GP won’t increase thyroid medication

[Ralphie1]

hi

I post my thyroid test results recently, my TSH is suppressed at 0.02 which it has been for long time but t3 and t4 only 30% through range. Tried explain to GP t3 can suppress TSH

GP thinks over medicated and wouldn’t listen about me wanting to increase to 100mg from 75. Said would write to nhs endo but sure they would agree with GP, worries they might try and reduce it down to 50

I could increase my t3 meds or try and request prescriptions sooner to try and have enough or buy/borrow levo off people I know

If anyone has any advice

Thanks

Kate

[Charlie-Farley]

Hi Ralphie

Good grief 🙄. They know just enough to be dangerous. You need to self advocate so we can tell you stuff but to back it up you need to learn a bit more about the thyroid than they do (won’t take long) and you need to be familiar with the guidelines and you need a bit of supporting evidence.

Don’t panic - what a doctor knows could cover two side of A4. The guidelines are not too bad as they are pitching it low for doctors (they have not the time to learn a new language for each condition they see).

There are two pinned posts one - NHS and NICE guidelines and one tattybogle made on low TSH. My TSH doesn’t agree with my thyroid hormone levels. Many don’t but doctors force under medication to try and fit the patients to the blood work. I have posts covering this and my bio is worth a read as I wrote it as a case study.

The dose of thyroid hormone is dependent on weight and probably other factors. There is a dosing guide (it is a guide not an edict). 1.6 µg per kilogram, but as I say, this is a guide. If doctors stopped undermedicating patients and treated the symptoms, they would see the scale of disagreement between TSH and thyroid hormones. It is a sad situation that Doctors would rather have their patients symptomatic and their blood work looking good on paper then actually have the patient well there is also a list of thyroid myths that you can find on the thyroid UK website.

[McPammy]

Just thinking why do you want to increase your levo T4 when your TSH is so suppressed. I’d suggest you get your bloods done ‘after’ taking your t4 dose. Thats of course if you haven’t already. Most people test without taking meds. It could be interesting to see how high your T4 and T3 gets. I get my bloods done both ways just to be sure I’m not going over levels. Over and under medicated can have very similar symptoms.

[Bearo in reply to McPammy]

That’s interesting. How wide a difference do you find testing both ways?

[McPammy in reply to Bearo]

I’ve just checked back on my patients access figures.

With taking medications t4 and t3 :

TSH 1.19 (0.35-5.50 range)

T4 12.60 ( 7.86-14.42)

T3 5.30 ( 3.7-6.0)

Without taking medications T4 and T3:

TSH 0.90 same ranges as above

T4 9.00

T3 4.30

It’s my T3 I’m mainly wanting to know if it goes over or not. It jumps 1.00 point when I’ve taken 5mcg T3 for my morning dose. T4 jumps 3.6 points. I like to know I’m in range always. TSH does alter but mainly stays near 1.00 ish. Before I was prescribed T3 it was only 3.9 @. 8% conversion only. It has a half life so that brings it up to 4.30 and with t3 that morning 5.30. At that point my TSH was 36

[Bearo in reply to McPammy]

Thanks for looking back at those figures and letting me know - that’s really food for thought.

[Batty1]

The only problem with borrowing from a friend’s supply is eventually your friend might not be able to accommodate your needs.

[Ralphie1]

Thanks for replies and link to resources to have a look at.

I do find it confusing know what is right think to do and do worry what if having suppressed TSH is causing me damage but I think I’d have to be on hardly taking any medication or not taking the 5mg of t3 for it not to suppressed.

Yeah have thought about fact results would be higher after taken medication.

Yeah I could buy levo if I need to.

Based on weight calculation I would be on right dose already or bit over with t3 before increasing it so maybe I don’t need more.

Might try alternating between 75 and 100 see how feel

Part problem is really tired from lack sleep with toddler and not sleeping well myself always and not getting much chance to rest so hard to know how really feeling in terms thyroid when feel run down anyway

Thanks for messages anyway

Kate