3rd day on levothyroxine

[sam1986]

I don't want to jinx it but is it normal to start feeling loads better within a few days of taking the tablets? My tsh levels were 100 and t4 was 4.4 so I was really low but I didn't expect things to be getting better so quickly. Also now know that I must of been on verge of collapsing. I don't know how I got up in morning with them dangerous levels! Also looking for some other women who developed an under active thyroid after pregnancy to talk to if there is any x

[Moggie]

If I increase my T4 (Levo) I can feel the difference in three days so yes it can take effect that quickly - just think how you will feel when the full effect kicks in, you'll be skipping around like a new born lamb.lol.

Can I ask when you take your T4 and do you keep it well away from food and drink (except water) and especially milky drinks.

Moggie x

[sam1986 in reply to Moggie]

I have it first thing in morning when I get up with my tribe. I do the kids breakfast and feed the baby then I have a bowl of cornflakes (with milk) and a glass of water for my breakfast. Can you not take dairy with it? I'll be back at the gym allover the treadmill lol! You know I was doing 40 mins cardio and weights everyday with my thyroid like that, it's only because I wasn't losing weight the doctor checked. I don't know how I functioned never mind go gym! X

[sam1986 in reply to sam1986]

Even my thyroid isn't as swelled up as it was! Suppose I will still need an ultrasound on it though. X

[Moggie]

There are many things that will interfere with your body being able to absorb your levo and one of those is calcium. Milk contains a lot of calcium and my endo (endocrinologist - thyroid specialist) specifically mentioned milk.

Thyroid meds should be kept well away from food, drink (except water) and any supplements you might be taking (approx. 2 hours would be ideal) for it to work to its full potential, you should increase that to four hours if you are taking either iron or calcium. This is why a lot of people on here take there meds last thing at night, this way the body can absorb it better as there is nothing in the stomach to interfere with the absorption process.

I hope the above helps but if anything is not clear then just shout.

Moggie x

[sam1986 in reply to Moggie]

Thanks for the advice. I wasn't aware of that. So should I miss my dose this morning and have it tonight instead?

[Moggie]

You could do either - take is as normal this morning and take another dose tonight - levo is stored in the body so two doses in one day wont make to much difference. If you don't feel comfortable doing this then miss this mornings dose and just take it tonight.

How much levo are you taking?

Moggie x

[sam1986 in reply to Moggie]

They have started me on 50mcg. I expect this to go up after next blood tests though as the first results were quite shocking x

[sam1986 in reply to sam1986]

Also what is a normal range for t4 on blood tests?

[Moggie in reply to sam1986]

That will depend on your doctors views. The NHS "normal" range will depend on what lab is used but going by the lab my doctor uses its 0.25 - 5.00 (don't forget this can differ slightly from lab to lab)

On here, as fellow sufferers, we know at what level our TSH should be before we feel relatively well and that level is one or under BUT if your GP follows the NHS guidelines then he will say you are optimally medicated when your TSH falls to just below five. As you can see there is a big difference and there may be a big difference in your symptoms at these levels as well. If you have a good GP who will listen to you and take into consideration your symptoms as well as your blood results then you will be allowed to increase your meds until your TSH falls to a level that suits you but if your GP is looking only at blood results then you may have a battle on your hands to get him/her to increase your meds enough for your symptoms to decease.

You really need to start getting print outs of ALL your results so, firstly you can check them yourself and keep records and secondly, you can post them on here if you think there may be a problem.

As you are on such a low dose and your TSH was so high I would be inclined to take your levo as normal this morning and then take another one tonight and then keep it at nightly dosing.

Hope this helps.

Moggie x

[sam1986 in reply to Moggie]

I am seeing my gp tonight for a proper follow up to the results. He only did a prescription on Monday when the lab where my bloods were sent rang him to tell him to treat me. I am hoping I get referred to someone who deals with thyroid issues. I am also hoping they tell me it may go back to normal once my body recovers from pregnancy! I suspect it is postpartum hypothyroidism as I have never had any issues with my thyroid before and if it was underactive during pregnancy I would of put on a lot more weight then I did. I only gained 4 pounds body weight, this was when I weighed myself after giving birth. I continued to lose weight then it stopped and I started piling it on despite diet and exercise. I also put my fatigue down to a new baby and the dizzy spells down to anxiety and stress but now I know what was causing all of this.

[Moggie in reply to sam1986]

I sorry Sam I don't know anything about thyroid problems and pregnancy - mine showed up well after I had my two kids.

Looks like you have a lot to talk to your GP about tonight. Hope it all goes well and don't forget to ask for copies of your results. Let us know how you get on wont you.

Moggie x

[Clarebear in reply to sam1986]

Hi Sam - great to hear you are feeling the benefit already The lab ranges for fT4 vary greatly. My lab goes from 12-22 but others can be 7-14, it really depends on which machine they are using. However your fT4 looks very low what ever range they are using Most people tend to feel best when their fT4 is near to the top of the range, so you will probably need a few increases. Don't be surprised if you feel that you are going downhill again, that is normal and signifies that you are ready for an increase xx

[Moggie in reply to sam1986]

Sorry Sam got that wrong didn't I - should have read it properly. I was giving you the ranges of TSH not FT4.

Moggie x

[chicken3]

Hi Sam,

My underactive thyroid developed after my second pregnancy and like you I put the tiredness, headaches, cold, skin and hair loss down to looking after the kids and lack of sleep. I was running regularly last year after my first tests showed an underactive thyroid and doing 10k races and half marathons until winter when my body just couldn't keep going.

From what I've read underactive thyroid is quite common post-partum and a small number of women go on to develop hashimotos (an auto-immune condition) which causes a more long-term thyroid problem. Mine was first identified 18 months after second daughter but not acted on (and as I wasn't told anything I didn't push for action and kept shrugging my symptoms off as part of being busy mother despite my husband pushing me to go back to doctor), then a year later diagnosed through an antibodies test as Hashimotos. Symptoms had got worse but ironically TSH going down. Pregnancy and genetic disposition are listed as the two main causes of Hashimotos, smoking (even if you've given up) and chemicals don't help. I have found Mary Shomon's book "living well with hypothyroidism" quite useful in trying to understand.

So it might be worth asking your doctor for the antibodies test (thyroid perioxidase antibodies???) to see if you have developed hashimotos or if it is just a post-partum thing. I suspect that's why my first doctor didn't do anything but my symptoms got worse and I had to give up running etc. Anyway I'm now on Levothyroxine too - 100mcg even though my TSH alot lower than yours at 7.8 so I suspect your dose a bit low - my Dr said they do it on wieght and age but maybe they have to be careful if your Thyroid so badly affected?

[sam1986 in reply to chicken3]

My dr has an under active thyroid and she was started on 125mcg many years ago & she said it made her poorly so she believes baby steps are the way forward. But my blood tests and follow ups are more often then they would be normally. I was quite shocked over the tsh levels, and my thyroid is swelled up a bit now. Honestly think its definitely postpartum, don't think I would of conceived my baby in first place with levels like that. I'm praying everything goes back to normal and I'm adjusting my lifestyle now. Seeing a herbalist on Monday. They seem to be more clued up about thyroid x