Re: High TSH and Peroxidase AB

[Guest guest]

Vaikunth:

You wrote:

>

> I have been taking Levoxy 0.025 (generic Thyroxine, I am told)...

I assume you mean 0.250 mg of Levoxyl. A dose of 25 mcg would be next to

nothing. OTOH, your antibodies indicate active Hashimoto's thyroiditis,

so you might be at the beginning stages. A condition that could be

treated by 25 mcg is unlikely to be detectable.

> ... the Endo said that the TSH should ideally be around 2-3

> ie the levoxyl level should be increased. But my GP didn't think so and

> didn't do anything.

Your endo was right. Usually, the GP and endo are on opposite sides of

this argument.

> ... Now the GP has

> increased the Levoxyl to 0.0375 (1.5 tablets/day) and advised that I

> stick to name-brand Thryroxine.

Technically, Levoxyl IS a brand name. The generic is designated

levothyroxine or levothyroxine sodium. However, the only real reason to

pick one brand name for synthetic T4 over others, or over the designated

generic, is an allergic or sensitivity reaction to one of the incipient

ingredients. All of them must comply with the same regulations on

concentration and potency of the levothyroxine, so the main thing that

varies between manufacturers and tablet sizes is the extra ingredients

and colorings.

A true alternative would be a form containing T3, particularly Armour

dessicated porcine thyroid glands, but that is not what your GP was

suggesting. Incidentally, both T3 and T4 can be called " thyroxine. " They

differ by how much iodine is attached.

Chuck

[Guest guest]

Chuck: Thanks for your note. THe dosage is indeed 0.025mg of Levoxyl.

The GP said that Levoxyl is sold as a gereric drug and has prescribed

Synthroid .0375mg (1.5 tablest/day).

Don't remember the TSH level when Levoxyl 0.025mg was 1st prescribed.

But it brought the TSH level to 4.9 (just within the high end of

normal range) and kept it there for several years. In fact just 6

months ago the TSH level was still at 4.8. It was only becuase of

extreme sensitivity to cold and incremental gain in weight that I

checked off the box for TPO which showed an elevated peroxidase. TSH

was elevated too.

GP thinks that 0.0375 mg of name brand SynThroid should do the trick

over 60 days and has suggested a visit to ENDO for a possible Thyroid

ultrascan...Vaikunth

> >

> > I have been taking Levoxy 0.025 (generic Thyroxine, I am told)...

>

> I assume you mean 0.250 mg of Levoxyl. A dose of 25 mcg would be

next to

> nothing. OTOH, your antibodies indicate active Hashimoto's

thyroiditis,

> so you might be at the beginning stages. A condition that could be

> treated by 25 mcg is unlikely to be detectable.

>

> > ... the Endo said that the TSH should ideally be around 2-3

> > ie the levoxyl level should be increased. But my GP didn't think

so and

> > didn't do anything.

>

> Your endo was right. Usually, the GP and endo are on opposite sides

of

> this argument.

>

> > ... Now the GP has

> > increased the Levoxyl to 0.0375 (1.5 tablets/day) and advised

that I

> > stick to name-brand Thryroxine.

>

> Technically, Levoxyl IS a brand name. The generic is designated

> levothyroxine or levothyroxine sodium. However, the only real

reason to

> pick one brand name for synthetic T4 over others, or over the

designated

> generic, is an allergic or sensitivity reaction to one of the

incipient

> ingredients. All of them must comply with the same regulations on

> concentration and potency of the levothyroxine, so the main thing

that

> varies between manufacturers and tablet sizes is the extra

ingredients

> and colorings.

>

> A true alternative would be a form containing T3, particularly

Armour

> dessicated porcine thyroid glands, but that is not what your GP was

> suggesting. Incidentally, both T3 and T4 can be called " thyroxine. "

They

> differ by how much iodine is attached.

>

> Chuck

>

[Guest guest]

Vaikunth,

You wrote:

> THe dosage is indeed 0.025mg of Levoxyl.

> The GP said that Levoxyl is sold as a gereric drug and has prescribed

> Synthroid .0375mg (1.5 tablest/day)....

Levoxyl is a substitute for Synthroid, but it is a brand name rather

than a generic. The generic, again, is levothyroxine sodium.

Here is a hint. The following are the dosages in which Synthroid is

manufactured:

mcg

25 orange

50 white

75 violet

88 olive

100 yellow

112 rose

125 brown

137 turquoise

150 blue

175 lilac

200 pink

300 green

This is the recommendation from the manufacturer of Synthroid:

" The average full replacement dose of levothyroxine sodium is

approximately 1.7 mcg/kg/day (e.g., 100-125 mcg/day for a 70 kg adult).

Older patients may require less than 1 mcg/kg/day. "

I am currently at 137 mcg per day. Women usually require a higher per kg

dosage. My mother and sister were both at 200 mcg for most of their

adult lives.

You might want to ask your endo to write your T4 prescriptions while you

look for a new GP.

Chuck

[Guest guest]

Here is another consideration: At times the upper limit of the normal

range for TSH has been somewhere around 5.5; yet others have quoted an

upper limit of 3.3 or thereabouts. I don't know which is considered to

be the correct one now.

And to further complicate matters quite a few of those here seem to not

do well [or at least to not feel well] until the TSH level is

exceedingly low; sometimes below 1.0. So there is some level of

probability that for those who have hypothyroidism the " normal " [or

healthy] range shifts quite dramatically to a lower number. However, I

am not aware of any peer reviewed literature which supports that

contention, despite having it seemingly suggested here many times.

The problem with that view is that AFAIK one is technically hypErthyroid

with TSH levels that low so doctors are very hesitant to treat to that

level; and with good reason, as being hypErthyroid can also cause

difficulties including heart problems. So those who suppress their TSH

so low at the very least should be aware of the symptoms of

hyperthyroidism and watch out for them.

Best of luck,

> Re: High TSH and Peroxidase AB

>

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kBF9TAzk3MzU5NzE1BGdycElkAzE0NTY2NARncnBzcElkAzE3MDkyNTEwODIEbXNnSWQDMzcwMDcEc2V\

jA2Rtc2cEc2xrA3Ztc2cEc3RpbWUDMTIwNjI2NDc3OQ-->

>

>

>

> Posted by: " Vaikunth Gupta " vgsohna@...

>

<mailto:vgsohna@...?Subject=%20Re%3A%20High%20TSH%20and%20Peroxidase%20AB>

> vgsohna <vgsohna>

>

>

> Sat Mar 22, 2008 1:55 pm (PDT)

>

> Chuck: Thanks for your note. THe dosage is indeed 0.025mg of Levoxyl.

> The GP said that Levoxyl is sold as a gereric drug and has prescribed

> Synthroid .0375mg (1.5 tablest/day)

> .

>

> Don't remember the TSH level when Levoxyl 0.025mg was 1st prescribed.

> But it brought the TSH level to 4.9 (just within the high end of

> normal range) and kept it there for several years. In fact just 6

> months ago the TSH level was still at 4.8. It was only becuase of

> extreme sensitivity to cold and incremental gain in weight that I

> checked off the box for TPO which showed an elevated peroxidase. TSH

> was elevated too.

>

> GP thinks that 0.0375 mg of name brand SynThroid should do the trick

> over 60 days and has suggested a visit to ENDO for a possible Thyroid

> ultrascan...Vaikunth

[Guest guest]

Just tell them you would rather try Armour thyroid.

cw

-- Re: High TSH and Peroxidase AB

Chuck: Thanks for your note. THe dosage is indeed 0.025mg of Levoxyl.

The GP said that Levoxyl is sold as a gereric drug and has prescribed

Synthroid .0375mg (1.5 tablest/day).

Don't remember the TSH level when Levoxyl 0.025mg was 1st prescribed.

But it brought the TSH level to 4.9 (just within the high end of

normal range) and kept it there for several years. In fact just 6

months ago the TSH level was still at 4.8. It was only becuase of

extreme sensitivity to cold and incremental gain in weight that I

checked off the box for TPO which showed an elevated peroxidase. TSH

was elevated too.

GP thinks that 0.0375 mg of name brand SynThroid should do the trick

over 60 days and has suggested a visit to ENDO for a possible Thyroid

ultrascan...Vaikunth

> >

> > I have been taking Levoxy 0.025 (generic Thyroxine, I am told)...

>

> I assume you mean 0.250 mg of Levoxyl. A dose of 25 mcg would be

next to

> nothing. OTOH, your antibodies indicate active Hashimoto's

thyroiditis,

> so you might be at the beginning stages. A condition that could be

> treated by 25 mcg is unlikely to be detectable.

>

> > ... the Endo said that the TSH should ideally be around 2-3

> > ie the levoxyl level should be increased. But my GP didn't think

so and

> > didn't do anything.

>

> Your endo was right. Usually, the GP and endo are on opposite sides

of

> this argument.

>

> > ... Now the GP has

> > increased the Levoxyl to 0.0375 (1.5 tablets/day) and advised

that I

> > stick to name-brand Thryroxine.

>

> Technically, Levoxyl IS a brand name. The generic is designated

> levothyroxine or levothyroxine sodium. However, the only real

reason to

> pick one brand name for synthetic T4 over others, or over the

designated

> generic, is an allergic or sensitivity reaction to one of the

incipient

> ingredients. All of them must comply with the same regulations on

> concentration and potency of the levothyroxine, so the main thing

that

> varies between manufacturers and tablet sizes is the extra

ingredients

> and colorings.

>

> A true alternative would be a form containing T3, particularly

Armour

> dessicated porcine thyroid glands, but that is not what your GP was

> suggesting. Incidentally, both T3 and T4 can be called " thyroxine. "

They

> differ by how much iodine is attached.

>

> Chuck

>