Reduction in thyroxine due to age?

[mitchell66]

Several months ago my mums GP reduced her thyroxine from 150mg to 125mg. He said he wanted to reduced because of her age. She is 67. She has put of weight now and is unhappy. Is this a normal and ok thing for a doctor to do?

[greygoose]

I would say no. And if it is normal, it certainly isn't good practice! I'm (almost) 68 and my dose is much higher than your mum's, and I'd possible murder to keep it that way! Might even consider increasing it in the near future...

However, the important thing is: how does she feel? If she's putting on weight then obviously the reduction was a bad move and she should tell her doctor so. Tell him exactly how things have gone down hill since the reduction and insist on her dose being upped again.

Doctors are such idiots! Sigh.

Hugs, Grey

[mitchell66 in reply to greygoose]

Thank you very much for this! I thought it very odd, in fact my mum has to battle for ever ounce, she walks about 6 miles a day and eats like a sparrow as it is. I am thinking that possibley she has never had sufficient thyroxine. Suffers from cripling migraines, might start a new thread on this. We have never thought of a possible link to her thyroid??

[greygoose in reply to mitchell66]

It is possible that she has never been properly treated. Very few doctors know how to do this, and as you get older, they care less! Just put the symptoms down to age. But has she been tested for things like cortisol, B12, iron, etc?

Migraines can be linked to thyroid - pretty sure they are in my family! Sounds like she need a doctorectomy! Any possibility of finding her a new one?

[RedApple Administrator in reply to greygoose]

'doctorectomy'

'Like'

[helvella Administrator]

There have been several papers over the past few years questioning how best to handle older people with hypothyroidism. I am not aware of any of them ending up with the conclusion "reduce dose". And at least one which seemed to set off asking whether we should have age-related reference ranges ended up saying "No".

But, as far as I remember (and I would need to check this), 67 was not old enough to be in the older people groupings used. They seemed to be looking at 70 or 75 and over.

In my humble opinion, and this might not make the easiest reading, your mum should be allowed to call the shots - if she was happier on a higher dose, but accepts that a lower dose might (on possibly shaky evidence) enhance life expectancy, then she should choose. That sort of choice is accepted in many other clinical areas. Why not with thyroid hormone?

I would wish to see the GP's evidence.

[helvella Administrator in reply to helvella]

Article 4 of the currently-being0-revised NHS Constitution says this:

he NHS aspires to put patients at the heart of everything it does. It should support

individuals to promote and manage their own health. NHS services must reflect,

and be coordinated around, should be coordinated around and tailored to, the needs and preferences of patients, their families and their carers. Patients, with their families and carers, where appropriate, will be involved in and consulted on all decisions about their care and treatment. The NHS will actively encourage feedback from the public, patients and staff, welcome it and use it to improve its services.

It is hard to see how those aspirations are matched by the decisions of your mum's GP.

Rod

[shaws Administrator]

This is what Dr Lowe said. Cursor down to question August 13, 2002:-

Dr. Lowe: No doctor can intelligently decide what a patient should do with her thyroid hormone dosage solely by the results of thyroid lab tests. We can make informed decisions about dosage only when we know the patient's clinical status and have the results of physical exam procedures. Most endocrinologists and other conventional doctors would likely disagree with me about this. But their belief that they can determine correct dosages solely by lab test results is a major reason that millions of hypothyroid patients chronically suffer from hypothyroid symptoms despite taking thyroid hormone. I wish you success in your treatment.

web.archive.org/web/2010122...

[Glynisrose]

Most doctors have the idea that you need less T3 as you get older - this is rubbish and I feel the basis of many older people being diagnosed as suffering with 'dementia', personally I think its more down to confusion and brain fog from a dicky thyroid!!