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Avatar universal

Don't know when to have the medicine !

I just got my blood test report today so here's the result :

TSH,Serum : 7.03
And the re range is 0.70-6.40

My doctor has precribed me thyrox 25Mg. And asked me to have before breakfast Now my doubt is How many mins before breakfast should I have it? And which type of thyroid do I have? Please help me. And another question is once my levels get back on track will I be able to lose weight and will my hair grow back? As well as Does thyroid go away after the levels get back on track?
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Avatar universal
First of all thank you so much. Yes I will look for a 2nd opinion. So I guess mine is Hypo as I have gained weight and lost hair etc.
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Avatar universal
First of all what physical symptoms are you having?

TSH is not a particularly good test.  Specifically it fluctuates so much that outside of pure screening tool it isn't much good for regulation and determining dosage of medication.

To specifically answer the question of "which kind of thyroid" you have. I assume you are wondering if you are Hypothyroid (low thyroid) or Hyperthyroid (high thyroid)

The TSH test is counter intuitive. That means that when the TSH test is high, you are actually low or Hypo thyroid.  And if the TSH is low you are Hyper or high thyroid.

Your TSH test is higher than the range and thus would indicate that you are Hypo or low thyroid.  In fact many people will remain with low thyroid symptoms with TSH of 3.0 or lower even though your lab report lists the top of the range at 6.4

The best blood tests to have run are the Free T4 and Free T3 tests.  They are not "free" in terms of cost.  The designation free means that the thyroid hormone is not attached to a protein molecule and therefore "free".

The importance of being "free" is that only the free hormones are used in the body. Once they become attached to a protein they become useless.

So the Free T4 (FT4) and Free T3 (FT3) are the two actual thyroid hormones used and is why it is so important to have them tested.

I believe the medication you are now taking is a synthetic T4 thyroid hormone.  

T4 is a storage hormone that remains in the bloodstream until the body needs thyroid.  At which point the Free T4 hormone in the blood will be converted into T3 hormone.  Again the T3 hormone are either free or attached to a protein and again only the free T3 is used at the cellular level.

T4 medication because it is a "storage" hormone and not directly used takes up to 6 weeks to stabilize in the blood. Therefore don't expect to feel anything noticeable for several WEEKS.  And also the fact that the dosage may or may not be enough for you.  So anticipate needing to get new blood tests every 6 weeks or so and the dosage adjusted until symptoms go away.

One warning.  If the DR refuses to test for Free T4 and Free T3 and will ONLY use TSH.  RUN not walk but RUN and find another Dr.  Adjusting medication dosage by TSH will almost assuredly keep you feeling terrible.

Also note as far as when/how to dose, that you separate the thyroid medicine far away from any calcium supplementation. As calcium is known to cause a problem with the ability for thyroid to be absorbed in the stomach.
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Avatar universal
I just wanted to pass on my experience, rather than diagnosing in any way.  I'm sure others will comment, but I would encourage you to call your doctor with questions specific to you.  Having a positive, interactive dialogue with my doctor has helped me understand my hypothyroidism.  This group is also a wonderful resource.  Good luck!  :)
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Avatar universal
Thanks ! That helped a lot . :) by the way how about which type of thyroid is this dear?
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Avatar universal
I take my medicine with a full glass of water about an hour before I eat or drink anything so that the medicine's effect is not affected by foods.  I will need to continue to take medication  to keep my thyroid within normal limits.  My hair loss has slowed and I see new growth.  So far, I've not lost a single pound despite a caloric intake appropriate for my BMR/activity level, but I've not gained weight either.  Good luck to you.  
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