Hi I am on 50mg of levothyroxine and have been for over 8 years. Had my bloods done recently and were satisfactory at about 2.1
Feeling a bit down now cold weather here.
Can I take vit D and B12 during the winter months, unsure if you can take extra vitamins.
Thankyou
As 50mcg is only standard STARTER dose you are very likely on inadequate dose……as explained in your previous post 2 years ago here
healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...
Strongly recommend you get FULL thyroid and vitamin testing
Looking at previous posts you are in U.K.
Please add this to your profile plus your age and gender
Most important results are always Ft3 followed by Ft4 …..not TSH
Essential to test and maintain GOOD vitamin levels
Being on inadequate dose Levo will almost always result in low vitamin levels as result of poor gut function and low stomach acid when hypo
Low vitamin levels tend to lower TSH
Guidelines of dose Levo by weight
approx how much do you weigh in kilo
Even if we frequently start on only 50mcg, most people need to increase levothyroxine dose slowly upwards in 25mcg steps (retesting 6-8 weeks after each increase) until eventually on, or somewhere near full replacement dose (typically 1.6mcg levothyroxine per kilo of your weight per day)
cks.nice.org.uk/topics/hypo...
bnf.nice.org.uk/drugs/levot...
nhs.uk/medicines/levothyrox...
Adults usually start with a dose between 50 micrograms and 100 micrograms taken once a day. This may be increased gradually over a few weeks to between 100 micrograms and 200 micrograms taken once a day.
Some people need a bit less than guidelines, some a bit more
TSH should be under 2 as an absolute maximum when on levothyroxine
gponline.com/endocrinology-...
Graph showing median TSH in healthy population is 1-1.5
web.archive.org/web/2004060...
Comprehensive list of references for needing LOW TSH on levothyroxine
healthunlocked.com/thyroidu....
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi...
If symptoms of hypothyroidism persist despite normalisation of TSH, the dose of levothyroxine can be titrated further to place the TSH in the lower part of the reference range or even slightly below (i.e., TSH: 0.1–2.0 mU/L), but avoiding TSH < 0.1 mU/L. Use of alternate day dosing of different levothyroxine strengths may be needed to achieve this (e.g., 100 mcg for 4 days; 125 mcg for 3 days weekly).
Thankyou, going to check re a top up
Can I take vit D and B12 during the winter months, unsure if you can take extra vitamins.
Test before starting any supplements
And retest at least annually
Levo doesn’t top up your own thyroid output, it replaces it
Essential to be on high enough dose
High cholesterol is indicative of being on inadequate dose Levo
As is poor/low kidney function
And Tinnitus is frequently linked to low B vitamins
Thankyou, will check with my gp re my levothyroxine amount
You need to get TSH, Ft4 and Ft3 levels tested together
ALWAYS do any thyroid test early morning and last dose levothyroxine 24 hours before test
Aiming for Ft4 (levothyroxine) at least 60-70% through range, ideally Ft3 (active hormone) will be similar % through range
Ideally test before 9am and only drinking water between waking and test. Take your levothyroxine after test
Many thyroid patients find they need to supplement vitamin D, vitamin B complex and magnesium daily all year
Test vitamin D twice year ideally may need higher dose in winter than summer
NHS easy postal kit vitamin D test £31 via
Being on too low a dose levothyroxine frequently results in low stomach acid and low vitamin levels as direct result
Low vitamin levels lead to poor conversion of Ft4 to Ft3
This results in higher Ft4 and low Ft3 …..and often lower TSH
Far, far too often GP will only test TSH which is completely inadequate
Thousands of U.K. patients test privately to determine what’s going on ……and to maintain GOOD vitamin levels by self supplementing
Examples of private test results
Medichecks
healthunlocked.com/search/p...
Blue Horizon
You espcailly need some vitmain D in the winter, helps ward off those winter viruses.
I take a 37.5mg dose daily and have a b12 and vit d daily too. Gp recommended taking them separately though. I take mine with lunchtime meal. He also said never take any meds with tea or coffee, only orange juice as it helps absorption. Hope this helps.
Thankyou, will speak to my gp, think I need vitamins in the winter
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