my son has hashimotos , currently taking 75mg, made up of teva 25mg and 50mg accord. However the hair loss is still a huge problem and fatigue has crept back in.
The Gp is reluctant to take it above 75mg despite the weight ratio suggesting 100mg.
We don’t have recent labs as yet, however his TSH 6 months ago was higher than when he was first diagnosed 5 years ago!
Is their any evidence to support him asking for t3 combo?
Do different brands affect people differently?
Any advice would be appreciated.
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Blister4
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Low vitamin levels are extremely common when hypothyroid, especially with autoimmune thyroid disease and especially if under medicated
Recommended that all thyroid blood tests early morning, ideally just before 9am, only drink water between waking and test 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
Hi Blister4 - to address the part of your post about different brands affecting people differently, I'm very early in my Hashimoto's journey and am still in the titrating up process.
I started on 25 mcg/day and was arbitrarily given Wockhardt brand, part way through the amount I had been given the GP said I should go up to 50 mcg/day so I carried on taking 2 x 25 mcg Wockhardt per day. Towards to end of the final pack I had a few days when I woke up and actually felt like I was ready to get up after a normal night's sleep... progress, it seemed.
I collected the next prescription and forgot to check that it was still Wockhardt (despite knowing that I should, based on the excellent advice offered on here from numerous posters!) and got home to find I'd been given Teva. I'm now two weeks into taking 50 mcg/day Teva and I feel like I'm back at square one re: fatigue but now with the added bonus of what we can euphemistically call "digestive issues" - my abdomen is so sore for most of the day. I've actually ended up doing a Yellow Card submission for side effects, to log the problems with Teva.
Sorry - short story, made very long... Yes! I've had terrible problems switching between brands, even this early "in the game"... and I know other folks on here have had the same 😒
Thankyou kindly for sharing your story and journey so far. I had no idea about the brands/fillers and serious issues they can cause. …lesson well learnt!
It really can be a minefield navigating the hashimoto road to well-being! Good luck on your journey.
Your input has been of great value and very much appreciated.
Thanks Daffers123 - I do need to contact my GP and speak to her again as I will need to do another repeat prescription before I have my next follow-up blood test.
Levothyroxine is available in several sizes and several brands.
The manufacturers use different excipients (theoretically inactive substances) to make up the tablets/capsules. However many people get side effects from these excipients. The main problems are with Lactose, Mannitol and Acacia. People who are sensitive to milk products will need to avoid brands containing lactose.
Then you may need to make up the amount you want but it isn't available as a single pill. For example very few brands make a 75mcg pill so you may need to make that from 50mcg plus 25mcg, but the pharmacist will often issue different brands for those. A better solution is to have all 50mcg pills and split one in half to make 25mcg, so avoiding mixing brands. You can get pill cutters from your pharmacist or online, or some use a sharp knife.
Pharmacies don't always have the same brands in stock. They have whatever the wholesaler has sent them this time. So don't expect them to have Brand A just because they had it last time you had a prescription from them. You may need to decide which brand suits you best and have the brand written on the prescription. Check what you've been given before you leave the pharmacy.
Brand Teva is often issued. Someone described it as being like marmite, you either love it or you hate it. It can be worth a try.
My hair stopped falling out when I got my B12, D and folate up. Ferritin took ages and it stopped falling out before that. I used Thorne Basic B which has Biotin which I think people take for hair and nails. Might be worth investigating if that would be suitable for him.
I just replied to your post, then added a photo, and all of my message disappeared....so, second time around, and in short....
.....If you ever visit Spain, you can buy T4 OTC, in many strengths.
Also, T3 is available in Andorra, at many pharmacies, without a script (due to Brexit, they won't now ship to the UK or Internationally unfortunately).
My daughter and I lose a lot of hair daily. I read recently that hard water causes hair thinning.
When my daughter was young, she lost all of her hair, and had to school wearing a wig.
Oh gosh your daughter going through that hair loss at such a young age, it’s heart breaking. It hurts me so much to see his hair loss, he’s been dealing with this since he was 18, he’s 22 now!
Thanks for your reply and support. Good luck to you too.
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