TSH gone down from taking levo at night

[Guest guest]

Hi, just wanted to let others know that since changing from taking my

Levothyroxine first thig in the morning to last thing at night my results have

improved. I had my bloods done 8 weeks apart and had been taking at night for 6

weeks at time of 2nd blood test. My TSH was 3.85 and is now 2.58 which i am

happier with. I wanted to up my dose but gp wouldn't have it so i was looking

for ways to help. I am now taking an array of supplements and will be eagerly

awaiting my next blood test to see if they have made any impact!

[Guest guest]

Sian, what excuse did your GP give you for not allowing you to

increase your dose. Isn't he checking your symptoms and signs as well as taking

account of your blood test results. Ask him for a trial of another increase to

see if that helps - what dose are you taking? Your doctor should be working

with you and he should be taking your own thoughts into account.

Luv - Sheila

Hi, just wanted to let others know that since

changing from taking my Levothyroxine first thig in the morning to last thing

at night my results have improved. I had my bloods done 8 weeks apart and had

been taking at night for 6 weeks at time of 2nd blood test. My TSH was 3.85 and

is now 2.58 which i am happier with. I wanted to up my dose but gp wouldn't

have it so i was looking for ways to help. I am now taking an array of

supplements and will be eagerly awaiting my next blood test to see if they have

made any impact!

[Guest guest]

Hi,

When my GP first prescribed T3 for me I was taking 5mg. I very, very slowly

increased to 40mg. At my yearly blood test and GP appointment I told him that I

had increased the dose so wanted more. (I was putting in a prescription request

every month) - I don't know why I didn't get a call from the surgery.

I know it was naughty increasing my dose without consulting my GP - but I did it

very slowly and checked my pulse and basal temps. He asked me why I increased

the T3 and I told him that I was going by my symptoms and that the TSH test was

flawed and did not address the person's symptoms.

I told him that I was feeling better on the increased dose. Bless him, he gave

me more - so now I have three pots of 28 tablets of 20mg of T3 for every

prescription.

He is retiring next year and I am hoping that the next GP I see will be as

understanding.

B

B

[Guest guest]

Sheila, They would not increase dose as TSH was in range (albeit at the top

end!) and i was told that as my Free T4 was at 19 (11-22) if my levo was

increased it would probably send that out of range? Does that make sense! Do you

know if more levo would send the T4 up or down?

Sian

[Guest guest]

Knowing how the NHS doctors are trained, yes, it does make

sense, but in actuality, it doesn't. Levothyroxine (T4) is a mainly INACTIVE

thyroid hormone that has to convert through the liver, kidneys, skin, brain and

other thyroid hormone receptors throughout the body into the ACTIVE hormone

triiodothyronine (T3). It is T3 that needs to get into every cell in our body

and brain to make it function. Unfortunately, there is a large minority of us

who are unable to convert for many and varied reasons, so the thyroxine (T4)

level remains high which shows up on blood tests. If it converted to the active

T3 OK, then the level would go down. They need to check your free T3 to see

where that level lies and if low (as your free T4 level would indicate), then

you need to have some T3 adding - and your levothyroxine should be reduced at

that time.

If you took more T4, you might well start to get symptoms of

toxicity - but that would be because it is not being converted to T3. Your

doctor should be treating your symptoms and signs - not your lab test results.

Are they not taking these into consideration?

Luv - Sheila

Sheila, They would not increase dose as TSH was

in range (albeit at the top end!) and i was told that as my Free T4 was at 19

(11-22) if my levo was increased it would probably send that out of range? Does

that make sense! Do you know if more levo would send the T4 up or down?

Sian