Hi hope everyone is well. I know I'm not quite on the right dose of levo yet I'm on 50mg and in the initial dosaging stage so have a while to go. What I'd like to know. Is it common to feel detached?
Since increasing my dose 2 week ago to 50mg I started feeling detached, mood low. I know hypothyroid causes low mood and increasing meds might cause an increase in sides until I get the dose right. Did anyone else feel detached? Numb? Hope it improves soon. Thanks.
I think anything is possible when your under medicated/in a dose increase window. Someone on here said they try to take absolutely no notice of how they feel for 6 weeks after a dose increase. I take that to mean, you can over analyse every thing you feel in that time (and I know it's a roller coaster!) But hopefully it will settle.
In my experience, yes depression and anxiety are very common on low doses when your under medicated. I find it helps to think that it's not 'you', it's not permanent and you might feel better later/tomorrow/next week
Thank you for the encouragement
When on low starting dose (which 50mcg is) your own thyroid output reduces as TSH drops and you become/feel more hypothyroid
Get bloods retested 6-8 weeks after being on 50mcg
Likely ready by then to increase to 75mcg
Please add add and that you are male on your profile
We tend to assume female
How old are you - standard STARTER dose is 50mcg unless over 65 years old
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).
you need TSH, FT4 and FT3 at next test plus Very important to test vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12 at least once year minimum
have you had vitamin levels tested
Please add results
Presumably you have stopped multivitamins?
What vitamin supplements are you taking now
Suggest you get a separate vitamin D and separate magnesium supplement
Likely to need daily vitamin B complex …..but ideally test first
Thanks. Will have a look at updating my profile. I'm 41 years old 92 kilo. Quite a bit of muscle so I'm heavy.
Is there any scientific evidance anywhere saying that the thyroid has less output when on levo? Just so i can use as ammunition if endo says anything so I can explain that. Thanks
Yes. I definitely felt that. I had tried everything to get a doctor onboard. No dice. It was almost a pure fluke finding out I was hypothyroid. A test taken about three years before during hospital visit was noticed in my file by a visiting registrar GP and I was called in for a discussion. I thought by then I was just quietly dying.
By 75mcg I realised something ‘bearable’ was happening. I started on 25 mcg then 50mcg.
It’s a (not) funny old journey. Stick with it and learn from watching the Forum in action.
levo&ndt
T4 and blood results after 6 weeks
NDT + levo
Increasing Levo Dose 
Trying alternative to Levo
