Where to start?

[Eggfreezing36]

Hi all,

I've got an underactive thyroid and am on Levothyroxine. It doesn't impact my life too badly aside from hair is much more brittle and thin eve on medication and I've been told it can impact conceiving.

Are there any pinned posts here I can look at/where to start? Feeling quite overwhelmed and need some guidance!

[Buddy195 Administrator]

Welcome to the forum Eggfreezing36,

So we can offer better advice, can you tell us more about your thyroid condition, eg when you were diagnosed, ongoing symptoms (other than hair you mention), current medication & dosage, plus blood test results (with ranges in brackets) for:

TSH

FT3

FT4

Plus any antibody and key vitamin tests (ferritin, folate, vitamins D and B12)

If your GP is unable to complete all the above (eg if TSH is within range, some surgeries may not be able to access FT4 and FT3 tests), you could look to do this privately, as many forum members do, for a better picture of your thyroid health:

thyroiduk.org/help-and-supp...

Members have a wealth of experience…we are here to support. Keep posting & asking questions! 🦋

[Eggfreezing36 in reply to Buddy195]

Thank you! I will get my tests done as it's been a while and will come back and update.

[GlowCoach Administrator]

Welcome to the group. If you could complete your profile it helps members understand your thyroid journey so far and be able to advise you better. Click on your image icon to start. Fill out the free text box at the top.

I can link you a few sites to begin your research.

Thyroid UK who run this group: thyroiduk.org/

Izabella Wentz is a popular site: thyroidpharmacist.com/

Thyroid levels are very important for conception, TSH needs to be below 2.5.

Do you have a copy of your latest blood results that you can share with us? You are legally entitled to a printed copy of your results, ask at GP reception. In England you can get the NHS app and ask for permission to see your blood results on that by asking at GP’s reception.

It's ideal if you can always get the same brand of levo at every prescription. You can do this by getting GP to write the brand you prefer in the first line of the prescription. Many people find that different brands are not interchangeable.

Always take Levo on an empty stomach an hour away from food or caffeine containing drinks & other meds. Many people find taking it at bedtime works well for them.

When hypo we get low stomach acid which means we cannot absorb vitamins well from our food, regardless of a great diet. For thyroid hormone to work well we need OPTIMAL levels of vitamins.

Have you recently or could you ask your GP to test levels of ferritin, folate, B12 & D3? Private tests are available, see link for companies offering private blood tests & discount codes, some offer a blood draw service at an extra cost. thyroiduk.org/testing/priva...

There is also a new company offering walk in& mail order blood tests in London, Kent, Sussex & Surrey areas. Check to see if there is a blood test company near you. onedaytests.com/products/ul...

Only do private tests on a Monday or Tuesday to avoid postal delays.

Do you know if you had positive thyroid antibodies? Many with autoimmune thyroid disease aka Hashimoto's benefit from a gluten free diet. A smaller percentage of those also need to remove dairy from their diet to feel well. These are intolerances and will not show up on any blood test.

Do you do tests as per the protocol recommended here? Recommended blood test protocol: Test at 9am (or as close as possible), fasting, last levo dose 24hrs before the blood draw & no biotin containing supplements for 3-7 days (Biotin can interfere with thyroid blood results as it is used in the testing process).

Testing like this gives consistency in your results and will show stable blood levels of hormone and highest TSH which varies throughout the day. Taking Levo/T3 just prior to blood draw can show a falsely elevated result and your GP/Endo might change your dose incorrectly as a result.

You can ask further questions here rather than starting new posts.

[Eggfreezing36 in reply to GlowCoach]

Thank you! I will get my tests done as it's been a while and will come back and update. I actually was diagnosed a year or two ago and I really didn't think much of it. It was borderline underactive with TSH I think, and then tbh since I've been on Levo it has over time gone higher so I am now on 100 miligrams per day.

I thought "oh cool I'll just take levo and it'll be fine"....and it's only now I am starting the journey of trying for a baby and got a big shock that I've been taking multivitamins with iodine in for the last year that I thought I should actually educate myself!!