I feel yucky because my body is getting use to the increase 4 weeks ago, because I am under medicated, or the combination. I just ended 4 weeks at this dose (50mcg - 5mcg T3), so hoping when I test in 2 weeks I either feel much better or the blood works shows I need an increase.

With my earlier blood work showing my FT4 barely hanging on when I started taking thyroid, I hope it is improving. Could it have possibly gone the other way (down) because I am not on a replacement dose. I am correct that we are "replacing" or body's thyroid to an optimal level and we are not "topping off" what is already there, right? I am SO symptomatic with low body temperature, cold all the time, not wanting to be bothered with much, etc.