Latest test results

[PillJunkie]

My latest Thyroid results were: TSH 0.05, up from 0.0006; T3 3.2, down from 5.1; T4 8.1, down from 12.1

Not surprising, when you take into account that I was on 3.5 grains of NDT and this was replaced with just 100mcg Levothyroxine and 20mcg Liothyroxine.

My dossages have been increased to 150mcg Levo & 30mcg Lio - a little higher than 3.5 grains of NDT, but not as high as I wished.

Paradoxically, my symptoms have worsened since taking the higher dose. Lethargy, apathy, low stamina, anxiety and depression have all taken a turn for the worst. Two things have changed in addition to the higher dosages:

1. I used a different pharmacy and they supplied a different brand of Levo

2. I started taking Berberine to help stop the regular hunger pangs I was getting, and to help me lose some of the weight I have been adding recently.

I have asked my GP to urgently prescribe Levo through my usual pharmacy, in the hope that this will ease my symptoms.

Does anyone have experience of this problem, and are there any views regarding the Berberine?

Thank you

[greygoose]

I was on 3.5 grains of NDT and this was replaced with just 100mcg Levothyroxine and 20mcg Liothyroxiné.

My dossages have been increased to 150mcg Levo & 30mcg Lio - a little higher than 3.5 grains of NDT, but not as high as I wished.

You don't give any sort of time-line, here. Was the increase of 50 mcg levo and 10 mcg T3 done all at the same time, in one go? Or spread over a few weeks?

If you suddenly went from 100 + 20 to 150 + 30, then it would be hardly surprising that you felt worse. Levo should not be increased by more than 25 mcg every 6 weeks, and T3 by not more than 5 mcg every two weeks. And never both at the same time.

1. I used a different pharmacy and they supplied a different brand of Levo

Yes, it's possible that the change of brand has made things worse. Not all brands suit all people.

2. I started taking Berberine to help stop the regular hunger pangs I was getting, and to help me lose some of the weight I have been adding recently.

Perhaps not a good idea. Hunger pangs are your body's way of telling you it needs more food. We ignore them at our peril, for two reasons:

a) you might not be getting enough calories. Calories are not just those nasty things that shrink our clothes, they are the energy we need for everything we do - even thinking. If you don't get enough, something has to suffer, and if you're hypo it could very well be the way your body uses thyroid hormone.

Also, if you're hypo, it's likely that your weight-gain has nothing to do with food. On the one hand, it's to do with a reduced metabolism, and on the other, it's more likely to be water-retention than fat. And if it's water, reducing your calorie intake is not going to make it go away, but it will make your body start cannibalising itself, reducing muscle.

b) you may very well have low nutrient levels, causing your body to crave more food. They're going to be low, anyway, because you are hypo, which means your stomach acid is probably low, making it difficult for you to digest food and absorb nutrients. And, if your nutrient levels are sub-optimal, your body won't be able to use the hormone you're giving it.

When did you last have your vit D, vit B12, folate and ferritin tested? What were the results and ranges?

So, whilst the berberine itself is probably not involved in your present upserge of symptoms, lack of food very well may be.

[PillJunkie in reply to greygoose]

Wow! Thank you greygoose for a very knowledgeable reply.

1. Yes, I suddenly went from 100mcg Levo and 20mcg T3 to 150 and 30 ,respectively, at the same time, 10 days ago. Big question: Will these terrible feelings pass, or must I cut back?

2. Calories. I don't count them, I'm on a low carb diet & fasting from 8pm to 10am daily. For breakfast, I have a large bowil of porridge with plenty of fruit. Lunch is a spinach, banana, carrot and fruit smoothie, with seeds, nuts & ginger. Dinner is a large meal, but I keep the carbs low. Should I see a nutritionist?

3. Vit D was 160 (range 50 - 250), Vit B12 was <150 (range 37.5 - 188). Both tests taken in April 2024. Medicheck had a sample error with Folate (quite common, apparently). I haven't had ferritin tested for at least one year.

[greygoose in reply to PillJunkie]

If I were you, I'd but back to 125 mcg levo and 20 mcg T3, and hold that for six weeks before retesting. And shoot your endo! S/he is an idiot. Increasing too fast is counter-productive. Hormones - all hormones - have to be started low and increased slowly.

Low carb is not always a good choice - depends on the person. You need carbs to convert. And you may be on T3 so don't have to convert from T4, but don't forget you still have to convert from T3 to T2, and T2 to T1. And there doesn't seem to be an awful lot of protein in that diet, nor fat, and the body needs both. So, maybe that's why you're having hunger pangs.

Based on my experiences, I would never recommend anyone to see a dietician or nutritionist - especially someone that is hypo. But, only you can decide.

I would recommend you try again to get folate and ferritin tested.

[PillJunkie in reply to greygoose]

Thanks greygoose

[greygoose in reply to PillJunkie]

You're welcome.