I'd be curious to hear what side effects you have experienced upon starting Levothyroxine.
I'm only on day 4 of the 50mg starter dose, so I didn't expect to feel better yet. But I also feel like I'm having ALL THE SYMPTOMS and it's not pretty.. Let me know I'm not alone, huh?
Also, when did everything settle down for you? Was it, for example, a couple weeks after starting or did the symptoms only go away when you found the correct dose. Did you have new or recurring symptoms whenever your dose was altered?
I'm due to book another blood test in 6 weeks to see what the levels are doing and, presumably, so they can adjust the dose accordingly.
If it's useful, latest test results:
Free T4 - 13.5 pmol/L (11.0-22)
TSH - 5.44 mu/L (0.27-4.2)
Thyroid Peroxidase AB - 183 iu/mL (0-33)
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Cariboudle
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It very often happens that symptoms get worse when starting thyroid hormone replacement, or even new symptoms appearing. But, they are not side-effects of levo, they are hypo symptoms. When they settle down/disappear is a very personel thing, and different for everyone.
I didn't have any of this prior to starting meds but if this is just how underactive thyroid feels then there are people who feel this way all the time (and presumably spend their whole lives in the loo or in bed). Those people need a medal.
They didn't test vitamin D or ferritin, but they did folate and B12:
Serum B12 398 pg/mL (191-663)
Serum folate 3.1 ug/L (4.5-37.3)
GP didn't say anything about ceoliac. He told me to eat more greens to improve my folate level.
I'm taking Levothyroxin (Actavis brand) in the morning on a totally empty stomach with a sip of water. I don't eat or drink anything until an hour or so later.
With serum B12 result below 500, (Or active B12 below 70) recommended to be taking a separate B12 supplement and add a separate folate after a week
Then after 4-5 weeks change folate for a daily vitamin B complex
Then once your serum B12 is over 500 (or Active B12 level has reached 70), you may be able to reduce then stop the B12 and just carry on with the B Complex.
If Vegetarian or vegan likely to need ongoing separate B12 few times a week
IMPORTANT......If you are taking vitamin B complex, or any supplements containing biotin, remember to stop these 7 days before ALL BLOOD TESTS , as biotin can falsely affect test results
In week before blood test, when you stop vitamin B complex, you might want to consider taking a separate folate supplement (eg Jarrow methyl folate 400mcg) and continue separate B12
Post discussing how biotin can affect test results
You say you take your levo with a 'sip' of water. I suggest that you need to drink a bit more than that so that you wash the pill down. Have you looked at the patient information leaflet which should have come with the pills?
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