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[MyOrangeDog]

hi. I’ve been so called borderline for about 5 years and became symptomatic around 2 years so was put on a low dose (25mg ) for about the last 2 years.. I was prescribed 50mg initially but I got awful palpitations so had to introduce it really slowly. I was told to increase it to 50mg a day a few months ago but got a very upset stomach so, on the GPs advice I took 50mg and 25mg alternate days which I’ve managed well. I had bloods done 7 weeks later which I attatch. Any thoughts on them ? I can’t speak to my GP until January and wondered if I should now try snd get back up to 50mg while I’m waiting?

for some reason I can only post one photo.. the other is serum free T4 which is 13.1.

kind regards. J

[greygoose]

Perfectly normal that you can only post one photo in the original post, that's how it works. But you can post additional photos in the comments by clicking on the landscape icon underneath.

I'm afraid we need a range for that FT4, but your TSH is much too high, so you are obviously under-medicated. TSH should come down to 1 or under. So, yes, if I were you, I'd try and go up to 50 mcg daily.

[TiggerMe]

I would suggest you ask for a different brand of Levo as many people struggle with Teva, not being able to tolerate your dose means you are under replaced and this too leads to digestion issues.... also have you had your ferritin, folate, B12 and Vit D bloods test? They ought to also test for coeliac

p.s. if you want to add more pictures then put them in a reply 1 at a time

[MyOrangeDog in reply to TiggerMe]

Hi ..thank you for your reply..I believe those other tests including celiac were done earlier and were fine. My doctor puts ‘not Teva’ on my prescription.. I usually get Accord. I also take a B complex and D each day ..

[TiggerMe in reply to MyOrangeDog]

Have you tried dropping dairy as taking levo can switch off the stomachs ability to make lactase?

[MyOrangeDog in reply to TiggerMe]

Yes, I’ve tried that for about 2 -3 months but I didn’t notice any difference . I took something with pepsin in ( can’t remember what it was) from holland and barratt , plus ACV with mother amongst other things.

[Jaydee1507 Administrator]

People who have been hypo for a long time before treatment can really struggle with taking Levo which seems to be what you are finding.

Which brand are you taking?

Being hypo means that we get low stomach acid and cannot absorb vitamins well from our food. In turn, low vitamin levels cause levo intolerance and even more symptoms. A terrible vicious cycle.

For thyroid hormone to work well we need OPTIMAL levels of vitamins. Have you recently or could you ask your GP to test levels of ferritin, folate, B12 & D3? Private tests are available, see link for companies offering private blood tests & discount codes, some offer a blood draw service at an extra cost.thyroiduk.org/testing/priva...

There is also a new company offering walk in (includes free blood draw) & mail order blood tests in London, Kent, Sussex & Surrey areas. Check to see if there is a blood test company near you. onedaytests.com/products/ul...

Only do private tests on a Monday or Tuesday to avoid postal delays.

Once you get your vitamin levels to more optimal then you should feel better and have less issues with Levo.

It's ideal if you can always get the same brand of levo at every prescription. You can do this by getting GP to write the brand you prefer in the first line of the prescription. Many people find that different brands are not interchangeable.

Always take Levo on an empty stomach an hour away from food or caffeine containing drinks & other meds. Many people find taking it at bedtime works well for them.

Do you know if you had positive thyroid antibodies? Many with autoimmune thyroid disease aka Hashimoto's benefit from a gluten free diet. A smaller percentage of those also need to remove dairy from their diet to feel well. These are intolerances and will not show up on any blood test.

Did you do the test as per the protocol recommended here? Recommended blood test protocol: Test at 9am (or as close as possible), fasting, last levo dose 24hrs before the blood draw, last T3 dose 8-12 hours before blood draw & no biotin containing supplements for 3-7 days (Biotin can interfere with thyroid blood results as it is used in the testing process)? Testing like this gives consistency in your results and will show stable blood levels of hormone and highest TSH which varies throughout the day. Taking Levo/T3 just prior to blood draw can show a falsely elevated result and your GP/Endo might change your dose incorrectly as a result.