I need some personal attention

Hormones
1

 

My Thyroid diagnosed 9 years ago, I was using THYROXINE tablet 150 mcg, then I moved to another country and from the last month I am using LEVOTHYROXINE 125 mcg but I am facing few problem like fast heartbeat or palpitation it’s scary, don’t feel good all the time. I did my blood test last month and it was (TSH    0.09 ulU/ML).

I would like to know that, am I taking good amount of MCG?

What should I do now should I keep taking medicine?

My Doctor not in the country , I need serious some help.

Thank you.

My pereivous Medicine picture Attached.

2

Hi, just a thought, have you changed to thyroxine by a different manufacturer?

3

Is it possible for you to change back to the brand you had before. They are not all the same. They have different fillers in them to make the tablet bind together. I had a problem woth one that contained acacia powder.

4

Hello smsih, sorry to hear you're having such difficulties. Unfortunately, this is is fairly typical.  I've put a lot of info in here, so if you aren't up to reading, skip to #6 and 7 for steps you can try.  Hope this is helpful. Catherine

 

1) The medication you were taking previously is a synthetic T4, aka levothyroxin. So in theory it should be the same as your new meds.

2) So unless your blood work has changed previously to starting the new medication, you should be on the same dose with your new medication, since it is the same thing.

3) Your TSH is at 0.09. Is this normal for you? Are the units different now than where you used to be tested? If your TSH was higher on your previous meds, and now your dose is lower, your TSH should increase. If the 0.09 is lower than your previous blood work, something is wrong. You can retest to double check there wasn't an error. TSH, is not always the best indicator for dosing, and for many people can become very low or undetectable, when on thyroid meds. So you have to look at whether this is unusual for you.

4) The heart palpitations can be caused by low or high levels of thyroxin. My experience is that I get palpitations when the meds are too low. But doctors always believe palpitations are caused by the meds being too high. Since we know you're on a lower dose than you previously were, the palpitations likely indicate the dose is too low. You also feel like crap, which indicates the current dose of 125 is too low.

5) Specification regulations for thyroid meds allow for variation in the dosing of up to 10% in the US. I Don't know what it is for other countries. But, this would mean that for a 125 dose, you could be getting anywhere from 112.5-137.5mcg. However, it could be that the name brand you were using is more accurate than a generic, which I assume is what you're using now.

6) My suggestion would be to go back to your previous meds, the SKG MEDS AT THE SAME DOSE you were on before. Surely you can get this through the mail?  

7) if you are unable to get your previous meds, you can try increasing your current meds to the 150 mcg, possibly a bit higher. If that doesn't work, you may need to look at the additive ingredients in your meds for possible allergies/sensitivities.

I'm using a touch screen, which doesn't really work on this site, because the screen doesn't scroll properly, so apologies if there are some typos. It's hard to go back and forth on the small screen I'm on, combined with the funky non working scroll feature.

5

Thank you so much for your support that’s really appreciated, the same condition is happened when I was using my old tablet but it happined only one time after using LEVOTHYROXINE with in a month its happined 5 to 6 times. I am really scare with this can you tell me that is it really danger for health?

6

thanks

yes i am gonna check my old medication. If i get so am sure ill get it.

7

Hi smsih, you're welcome. Yes, switching thyroid meds is horribly difficult for some people. Unfortunately, it takes a full three months for the meds to be fully effective, so if you adjust before that, you basically have to go by how you feel since your blood work lags behind.

As for the heart palpitations I got them frequently, but mild when my meds were too low. Anxiety is also a symptom of low thyroid, as is brain fog. Put the three together and you're pretty much a mess and can't think enough to sort things out for yourself.

First try asking your doctor to prescribe your name brand meds as before. If you are unable to switch back to your old meds and dose, you'll have to at least try the same dose as your old meds, so your are only changing one variable at a time. If neither of those solutions work for you, you may have to find a different medication or go to a compounded one.

In the meanwhile, do you feel the heart palpitations last a long time, or are you short of breath, or light-headed when the palpitations happen?

When I had palpitations they were frequently, for short time periods, and to me seemed like a momentary anxious feeling for a few seconds. So I never worried about them. 

You know your body. So you'll best be able to tell how uncomfortable you are.  Certainly, it isn't healthy to have your meds at the wrong dose for prolonged periods. But keep in mind it takes three months for the meds to level out.

Hope that helps.

catherine

8

Thank you so much

Now i got appointment for my doctor tomorrow so I'll go and discuss all the things

Let see what does he recommend, once again thanks 😊😊

9

Hye i went ti dr today and he gave me blood test and EKG.

10

Hi smsih, were you able to get a full thyroid panel done for your blood work?

Also, how did the EKG turn out? Let me guess, it was fine?  Well, hope so.

Glad you were able to get some help from your doctor.

11

Thank you so much,

My all labs result are normal even my TSH is 0.31 ulU/mL, ill go today for my EKG.

12

We're your T3 and T4 levels ok? 

13

Hi sorry for late reply my T4 result is 1.0 ng/dL.

Dr didn't give me T3 trst.

14

Yes smsih, of course the doc didn't run a full panel. This is unfortunately typical. You'll need to kearn to read your own lab tests. You can do an online search for ranges. For myself, I've found I need to have my ranges on the high end of normal.

Also, since you are on a relatively high dose, you certainly need the full thyroid panel run because you need to make sure both your T3 and T4 are in range. Levo is T4 only, so you generally get T4 high, and T3 low, resulting in low energy (due to low T3).  But the NDT has higher than normal human T3, so you get high T3 and low T4, which results in brain fog from the low T4. 

Your T4 looks low, but check the ranges for yourself. On the levo, T4 only, you rely on your body to convert to T3. If you have stomach problems (very typical in thyroid patients) you may not be converting well to T3. But, if your T4 levels are too low on the levo, your T3, will be really low, so you likely have both brain fog AND exhaustion.

 

15

Do you know both things happening with me, brain fog and exhaustion.

Tell me what happined when T3 and T4 is low ?

16

Hi smsih, 

1) Your meds are on the low side, and your symptoms support this, so you won't be able to think straight until you've increased them. It will take several weeks for the brain fog to go away, once you have the right dose.

2) levo contains a synthetic T4 thyroxin.  The body needs both T4 and T3, and converts T4 into T3 as needed. The gut cells and liver cells do much of the conversion. So if you have gut problems, you'll have low T3 on the levo.

3) The T4 lasts about two weeks in the body and is a weaker form of thyroxin, meaning it is less effective. I've noticed that when my T4 is low, I get horrible brain fog. Your T4 looks to be on the low end of normal. I find mine works best at the high end of normal range, or slightly above. A really good endocrinologist can work with you on this. Most doctors don't have a clue.

4) since your T4 is low, your T3 will also be low, even if your body is converting properly.

5) The T3 only lasts about 4 hours in the body, but is about 20 times more effective than the longer lasting T4. I noticed the low T3 really causes my energy to crash, and exhaustion.

6) Again, for you, your meds are too low at this point, so to figure anything out, you'll have to try a higher dose. Right now meds are low, so both T4 and T3 are low.

7) When your body us under this strain (of low thyroxin) for extended periods of time, you can easily develop adrenal exhaustion, as the body goes into overdrive/ adrenaline mode to try and function properly. The adrenal exhaustion can be treated with herbs. If you need a resource for this, send me a private note.

8) with the meds low, you won't be able to think straight to solve your own problem. The way I deal with this, is I have a couple of support friends, and I tell them ahead of time, to first ask me about my thyroid meds every time I call them, freaking out because I can't think straight. And to remind me that if I'm feeling like crap,  I probably need to increase my dose.

seriously, the  brain-fog thing makes it impossible to manage things. So keep that in mind. 

Hope that helps.

Catherine 

17

OMG i'm gonna crazy.sad

as you know i was taking 125mcg but my palpitation got high any time that was scary for me then i visited to DR. he said we will less your dosage after that he dicressed to 75mcg i am not feeling palpitation now.

i have appointment for lever ultrasound, can you tell me what should i say to my DR. about BLOOD test?

i am really confuse what should i do........

18

Brain fog, confusion... Your meds are too low. Low thyroid also causes heart palpitations. I went through the whole heart palpitation thing before I got the meds. The heart palpitations go away once the meds are up.

ALL of your symptoms are showing low thyroid. The higher dose worked for you before. Go back to the same one that was working. That is your first step. 

Once you've been been at the right dose for a few weeks, you should start to feel better and the brain fog should lesson. You'll be able to think straight again.

19

To give you some idea of a likely dose for you try using the calculation 1.7mcg per kg of body weight. It'll be interesting to know if this calculation gives an answer nearer to your original 125mcg. Working it the other way, 125/1.7, this suggests 125mcg is suitable for someone weighing 73.5kg. Remember when increasing/decreasing your dose to do it slowly to give your body time to adjust and thereby reduce side effects.

20

Hi,

I am using LEVOTHYROXIN 75Mcg last one month and i am not having palpitations but due to palpitations which happened, I always feel so wired every time i feel not good like something happine or gonna happen. I always feel like m gonna die evey time i feel like this, my mind is like think negative and bad every time like i saw accident i think oh it could happined with me OMG I don't know what is going on , 24/7 in my mind the bad and weird thing moving i am trying to forget and think other thing but it always comes again. What should i do??