Hi everyone
Would love advice on these new results please
Taking 125mcg Levo five days a week and 100mcgs two days a week.Also 6.5mcgs Tiromel daily
Took my test on Tuesday morning 8.20am with my last dose Tiromel at 8pm Monday evening.Last dose of Levo was 100mcg at 6am Monday morning
Currently only taking 3000iu Vit D
Thanks 🙏
How do you feel
Ft4 is a touch high
Suggest you try 100mcg 3 days and 125mcg 4 days a week
Folate on low side
supplementing a good quality daily vitamin B complex, one with folate in (not folic acid)
This can help keep all B vitamins in balance
Difference between folate and folic acid
healthline.com/nutrition/fo...
B vitamins best taken after breakfast
Igennus B complex popular option. Nice small tablets. Most people only find they need one per day. But a few people find it’s not high enough dose and may need 2 per day and/or may need separate methyl folate couple times a week
Post discussing different B complex
healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...
IMPORTANT......If you are taking vitamin B complex, or any supplements containing biotin, remember to stop these 5-6 days before ALL BLOOD TESTS , as biotin can falsely affect test results
endocrinenews.endocrine.org...
In week before blood test, when you stop vitamin B complex, you might want to consider taking a separate folate supplement (eg Jarrow methyl folate 400mcg)
Hi SlowDragon hope your well! Once again thank you very much for replying!
I do feel better but still have anxiety and chronic insomnia.Thats about a month strict gluten free (although some places I’ve been for food are very lax) and was feeling better there with less anxiety last week.Had a bad day yesterday though just felt as if I was pulsing (strange to explain) with sensations in my throat and neck like throbbing and being more agitated.I had been off caffeine the past two weeks and then had a coffee and another after.Assuming it was that that made me feel worse.Really chuffed my cortisol isn’t high this time around either think that’s only twice in all my private bloods.Im sure the last time I was wanting to add more T3 because of it 😩 crazy! 😂
Just my luck doing a private test on Tuesday there as I finally received a letter to attend an endocrinologist on the 9th March on the Monday morning the day before.Its only took them four years! I’m just going to print off my blood tests and tell them what I’m doing as the only thing I want from them is to hopefully have them change my prescription to 125mcg per day as I’m still on 100 with the doctors no matter what I try and say.Far easier than quartering tablets everyday
Noticed my free T4 was higher than the last test and was thinking of doing a third day on 100mcg.I haven’t been doing anything different except reduce my T3.Will get back on the vit b complex as well as I forgot all about that.Insomnia and the cogs of memory recall!
So there’s still tweaking to do and that’s a big help mentally as there’s hope I can’t get back to sleeping yet 😴
SlowDragon once again thank you!
Gluten free may be improving your absorption of Levo too
Insomnia may be high Ft4
Do you always get same brand of levothyroxine?
Ideally looking for Ft4 and Ft3 in balance….roughly 70% through range
Currently
Free T4 (fT4) 21.6 pmol/L (12 - 22)
Ft4 is 96.0% through range
Free T3 (fT3) 5.5 pmol/L (3.1 - 6.8)
Ft3 64.9% through range
If you get Ft4 lower ……you may find you might need to tweak T3 up a smidge
Be great if endo prescribed T3 as 10mcg ……then you could cut into 1/4’s and take 3 x 1/4 - 7.5mcg per day
well done on cutting gluten out
Personally I found going gluten free dramatically reduced anxiety
Gluten can affect cortisol so cutting gluten may have improved your cortisol levels
Hi SlowDragon
I’m not holding out on any help from the endo to be truthful going by the past experiences of the others on here and no doubt yourself as well
I have stuck with Aristo for a long time now and also recently I have been getting Vencamil so the brand shouldn’t be a problem
I have just bought some B complex and also another 1000iu of vit D to take me in to treble figures so hoping that can be a wee help too
Will definitely keep off the gluten
Can I ask another wee quick question.Can high ft4 affect your bladder?
Go far to often during the day to the wee boys room and during the night also
Can I ask another wee quick question.Can high ft4 affect your bladder?
Go far to often during the day to the wee boys room and during the night also
Yes I think it can …..well it could be a mix of high Ft4 and slightly lower Ft3
Obviously if you’re wide always because of insomnia that doesn’t help either
Improving B vitamins may help too
And magnesium can help improve sleep
Are you taking a daily magnesium
Magnesium best taken in evening, must be four hours away from levothyroxine
Or take magnesium late afternoon if you take Levothyroxine at bedtime
betterbones.com/bone-nutrit...
medicalnewstoday.com/articl...
livescience.com/61866-magne...
sciencedaily.com/releases/2...
Will need to start taking magnesium again as I felt it eased the restless legs.Would take it at night as I take Levo first thing at 6am
I was worse with the toilet when it on 12.5mcg T3 last year.Could be a connection
Thanks SlowDragon 🙏
I have stuck with Aristo for a long time now and also recently I have been getting Vencamil so the brand shouldn’t be a problem
Aristo renamed as Vencamil
Many of us find Vencamil the best
Vencamil is lactose free and mannitol free. originally only available as 100mcg only, but 25mcg, 50mcg and 75mcg tablets became available Sept 2024
Posts discussing Vencamil
healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...
healthunlocked.com/thyroidu....
I’m not holding out on any help from the endo to be truthful going by the past experiences of the others on here and no doubt yourself as well
I get my T3 on NHS ……after jumping a lot of hoops
Asking myself now is it because I’ve just finished eight weeks of Vencamil that my ft4 is better? Got another eight weeks supply of Vencamil yesterday so nothing will change at present
I’m going to attend the endo with the frame of mind that there not going to administer T3 to me so I won’t be disappointed.Im just going to focus on trying to get the 125mcg of Levo prescription per day and ask them to listen to how I am feeling now from where I have come from that the doctor won’t acknowledge.If they do and test my T3 and it does get prescribed then that’s a major bonus!
Presumably you are in Scotland looking at your forum name
Figures here for number of NHS prescriptions in last year for T3 in England……67,500 and rising
openprescribing.net/analyse...
Yes I’m Scottish and I just love the phrase “sweaty sock” makes me laugh! Wee sweet term of endearment I say
I’m sure I read there was a petition to the Scottish government from a lassie called Lorraine Cleaver if I remember correctly regarding thyroid diagnosis and treatments
This is my first time attending an endocrinologist and to be truthful I am not to sure about how to go about it.Can I ask what advice you would give someone with what you know now?
Thanks 🙏
yes indeed
Lorraine Cleaver and MSP Elaine Smith
parliament.scot/chamber-and...
thyroidtrust.org/scottish-p...
gov.scot/publications/achie...
Dec 2024
new patients with overt hypothyroidism whose symptoms persist on levothyroxine may be prescribed liothyronine after a three-month or longer review by an NHS consultant endocrinologist.
…….Background and rationale for recommendation:
liothyronine (also known as T3) is used to treat hypothyroidism. It has a similar action to levothyroxine (T4) but is more rapidly metabolised and has a more rapid effect. Levothyroxine is the first line treatment for thyroid hormone replacement. It has a long half-life which enables once daily dosing and stable plasma T4 levels. Liothyronine has a shorter half-life and steady state levels cannot be achieved with once daily dosing.
the majority of people with hypothyroidism can be managed with levothyroxine. However, a small proportion of individuals treated with levothyroxine continue to suffer with symptoms despite adequate biochemical correction.
T4 monotherapy should be considered first line in the treatment of primary hypothyroidism as it remains the safest and most effective treatment for most individuals.
the combined use of levothyroxine and liothyronine should only be initiated by an endocrinologist.
the price of liothyronine has fallen but it is still significantly higher than the price of levothyroxine tablets.
I would make a short list for yourself off what points you want to raise (it extremely easy to forget everything you want to say when in the consultation
Perhaps write a short synopsis of your thyroid experience so far to give to the endocrinologist
Definitely put together a spreadsheet of all your test results and ranges over time with notes of what dose Levo at each test
Ideally include vitamin test results too
Include short list of symptoms that were NOT resolved on levothyroxine alone
And a short list of things that have improved since adding T3
Request a 3-6 month trial of T3 on NHS prescription
Sometimes the endocrinologist will want you to come off T3 first to “prove you need it” ……you don’t have to agree to do this at all
Regarding upping the T3 to 7.5mcg is there a way for me to do that myself that you can suggest please?
This is my second week on three days of 100mcgs.Wondering if I can add that little bit extra T3 or is it too soon and do I need to wait and have another blood test?
Thanks so much in advance SlowDragon 🙏
Regarding upping the T3 to 7.5mcg is there a way for me to do that myself that you can suggest please?
No not possible on 25mcg tablets
Gluten free diet may improve absorption, and may in effect give you a small increase in dose
I would wait personally at least 6-8 weeks after reducing Levo and retest thyroid levels again
See how you feel then ……
Be aware that it’s normal to initially feel worse when reducing dose Levo ……but you need to wait for everything to settle
Seeing Endo
if endo prescribed T3 as 10mcg ……then you could cut into 1/4’s and take 3 x 1/4 - 7.5mcg per day
But 10mcg tablets are vastly more expensive than 20mcg
I’m assuming I can’t source T3 in 10mcg anywhere else other than the NHS shame!
I will wait till I see my next results before I act as I have already came down from 12.5mcgs previously
I do believe I’m floating around the sweet spot but it’s lack of sleep that’s really affecting me as it’s chronic
On the plus there I got a prescription for Zoplicone 7.5mg today and also asked for a long term plan to address the insomnia and now organising an appointment
Fingers crossed 🤞
Insomnia
Reducing levothyroxine dose may help
Have you been assessed for sleep apnea
If not request referral
You have to wear a sleep apnea test kit overnight this checks wether you snore, how much and also how often you stop breathing when asleep
Sleep apnea is common with Hashimoto’s
It can significantly raise your cortisol levels……fight and flight hormones needed to wake you up when you stop breathing
nhs.uk/conditions/sleep-apn...
quality-sleep-solutions-sc.....
thyroidpharmacist.com/artic...
High cortisol makes sleep difficult
Gluten free diet may also help reduce cortisol/improve sleep/anxiety
Hashimoto’s and insomnia
thyroidpharmacist.com/artic...
Hey SlowDragon sorry I thought I had replied back to you too
Apologies!
I certainly hear myself snoring every night it’s a strange feeling.Don't think I have sleep apnea though
My cortisol levels were within range the last blood test
Seen the endocrinologist on the 9th and was taken aback of how understanding he was and said he didn’t have a problem about prescribing me T4 T3 mono therapy
Showed him my test results with percentages and markers of the results and how I felt from then till now
He is from a different health board and told would have to find out what the criteria was and would call me back the following weekend to discuss it with me.Well,still waiting! He hasn’t sent any correspondence back to my surgery as of yet,so I’m remaining hopeful ??????
I certainly hear myself snoring every night it’s a strange feeling.Don't think I have sleep apnea though
Worth getting tested for sleep apnea
🤞endocrinologist comes up trumps
well , it's just about possible ,,,but obvs never going to be 100% accurate
use half a tiromel 25mcg ~ cut it into thirds , and take 2 of them = 8 'point diddly squat' mcg .
but it's not easy to cut accurate thirds , i tend to end up with 2 'bigger' thirds and a slightly smaller one despite my best efforts ,
Geez oh tattybogle sounds like it’s an itsy bitsy teeny weeny kinda accuracy
Do you use a scalpel?
I quarter mine with my fingers and always end up with some left on them so that’s probably not 100% accurate either
Hope your well and thanks for replying 🙏
craft knife ... on a cork mat.... with guidelines drawn on it 
Sorry tattybogle I wasn’t ignoring your reply,thought I had replied.Apologises!
Maybe you could kindly stick a wee pic up of that set up you have there and I can attempt it
Thanks again
i'm a luddite ,, taking pictures and posting them is beyond my ( and my dumb-phone's) technical capabilities ... so you will have to use your imagination
