Interested in your thoughts: Hi, Would like to... - Thyroid UK

Thyroid UK

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Interested in your thoughts

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Hi,

Would like to know your thoughts on the following: 2 or 3 years or so ago for me pharmacists put on my levothyroxine scripts take 30 to 60 minutes before breakfast or any medication, but prior to this for 29 years I had been taking everything with it be it medication, food, caffeine, vitamins etc with no problems whatsoever with my results. Now having followed the advice things have been going pear shape ever since ? Will of course update with current situation bloods etc, but I find this quite extraordinary, in other words is it really necessary when I have been ok for 29 years?

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35 Replies
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PurpleNails profile image
PurpleNailsAdministrator

Altering the way you took replacement like that would have effectively resulted in a (much) higher dose being absorbed.

What dose are you on? You might have been on a high dose to compensate.

Tests should have shown an increase in levels & doctors would have suggested a reduction. Did that happen?

Do you have any results you can share.

FallingInReverse profile image
FallingInReverse

It’s not unusual at all for your body and hormone needs to change over time.

With 29 years behind you, you are either in that lovely middle aged period… but not sure if the 1993 in your name is a birthday and you were diagnosed young!

Let us know more about you and definitely your Levo dose (or other doses) and how it’s changed over the years. And yes - please send you TSH, FT4, FT3, Vit D, B12, folate, ferritin and antibody test results with ranges, dates/time of day, and how you prepped (fasted? Last meds/dose timing)

To answer your question, all those years of coffee and food and vitamins etc would have been reducing the available thyroid hormone your body was getting from the replacement you took.

It would be that you took XXX mcgs, ansome would be blocked, and only XX amount was available. But clearly that was all you needed at the time.

There are no studies (as far as I know) that show how much is blocked, but we do know the path exogenous thyroid hormones take in our bodies, and we do know that those things do block or impact absorption of the available thyroid hormones.

Britpol profile image
Britpol

If I were you, provided blood tests don’t show any dramatic changes and the brand of Levo remained unchanged (important!) I would go back to what you were doing before. Good luck!

ehcjb profile image
ehcjbβ€’ in reply toBritpol

I am at the moment, I insist on the same brand too! Hopefully results have uploaded!!

TiggerMe profile image
TiggerMeAmbassadorβ€’ in reply toehcjb

Personal details need cropping

ehcjb profile image
ehcjbβ€’ in reply toTiggerMe

I have cropped personal detail but from some reason I cannot upload it, I get to the pooint where it says describe this image but it won't let me 'post' it???

TiggerMe profile image
TiggerMeAmbassadorβ€’ in reply toehcjb

If you just put a space or word it will then let you πŸ€—

ehcjb profile image
ehcjbβ€’ in reply toTiggerMe

I have just done that but now reply is not highlighted so I can't post it and it says at the top of the page 'There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again, I have done this countless times???

ehcjb profile image
ehcjbβ€’ in reply toehcjb

See it let me post this but not 'upload' the document??

ehcjb profile image
ehcjbβ€’ in reply toehcjb

has it done it now lol? What a fiasco!!!!

ehcjb profile image
ehcjbβ€’ in reply toehcjb

mediceceks advise....c

TiggerMe profile image
TiggerMeAmbassadorβ€’ in reply toehcjb

Yes!! You got there πŸ‘ it only allows one picture per reply

TiggerMe profile image
TiggerMeAmbassadorβ€’ in reply toehcjb

So your B12 is low and needs to be nearer top of range

Your Vit D is deficient need a good one with K2... grassrootshealth.net/projec...

Your TSH is high showing your body is under replaced, though your fT4 is quite high in range possibly because of low B12 and Vit D you aren't converting well to fT3 which is too low

So you need to tackle to above to help conversion and ask for a referral to Endo as you are likely going to need some T3

TSH 7.26 mIU/L (0.27 - 4.2) 177.9%

Free T4 (fT4) 19.4 pmol/L (12 - 22) 74.0%

Free T3 (fT3) 3.4 pmol/L (3.1 - 6.8) 8.1%

T4:T3 Ratio 5.706 

ehcjb profile image
ehcjbβ€’ in reply toTiggerMe

Hi, thank you for your reply.

I am taking b complex but b12 is 500mcg, have bought 1000mcg B12, is it ok to take this much given my results?

Taking 1000 Vt D3 and as Medichecks say I should be taking 2,000 for 10 weeks then go back down to 400 iu.

I am having a blood test with the gp monday but will give them my Medichecks results and of course they don't do the whole picture!.

I note your recommendations for referral to Endo. which I will of course do.

I am very unfamiliar with ranges. If my vitamins levels go up on recommendations could that help my TSH?

I feel a lot better taking B Complex but a little afraid to raise doses, after the awful side effects of trying to raise levo.

I have read in depth re magnesium, zinc, folate, selenium how do I get these tested please?

Does what your saying mean that I possibly need T3 as well as levo at my current dose?

Jaydee1507 profile image
Jaydee1507Administratorβ€’ in reply toehcjb

This is very confusing because the person who made this post has left the group but now ehcjb is responding.

Do you have 2 accounts?

Normally we would lock a post where the originator has left the group.

ehcjb profile image
ehcjbβ€’ in reply toJaydee1507

I havn't left the group, are you saying TiggerMe has left?

Jaydee1507 profile image
Jaydee1507Administratorβ€’ in reply toehcjb

If you look at the main post at the top, the name of the person who posted this thread has changed to 'Hidden'. This means that they have left the group.

Did you post this thread with a different account?

According to your post history the last time you posted was 5 years ago.

Hidden member name
ehcjb profile image
ehcjbβ€’ in reply toJaydee1507

Not that I am aware of, yes I posted 5 years ago and recently? Very confused now?

ehcjb profile image
ehcjbβ€’ in reply toJaydee1507

That was my post but why would it come up 'hidden'?

Jaydee1507 profile image
Jaydee1507Administratorβ€’ in reply toehcjb

Its possible that there is some sort of strange glitch, but otherwise you have 2 different accounts.

Have you posted using a tablet or phone and then switched to a laptop?

ehcjb profile image
ehcjbβ€’ in reply toJaydee1507

Possibly but this is rather strange I am definitely ehcjb? Tried clicking on 'hidden' but it just hung there...

Jaydee1507 profile image
Jaydee1507Administratorβ€’ in reply toehcjb

Try looking at your account with the other device you have used to access this site. See if your posting history looks different.

RedApple profile image
RedAppleAdministratorβ€’ in reply toehcjb

According to your profile page, you were not the originator of this post healthunlocked.com/user/ehc...

You're absolutely certain you didn't (accidentally perhaps) create an account with a slightly different name perhaps on a different device as @jaydee1507 suggests? If not, it's a very unusual technical glitch!

RedApple profile image
RedAppleAdministratorβ€’ in reply toehcjb

Apparently, you had a duplicate account under the name of ehcjb1993. That is the account you used to write this post.

Because it was a duplicated account, HealthUnlocked removed it, hence it now shows as Hidden.

Jaydee1507

Duplicate accounts
ehcjb profile image
ehcjbβ€’ in reply toRedApple

aaah ok I see that now have I just got ehcjb now. I don't recall doing this at all but ehcjb1993 would have been mine as the date is significant.

TiggerMe profile image
TiggerMeAmbassadorβ€’ in reply toehcjb

No harm taking a loading dose of B12 and Vit D for a couple of months and then dropping back to a holding dose, both should help with conversion of T4 to fT3.

Have you remembered to stop taking your B complex ready for Mondays blood test?

The thing that brings your TSH down is ample replacement, hence your need for T3... so yes I think you'll likely need to add T3 to get your levels up

GP should be able to check folate and magnesium, unlikely they will test zinc and selenium... though I did manage to get a zinc test from mine by saying my Dentist had suggested it due to mouth ulcers (small white lie and I was deficient) zinc and copper have a teeter totter relationship so one being high will lower the other. Many of us take a regular dose of magnesium, there are different forms to choose from good for bones, muscle, relaxation and brain function... and selenium is expensive to test but it is considered safe to take 100mcg per day

ehcjb profile image
ehcjbβ€’ in reply toTiggerMe

Thank you so much. The forum is very reassuring and helpful.

I will certainly increase the D3 to 2000 and add 1000 B12 with my B Complex for a couple of months (can I take B12 and B complex together? Also some say with food some say empty stomach what is your opinion please?

Folate 400mcg is in my B complex. I have just bought a Better You magnesium spray.

For Selenium/zinc I take 2 or 3 brazil/almonds/cashews nuts a day. I have also increased oily fish consumption amongst other 'good' dietary things...

I forgot to stop b complex (how long do I stop it for?) before today's blood test so I cancelled it.

So upping my Levo will not help TSH, sorry to sound dim can't get my head around this :)

So many questions but thank you!

TiggerMe profile image
TiggerMeAmbassadorβ€’ in reply toehcjb

Adding a little more T4 will bring your TSH down a little I expect, you could probably increase by 12.5mcg everyday without it pushing your fT4 above range, you'd need to try it and retest after 8 weeks, hopefully with all the other additions your conversion might improve too πŸ€—

Stopping B complex 3-5 days some people like to leave it a week

ehcjb profile image
ehcjbβ€’ in reply toTiggerMe

Thank you :)

helvella profile image
helvellaAdministratorβ€’ in reply toehcjb

Your document images uploaded just fine.

But they contained personal details which you need to remove before posting.

I'm afraid I deleted the images as soon as I realised the personally identifying information and without have looked properly at how you had produced them. If you took photos, then maybe cover the sensitive details and re-photograph?

Basically, information like names, addresses, etc., should be avoided - both yours and any doctors or other healthcare workers.

You can click on the More button and choose Edit - then re-add images.

Anthea55 profile image
Anthea55

I saw Dr Peatfield several years ago. He recommended taking thyroid meds with food as it is better for the stomach.

I have done this ever since. However I do avoid tea and coffee with meds and with meals. I take some supplements with breakfast and some with my evening meal.

This has worked for me with no change to my dose needed.

Taking with food also recommended by Dr Myhill, see this link and go down to the heading 'Timing of dosing'.

drmyhill.co.uk/wiki/Thyroid...

Good luck. You may feel better on your original scheme. Try it! We are all different. For example I've read that full cream milk is back in fashion; personally I never gave it up!

ehcjb profile image
ehcjbβ€’ in reply toAnthea55

Hopefully this uploaded!

TiggerMe profile image
TiggerMeAmbassadorβ€’ in reply toehcjb

You need to crop your personal details from this... you never know who is looking πŸ‘€

jgelliss profile image
jgellissβ€’ in reply toAnthea55

Dr Blanchard was also for taking the thyroid meds with food.

ehcjb profile image
ehcjb

I value all your replies, so thank you so much..... Have uploaded my recent 'fiasco' plus my private blood test.... would value your input..... I do feel ok at the moment!!!! However, tried to make it brief but here is what happended......

Levothyroxine from 2nd February 2024

Friday 2nd February took 100mcg as advised by my doctor via a text, apparently levels were a little low but of course she meant a little high!!! , TSH 6.6 T4 14.9 .

By day 4, 5th Feb stopped this dose:

Anxiety, dry mouth, muscle aches, hot and cold, couldn’t sleep, palpitations, felt weird appeared to be swinging between hypo and hyper. High BP 159/95 felt dreadful.

Feb 6th,7th,8th and 9th days, reduced back down to 75mcg then decided to try half 12.5mcg therefore 87.5mcg - reasonably ok, but anxiety. BP 144/90

Sat 10th – Tues 13th, By day 3 lightheaded, anxious, hot and cold, achy joints, sleep problems, BP 161/110 normally around 134/83.

Wed 14th reduced back down to 75mg eventually BP ok, 137/83 no light-headedness, little anxious, reasonably ok but not right.

Rang doctor and I explained that stress is very high at moment, mum passed away, having to sell house and buy something etc, I am also a carer for my adult daughter, could this be a factor, as I had felt ok before all this? So she agreed stay on 75mcg and do repeat bloods in 3 weeks time.

Meanwhile I had a private test done with Medichecks, results uploaded.

This test was done at 8.15am, fast 24 hours etc.

I have since upped my Vit D from 1,000 to 2,000 iu and introduced a B12 complex, as of today I feel ok…. Of course my TSH is high plus other things, but…… thoughts would be greatly received. Scared to try and up my levo, I know I am under medicated but feel reasonably ok..

Can't seem to upload my results?

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