Hi I was diagnosed with an underactive thyroid with thyroid antibodies last year.I started on 25mg which increased to 50mg as my levels remained around 10 and didn't increase with treatment.
The last couple of months I have been extremely tired, brittle nails and suffering extreme heartburn, body aches and very susceptible to the cold. I went back to the doctors to complain and my latest thyroid test is showing my levels have dropped to 7!
There not stabilising or even remaining as they was but dropping, is this normal?
Is there more too this?
I've been increased to 75mg and told to see the doctor in a fortnight if still no improvement of my symptoms.
Is there anything I can do to help myself feel better?
What could it mean that the levels are dropping and not stabilising?
Thank you to anyone who replies!!
Written by
Tderrick92
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When you start treatment you are looking to lower your TSH to around 1 which will suggest you have a suitable dose and then you really need to get a private full thyroid panel to see where your actual thyroid hormone levels are
So it is great that your GP has increased your dose as 50mcg is a starter dose, you will need another blood test 8 weeks after increasing to 75mcg, ideally book a blood test for as early as possible and don't take your levothyroxine dose until after the test, fasted, water only
Has your GP checked your ferritin, folate, B12 and Vit D levels as they all play a part it utilizing levothyroxine, they are often low in Hypo's
Auto immune hypo's often benefit from a gluten and or dairy free diet
Levothyroxine doesn’t “top up” your own thyroid output…..it replaces it
So you are likely to need further increase after next test …..unless extremely petite
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)
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
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).
Do you always take your levo on an empty stomach and wait at least an hour before eating or drinking anything other than water? Do you take other medication/supplements at least two hours away from levo - four hours for iron, calcium, magnesium, vit D and oestrogen?
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