would like to get off levothyroxine

[etwang]

I'm 68 - been on .75mg  for 5 years-
took basic panel yesterday - results:
TSH   5.63 high
free T4    1.10
free T3    2.9
question? would 1 to 2 drops of thyodine daily
tend to raise or lower the tsh reading? Or would it be advisable to go to 100mg?

[etwang]

thanks for your comments - i'll be taking Hashimoto's test soon and checking out if thyroid is totally gone or not -

[caregiver222]

Paxilid has given good advice.

Long term use of thyroid hormone causes the organ to atrophy.

If it is functioning a tiny daily dose of iodine will sometimes solve the problem. But you can't just fool with these things, as Paxilid pointed out.

Remember that TSH numbers last by a couple of weeks.

Synthroid is a made-ip brand name. The composition has changed several times and the plant has been fined and shut down by the FDA for production violations on at least one ocasion.

You need to seek a physician with a naturopathic bent who will help you with an alternative, which may not be possible.

[Paxiled]

First thing you have to do is find out if your thyroid woks anymore.  These numbers reflect you on synthroid, not you.  Whatever is off is because your synthroid needs to be adjusted.  But what happens to many if not most people who go on synthroid for any length of time is their thyroid basically dies and can't product hormones itself anymore.  Now, for those whose thyroid was already not functioning at all, this doesn't matter, but if you still had function and were put on synthroid because it was off, it may have produced the result that you can no longer go without it.  That's what you need to find out before fooling with iodine in the hope of not taking synthroid:  does your thyroid still work at all.