Increasing Levo during pregnancy

[YoanaG]

Hi,

I am taking levo from January this year. The dose I am taking is 50 mg . Month ago, decided to increase with - 12,5 for two weeks, but experienced high heart rate and anxiety , ft4 was 20,5 (10,6 - 24,5). During that time I got pregnant. Now I am trying to increase it with only 6 mg ( I am not sure if that would be enough) 2 weeks ago before a new I was pregnant I started taking t3 - 3 mg as my ft3 was low. I feel very tired and exhausted when I take t3 but the anxiety goes away. Any tips? Ft3- 2.800(1.580-3.900) ft4 -0,980(0,700-1,480) tsh -1.590

[PurpleNails Administrator]

FT4: 0.98 pmol/l (Range 0.7 - 1.48) 35.90%

FT3: 2.8 pmol/l (Range 1.58 - 3.9) 52.59%

Welcome to forum YoanaG

I’m sorry you haven’t had any replies to welcome you & offer advice.

Very occasionally posts get missed & I think that’s what’s happened here.

My comment will bring your post back up the news feed so others will see & offer further advice.

50 mcg is a starter dose, were you diagnosed quite recently? It usual for dose to be gradually increased, usually every 6 - 8 weeks & if you conceive a 25mcg increase is recommended.

Have you had thyroid antibodies tested? TPO & TG antibodies?

In January your FT4 was high in range, but your FT3 might not have been.

Your more recent results show low FT4 & higher FT3. Had you started T3 when tested?

Most feel well with FT4 in top 3rd of range & FT3 above 50%. Did you take T3 prior to blood draw? as this can show a higher daily level.

Some are sensitive to dose changes, good core nutrients can sometimes help tolerate increases better.

Have you tested folate, ferritin, B12 & vitamin D? Add results & lab range. In range is not same as optimal.

Please put country in profile, many members are in UK & advice on lab testing services for example may not be helpful to you.

[YoanaG in reply to PurpleNails]

Hi, thank you for your reply.

I haven’t taken t3 before the test result as I knew that it will give false result. It is very difficult in my country (Bulgaria) to receive proper endo care. I was prescribed Levo (25mg) only because my TSH was around 5 and I wanted to get pregnant. I started educating myself and increased the Levo on my own to 50. Now I am taking 87,5 nearly 2 weeks , I am very sensitive to increasing my dose as my cortisol level is 13(3,7 - 19,4) . I am now waiting for my results from this morning. Antibodies were fine last time( never been high). My symptoms and body tells me that I am a bad converter, but Tiromel wasn’t for me, I think I am gonna order Thybon from Germany. Do you know if it safe to take t3 while pregnant and how much my ft4 should be so I can add t3, most people say on the top( but I feel very bad when ft4 is too high, then tsh gets higher and ft3 stays the same. Before staring Levo, b12 was at the top, ferritin and vitD quite low but in normal ranges( supplemented for 4 months, not change at all, people told me that when you are hypo it is very difficult to change the levels, so I need to increase my t4 and t3 levels first. B9 taking everyday as I am pregnant.

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to YoanaG]

Now I am taking 87,5 nearly 2 weeks

Retest after 6 weeks before considering next steps

What vitamin supplements are you taking

Have you had folate, B12, vitamin D and ferritin levels tested

[YoanaG in reply to SlowDragon]

HI SlowDragon,

I feel awfull these days, I was sick with Covid and I think my hormones messed up a lot. I feel the same symptoms when I take too much Levo ( I guess is the low cortisol), so I returned the dose to 62,5 levo, although my ft4 was around 15 ( range 10 - 24). I am taking 1/8 of Tiromel twice a day as last time it helped with the anxiety ( I know that ft4 needs to be higher in order to take t3 but i read that t3 helps with cortisol and can't take big dosage of b5 which also helps with cortisol as I am pregnant. I am currently taking prenatal multivitamins( before i got pregnant, 4 months ago, I was taking vit D with K2 7000 a day, magnesium, folate, not iron as I know it is not good to take it as supplements, I eat a lot of meat though. vit D was 50 ( range up to 120), feritin on the bottom and b12 and folate on the top. TSH is currently little below 1 and ft3 on the bottom low. I don't know how to increase the dosage, nothing converts to ft3. I will try to stay on this lower dose to see whether the anxiety and insomnia go away, I hope after the virus ft4 will go up a bit on its own, as I think my thyroid is still working. Before I got pregnant I manage to increase ft4 to 21 with only 62,5 dose but then nothing went to ft3 again and i started having panick attacks and all awful symptoms, also tsh went higher. Any thoughts?

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to YoanaG]

I returned the dose to 62,5 levo, although my ft4 was around 15 ( range 10 - 24). I am taking 1/8 of Tiromel twice a day

Test after 6 weeks

Last dose Levo 24 hours before test

Last dose Tiromel 8-12 hours before test

With Ferritin low …..If possible get full iron panel test

[YoanaG in reply to SlowDragon]

Thank you, I will.