Todays Thyroid blood test result already showing on nhs app, please advise before speaking to Doctor.

[Redveranda]

started levothyroxine 6 weeks ago dosage 25mg alternate days. Feeling very fatigued and brain fog, still so very tired.

Here are my results showing

serum TSH 4.9 range (0.27-4.2)

serum free T4 14.2 (12.0 -22.0)

Previous to commencing levothyroxine TSH was 5.6 with even earlier months at 4.9 (no Levo)

Doesn’t seem to have made much of a difference

Serum free T4 previously 12.5 before starting the low dose.

Do you recommend I ask for at the very least a daily amount?

These are the only results showing but I will also ask for a print out to be sure.Thanks in advance for any advice.

[Jazzw]

It’s not surprising it hasn’t made much of a dent—as SlowDragon said on your last post, levothyroxine doesn’t top your thyroid hormones, it replaces it. And this was an incredibly low starting dose.

I think it’s definitely worth pushing for a daily dose. Ideally you’d be given 50mcg a day but I have a feeling your doctor is going to do this the long and convoluted way and make you take 25mcg a day first. Would be worth asking for their rationale for doing so. It isn’t in line with NICE guidance.

[Redveranda in reply to Jazzw]

Thank you both Jazzw and SlowDragon will be taking your advice and asking the relevant questions regarding dose increase, hopefully can move quickly on this. Will post outcome after chat with Gp.

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Very helpful post this week about if a GP is ignoring NICE guidelines

If they can’t be persuaded to do so……some information here that may help

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

[Redveranda in reply to SlowDragon]

Amazing post from tattybogle thanks for reposting.

[SlowDragon Administrator]

assuming you do get prescription increase to 50mcg …..you might initially want to only increase to 25mcg daily for first 2-4 weeks……assuming that is ok

then possibly increase to 25mcg and 50mcg alternate days……see how that is for further 2-6 weeks ….before increasing to 50mcg daily

Ideally don’t change brand of levothyroxine at same time as increasing dose

Always aim to only change one thing at a time

Retest 6-8 weeks after being on 50mcg daily

Likely to need further increase after that

[Redveranda in reply to SlowDragon]

👍 good advice