How long did it take for your TSH levels to lower after starting levothyroxine?

[LW678]

As above. I’m currently on 50mcg of levothyroxine with a TSH of 9.1 which is being retested in 2 weeks.

I've recently learnt I was taking to big a dose of levothyroxine and been given a blood test form for 'strictly' 8 weeks time to check so I guess suspected better by then.

As soon as my dose was dropped I immediately started to sleep better and do less dumb things where my thinking has become sharper. I thought it was menopause brain fog but no😊I'm gutted it might have lost me the weight unintentionally instead of my other efforts. I wish I'd learnt it sooner but my doctors surgery refused to test me more then once yearly and I honestly do believe they forget I have an under active thyroid as I've had it so many years.

50 mcg is a very low 'starter' dose so it's most likely your dose will need to be raised after re-testing.

I'm not a very good example because although my TSH began dropping, I still had a fairly high FT4 and so I couldn't be given more than 50 mcg Levo without pushing it over range (and thus likely making reverse T3). I couldn't get TSH lower than around 3 as a result.

Thank you both, my T4 is 14 which is rather high also.

What is the range they gave you for FT4?

@CrunchyCarrot they didn’t give me a range but Google has informed the normal range is 5-12, I presume this is correct?

It depends on the lab, tests vary. I don't mean they have a different opinion of the normal range, I mean biochemically the tests have different ranges. The one I'm most familiar with has a normal range for FT4 of 12-22. If you are in the US, for example, this is totally different. That's why people will always ask you for the range. Without knowing the reference range, your result is meaningless.

Updating the thread for anyone who may come across it in the same boat. After 6 weeks of 50mcg levothyroxine my TSH is now 2.35