Prescribed Levothyroxine but I have no symptoms........

[Eatock1410]

Hello, I am new to here and new to my diagnosis of Hashimoto disease. Basically I feel fit and healthy, have no symptoms of hypothyroidism, but a recent blood test indicated I have hypothyroidism.

I am just wondering why I would take the medication if I am feeling fit and healthy with no symptoms, given the side effects that could occur if I take the drug.

Any advice much appreciated!

Tina

[TiggerMe]

Welcome aboard... a good question!

If you add your latest result with the ranges we'll have a better idea of what is going on... presumably they did a full thyroid panel to come to this conclusion? This would give you a TSH, fT3 &fT4 result also an antibodies result TPO or TPA?

[Regenallotment]

Hello 😊

There is fit and healthy and then there is realising that what you put up with isn’t everyone else’s normal.

If you really don’t have any symptoms that’s awesome and no, I wouldn’t take replacement hormones if I didn’t need them. Unless there is a risk to your heart or something, take advice on that one from a professional 👍

here is a link to symptoms, see what you find thyroiduk.org/signs-and-sym...

[Sparklingsunshine]

Sometimes people with hypo only get picked up when they are testing for other things. If you have access to your NHS diagnostic blood tests then we can see how hypo you are.

I got diagnosed with hypo, much to my surprise in 2020. I was experiencing a bit of breathlessness and just assumed I was anaemic again. My iron stores were fine but they flagged up I was hypo. I was convinced for years I was hypo but according to the NHS I wasnt. So I'd just put it to the back of my mind.

I'm guessing that if you've only been prescribed a measley 25mcg then you arent severely hypo. And 25mcg isnt enough to make you feel any better, even if you had symptoms. Normal starting dose is 50mcg. 25mcg is enough to switch off your own thyroid production, but not enough to replace what your thyroid would normally produce.

In your place I'd be wary of taking Levo, especially such a small dose, if I had no symptoms.

[Jazzw in reply to Sparklingsunshine]

I'm guessing that if you've only been prescribed a measley 25mcg then you arent severely hypo.

I’d love to say that’s a valid assumption but… we know many GPs aren’t at all confident/knowledgable about what dosage to start someone on.

We need the blood test results really, to gauge what’s going on.

[Sparklingsunshine in reply to Jazzw]

I guess its just that i've noticed more sub clinical hypo members on just 25mcg. But as you say speculation on my part 😄

[Jazzw in reply to Sparklingsunshine]

Here’s example from today, just to illustrate: healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

[greygoose]

Hi Eatock1410, welcome to the forum.

First of all, levo isn't a drug. It's the thyroid hormone T4. And hormones don't cause symptoms. You may have an uncomfortable reaction to some of the other ingredients in the pill, but not the active ingredient.

Why should you take it if you don't have symptoms? Well, that would depend on your blood test results. Thyroid hormones are needed by every single cell in your body to function correctly. So, being low on them can affect every part of your body: your heart, your lungs, kidneys, liver, brain... The heart and brain for a start need an awful lot of thyroid hormone. And not having enough can cause heart attacks and dementia.

And you do maybe have symptoms but don't associate them with the thyroid. Not all hypos get fat, lose their hair and feel cold. But they may have bags under their eyes, rough skin on their elbows and heels, dental problems, and many, many others.

You don't say if you're in the UK, but there - and in many other countries - they don't diagnose hypo lightly. They would not be likely to prescribe levo if you didn't need it. And, many, many very sick hypos have to struggle and fight to get treatment.

So, if you have a copy of your blood test results, post them on here, with the ranges, and let's have a look. Maybe we can explain.

[SlowDragon Administrator]

please add actual thyroid and vitamin results

Bloods should be retested 6-8 weeks after each dose increase

Standard starting dose at over 60 is 25mcg but you will need several further increases over coming months

Levo doesn’t “top up” your own thyroid….it replaces it

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)

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

Also both TPO and TG thyroid antibodies tested at least once to see if your hypothyroidism is autoimmune

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

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

About 90% of primary hypothyroidism is autoimmune thyroid disease, usually diagnosed by high TPO and/or high TG 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.

Significant minority of Hashimoto’s patients only have high TG antibodies (thyroglobulin)

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)

Essential to test vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12

Lower vitamin levels more common as we get older

For good conversion of Ft4 (levothyroxine) to Ft3 (active hormone) we must maintain GOOD vitamin levels

What vitamin supplements are you taking ….if any?

Also VERY important to test TSH, Ft4 and Ft3 together

[Brightness14]

Hi others will come along with more answers but for now I may help you. When my husband went for his 70 year old check up the GP did a blood test and his TSH was 46. Because I have no thyroid I was able to help him.

Anyway he is now 76 years old and although he has hashimotos which is a thyroid thing he has never ever had any symptoms. He was put onto 100 mcg Levo and has been on this dosages ever since. It did reduce his TSH down to just under 1.

The only other thing we noticed was the fact that he lost weight he had always been about 1.5 stones heaver.

[Eatock1410]

Thank you to everyone who took time to reply to me. As requested here are my latest blood results, they don’t mean anything to me as I am new to this condition.

Serum TSH level 11.70mu/L .

Serum free T4 level: 13.4 pmol/L.

I took a tablet of levothyroxine this morning took with water on an empty stomach and didn’t eat for an hour afterwards. Within minutes of taking it I felt wheezy and tight chested. Only subtle symptoms which subsided after a couple of hours. My doc is encouraging me to try again as it could have been anxiety causing my symptoms. I wasn’t anxious taking the tablet, the symptoms were very real and in my opinion not caused by me being anxious. I am anxious now about trying a second dose!! 😳.