Medication Advice

[Carebear52]

Hi

Do I require my medication to be adjusted with these results. I’m on 75mg

T3 4.1 ( 3.10-6.80 pmol/L )

T4 14.8 ( 11.90 - 21.60 pmol/L )

Tsh 1.33 ( 0.27-4.20 mlu/L

I have put weight on a stone in 2 months and I have been getting terrible cramps in my legs. I have low vitamin D & low folate. ( which I have started medication )

I feel I would like to change my medication but I don’t know how to go about this ?

[Buddy195 Administrator]

Most members report that they feel best with a TSH under 1 and as your FT3/ FT4 are both very low in the range, no doubt you will benefit from an increase in thyroid medication.

You are right to focus on optimising key thyroid vitamins.

I like to go low and slow when adding Levo, so I would initially add 12.5mcg daily and monitor symptoms, testing again 6-8 weeks later. Most likely, you will need to add a further 12.5mcg if you still have adverse symptoms, in order to get readings higher in the range. Other members may advocate adding a full 25mcg in one go, which may work for you. Personally, I’ve found adjusting slowly means that you are less likely to miss your sweet spot where you feel most well. I find a pill cutter handy for this.

[SovietSong]

Your free numbers are a long way off.T4 29% and T3 27%.How long have you been on current dose of 75mcg?

[Carebear52 in reply to SovietSong]

Hi thank you for replying. I have been on this dose for nearly a year.

[SovietSong in reply to Carebear52]

Madness, bloods should have been done again after about eight weeks on the new dose.Your conversion is good at 3.6 but your just not on a high enough dose of T4.I’d be on with your GP insisting on 100mcg daily.Like most surgeries this will probably not be easy.Write down all your symptoms etc and be as well prepared and informed as you can.While your T3 is as low as that the symptoms will only escalate.Do you have any more symptoms apart from weight gain and the cramping?

[Carebear52 in reply to SovietSong]

I have Hoarseness in my voice. I don’t know if this related but I have hearing loss and I’m waiting on hearing aids, But that might be due to something else.

[SovietSong in reply to Carebear52]

Yes hoarseness was one of my symptoms when my T3 levels were low and funny enough ear pain was another one.Low T3 is what causes all the symptoms.Ive found I need my T3 at around 80% to feel well.

[Buddy195 Administrator]

Your GP should have retested levels 6-8 weeks after being on this dose. I have the feeling they are looking at TSH alone and not considering that your FT3 and FT4 are low.