lowered thyroxine : hi all just was wondering... - Thyroid UK

Thyroid UK

141,245 members166,488 posts

lowered thyroxine

Baileyleigh123 profile image
10 Replies

hi all just was wondering 3 weeks ago the doctor told me to put my thyroxine down to 150 mg the first I was on holiday where I ended up having to wear sunglasses all week due to swollen eyes then I got infected dermatitis on my hand needing antibiotics for a week as soon as I got home I ended up with the flu which I am still recovering from and then to top it all off I ended up with a water infection this morning is it possible this is due to the drop in thyroxine and how long does it take my body to get used to this new dose thankyou c

Written by
Baileyleigh123 profile image
Baileyleigh123
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
Read more about...
10 Replies
SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator

previous post shows you were on 200mcg daily

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Ft4 wasn’t over range, though it was high in range

No Ft3 result

Very low iron levels won’t be helping

Dose should only ever be reduced by 25mcg max

Even that is frequently too much to tolerate

UTI strongly linked to drop in thyroid levels

Suggest you request increase in Levo to 175mcg and retest in 8 weeks

Baileyleigh123 profile image
Baileyleigh123 in reply toSlowDragon

Aww thanks for the reply I just feel like everything with my body going wrong and she didn’t give me anything for my low iron levels either I’ve been so ill for nearly 3 weeks now would you self medicate some iron tablets or not x

SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator in reply toBaileyleigh123

Yes

Retest full iron panel after 3-4 months

Baileyleigh123 profile image
Baileyleigh123 in reply toSlowDragon

Thankyou Is there a certain one you would suggest please xx

SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator in reply toBaileyleigh123

retest 3-4 times a year if self supplementing.

It’s possible to have low ferritin but high iron or high ferritin and low iron

Test early morning, only water to drink between waking and test. Avoid high iron rich dinner night before test

If taking any iron supplements stop 5-7 days before testing

Medichecks iron panel test

medichecks.com/products/iro...

Look at increasing iron rich foods in diet

Eating iron rich foods like liver or liver pate once a week plus other red meat, pumpkin seeds and dark chocolate, plus daily orange juice or other vitamin C rich drink can help improve iron absorption

List of iron rich foods

dailyiron.net

Links about iron and ferritin

irondisorders.org/too-littl...

davidg170.sg-host.com/wp-co...

Great in-depth article on low ferritin

oatext.com/iron-deficiency-...

drhedberg.com/ferritin-hypo...

This is interesting because I have noticed that many patients with Hashimoto’s disease and hypothyroidism, start to feel worse when their ferritin drops below 80 and usually there is hair loss when it drops below 50.

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Posts discussing Three Arrows as very effective supplement

Great replies from @FallingInReverse

re ferritin and Three arrows

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu......

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Great reply by @fallinginreverse

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Iron patches

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Thyroid disease is as much about optimising vitamins as thyroid hormones

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

restartmed.com/hypothyroidi...

Post discussing just how long it can take to raise low ferritin

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Iron and thyroid link

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Posts discussing why important to do full iron panel test

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Good iron but low ferritin

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Chicken livers if iron is good, but ferritin low

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Shellfish and Mussels are excellent source of iron

healthline.com/nutrition/he...

Iron deficiency without anaemia

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Ferritin over 100 to alleviate symptoms

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Great research article discussing similar…..ferritin over 100 often necessary

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...

Low Iron implicated in hypothyroidism

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Really interesting talk on YouTube, link in reply by Humanbean discussing both iron deficiency and towards end how inflammation can also be an issue

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Inflammation affecting ferritin

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Updated reference ranges for top of ferritin range depending upon age

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Thank you for your incredible patience while you have been awaiting the outcome of our ferritin reference range review. We conducted this with Inuvi lab, which has now changed the reference ranges to the following:

Females 18 ≤ age < 40. 30 to 180

Females 40 ≤ age < 50. 30 to 207

Females 50 ≤ age < 60. 30 to 264l

Females Age ≥ 60. 30 to 332

Males 18 ≤ age < 40 30 to 442

Males Age ≥ 40 30 to 518

The lower limits of 30 are by the NICE threshold of <30 for iron deficiency. Our review of Medichecks data has determined the upper limits. This retrospective study used a large dataset of blood test results from 25,425 healthy participants aged 18 to 97 over seven years. This is the most extensive study on ferritin reference ranges, and we hope to achieve journal publication so that these ranges can be applied more widely.

Baileyleigh123 profile image
Baileyleigh123 in reply toSlowDragon

Thankyou and the bit about inflammation the doctor did some poo tests and she’s ringing me about them next week according to the receptionist it’s either ibs or ibi but she said nothing to worry about I’m so fed up I bought some iron tablets with folic acid in and b6 will they be ok there probiotic s x

SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator in reply toBaileyleigh123

Presumably as you have PA (autoimmune) your hypothyroidism is also autoimmune…..Hashimoto’s or Ord’s

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)

with Hashimoto’s…

Are you on gluten free and/or dairy free diet

Baileyleigh123 profile image
Baileyleigh123 in reply toSlowDragon

No im not on either of these diets x

SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator in reply toBaileyleigh123

Assuming Your antibodies are high this is Hashimoto's, (also known by medics here in UK more commonly as autoimmune thyroid disease).

Hashimoto's affects the gut and leads to low stomach acid and then low vitamin levels

Low vitamin levels affect Thyroid hormone working

Poor gut function can lead leaky gut (literally holes in gut wall) this can cause food intolerances.

Most common by far is gluten.

Dairy is second most common.

A trial of strictly gluten free diet is always worth doing

Only 5% of Hashimoto’s patients test positive for coeliac but a further 81% of Hashimoto’s patients who try gluten free diet find noticeable or significant improvement or find it’s essential

A strictly gluten free diet helps or is essential due to gluten intolerance (no test available) or due to leaky gut and gluten causing molecular mimicry (see Amy Myers link)

Changing to a strictly gluten free diet may help reduce symptoms, help gut heal and may slowly lower TPO antibodies

While still eating high gluten diet ask GP for coeliac blood test first as per NICE Guidelines

nice.org.uk/guidance/ng20/c...

Or buy a test online, about £20

Assuming test is negative you can immediately go on strictly gluten free diet 

(If test is positive you will need to remain on high gluten diet until endoscopy, maximum 6 weeks wait officially) 

Trying gluten free diet for 3-6 months. If no noticeable improvement then reintroduce gluten and see if symptoms get worse

chriskresser.com/the-gluten...

amymyersmd.com/2018/04/3-re...

thyroidpharmacist.com/artic...

drknews.com/changing-your-d...

Non Coeliac Gluten sensitivity (NCGS) and autoimmune disease

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/296...

The predominance of Hashimoto thyroiditis represents an interesting finding, since it has been indirectly confirmed by an Italian study, showing that autoimmune thyroid disease is a risk factor for the evolution towards NCGS in a group of patients with minimal duodenal inflammation. On these bases, an autoimmune stigma in NCGS is strongly supported

nuclmed.gr/wp/wp-content/up...

In summary, whereas it is not yet clear whether a gluten free diet can prevent autoimmune diseases, it is worth mentioning that HT patients with or without CD benefit from a diet low in gluten as far as the progression and the potential disease complications are concerned

restartmed.com/hashimotos-g...

Despite the fact that 5-10% of patients have Celiac disease, in my experience and in the experience of many other physicians, at least 80% + of patients with Hashimoto's who go gluten-free notice a reduction in their symptoms almost immediately.

Similarly few months later consider trying dairy free too. Approx 50-60% find dairy free beneficial

With loads of vegan dairy alternatives these days it’s not as difficult as in the past

Post discussing gluten

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Baileyleigh123 profile image
Baileyleigh123 in reply toSlowDragon

Ok thankyou I will have a look into this and for all your help x

Not what you're looking for?

You may also like...

Thyroxine lowered - feeling dreadful!

Hi all, I was diagnosed with an underactive thyroid 20 years ago. I went to see my GP to have a...
Jojozo profile image

Drs advice - no thyroxine

So, at drs earlier this week and he said I'm very overmedicated. TSH was 0.01 and is now less than...
StormIstalri profile image

My Thyroxine to stop

Hi all Im a bit confused and wondered whether there was any advice on here from anyone. My...
KatVonB profile image

Thyroxine side effects

I've been on thyroxine since May. I started on 25mg then a month ago went up to 50mg. My bp this...

Can you come off Thyroxine permanently?

Hi everyone I have asked this question before but here i am again!I have been on Thyroxine for...
ballie52 profile image

Moderation team

See all
RedApple profile image
RedAppleAdministrator
Buddy195 profile image
Buddy195Administrator
PurpleNails profile image
PurpleNailsAdministrator

Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them.

Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.