Did somebody say there was a list of symptoms

[Hectorsmum2]

Is there a list of symptoms to help you acertain if you are under or over medicated. I am struggling to get dose right. If I increase slightly I am awake all night if I decrease or stay the same I am constipated and gaining weight.

[humanbean]

This might be useful :

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

[Hectorsmum2 in reply to humanbean]

Thank you for the lists. Interesting how extensive the symptoms are. I think what I really need to know is whether you can be constipated and gain weight when over medicated.

[RedApple Administrator in reply to Hectorsmum2]

'what I really need to know is whether you can be constipated and gain weight when over medicated.'

Yes you can. There are no hard and fast rules about how the wrong amount of thyroid hormones affects any individual. That's why we need full TSH, FT4 and FT3 blood testing. Your picture doesn't show your thyroid test numbers.

[Hectorsmum2 in reply to RedApple]

Thank you. my test results are ferritin 90.6 (30-150) Folate 22.4 (8-60.8) vit B12 150 (37.5-188) Vit D 101 (50-250) TSH 0.008 (0.27-4.2) free t3 5.9 (3.1-6.8) free t4 8.6 (12-22).

[RedApple Administrator in reply to Hectorsmum2]

What thyroid hormones are you taking?

[Hectorsmum2 in reply to RedApple]

75mg of levo and now 50mcg of T3. I was taking 62.5mcg of t3 when bloods were taken.

[RedApple Administrator in reply to Hectorsmum2]

Ok so those results don't represent your current dose. My guess is that you're taking too much T3 now alongside the 75mcg T4. But without accurate test results whilst on that dose, there's no knowing.

[Hectorsmum2 in reply to RedApple]

I think what happened was the iron I was taking was sustained release so even though I toke it fours hours away from thyroid hormones it was still releasing and blocking my hormones. I increased by thyroid hormones to compensate but now i have stopped the iron I am on too much T3. I should be able to go back to the dose that was helping me which was before iron upset which was 37.5mcg. My brain will soon let me know if this is not enough due to vertigo and I can test properly in six weeks.

[SlowDragon Administrator]

presumably as you have PA your hypothyroidism is autoimmune

See you have restless legs - this frequently linked to low iron and/or low magnesium

Bloods should be retested 6-8 weeks after each dose change or brand change in levothyroxine

For full Thyroid evaluation you need TSH, FT4 and FT3 tested

Also both TPO and TG thyroid antibodies tested at least once

Very important to test vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12 at least once year minimum

About 90% of primary hypothyroidism is autoimmune thyroid disease, usually diagnosed by high thyroid antibodies

Autoimmune thyroid disease with goitre is Hashimoto’s

Autoimmune thyroid disease without goitre is Ord’s thyroiditis.

Both are autoimmune and generally called Hashimoto’s.

20% of autoimmune thyroid patients never have high thyroid antibodies and ultrasound scan of thyroid can get diagnosis

In U.K. medics hardly ever refer to autoimmune thyroid disease as Hashimoto’s (or Ord’s thyroiditis)

Low vitamin levels are extremely common when hypothyroid, especially with autoimmune thyroid disease

For good conversion of FT4 (levothyroxine) to Ft3 (active hormone) we must have good vitamin levels

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)

Please add most recent TSH, Ft4 and Ft3 results

Private tests are available as NHS currently rarely tests Ft3 or all relevant vitamins

Testing options and includes money off codes for private testing

thyroiduk.org/testing/

Medichecks Thyroid plus antibodies and vitamins

medichecks.com/products/adv...

Blue Horizon Thyroid Premium Gold includes antibodies, cortisol and vitamins

bluehorizonbloodtests.co.uk...

Only do private testing early Monday or Tuesday morning.

Link about thyroid blood tests

thyroiduk.org/testing/thyro...

Link about Hashimoto’s

thyroiduk.org/hypothyroid-b...

Symptoms of hypothyroidism

thyroiduk.org/signs-and-sym...

Tips on how to do DIY finger prick test

support.medichecks.com/hc/e...

Medichecks and BH also offer private blood draw at clinic near you, or private nurse to your own home…..for an extra fee

[Hectorsmum2 in reply to SlowDragon]

Thank you. I dont seem to have autoimmune from blood tests, they have never shown increased antibodies. I will keep to my current dose for another 5 weeks. I reduced a week ago due to not sleeping and faster than usual pulse. The blue horizens test with cortisol and magnesium looks good. I was doing really well on a lower dose for a couple of years, started to take some gentle iron and everything went haywire, the awful vertigo came back that has only ever been resolved by nibbling T3, I gained loads of weight and my pulse dropped to 60. I ended up increasing My T3 until the vertigo stopped, now I think I might be taking too much but gaining weight again and constipated. Thank you for all the info. I will just have to be patient and not worry too much about weight gain until I can have six week bloods done.

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Hectorsmum2]

they have never shown increased antibodies.

Have you had TG antibodies tested

NHS won’t test TG antibodies unless TPO antibodies are high

20% of Hashimoto's patients never have raised antibodies

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Paul Robson on atrophied thyroid - especially if no TPO antibodies

paulrobinsonthyroid.com/cou...

Gluten intolerance is often a hidden issue too.

Request coeliac blood test BEFORE considering trial on strictly gluten free diet

started to take some gentle iron and everything went haywire,

what was iron and ferritin results that caused you to start supplementing

Iron must be 4 hours away from levothyroxine and 2 hours away from an6 other vitamins except vitamin C

[Hectorsmum2 in reply to SlowDragon]

I think the problem was slow release iron tablets, so even though they were four hours away they were still releasing and blocking my thyroid hormones. I am going to try to go back to the dose I was well on before I started taking the iron now the iron has been stopped. I will test in six weeks.

[Hectorsmum2]

My antibodies tests in November were thyroglobulin 14.9 (0-115) and thyroid peroxidase antibodies 14.9 ( 0-34). I didnt have an iron test before supplementing but they have always tended to be lowish. I was advised to try and get level over 100 to help restless legs. I did take iron fours hours away from thyroid hormones.It looks like I might be one of the 20% who never have raised antibodies. Thank you for all the info. I will request coeliac test.

[Brightness14]

Take a full thyroid plus vitamins and minerals blood test and then post the results with the ranges on here for answers. That's the only way I became well. It's not very likely that you are over medicated with those symptoms.