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I'v been on Levo for 5 week's

Posted , 6 users are following.

donna41340
donna41340

Although a lot of my symptoms are going or improving,i still feel tied i dont mean falling asleep, as i stay awake all day whitch i haven't done for as long as i can remember, just my body feels exhausted and brain fog seems to be getting quite bad,i'm having to write shopping lists at the moment,surely it should be improving not getting worse ,i'm taking 125 micrograms Levothyroxine would you say that this is normal and that i have to be a little more patent as it's early day's. 

1 like, 14 replies

14 Replies

  • Tutu123
    Tutu123 donna41340

    Posted

    Hi donna,

    They often say it can take 6-8 weeks to fully absorb. I dont know whether you took thryoid meds previously or what your situation is but 125 seems quite a high starting dose.

    Levothyroxine is a T4 medication that is meant to convert to T3 hormones, but it doesn't always and some people require or feel better on a combination of T4 and t3 medication. Lots of people do well on levothyroxine alone and the fact that your symptoms have improved is really positive, but this medication is what is given by default and doesn't work for everyone.

    I would give it a couple more weeks and get the doctors to test your t4 and t3 levels to make sure you are on the right dose and that the medication is working for you

    • donna41340
      donna41340 Tutu123

      Posted

      Hi sayhitocaz,                                                                                              Thank you for replying,i feel much better than i have for a very long time,my doctor's don't test T3,I was thinking that my dose seemed a little high when reading every ones comments,although my doctor did weigh me first (and i am slightly larger than most) so maybe that is the reason 
    • barbara98940
      barbara98940 donna41340

      Posted

      Hi donna, most people with hypothyroidusm are 'slightly larger than most! It's because having uncorrected hypothyroidism means your body doesn't convert the food you eat to energy and heat. That's why we are cold and tired. It does improve. It takes about 12 weeks for my body to adjust to a change in sdose. However getting it checked at 8 weeks (this is done via a blood test) is a good idea. If your doctor then tells you to chage your dose, it's best to do this slowly to give your body time to adjust. I prefer chopping a 25mcg tablet into quarters and increasing or decreasing by a quarter every two days. This way it will take 8 days to increase or decrease by 25mcg. Doing it slowly will give you the fewest effects from changing the dose.
    • Tutu123
      Tutu123 donna41340

      Posted

      Hi donna,

      They don't test t3 as a standard test unless you request it usually. Try asking for a referral to an endocrinologist if you are still symptomatic after a few more weeks. Had my life totally ruined by doctors who didn't test the right things and over-medicated me for years.

      Worth in my experience speaking with someone who specialises in the area especially if you are new to this.

    • donna41340
      donna41340 barbara98940

      Posted

      hi barbarbara                                                                                                  I'm taking every thing on board as best i can,would it be normal practise to keep ajusting med's,or would it normaly stabilise in time many thank's
  • shellyC19
    shellyC19 donna41340

    Posted

    Hello Donna:

    My name is Shelly and I am a nurse in the USA.  I have Hashimoto's disease.

    Normal doses are anywhere from 75mcg to 100mcg but some of us need more and some need less.  Starting doses are 25mcg.

    Please take it on an empty stomach and 1 hour before a meal.  Make sure your minerals in your body are good. Eat healthy meals. Have a mineral panel done and this should include: Iron, potassium, sodium, calcium, ferritin, selenium, zinc, and a Vit D level and B-12 level.

    If you want you can buy vitamins at a health food store  and we need our ferritin and selenium levels to be in good to help Levo work well.

    It can take 6 to 12 weeks in some people to see symptoms go down.  Over time we need to have blood done and sometimes the medicine has to be adjusted up or down.

    Any questions just ask.

    Regards,

    Shelly

    • donna41340
      donna41340 shellyC19

      Posted

      Hi Shelly,                                                                                                      thank you for your reply and support,i am taking the minerals you mentioned to me, also omega 3 , i do find it strange that people, that are already on med to start getting so many pains as it has worked the other way round for me and i feel i could never go back to the pains again and never concider missing or stop taking them as i feel imbegining to feel human again                                                                      many thanks
    • shellyC19
      shellyC19 donna41340

      Posted

      Hello Donna:

      That is great you feel so much more human and better.  I know the feeling!

      We are all so different in the amount of damage to our thyroids.  I had a problem with Levothyroxine as my gland won't convert it into T3 (Liothyronine) the useable hormone our body needs.

      I am only on T3 (Liothyronine) and I feel great!  So just to let you know there are a myriad of meds out there. The trick is finding the right one, which seems to be good for you.

      There is: Levothyroxine, Unithyroid, Liotrix (combo of T3 and T4), Liothyronine T3 only, Armour thyroid  (NDT, natural dessicated thyroid), Thyro Gold and Thyroid S.

      Stay well, keep getting better!

      Shelly

       

  • denisemoore
    denisemoore donna41340

    Posted

    Try Nature thyroid..........please research it you will see the difference verses synthroid which is a synthetic medication. Whist I would have known about this 10 years ago ....... Please research it
    • donna41340
      donna41340 denisemoore

      Posted

      i really dont know alot about meds yet,i am in uk,some people on                  the forum seem to be much more advanced with there knowledge on med's and even the illness                                                                            thank you for your advice 
  • yorkrose
    yorkrose donna41340

    Posted

    Hi Donna i dont think we can get natural thyroid meds in uk and it is vey hard to get to see and endo. I had terrible ftigue and brain fog during the day and started taking my levo at bedtime and it totally changed my day i am now wide awake and he brain fog has gone i actually feel pretty normal for once .

     

    • donna41340
      donna41340 yorkrose

      Posted

      Hi yorkrose, I also take my med's at night,and feeling the benefit,I am off work at the min but i work night so not to sure how that will affect me when i go back.I have also started gluten free diet now been doing it for 2 week's,i feel like some one has opened the curtains lol no bloated feeling i feel much more withit and less pain,i hope this is a sign of thing's to come.
    • yorkrose
      yorkrose donna41340

      Posted

      oh thats good news, i guess when you are on nights again you will have to change back to day time for taking your meds and hopefully on your days off it wont be long enough to change the way you feel,  I moved house last week and forgot to take my meds for 3 nights !! i started to feel really ill, achy and abnormally tired and then i realised why so if you have 2 days off you should hopefully be ok !.

       

    • barbara98940
      barbara98940 donna41340

      Posted

      I read that one converts/absorbs (can't remember which) thyroxine better when once is asleep.
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