How long did it take for TSH levels to go down with Levothyroxine?

When I first started 7-11-2009 I had a TSH of 6.27, I was started on 75 mcg levo and had a TSH of 2.55 on 9-27-2009. I felt really good by the end of July and the bulk of the effect apparently happens quickly. So, it appears your doctor simply hasn’t given you enough. Ideally, you wait the two weeks and he gives you another 25 levo. However, he may be looking to see if your TSH drops below some arbitrary number such as 5.0. At which point he may say you are well (no matter what your symptoms) and will resist treating you further. Some doctors say a TSH of less than 5.0 is normal, some less than 3.0 and some between one and two. What it comes down to is everybody has a different normal TSH level that they feel well at.

You should ask your doctor what his treatment policy is next time you see him. Also research the “TSH range controversy” on the internet. Try to keep the discussion simple in the beginning and nonconfrontational, stay away from discussing T3, T4, etc. until you thoroughly understand them.

Hi jo

I was also started on 25mg with TSH of 6.9 1yr ago. My aim was to get TSH down to low end of range (0.03ish). You'll need to be fairly patient. August bloods went down to 4.12, October was down to 2.8 and i requested 50mg.

Mid Dec no chang, TSH still at 2.8 so asked to go up to 75mg. To my delight TSH went down to about 0.03 and have been on 75mg till now. However, my most recent bloods showed TSH gone up to 1.56. Might ask for raise to 100mg next time after blood test in September depending on results then

From what I have learned, you do not want to take Levothyroxine.  Before you decide to you need to really ask a lot of questions and really delve into if this particular Med is absolutely needed for your survival.   Do not go alone on what a general practitioner tells you nor a nurse practitioner.   You need a real expert because of so very many factors that exist for your individual systems makeup.  There are a lot of scenarios.   So be sure.  Ask questions as to why and what parts of you body functions this med can mess up.   

Hi, My TSH levels in February this year was over 200. I am under a fantastic Endocronoloigist called Dr Nikookham from King George Hospital in Ilford. I had a total thyroidectamy in March last year and since then my levothyroxine dosage has been ok until November 2017 when i started feeling slugish, not sleeping, very tearful and many more symptons. At the time i was on 200mg levothyroxine, my Gp done a blood test and said my dosage needed uping as my TSH was very high. Cut a long story short after seeing Dr Nikookham on 22nd February he decided i had to be admitted to hospital, he said i was running on empty. He seemed to think my body was not absorbing ant medication. I started having T3 tablets alongside my Levothyroxine but that did'nt help. I then started having T3 through a canula and that seemed to do the trick. I then trialed a T4 rectal med that was made for me and my TSH levels went up so back on the infusion i went. I then trialed a T3 rectal med that again did'nt work. I spent 11 weeks in hospital. I'm now trialing Armour tablets from America and having weekly blood tests. On daily infusion (through a hickman line) my levels came down to 17.5, which some may say is high, it maybe to you but it's not for me. Dr Nikookham has and is bending over backward to help me but I won't know if the armour tablets are working until I have a blood test next week. Every person is different, it's a case of try being on a higher dose but insist on regular blood tests for your own piece of mind.

Doctors seem to be very slow or reluctant to either start you on thyroxine or increase the dose and different doctors have different opinions on normal range. I think six weeks is long enough for your doctor to be increasing your dose if your symptoms are still there. It does take a long time to feel anything like normal and once you have the correct dose your symptoms will go. 

all the best you will get there 

I was on 100 of levothyroxine and 125 at weekends because out of the blue I developed hyperthyroidism after a months stay in hospital.  I had been on high doses of injected hydrocortisone and the consultant felt that my thyroid was hypo as a result of the steroids they had injected me with however, as it was not deemed to be naturally underactive there was a chance it would heal itself.  As a result of the hypo I went from 7 1/2 stone to a 6 stone weight gain in a very short period of time and the rapid gain caused me many additional issues so they decided to give me high does of levothyroxine,  I never had any relief with the levothyroxine, my symptoms got worse and the levothyroxine had a very bad effect on my mood control.  I eventually came off it as it just was not working for me and the doctor felt there was no point in continuing due to the negative side effects I was having.  I have a new consultant as my symptoms got pretty bad  and my thyroid is now classified as euthyroid however, my symptoms remain, though they have told me my TSH is now 2.5.  I have now been told there is an over reliance on TSH  readings and they are not by themselves a good indicator of thyroid health. Having said that there does not seem to be much on the market other than levothyroxine which just did not work for me. 

Hi jo

As you can see from the variety of responses, thyroid issues are wide ranging and at first it's all a bit confusing. It's wiser to accept that it does take time, but don't try to get on a high dose too fast. Your GP is right to start you on lowest dose. The body takes a while to adjust. Levothyroxine does bring the TSH down eventually. Hopefully you'll feel better too. Do lots of online research about thyroid. Dr Tony Toft has written a good basic book 'Understanding Thyroid Disorders'.