Hypothyroidism getting worse?

I know that your message is a couple of months old, but I've only just joined the forum.

As a sufferer of Hashimoto's for 6 years now, I'm now on 150mg Levothyroxin (from what I understand 125-150 is the maximum normal replacement dose for a completely failed thyroid gland, although it does depend on how good you are at converting T4 to T3).

In the past, I've known before my regular blood tests whether I need more T4 - tired at 2pm, feeling cold and feeling as though I'm thinking through cotton wool (confusion would cover it). Must admit to not having noticed it improving when I went indoors.

I know nothing of Raynaud's.

I expect that by know you've either sorted the issue, or learned your signs for more T4.

Depending on how bad your Thyroid is, and how far along the way you are, it took me 3 years to get to maximum dose.

Hope you are getting on ok.

You are very young and I hope your doctor looks after you. I am 64 and was diagnosed with Hashimoto 3 years ago. I was not surprised, as my sister had Hyperthyroidism 30 years before, and I had read quite a lot on the subject. I was aware that Thyroid problems run in families, and it is not always the case, that they will have exactly the same type. I was given initially, 25mcg then after 6 months 50mcg then after a year 75mcg. This year in June I was phoned, by the surgery after my blood test and told to go back to 50mcg.

I keep to certain vitamins to help keep my Hashimoto symptoms away.

khs666 you mention, 'depending how good you are at converting T4 to T3' I do not think the labs here check for T3 I have never had a blood test come back with that unfortunately. I always ask my reception desk at the surgery, to give me a copy of my blood results, to try to get a handle on what is going on with my Hashimotos.

I have an annoying ache in my Thyroid at the moment, took myself to the doctors as thought it was a goitre, but he assured me that it wasn't, but gave me a blood test form. Blood came back from Laboratory, Normal stating T4 15.8 and TSH 1.08. Going to make another appointment, with my doctors to ask why my throat is hurting. I am lucky to have a good doctors practice in my village.

Completely agree with your request to get your blood test results back EVERY TIME. You can then both track your results and also argue your case if you have symptoms for an 'upgrade' but the results don't fit whichever measure your doctor is using.

TSH for example in UK upto 5.5 is considered 'normal', although I tend to start getting tiredness, itchy eyebrows etc around 5. In USA 3.3 is considered the upper limit. Similar differences occur for T4 and T3.

wrt T3 I agree, it depends on what the doctor's asked for. In my case I found that my T3 breached limits before my T4 or TSH - but that was when the Thyroid was gone and I was already on 125mg, so it was useful to get my dose increased as I had the symptoms back again.

With a TSH of 4.8 and T4 of about 12, it looks like I'll be needing another 'upgrade' soon!

Good luck both.

Thanks for the reply, I cannot say I have the knowledge that I would like, but I try to make sense of it all.

All that I read on these websites, both UK and on the American discussions there is not a lot of understanding for the sufferer of Hashimotos. I hate going to the doctors, if I go more than every six months I feel like a nuisance. But going back tomorrow on my families orders as I either have after virus syndrome or the Hashimotos has thrown some sort of spanner in my works, or lung infection has not entirely cleared up.

Karisma853

My husband gets Raynaud's in the winter also, he always wears gloves whenever he goes out. I read once that Ginko Biloba can help with the blood circulation to the extremities, my husband has not tried this yet though.

Best wishes both x