When to test

[Fliplaar]

Hi All

I’ve had a bit of a journey with my meds recently and have come off T3 and tried to find a good level on just T4 myself before telling my doctors and they now want me to come in to retest my levels, which I understand, before they are willing to change my prescription.

I have been steady on a dose of 125mg levo for 6 weeks, had my bloods tested and they weren’t bad but felt a tiny bit under still so then increased it by 6.25 mg 2 weeks ago , to which I feel good.

The docs want to test me now, but would an increase send them higher straight away? then it resettle back down after 6 weeks on it? Or is it more likely that it would be lower still at this point and then in 6 weeks gradually settle a little higher?

I don’t want to have them tested now after only 2 weeks on this slightly increased dose if it sends your results higher than they would be after 6 weeks in f that makes sense, as I just want the doctor to agree to the dose I feel settled on, and if they think it’s higher they might try and reduce it more…

Hopefully some one here knows what I’m trying to say 😂 x

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Be honest

Tell GP you want to delay test until 8-10 weeks after being on constant unchanging dose and brand of levothyroxine

Which brand of levothyroxine are you taking

ESSENTIAL to test and maintain good vitamin levels too

When did you last test these

[Fliplaar in reply to SlowDragon]

Hi Slowdragon

I last tested my levels and vitamins 2 weeks ago, then I increased the levo by 6.25 mg a day. I was on the 125mg for 6 weeks before I tested them.

My only problem with that is that I only have enough levothyroxine for 5 weeks which is why I had to tell the docs , they won’t give me my next batch of medication until they get the tests.

Here my results 2 weeks ago

TSH 0.639 R 0.27-4.2

T4 16.4 R 12-22

T3 5 R 3.1-6.8

Ferritin 196 R 30-207

Folate 13.6 R >7

Vitamin B12 95.3 R>37.5

Vitamin D 75 R 50-250

I always take the same brand levo , I’m on mercury pharma as it agreed best with me and I had problems with others.

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Fliplaar]

So give them these results?

[Fliplaar in reply to SlowDragon]

I offered these and the doctor said medichecks are crooks and and said they need to test them 🤦‍♀️🤪

[tattybogle]

your TSH is highly likely to go under range now you've increased the dose ....... whether or not it will be lower , or higher at 2 weeks versus 6 weeks is anybody's guess, no way to know for sure ,,,, so if it was me i'd take a short term hit for a long term gain..... i would go back to previous dose for now, or even slightly less for a couple of weeks ( to try and ensure TSH is no lower than this test shows, and possibly a bit higher) .... then let GP do bloods and tell them their results show your levels from taking 131.25mcg for a few weeks and you feel better for it ....... hopefully TSH will be within range and if it is they have no reason not to prescribe that amount until next annual test (say you are frequently working in outer mongolia if they want another blood test before then) .. then put dose back up as soon as you get the tablets in your hand .

there's a time for honesty , and there's a time for 'making sure they get the answer they need to satisfy their tick box so you can all move on'

move the goalposts..... what they don't know won't hurt them . my doc thinks i take `112.5mcg so they prescribe that ... i actually take about 92mcg + 6mcg T3 at the moment , but no way i'm telling them .... it's far too reassuring to know i have a levo stash to make my own adjustment as and when i want to.

[Fliplaar in reply to tattybogle]

Thanks Tattybogle that’s good advice x