Scared to take thyroxine

[inthewoods4]

Hi, I’ve been struggling with what I thought were mental health problems for 18 months, but have just found out my thyroid is under active. It’s classed as subclinical with a TSH of 4.5 and the doctor has given me 12.5mcg to start with.
Stupidly I’ve gone down too many rabbit holes and been told it could make me feel worse, and as anxiety has been my main problem, this has really scared me! Can anyone reassure me?

Thank you. I am really nervous and feel quite overwhelmed at the thought of the condition as a whole, and the possibility that it won’t work. I just need to get started-I’m collecting my prescription today x

I wish my GP would start me on thyroxine. I've been subclinical for over a year now. Latest TSH 6.22 but T4 just inside the "normal" zone at 8.1. I feel terrible, put on weight without eating, foggy mind, always cold, dry skin, tiredness. Nope, let's wait until you are really ill the we will consider it

It is so frustrating. As my TSH goes up, my T4 goes down, but not quite enough to treat apparently. I've had a thyroid antibody test and that didn't show antibodies, but I'd really like to try thyroxine to see if it helps.

I’ve been on 175 for about 2 decades. Honestly, take it- they’ve rightly started you on a very low dose and it’s unlikely you’ll notice much. They can build up from there if appropriate.

Levothyroxine can be a great treatment. I’ve been on it for more than 15 years.
I also take liothyronine now.

if you are sub clinical and doc is treating you then you are very lucky. Keep this doc!!!!

you should take it on an empty stomach. And preferably not eat for an hour after. And avoid caffeine and soy for an hour.
some people say dairy too

the reason for this is the impact on absorption of the medication.

I used to take my meds at bedtime. But meant not eating for several hours before bed.

each to their own.
I tbink morning is easier actually.

good luck. You should have blood tests every 3 months until you find a stable dosage

Btw the biggest sign my meds are not working - impact on my brain function

i become forgetful. Fuzzy. Brain fog descends.

as a result I now follow a gluten free diet (recommended by a doc overseas). This was a game changer.
dont do it now but definitely Consider it in the future when you might be looking to optimise your health even more.

Have your blood tests been done as early in the morning as possible?
Probably irrelevant but it was only when I gave up smoking that my true TSH was revealed. I didn't know nicotine suppresses it. ( I was regularly tested as family history plus symptoms. Before I gave up smoking it was around 3, afterwards 42)
I don't know if it has any effect on T4 though

That's interesting. I do vape. I keep trying to give up so this is another incentive.

I do have them done first thing as they keep doing my lipids at the same time. They are off the scale at 7 overall cholesterol, which apparently is another symptom of hypothyroidism. I've also got super low blood pressure at 87/57 but they still won't treat. Feel like I'm banging my head against a brick wall.

what was the reference range when you got a TSH of 6.22? I’m surprised they’re not medicating you with that TSH.

Exciting update. After a year, and many many conversations, I have a prescription for Levothyroxine!! 2 month trial to see if it helps. My reference range was 0.30- 4.80 so quite a lot out.

Do you have autoimmune thyroid disease @inthewoods4 (Hashimotos Disease)?
You can "just" have hypothyroidism, like I do which is a simple under production of thyroxine.

This is what they think I have. Not Hashimotos

I think at the moment it’s just hypothyroid, I do have antibodies but they seem in range at the moment ( I think! )

12.5 seems like a pointless dose.

I’m on 150mg/d.

I'm glad they've prescribed and I hope it is effective for you

My antibodies were out of range for a couple of years before I was prescribed. I've felt no effects from being on levothyroxine, my dose seems small to compared to others on here, but my GP is adamant it's correct and my continuing symptoms are because I'm peri-menopausal

I've been on levothyroxine for 20 years with no problems whatsoever. As a previous poster has already said, thyroxine is a natural hormone and by medicating you are simply looking to replace what your body can no longer produce. Honestly, being underactive can make you feel absolutely horrible. Taking thyroxine is a real no-brainer IMO.

@inthewoods4 When you get diagnosed, you get all the medical jargon, different tests & a whole bunch of ‘T’ things when it comes to thyroids. It’s easy to get overwhelmed with it all. Especially when a underactive thyroid can make you feel so awful to start off with. Once you’ve started your thyroxine it can take a bit of tweaking to get your dose right so don’t be disheartened if you get a few different doses. If you still don’t feel yourself get back in contact with your gp. Hopefully you’ll get your dose sorted and your symptoms will ease💐

Hi again, so I've been taking the levo for about 10 days and I definitely feel like the nervous feeling has subsided and I wake up feeling much calmer. I feel very foggy headed and a sort of calm/numb feeling... could this be signs its working or my body is adjusting? I'm only on 12.5 and I'm so tempted to go up to 25 but I think my GP would tell me off!

Don’t self-medicate. 10 days is still too early to increase your dose. It will depend on your doctor, but my endocrinologist checks my blood levels 2 months after starting a new dose. Do you have an appointment for your next blood test?

Yes, 13th June. I'm so impatient!

OP I know it’s different for everyone but I take 200mcg a day (2x 100 tablets) and it’s been great for me, no side effects either.

I was diagnosed in 2003 after years of gaslighting by the medical profession, eventually they found the issue but by then my thyroid was so bad they started me on 100! Over the last 2 decades my levels have had to be increased slightly to 150, 175 and now 200.

Great you have started, just remember you should keep going as it takes about 6 weeks for each dose adjustment to ‘take’. If you have any thyroid antibodies it suggests that you do have an autoimmune process attacking your thyroid gland, so it's worth following up on that. Also your doctor should treat your thyroid levels (prescribe thyroxine) based on how you feel, and not just the numbers on the chart

Stupidly I’ve gone down too many rabbit holes and been told it could make me feel worse, and as anxiety has been my main problem, this has really scared me! Can anyone reassure me?

Stop googling and going down rabbit holes and listen to your GP.

I have now been taking my tiny 12.5mcg for 2 weeks and I definitley feel a difference, quite brain foggy but my nervous feeling has pretty much gone - until today! Is it normal for symptoms to fluctuate in these first few weeks? Obviously I'm making it worse by worrying about it!

Me again! Just gone up to 25mcgs and have been feeling very brain foggy and exhausted for two days- just need a little reassurance that this is normal and will pass?