Under Active Thyroid

CelticEvie

Hi All

Im looking for some advice please. Was feeling really unwell a couple of weeks ago, general exhaustion and pins n needles in my hands so my Gp referred me to A& E and they diagnosed me with a bladder infection...anyhow have started to feel much better after taking meds. My GP contacted me yest and advised me that I have an under active thyroid. And he has put me on 100 mg og El (sorry know tabs begin with a E) for one mth and then is uppin the dose to 150mg..he said that my thyroid is completely gone!!

Anyhow as usual I left in total shock and didnt ask any questions....Im wondering do I have this as I dont really have a lot of the symptons....I joined Unislim five weeks ago and have lost 9.5 ibs when from what Ive read I am supposed to be putting on weight...will this happen when I start taking the tabs??? Im also worried about trying to conceive does it affect your fertility??

Any advice would be greatly appreciated as my head is in a bit of a spin at the mo.

Evie

RentDayBlues

Evie, if you do a search here there are some old threads about this that might be helpful but a few points:

- You should do some reading into an under active thyroid, what it means, what the blood tests look for etc. Unfortunately a lot of doctors in Ireland aren't very well informed so you should make yourself informed.
- Depending on the current level of your TSH it might be advisable to see an endocrinologist for more help
- Under active thyroid is an autoimmune disease and can be linked to others. A lot of sufferers tend to have coeliac disease also so it might be worth looking at this.
- In terms of weight - if your thyroid is under active you will have a tendency to put on weight easily so the fact that you have already lost some is great.
- on the dose you are on, doctors normally retest your blood before they will increase/decrease, so make sure this happens. You don't want to be on too high a dose as this has dangerous consequences.

My story: diagnosed in 2005, currently on 150mg Eltroxin Mon-Thurs and 200mg Fri-Sun. This is a trial dose as I'm still not feeling very well. I also have coeliac disease and am currently testing for adrenal fatigue as if left undiagnosed it means that the medication I'm taking wont do me any good. Its tough but easy to live with once you get the hand of it. When you're on the right dose for you, you will see a huge difference. But remember to get tested every 6 months to check the levels and become aware of what the results mean for you. The levels on the test are just standard levels, not gospel. For me, I do better when my TSH is between 0.5 and 1, although according to the standard levels this is too low. As for your question about fertility once your being treated properly there is no issue - when you do become pregnant you will need to get your bloods checked regularly as your level tends to change.

Other than that I would suggest:
- Although its utterly exhausting try to get as much exercise as possible
- A lot of people with under active thyroid tend to do well on a low carb diet
- Make sure you're getting all your vitamins. B12 is really important

If you need any other help, there are lots of people here, but feel free to PM me

PikaPikachu

CelticEvie wrote: »

Hi All

Im looking for some advice please. Was feeling really unwell a couple of weeks ago, general exhaustion and pins n needles in my hands so my Gp referred me to A& E and they diagnosed me with a bladder infection...anyhow have started to feel much better after taking meds. My GP contacted me yest and advised me that I have an under active thyroid. And he has put me on 100 mg og El (sorry know tabs begin with a E) for one mth and then is uppin the dose to 150mg..he said that my thyroid is completely gone!!

Anyhow as usual I left in total shock and didnt ask any questions....Im wondering do I have this as I dont really have a lot of the symptons....I joined Unislim five weeks ago and have lost 9.5 ibs when from what Ive read I am supposed to be putting on weight...will this happen when I start taking the tabs??? Im also worried about trying to conceive does it affect your fertility??

Any advice would be greatly appreciated as my head is in a bit of a spin at the mo.

Evie

That is weird. If you have an under active thyroid you should be gaining weight, I think.
An under active thyroid causes tiredness, dry skin, weakness... and yes, it does affect your fertility too.
I couldn't work out what kind of meds you're on from what you've written, but if your GP is changing the dosage every now and then and if he's testing your blood regularly, then you're probably taking levothyroxine or something like that. If you started losing weight after you started taking your tablets, then your thyroid is probably working properly now and you'll have to keep taking the tablets to keep the thyroxin level stable. You should not exceed the dosage prescribed by your GP as this would cause the opposite effect: an overactive thyroid, causing anxiety, stress, fertility problems and great weight loss.
An under active thyroid could seriously affect your fertility. Assuming you are a woman, hypothyroidism can cause difficulties for your ovaries to ovulate (i.e. release eggs). Low levels of thyroxin may cause irregular menstrual cycles, so if you do have those irregular cycles, it is probably because of your under active thyroid. During pregnancy, especially during the early stage, you should really keep an eye on your thyroxin level as it might affect your progesterone level. If your progesterone is low during pregnancy you might risk spontaneous abortion, known as miscarriage. So in case of pregnancy make sure you see your GP and you have your blood tested regularly.
But, as I said before, if you started losing weight after taking the tablets, then your thyroxin level is probably normal now. As for your thyroid being “completely gone”, I honestly can't imagine what happened! Did your GP say anything about autoimmune thyroiditis?
Hope that helped.
Tabhair aire dhuit féin.

CelticEvie

Thanks for much for taking the time to reply, I rang my gp this morning and he was very dismissive and told me to kop on and start taking the tabs!! So ur mails have been me some clarification when he didnt!!


My tabs are called eltroxin- he has started me on 100mg and said I will prob be on that for a mth and has then upped my dose to 150mg to then have a blood test in 6 weeks, but when I rang him this morning he said if I want I can stay on the lower dose til I have my bloods done in 6 weeks. He then knocked me tho by saying my dosage at the end will prob be 200-250mg!! Im worried that Ive been mis-diagnosed as ive been feeling much better in the last two weeks. My tsh level was 45???

Altho Im 32 and not planning on trying to get pregnant for a few years I was very frightened to read that it can affect ferility but that seems to be only if it goes untreated. He said its a good sign that Im loosing weight by following low GI thru Unislim and to continue to do that and that I will probably loose more weight once I start the tabs and my dosage gets sorted out for me....I terrified of gaining weight as for the 1st time Ive found something that works for me and dont want to undo all the good work, but he said once I start the meds my chancing of getting pregnant and loosing weight will be increased!!

Its very frightening reading up on the net and it doesnt portray under active thyroid or Eltroxin in a very positive light.

Again many thanks for taking the time to reply.

tbh

CelticEvie wrote: »

Thanks for much for taking the time to reply, I rang my gp this morning and he was very dismissive and told me to kop on and start taking the tabs!!

Evie - get a different doctor.

RentDayBlues

Internet can be good and bad - so don't believe everything you read. A TSH of 45 is huge - no wonder you're feeling so much better now. Don't worry about how much meds you're on a day, if you feel better then its working.

As I have to echo what TBH said - get a new doc, this one is a joke!

Its never as bad as it first seems - I was the same as you when I was first diagnosed but now I feel much better informed and although not fully better I know what I need to do to get me there.

Hope you feel better soon

glitterbug86

Hi CelticEvie.

Looks like you caught it early before the symptoms you read about set in.

Let me just explain a little about it. The most common cause of hypothyroidism is something called "hashimotos thyroiditis". This is where your immune system mistakedly attacks the thyroid gland with antibody attacks which gradually distroy the thyroid gland. The result of this is that your thyroid cant produce sufficient thyroid hormones (t4, t3) ... ie. you're left with hypothyroidism. Hashimotos thyroiditis can be confirmed with a blood test to check if these antibodies are present in the blood but many doctors don't bother doing this as it makes absolutely no difference to the course of treatment.

From http://thyroid.about.com/cs/hypothyroidism/a/hashivshypo.htm
"Hashimoto's typically involves a slow but steady destruction of the gland that eventually results in the thyroid's inability to produce sufficient thyroid hormone -- the condition known as hypothyroidism. Along the way, however, there can be periods where the thyroid sputters back to life, even causing temporary hyperthyroidism, then a return to hypothyroidism. This cycling back and forth between hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism is characteristic of Hashimoto's disease. So, for example, periods of anxiety/insomnia/diarrhea/weight loss may be followed by periods of depression/fatigue/constipation/weight gain"

I think this may explain your recent weight loss. With a TSH of 45 there is no doubt you are hypothyroid and need the eltroxin. If you didn't already know; TSH stands for thyroid stimulating hormone. In basic terms its your body calling out for your thyroid to produce more thyroid hormone (t4, t3) as not enough is being produced. 45 is way over the normal range. Eltroxin is a synthetic form of t4 to replace this missing hormone and when you take it your TSH will respond by lowering.

Just as a side note: the test "Free t4" is a much better test to go by in future (as it tells you more about how much hormone you have rather that how much you're "calling out for").

As you havn't had symptoms before starting eltroxin I can't imagine you'll start having ones after. Hope this helps.:)

Corruptedmorals

I have an underactive thyroid. I have always been underweight, which absolutely baffled my doctor when the first TSH test came back with a score of 11. Recently they are concerned that it may be an indicator of malabsorption, along with my consistently low iron results. If you are of a healthy weight I wouldn't be too worried but if you're underweight it would be worth switching doctors, yours doesn't sound the best. Although your TSH level is very high, be on the lookout for any symptoms which result from too much of eltroxin too fast- palpitations, constipation.

kangaroo

Corruptedmorals wrote: »

Although your TSH level is very high, be on the lookout for any symptoms which result from too much of eltroxin too fast- palpitations, constipation.

Think you mean diarrhoea?

Corruptedmorals

kangaroo wrote: »

Think you mean diarrhoea?

Possibly, I think constipation is a sign of too little eltroxin actually! My doctor was so scared I was started off on 25 every second day...now stable on 75 weekday/50 weekends:)

kangaroo

Corruptedmorals wrote: »

Possibly, I think constipation is a sign of too little eltroxin actually! My doctor was so scared I was started off on 25 every second day...now stable on 75 weekday/50 weekends:)

Yes, constipation as a sign of too little eltroxin makes sense.

Never heard of it the other way but maybe it's true. I read the signs to look out for, to check you weren't taking too much, were signs of hyperthyroidism.

DrIndy

Hi CelticEvie,

Gettin diagnosed with anything longterm and needing to take a tablet for life is not easy - but as the good people of the forum here can help you with is that there are 2 ways to let a disease run. You can control your disease and become well informed and sensible and managing it as well as you would a temperamental car or other appliance - get used to it and know its individual quirks.

The alternative is to let it all wash over you - feel you have lost control and then you are not only unwell from that condition - but you are also down in the dumps about it all.

Please be VERY wary of the internet. DON'T google conditions. Always work from national endocrinology societies from either the usa or uk/ireland. Charities are good too - but people with axes to grind against the medical profession can masquerade as charities and other google results.

In a nutshell, hypothyroidism is a very common condition, very easily treated, very slowly treated as too much of a jump of thyroxine can make you very ill and vey slowly for test results to change. Everyone needs a slightly different dose of thyroxine as every thyroid is different before it claps out. TSH is simply very high, borderline up or down or very low. The actual number does not mean anything. TSH's of 30 or 3000 simply mean the effort your pituatory is making to make your thyroid produce thyroxine and does not correlate to actual deficiency.

The cause is not very relevant either as the treatment is the same although it is nice to know sometimes.

It sounds like you need a good working relationship with your GP. When you have a long term medical condition - you need regular followup and thus you should see a GP you get along well with - you are entitled to change your GP if you wish. Be careful of the internet and remember - never change or stop any medication without chatting to your doctor first.

You will do well and there are plenty of people here who can help you out.

LegacyUser

Hi
I am new to posting, I was diagnosed over 3 years ago as borderline hypothyroid, It runs in my family, I have had 1 blood test since as I neglated myself, but have had numerous health problems which I put down to uderactive thyroid, I have turned into a hypochodriac as I constantly have pains all over my body! I will add that the recent blood test which was 2 years ago came back ok which I dispute, but that was 2 years ago!
I started taking kelp and selenium 3 days ago and already I feel it is doing something for me! I just feel that doctors shrug you off when it comes to this, like if you are not broke dont fix it kind of thing?

All feedback is very much appriciated!xx

spurious

TSH is like judging how much it's raining by looking out the window and counting the number of umbrellas people have up.
Much better actually find out how much 'rain' there is (Free T4), but they rarely test for it in Ireland.

ziggy23

Hi all

Just wondering if anyone has ever been on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triiodothyronine for an underactive thyroid or depression?
I've been taking eltroxin for years am now on 250mc and I'm only 27. Everytime I get blood tests done it's shows it's low and they just keep upping the dose. I'm also taking anti-depressants but I really do think its the hypo-thyroidism that's making me feel low.

Are there other medications for this other than eltroxin? Or if anyone could reccommend a specialist in the Dublin area please PM me.

Thanks in advance:)

cltt97

250mcg seems quite a high dose! But of course it all depends on the state of your gland and your bodily needs, your ability to convert T4 into T3, the list is endless....

Eltroxin is pure T4 (the storage hormone). There are other types of medication, for example there is a T3 preparation (the active hormone) and there are also dessicated thyroid products (made from pigs glands), which would have been used traditionally before T4 could be chemically synthesised in a lab (similar to how they used cow's insulin before they could produce the hormone in the lab). These preparations (trade names armour, erfa, naturthroid, etc contain a mixture of T3, T4, and also other components, such as T1 and T2 and other substances commonly found in the thyroid gland). Both T4 (Eltroxin) and T3 (Tertroxin) are pure synthetic drugs.

Whilst standard treatment with "T4 supplementation only" seems to work just fine for a lot of people, there are many others who have benefited from a combination of T4/T3 or T3 only, or taking one of the "natural" preparations. I myself fall into the latter category. As these products are not licensed in Ireland, you need to get an endocrinologist to prescribe it on a named basis for you, i.e. it is not illegal to get these, but you need to find someone who is prepared to prescribe it for you. And there aren't that many around, it took me a long time to find someone who was willing to work with me to get myself better. Feel free to PM me if you want any further info.

hotfire

Hi everyone. I know its been awhile since anyone posted on this thread but I was hoping for some advice. I was diagonsed with underactive thyroid in 2002. When I started taking Eltroxin I gradually lost 2 stone which brought me to approx 9st. From 2004 to 2009 i gradually put up weight and reached 11.5St. I have blood tests done every 6 months and my medicine is changed accordingly. I joined a gym in 2009 and in the first year i went 3 times a week. For the last year i go to the gym Monday to Thursday. It seems that no matter what i do i cannot loose weight. I am still 11.5 stone... Since I am on the correct amount of eltroxin (150/200 every second day) shouldnt I be able to control my weight? My main problem area is my belly I do hundreds and different types of cruches every week:) Can anyone advice me of what foods i should avoid, what foods are bad for Thyroid etc.. any help would be very much appreciated.

cyning

I went and saw a new endocrinologist in January. I was on 500mg of Eltroxin :eek: I'm now taking levothyroxine sodium. And after a month theres been a massive difference. I'm still taking Eltroxine with the levothyroxine sodium I've been reduced to 400mg. My Endo thinks I have problems converting T4's to T3's: but theres no test to prove or disprove that theory.

I feel your pain though. I'm in Kerry so can't reccomend anyone for you, but I think a good GP is more important than a good endocrinologist. A good GP will fight to get answers for you and mine really has. I've seen three different endo's and this was the first time I have felt listened to.

Over the last three years I have been to a surgeon, a gynaecologist and a neurologist: been under a general anaesthetic twice, had test on my adrenal glands, tests on my pituitary glands, had Helicobacter pylori, suspected endemitriosis, and all for symptoms that were all interrelated to my thyroid: I find it difficult to fight off infections because I get so exhausted tired. I get a lot of colds/coughs/ear infections/kidney infections and it sometimes makes me want to scream: that's why it is so so important to have a good doctor there to fight for the answers. And fingers crossed this time I have!!!

Also I found regular GENTLE exercise is a massive massive help. It sounds so trite and I'm sure you've probably heard it dozens of times but nonetheless that helped me massively. The depression that goes with a thyroid problem can be crushing: and don't I know it!

ziggy23

Thanks guys for your replies:)

Some great info there especially about the T3. It is about getting someone to listen to you. My GP basically says to me 'just watch the weight' and sends me for bloods doesnt seem to want to get to the root of the problem. Got blood tests done in the Mater private today so am goin to see what they say. I want to sort out this once and for all!!

Anyway best of luck to you both x

cltt97

It's probably too late now, but make sure they're testing for Free T3 and Free T4 and not the total forms of it.
And cynig, you probably mean you're taking Triiodothyronine (i.e.T3) with your Eltroxin? Because levothyroxine sodium = T4 and is the active ingredient in Eltroxin. Have you ever tried taking Selenium supplements? It is needed for conversion from T4 to T3 and has also been shown in a number of clinical trials to reduct TPO count. I found I got way more energy when I started taking it
I have also read (I'm not sure if this is scientifically proven) that if your T4 gets too high, a lot of it gets converted into reverse T3, which is an inactive form of T3, this however takes up receptor space, so the active T3 can't bind and hence, again, no energy. So if you're responding well to T3 treatment, then this may well be the case... Something to discuss with your doctor? And I must say that I found a brilliant endocrinologist, who is actually interested in getting me well, unlike the GP, who ran out of ideas and just kind of gave up on me. So totally depends on the person (although I had to go through 2 very patronising Endos before getting to this one!)

ziggy23

cltt97 wrote: »

It's probably too late now, but make sure they're testing for Free T3 and Free T4 and not the total forms of it.
And cynig, you probably mean you're taking Triiodothyronine (i.e.T3) with your Eltroxin? Because levothyroxine sodium = T4 and is the active ingredient in Eltroxin. Have you ever tried taking Selenium supplements? It is needed for conversion from T4 to T3 and has also been shown in a number of clinical trials to reduct TPO count. I found I got way more energy when I started taking it
I have also read (I'm not sure if this is scientifically proven) that if your T4 gets too high, a lot of it gets converted into reverse T3, which is an inactive form of T3, this however takes up receptor space, so the active T3 can't bind and hence, again, no energy. So if you're responding well to T3 treatment, then this may well be the case... Something to discuss with your doctor? And I must say that I found a brilliant endocrinologist, who is actually interested in getting me well, unlike the GP, who ran out of ideas and just kind of gave up on me. So totally depends on the person (although I had to go through 2 very patronising Endos before getting to this one!)

Great bit of info there

Havent tried selenium before am takin nearly everything else though!

I've heard sea kelp can help as well but I'm not sure if they'd interfere with any other medication

Are you in Dublin? If you are could you PM me the details of your Endo?

cheers

cltt97

Yep, in Dublin, I'll send you pm. If you have hashimoto's then sea kelp might be a bad idea, as the iodine provides fuel to the thyroid gland and stimulates the the enzyme (TPO) against which the body forms antibodies, so you could further the inflammatory process really... Seakelp is only useful if your underactivity is due to lack of iodine, and even then you'd have to be extremely careful with iodine supplemntation. Sea kelp and the likes can also contain highly dangerous amounts of iodine (and arsenic) for that matter, so be careful with that kind of stuff.

wandatowell

hotfire wrote: »

Hi everyone. I know its been awhile since anyone posted on this thread but I was hoping for some advice. I was diagonsed with underactive thyroid in 2002. When I started taking Eltroxin I gradually lost 2 stone which brought me to approx 9st. From 2004 to 2009 i gradually put up weight and reached 11.5St. I have blood tests done every 6 months and my medicine is changed accordingly. I joined a gym in 2009 and in the first year i went 3 times a week. For the last year i go to the gym Monday to Thursday. It seems that no matter what i do i cannot loose weight. I am still 11.5 stone... Since I am on the correct amount of eltroxin (150/200 every second day) shouldnt I be able to control my weight? My main problem area is my belly I do hundreds and different types of cruches every week:) Can anyone advice me of what foods i should avoid, what foods are bad for Thyroid etc.. any help would be very much appreciated.

Dunno how much of help this is but I had my thyroid taken out about 2 years ago, was on 150mg of good old Eltroxin a day. I didnt like the effect it was having so I lowered the amount I was taking.

Now Im off all meds for my thyroid but I live a pretty healthy lifestyle. Pretty much train 5/6 days a week. Gym before work 2 to 3 times a week and a nice little weight training session after that.

My diet is also pretty good. Fiber in the morning, loads of water throughout the day, Tuna/chicken for lunch and then a large dinner.

Like I said this probably wont be of any help to you but keeping active for me IS the best thing you can do.

hotfire

thanks Wandatowell for the reply.

dollydishmop

wandatowell wrote: »

I had my thyroid taken out about 2 years ago, was on 150mg of good old Eltroxin a day. I didnt like the effect it was having so I lowered the amount I was taking.

Now Im off all meds for my thyroid .

I'm guessing you had a partial thyroidectomy...because I just can't see how you can be off all thyroid meds, with no thyroid gland...?

If I'm wrong about the partial/total please tell me more, I'd be fascinated to know how you've done it.

dollydishmop

cyning wrote: »

I went and saw a new endocrinologist in January. I was on 500mg of Eltroxin :eek: I'm now taking levothyroxine sodium. And after a month theres been a massive difference. I'm still taking Eltroxine with the levothyroxine sodium I've been reduced to 400mg.

Am I having a really bad attack of fuzzy thyroid brain today...because I've always understood that Eltroxin *IS* levothyroxine sodium...?
It even says so on the packet...

sam34

threads merged

may cause a little disruption to the order of posts, apologies

cyning

dollydishmop wrote: »

Am I having a really bad attack of fuzzy thyroid brain today...because I've always understood that Eltroxin *IS* levothyroxine sodium...?
It even says so on the packet...

Nope my bad guys sorry... I think I was having a particualrly brain foggy though!! What I'm on is sodium liothyronine: ti-tre to be exact... has to be ordered in for me though!

cyning

Well... for the first time in 5 years I had a normal thyroid test: 7 weeks after starting taking sodium liothyronine.. down side is they think i've started going the other way (overactive): I'm on Inderal now for palipitations etc. But that's just a case of getting the combination eltroxin/sodium liothyronine right.

So well well worth it: my T4 are up to 13 from 9 and my TSH is down to 2.2 from 21

Absolutely delighted!

dollydishmop

Awesome news! Glad to hear its all going in the right direction for you!

Splendour

cyning wrote: »

Well... for the first time in 5 years I had a normal thyroid test: 7 weeks after starting taking sodium liothyronine.. down side is they think i've started going the other way (overactive): I'm on Inderal now for palipitations etc. But that's just a case of getting the combination eltroxin/sodium liothyronine right.

So well well worth it: my T4 are up to 13 from 9 and my TSH is down to 2.2 from 21

Absolutely delighted!

On paper you're good but how are you feeling...?

cyning

Honestly... I'm not sleeping and have palipitations and a massive appetite: all usual over active thyroid symptoms (i was overactive and had RAI 6 years ago).

BUT I have energy. I had a wedding last week and was out 4 nights in a row: I have NEVER been able to do that. It's just a matter of getting the combination right between the Ti-tre and Eltroxin: the plan is to wean me of the Eltroxin totally becase it wasn't working for me.

I guess it's a mixed bag: the Inderal is a pain in the neck (and I'm only starting that today). I've been on it twice before with the overactive thyroid. But the relief of FINALLY having something that works (even if it was a bit too well!) far outweighs all that! I guess it'll just take a few months to get all the dosages correct: but the difference in 7 weeks was just amazing

edellc

Im thrilled for you CYNING hope it keeps going that good
I new to all this just had a baby 7mths ago and went to the doctor as i was wrecked not tired as i tried to explain to ppl but dog tired doctor did some bloods and told me i have an under active thyroid that was nearly two months ago since then she has me on eltoxin only 50 per day and im wrecked still she never told me what my level was like i have been reading here and in older threads
just wanted to know what i should be asking the doctor and what i should be looking for my head is all over the place constantly have a fuzzy feeling and my eyes are heavy all the time too
also a friend said virgin coconut oil can help?? has anyone heard of this and if it does help oh and how do you take it if it does work??
any info greatly appreciated

cyning

edellc wrote: »

Im thrilled for you CYNING hope it keeps going that good
I new to all this just had a baby 7mths ago and went to the doctor as i was wrecked not tired as i tried to explain to ppl but dog tired doctor did some bloods and told me i have an under active thyroid that was nearly two months ago since then she has me on eltoxin only 50 per day and im wrecked still she never told me what my level was like i have been reading here and in older threads
just wanted to know what i should be asking the doctor and what i should be looking for my head is all over the place constantly have a fuzzy feeling and my eyes are heavy all the time too
also a friend said virgin coconut oil can help?? has anyone heard of this and if it does help oh and how do you take it if it does work??
any info greatly appreciated

Unless someone has been "sick" they aren't going to understand the tiredness. My fiance found that the most difficult at first: he thought I was totally exaggerating! But as he got to know me he realised that I had no control, and that it was debilitating.

The fuzzy feelingis the brain fog: the way my doc describes it is when I'm underactive my body is on a go slow. Everything just runs a bit slower: including your brain!

The blood test results you want to get from your doctor are your TSH (which should be in between 0.3 - 3.0 (or 0.5-5 some doctors still use) and your T4's (which i think should be between 9 and 18 but someone might correct me on that because I'm genuinely not sure). If your not happy with your GP ask for a referral for an Endocrinologist: my new Endo is just amazing and I cannot stress how important it is to have a good doctor.

For me Cocunut oil just sounds a bit "alternative." I googled it and couldn't find anything concrete on it: keep taking your Eltroxin that's the most important thing.

edellc

thanks for that i have more bloods getting done on monday so will ask her then what my levels are
unfortunately i am unemployed and dont think medical card will cover a specialist so will have to make do with my doctor for now

cyning

A medical card does cover Endocrinologists: I had one when I was first seeing my first Endo: it's just waiting lists you have to contend with unfortunately :rolleyes:

dollydishmop

edellc wrote: »

thanks for that i have more bloods getting done on monday so will ask her then what my levels are
unfortunately i am unemployed and dont think medical card will cover a specialist so will have to make do with my doctor for now

Medical card, or no medical card...if you're referred by your GP you don't pay ...no matter who you are

Cannot get over how many people I come across who don't fully understand how the public system works.

With regards to your bloods, don't forget to ask for copies of your blood results....then learn how to read and understand them.

Splendour

cyning wrote: »

The blood test results you want to get from your doctor are your TSH (which should be in between 0.3 - 3.0 (or 0.5-5 some doctors still use) and your T4's (which i think should be between 9 and 18 but someone might correct me on that because I'm genuinely not sure).

TSH not really that important, it's the T3 and T4 that matter. T4 should be in top 1/3 of reference range to optimal health and most people feel best if T3 is at the top of range.

cyning

Splendour wrote: »

TSH not really that important, it's the T3 and T4 that matter. T4 should be in top 13 of reference range to optimal health and most people feel best if T3 is at the top of range.

I wouldn't agree: my T4 levels have been in the low range of normal with a TSH of 37. So if you were going by T4 results I would have been normal: despite the fact I wasn't.

T3 isn't "normally" tested either that I'm aware of?

Splendour

cyning wrote: »

I wouldn't agree: my T4 levels have been in the low range of normal with a TSH of 37. So if you were going by T4 results I would have been normal: despite the fact I wasn't.

T3 isn't "normally" tested either that I'm aware of?

Sorry cyning, I made a complete bags of that last post. I should have said T4 should be in top 1/3 of range not top 13!!
I had my T3 tested here but doesn't give a reference range which makes no sense! I've also sent bloods off the Genova Diagnostics to have T3 tested-and they give a reference range.

ChewChew

I'm underactive 6 years now, and genuinely feel like I am getting nowhere. I've constantly had my meds adjusted, I've been to an endocrinologist for a few years and last year my bloods came back within range, so he discharged me., Fair enough, if my bloods are in range but taking eltroxin is not actually helping any of my symptoms!! aarrggghh!! Looks like another trip back to the doc for me soon!!

Splendour

It's so disheartening ChewChew
Like you, I've been battling this for 6 years, and am at the point now where I can barely function. My thyroid is within range so GP happy but that's no use to me if I can't function!
I know my adrenals are shot and I'm not giving up my quest to find a GP/Endo/Witch Doctor/ANYONE who is willing to properly address them.

cltt97

In my opinion T3 is the most important test. TSH only tells you how much the pituitary tells they thyroid gland to produce thyroid hormones. T4 tells how you much storage hormone you have in your blood but T3 is the active form, so that's the one that tells you the most. And it is also the free forms of the hormones you want, not the total. So make sure your lab referral says FT4 and FT3. James hospital only tests total T3, so I have to go up to Tallaght for Free T3. Also if your T4 gets too high and your body gets swamped with it, then it starts producing a lot of reverse T3 (inactive T3), which blocks the T3 receptors and prevents T3 from getting into the cells. So all in all, one can have "normal" readings, but that doesn't mean everything is working well...
There are many reasons why thyroid meds might not work properly, and it's a long hard battle and there are many things one can try:
Make sure your ferritin and B12 are in normal range (upper end)
Consider selenium supplements (there is lots of scientific research that shows that it can lower the antibody count), you also need it for conversion from T4 to T3.
Try natural desiccated thyroid (such as armour or erfa) - not many doctors prescribe it though. This contains T4, T3, T2 and T1 so gives you more of what your own gland is supposed to produce.
Get serum cortisol tested (in the morning) and see where it is at and consider getting an adrenal saliva test to check if your adrenals need support.

I've read lots of books and if there is one that I would recommend because I feel it addresses most of the important points in the best way is the book by Dr Peatfield

tringle

Hi all great information here. Im waiting to get second blood test for low thyroid and I want to ask a question


...and please don't shoot me this is the easiest way to ask it

Do fat people get low thyroid problems
OR
Do people with low thyroid problems get fat

The doc seems to think I have "anxiety" but tested for a number of things and thyroid was low, so am going back for second test.
I am overweight and have been trying hard to lose it, during the week I eat sensibly, am careful about any fats and have few white carbs and no alcohol...and lose about a kilo. I give exercise a rest at weekend, eat some potatoes or rice, have 4 glasses of wine in total and about 4 squares of chocolate and put back on all I have lost.

Have looked up symtoms for low thyroid and one or two are opposite of me...I am always too hot, never cold. And have heart palpitations which is a side effect I could get on low thyroid meds.

Anyway, will see what doc says when tested again, Its nice to know its not just me and symptoms are not in my head

jimmydec

best info site totally accurate and reliable and sensible!!!--www.patient.co.uk

---

NHS site from uk- .hypothroid incredibly common, and is generally in vast majority of people not complicated, though initially very slow to come right-- hyperthyroid is another issue altogether, can be very tricky to get right-- also the" typical" textbook symptoms are rarely seen except in the very hypo or hyper states

dollydishmop

tringle wrote: »

Have looked up symtoms for low thyroid and one or two are opposite of me...I am always too hot, never cold. And have heart palpitations which is a side effect I could get on low thyroid meds.

Anyway, will see what doc says when tested again, Its nice to know its not just me and symptoms are not in my head

If I learnt anything in my thyroid journey, its that the symptoms don't always sit nicely in the two seperate lists...and many can cross over.

I was Graves/hyper, and yet my GP, Endo & Dietician all scratched their heads over why I couldn't get the weight off for my thyroidectomy operation...I'm sure they all thought I was cheating on my diet/exercise plan, although none of them said as much.
One particular week in my pre-op diet sticks in my mind.....despite being on Xenical, eating like a half-starved angel (you *can't*cheat on Xenical! It makes life VERY unpleasant if you do), exercising a minimum of 40 mins a day, 7 days a week (cycling, swimming, jogging, walking, aerobics etc) I *gained* 14lbs in ONE WEEK - How is that even possible???!!!
Then my Endo finally conceded that I was what he called a "4%-er"....that is to say, that in approx 4% of hyper patients, instead of weight-loss as a symptom, they experience weight-gain instead. When he accepted that, and explained it all to me, that actually helped my own head immensely, because I was slowly losing the will to live, it seemed the harder I worked to lose the weight for my surgery, the more it piled on.

Funnily enough, now I have no thyroid gland at all, and am technically Graves/hypo, the weight is coming off a lot easier....

However, all this is academic for you, until you get your second lot of blood results back...I just wanted to demonstrate that the symptoms aren't always black & white...hopefully you'll get some answers soon x

tringle

Wow, thats really tough. But thanks for the answer, its totally confusing isnt it!!!

naasface

Hey guys, I hope it's okay that I post here!

I am on roaccutane (just started my third month) and I get bloods done for it every month.
This month I got my bloods back with my TSH at 4.89. The dermatologist said this is nothing to do with the acne meds but its a sign of hypothyroidism. So I am going to my doctor on Tuesday. My weight is 5 ft 7 54kg. Very irregular periods i.e sometimes 4 mths without one. Most recent 2 mths late. Bad appetite, Always tired but thought it was just from my lifestyle.

My question is: Is hypothyroidism a gradual thing (could I have had this for a long time) or did you guys find out like I did from a blood test. I don't know it seems very random!

cltt97

Hi Naasface,

It is a gradual thing really and symptoms usually get worse as time goes on. I went to the doctor because I thought I was anaemic or something, just so tired and lifeless and no energy - he suggested thyroid, and voila, that's what it was. the spectrum of symptoms is very wide and varies from person to person, irregular periods being amongst them (my endo always asks me about that). The thing is it more or less creeps up on you and it's only when you start feeling really rotten that you start thinking there is something wrong with me. Is there any history of any type of auto-immune disease in your family (i.e. coeliac, hypo/hyper thyroidism, diabetes type I, rheumatoid arthritis, MS, etc)?

Corruptedmorals

I was under the impression that once your results are normal on whatever dosage you're on, they would stay that way? Have been on 50mg eltroxin for over 2 years and 25's before that for a year. My result (I don't know is this is TSH or free t4? But doc says normal is 0-1 and my first ever result was 10) went from 10 to 7 to 4 to 'normal'- not specified number. Now though, it is 10 again and I had very bad symptoms with wekaness, tiredness and energy levels. (Weight not an issue, I am actually underweight). So can thyroid function actually decrease lower and then need more meds? I thought it would be a static thing. Dose now increased to 75 every day for last 4 weeks, will need to go to 100 I'd say. I had accepted that it was stable and now I feel anything could happen with it.

Wyldwood

Definitely not a static thing & never to be treated lightly.
I had a subtotal thyroidectomy many years ago and went hypo a few years later. Was on Eltroxin 100 & apparently stable for many years at TSH 2 - 2.6 until, for no reason, I went very hyper TSH 0.11 (lab range 0.4-3.8). I am having serious difficulty getting back up to "normal" where I feel well & continually having meds reduced. 6 months later & on Eltroxin 75/50 on alternate days I'm still not right TSH 0.24 now.
Moral of story is make sure you have regular bloods done, at least annually, if you have a thyroid condition.