Re: Levothyroxine - 5 weeks in

[Guest guest]

Are you taking h igh doses of vitamin C (2/3000mgs dailty) plus

Selenium 200mcgs daily with food and 15mcgs zinc alongside your levothyroxine.

Are you being tested to see whether you are converting the T4 (which is a

prohormone only) into the active thyroid hormone triiodothyronine (T3). It is

T3 every cell in our body and brain needs to make them function not T4 which is

mainly inactive. There is a large minority of us unable to convert T4, so it

lies in the blood doing absolutely nothing. Ask for your free T3 to be tested

when they next test your TSH and fT4.

Ha\ving said that, it takes up to 6 weeks for thyroxine to be

fully utilised, so it is still very early days. I would wait and see how you

feel after you have been taking it for 3 months to see whether you feel any

improvement and then take it from there.

Luv - Sheila

I'm almost six weeks into my course of levothyroxine after a diagnosis of

hypothyroidism by Dr Skinner. I have to say that so far I haven't noticed any

real change and no real improvement in symptoms.

I was warned that it could take a couple of months before the medication really

starts to work, but surely by now I should have noticed SOMETHING - I'm now at

100mcg.

I guess I'm just looking for a little reassurance or feedback. Any comments

welcome.

[Guest guest]

I have a glass of orange juice each day, although not until at least half an

hour after taking the levothyroxine.

I've just read on here that you shouldn't be drinking anything but water within

that time frame. No one had warned me of that before - until now I have been

having a cup of tea in the mornings (just part of my routine) not long

afterwards.

How much of an affect might this have, and what other do's and don'ts are there

to be aware of?

>

> Are you taking h igh doses of vitamin C (2/3000mgs dailty) plus Selenium

> 200mcgs daily with food and 15mcgs zinc alongside your levothyroxine. Are

> you being tested to see whether you are converting the T4 (which is a

> prohormone only) into the active thyroid hormone triiodothyronine (T3). It

> is T3 every cell in our body and brain needs to make them function not T4

> which is mainly inactive. There is a large minority of us unable to convert

> T4, so it lies in the blood doing absolutely nothing. Ask for your free T3

> to be tested when they next test your TSH and fT4.

>

> Ha\ving said that, it takes up to 6 weeks for thyroxine to be fully

> utilised, so it is still very early days. I would wait and see how you feel

> after you have been taking it for 3 months to see whether you feel any

> improvement and then take it from there.

>

> Luv - Sheila

>

>

>

>

>

>

> I'm almost six weeks into my course of levothyroxine after a diagnosis of

> hypothyroidism by Dr Skinner. I have to say that so far I haven't noticed

> any real change and no real improvement in symptoms.

>

> I was warned that it could take a couple of months before the medication

> really starts to work, but surely by now I should have noticed SOMETHING -

> I'm now at 100mcg.

>

> I guess I'm just looking for a little reassurance or feedback. Any comments

> welcome.

>

[Guest guest]

Okay...but does that mean one shouldn't have milk at all, or just when taking

the meds?

>

>

> Hi Guy,

> I wouldn't worry too much about orange juice- the real absorption

problems occur with anything containing calcium such as milk which can prevent

absorption- this also applies to solid foods. This advice, however, does not

apply to T3 which is absorbed in a different area of the gut.

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi - so if T4 can lie in the blood doing nothing - can it cause pain whilst

doing so ?

I have been on Armour since last september with great results as regards energy

and brain fog removal etc, but as the months have gone on I've got terrible pain

in feet, ankles, knees, wrists and elbows and it tends to increase when I've

taken a dose or more.

I am seriously considering tryng T3 on its own - would this be wise?

J

>

> Are you taking h igh doses of vitamin C (2/3000mgs dailty) plus Selenium

> 200mcgs daily with food and 15mcgs zinc alongside your levothyroxine. Are

> you being tested to see whether you are converting the T4 (which is a

> prohormone only) into the active thyroid hormone triiodothyronine (T3). It

> is T3 every cell in our body and brain needs to make them function not T4

> which is mainly inactive. There is a large minority of us unable to convert

> T4, so it lies in the blood doing absolutely nothing. Ask for your free T3

> to be tested when they next test your TSH and fT4.

>

> Ha\ving said that, it takes up to 6 weeks for thyroxine to be fully

> utilised, so it is still very early days. I would wait and see how you feel

> after you have been taking it for 3 months to see whether you feel any

> improvement and then take it from there.

>

> Luv - Sheila

>

>

>

>

>

>

> I'm almost six weeks into my course of levothyroxine after a diagnosis of

> hypothyroidism by Dr Skinner. I have to say that so far I haven't noticed

> any real change and no real improvement in symptoms.

>

> I was warned that it could take a couple of months before the medication

> really starts to work, but surely by now I should have noticed SOMETHING -

> I'm now at 100mcg.

>

> I guess I'm just looking for a little reassurance or feedback. Any comments

> welcome.

>

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

It is thought that unconverted t4 causes joint pain.

Also, the body has to make reverse t3 in order to get rid of the unused t4 and

this can block t3 receptor cells causing cellular resistance. The way to deal

with this is by taking t3 only.

The problem with taking t3 only is that it spikes in the blood too much and so

so you really need to take tiny doses throughtout the day. We can't store t3,

so the reason we have t4 is as a reserve so that when we need T3, it casn be

converted. If you have no reserves of t4, (or if you have them and can't

convert them) then it's fairly important to keep the t3 level even......

Are you taking selenium to help with conversion? How are your iron levels?

B12? D3? Copper? Zinc?

Do you know the cause of the hypothyroidism? I'm currently reading a book

which says that Gluten may aggravate everything.... Have you tried cutting out

the gluten?

it really is an elimination process.... do you have any up to date test

results for free t4, t3 and tsh?

x

>

> Hi - so if T4 can lie in the blood doing nothing - can it cause pain whilst

doing so ?

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Guy, just wanted to say i had stumbled across info that levo should be taken

with water, which prompted me to take it at night. I now have it on my bedside

table and take it just before going to sleep with water as i know that nothing

else will pass my lips until the morning. i read an article somewhere on the

internet stating not to take levo with any products containing caffeine and

there was no way i could wait an hour for coffee in the morning!

[Guest guest]

>

> Hi Guy, just wanted to say i had stumbled across info that levo should be

taken with water, which prompted me to take it at night. I now have it on my

bedside table and take it just before going to sleep with water as i know that

nothing else will pass my lips until the morning. i read an article somewhere on

the internet stating not to take levo with any products containing caffeine and

there was no way i could wait an hour for coffee in the morning!

>

I must admit, I've thought about that also.

I miss my tea in the morning...

[Guest guest]

Hi Sheila, I had worked up to 3 whole quarter grain tablets which was a miracle

in itself as you will remember I was the one struggling to take a crumb of one

quarter grain tablet not that long ago. I was inching it up every three weeks

and got to that 3 quarter stage a couple of weeks ago when I couldn't tolerate

extra pain on increase any longer. I've just taken a quarter of one tablet once

a week to keep going since, but even with that the pain is worse after taking.

I have some T3 on order since 22nd Feb so expecting shortly, but struggling now

with tirdness cause I obviously need it and was doing brilliant with no signs of

hyper for five months. I was bombing around doing alsorts - it was great.

Until T3 comes and for a while I was thinking of increasing the Nutri Adrenal

extra - on two at minute at breakfast - I guess I should take two in a morning

and again at dinner and see if a better support will work? What's the maximum

people take of NAE to give good support.

Fed up as I was really pleased that something natural was working.

I need to see if this join pain reduces without thyroid for a while, but not

sure ow long I can last before I get exhausted again.

Oh well - I've put up with it for ten years, so whats a few more weeks.

J

>

>

>

> Unconverted T4 can cause pain and yes, you might want to try T3 on

> it's own as it works for a lot of people. How much Armour are you taking and

> when did you last increase your dose?

>

> Luv - Sheila

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Sheila, you say you suffered joint pains when just on T4 due to unconverted

T4 and that when you went on Armour it went due to the added in T3. I have been

on armour - do you suggest that the T4 content is too high and I need to add in

T3 and that may do the trick? Can it be fine tuning as you were still on some

T4 weren't you, but the pain still went with the added T3 of Armour?

I will up the NAE and try a bit of T3 when I pick it up from the sorting office

tomorrow along with the armour, and I will get the candida and adrenals checked.

I will try and get the vitamins/minerals done, but could be a difficult one

knowing my GPs.

Thanks

J

>

> I would definitely increase your Nutri Adrenal Extra . Any possibility

> you have other deficiencies such as copper, zinc, magnesium, vitamin D3 or

> folate. If you are not sure, ask your GP to do these tests and when you get

> the results, post them here. Also, any possibility you might be suffering

> with systemic candida - don't guess this , get tested to make

> absolutely sure. Any of these might be a reason why you are having a problem

> in increasing your thyroid hormone replacement.

>

> When I was taking levothyroxine only I suffered excruciating pain, mainly

> lower back, shoulder and under both feet. After I started Armour,