Underactive Thyroid question

[stirrupleathers]

Hi, you are all so good on here I?m back to ask another question. I go for a couple of months feeling great then all of a sudden I have a massive dip and start to feel really ill. Why is that? I went back to the Dr at Christmas to tell him that i wanted an increase in my dose I had to plead for the increase as I was feeling so so ill which he did for a month from 100mg to 125mg. I was to go back for a fasting blood test to see what difference it made to my levels but I couldn?t get a blood test for love nor money.( I should have made an appointment for my bloods at the time I know)

Anyway, then a month went by and I was feeling ok so I didn?t go for the bloods and carried on with my usual 100mg dose as I had used up all the extra 25mg tablets.

Sooooo now I have been feeling really awful, the hangover feeling is back I?m hungry so i eat then i feel sick so for the last week I have terrible headaches and I am hardly eating as Its just making me feel rubbish. I?m so tired i could sleep all day, my husband is getting sick of me lol!!!

I'm going back to my Dr to get my bloods done but I am wondering why i suddenly get these awful dips? My levels are T4 15.7 TSH 4.7 .....

Thanks again so much for reading...x

It can depend a bit on the tablets. I complained about some last year as I was feeling awful. GP thought I was making it up and made a bit of a fuss, but did me a new prescription to get another brand from a different pharmacy. They have since been withdrawn due to so many complaints and it looks like they were literally only half as potent as the leading brand.

Makes me so frustrated that they won't listen to you when you tell them that you feel unwell because "the blood test says you're fine". Has your weight/exercise level fluctuated much? I find that when I'm exercising regularly I do feel better (much as I hate to admit it!) and also if you weigh more, you will need a bigger dose to have the same effect.

When you get your blood test done don't take your tablet before you go in case you have a peak. Thyroxine has quite a long half-life apparently, so it shouldn't make a big difference to your result if you haven't taken it that day, but it will be a more consistent number. I have persuaded my GP to put the extra 25s onto my repeat prescription so that if I feel low I can take one once or twice a week (although I often end up having to take 4 of them when I run out of 100s, so I soon use them up!)

Hi Im on the same brand, i did get a different brand last year and had awful stomach pains from them. The Dr thought i was nuts but gave me another prescription! I?m piling the weight on Doingitformyself but Im quite active. I work at an Equestrian Centre during the mornings then go straight to my cleaning jobs in the afternoon before collecting the kids. I used to run and need to start it again.

I won't take my tablet before i go in for my bloods then, that?s a good tip. Thanks for answering :)

When I didn't take my Thyroxine tablet the morning of blood test, and it was on empty stomach, my TSH was 5.2. When I took it the night before, it was 4.8. But I felt no different.

I am on 50 mcgs and as I've aged, I feel older than others the same age, so took 2 tabs one morning, but still didn't feel any younger/more energetic

I've been told that you can't feel any changes immediately, it usually takes a week to 15 days for changes in dosage to take effect. Wonder if that's really the case?

What was this brand of thyroxine?

It takes at least 2 weeks to feel the difference, imho.

Stirrupleathers, your T4 should be in the upper third of the range. If I went down to 15.7 I would feel like crap! This is probably why your TSH is elevated as your body is still working like a dog to try and get your T4 levels up. Your TSH should be below 4.5 (and the UK range is a lot wider than, for instance in the US). You aren't getting sufficient treatment. Tell your GP you want more levo. If you still feel like poo or they won't play ball, change GP and take a trip to www.thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/index.html

On those figures, you look horrendously under-medicated to me. If your GP is just keeping your TSH within the lab range, he is starting from the wrong position. Your TSH should be around (or even possibly below) 1 and your FT4 should be in the top 25% of the lab range. If he doesn?t get this, pop into Boots and pick up a copy of the BMA?s booklet Understanding Thyroid Disorders by Dr John Toft, mark the appropriate passages and wave it at him!

Have you been told to take your levo first thing in the morning on an empty stomach, with water only, an hour before eating or drinking anything else, or alternatively on an empty stomach, and with water, at bedtime? If not, try that for starters. It is often possible to negate the need for an increase by just taking it properly.

Let us know how you get on!

RockinD i always take my tablets in the mng with water and wait at least 45 mins to an hour before a coffee. Weirdly enough i felt a little better yesterday as i didn?t eat any carbs just stuck to salad and vegetables last night for my tea. I was still so exhausted that i could have gone to bed the minute my husband came in from work. I have fasting bloods to be take n on Tuesday mng so lets see what happens!!

XX

Are they testing for other things too Stirrup? Never had to fast for Thyroid function tests before. If they're not already, get them to check for B12 or Iron deficiency anemia, which can feel very much like low thyroid.

The ones which were withdrawn were Teva, Poppy. I usually have Activis but recently got some MercuryPharma and feeling a bit pants again, makes me wonder if these are substandard too?

Doingitformyself , yes testing all my vitamin levels too!!!