A good experience with Levothyroxine Sodium (75mcg per day)

I forgot to add, I no longer run as part of my exercise as my heart rate is definitely higher than it was previously so am cautious of any anaerobic exercise until my body gets used to the meds (apparently 6 - 8 weeks). I do circuits and cross trainers now.

Also, to put the 5kg loss into perspective for other people needing to lose a certain amount, I need to lose about 25 kgs before I get back to my old weight and within a normal BMI zone. Hope this helps

I also found a grey difference in my energy levels when first put on to autumn she most 20 hers ago. I es then in my mid 50s . I was not very over weight and I had just had a hysterectomy which I think didn't help subsequent loosing weight but exercising my Labrador puppy kept me pretty level. When she died I had developed knee problems so my weight went on, bordering on obese. Just this last autumn I had an unwelcome diagnosis of diabetes which actually was short lived as the cause was a viral illness. It did cause me to take stock and I have lost half a stone and am going to try to loose more. The older you get the harder it gets but I strongly advise you to stick at it because being lighter is so much better for general mobility. Good luck. Maggie W

No, levo is synthetic and as such is ignored by the body, this is why a lot of people eventually have to go over to using NDT.

I take T3 10mcgms and 100 T4 and have done for the last 7 years and feel happy on this combination. My husband fine on 125mcgs and my 39 year old son is on 100mcgs. I did try Armour for a while but I didn't get to an equilibrium on that and there were a lot of issues around prescribing it through the GP I had at the time. It is a difficult health issue and unfortunately not enough research is being done to find out how best to medicate people with thyroid problems particularly hypothyroidism. MWaugh

Hi Suzieg, I wanted to say thank you for the positive post. I think there need to be more of them. After suffering from fatigue, depression, aches and pains all over, to name a few symptoms, I was given 25 mcg ( I was only classified as boarderline).

I have to say the mental changes were drastic. I have the focus and clarity of thought that I had convinced myself were gone forever. Physically, I am still improving as I've only been on the meds for a little bit less than a month but I'm improving week after week.

I understand that not everyone is having the same experiences as you and I but, like you, I was worried when I saw all of the negative comments on sites. For anyone that stumbles across these posts, you can have a positive experience on the meds!

I still have slight issues with fatige, and carpal tarsal syndrome ( think carpal tunnel in the arches of your feet). Like you, cardio is a bit too much but I am hopeful that my body will hit equalibrium.

I think a lot of patients can do OK on Thyroxine but the results may not be optimal. Why? because medics don't appear to understand that the body produces 4 thyroid hormones naturally whilst only supplying one of these typically. In time people have reported loss of efficacy on T4 only and having tried it myslef can say I felt worse on it from the start.

Due to resistance to new research ahveing adopted a somfort zone approach to TSH and Thyroxine leaves many under active thyrois patients suffering neglect by being ingored or pushed away to mental issues.

This is the latest approach from the ATA [US] which is beyond the pale to me.

They seem to be unaware that the Internet is here now and 'People Are Talking' more freely than ever before.No one wants to inefere with successful treatmentas [why would they?] -but fuller research into cell resistance, low T4 bodily conversion and unduly high TSH upper limits [compared to the rest of the Western world]  is needed.

TSH>3 is not accepted as OK elsewhere.

The follow on, for most so neglected, is CV disease and Diabetes- all costing the NHS and the taxpayer huge sums -and growing!

Meanwhile, sub-optimal lives are being tolerated as a 'normal for age'. NOT!

Thyroid medication should not be a 'one size fits all' approach. Some people do fine on Levothyroxine, some on T3, some on NDT. You wouldn't expect your doctor to keep you on a particular blood pressure tablet if it didn't work, or you were experiencing side effects. You would be offered something else. But this is exactly what most doctors do with thyroid problems - and it's wrong.

The attitude of health practitioners in relation to thyroid disease makes me sick (literally). It's always 'jam tomorrow'. 'Let's take yet more blood tests and then do nothing'. The amount of money wasted on futile blood tests must be phenomenal. It would be far cheaper to treat us properly, but that's too sensible.