Aa
HELP: levothyroxine is not helping
In 2011 I was diagnosed with subclinical hypothyroidism with TSH 4,98, FT3 2,80 (normal range 3,00-9,00) and FT4 13,70 (normal range 12,000-22,00). I was feeling tired and gaining weight, and my morning body temperature was 35,5 Celsius. I started to take 25 ug levothyroxine, and my TSH dropped to 3,63 within 2 months, it dropped to 2,45 in 2012, again increased in late 2012 to 4,44, but it dropped to 2,60 later without increasing the levothyroxine dose. By the end of 2013, I was planning to get pregnant, and my doctor told me that I should increase the amount of the thyroid hormone I was taking, because he said my TSH should be between 1-2,5 during pregnancy, and we increased the dose to 50 ug a day. Now my TSH is 2,00... What is very interesting about my situation is I still have a low FT3 (2,70) and low normal FT4 (13,40), and these results have not been changed during last 2 years..I always had slightly low FT3 and low normal FT4.
I have tested for Hashimato antibodies for several times, it is always negative, I had checked for iodine deficiency 2 times, and I was lacking iodine slightly..
Is it normal to take Thyroid medicine and not having any increase in FT3 and FT4???It only decreases TSH...Considering levothyroxine is not helping to increase my thyroid hormone levels, would you recommend me to get pregnant???What can be the underlying cause???
I have tested for Hashimato antibodies for several times, it is always negative, I had checked for iodine deficiency 2 times, and I was lacking iodine slightly..
Is it normal to take Thyroid medicine and not having any increase in FT3 and FT4???It only decreases TSH...Considering levothyroxine is not helping to increase my thyroid hormone levels, would you recommend me to get pregnant???What can be the underlying cause???
I will come to that point next month, I will write you then.. Now they are checking my other hormones, I gave blood today, they want to make sure the pituitary is OK, because I have no reason to have low thyroid hormones, at least no apparent reason, except using alpha lipoic aid.. I have never known that this whole thyroid thing would be so complicated.. My sister lost her thyroid gland last year, lots of bad nodules. Since then she is taking thyroid medicine, and everything is perfect in her life.. On the other hand, I have a gland, looks fine, but not working properly.. I will see another specialist on Friday.
I have a pituitary issue, so my TSH is always high, but my results are unusable due to the pituitary dysfunction.
If you have RT3 tested, keep in mind that raw numbers are unimportant. It's only the ratio of FT3:RT3 that's important. So, you have to ask for both RT3 and FT3 on the same blood draw. I can help you with the ratio and its interpretation if you get to that point.
If you have RT3 tested, keep in mind that raw numbers are unimportant. It's only the ratio of FT3:RT3 that's important. So, you have to ask for both RT3 and FT3 on the same blood draw. I can help you with the ratio and its interpretation if you get to that point.
How about your TSH? Is it high since your FT3 and FT4 are low?Or OK like mine?
I will give blood tomorrow, just to be sure my other hormones secreted from pituitary gland is OK like FSH, LH, cortisol etc.. I may also ask for RT3..My only concern is gaining weight easily, so I always have to watch what I eat, and exercise, and also high cholesterol.. other than tha I am OK with these low levels.I know a friend, she has low FT3 and have so many problems..I have been using alpha Lipoic acid for the last 6 years, and I have learned that it interferes with thyroid medication.. who knows maybe that explains my situation..
I will give blood tomorrow, just to be sure my other hormones secreted from pituitary gland is OK like FSH, LH, cortisol etc.. I may also ask for RT3..My only concern is gaining weight easily, so I always have to watch what I eat, and exercise, and also high cholesterol.. other than tha I am OK with these low levels.I know a friend, she has low FT3 and have so many problems..I have been using alpha Lipoic acid for the last 6 years, and I have learned that it interferes with thyroid medication.. who knows maybe that explains my situation..
I think part of the problem is that all we can currently test is serum FT3 and FT4 levels. Beyond the levels in our blood, however, the thyroid hormones still have to get into cells, and there's no way to measure tissue thyroid levels.
Some thyroid doctors theorize that the ratio of FT3 to RT3 (reverse T3) is the best estimation we have of tissue levels. I recently had my RT3 tested, and I have an excellent FT3:RT3 ratio despite having very low FT3. Mainstream medicine tends to have a low opinion of the importance of RT3.
I also tend to be ultrasensitive to all meds. I can usually take about half the recommended adult dosage. So, I guess I might also be ultrasensitive to hormones. Another theory that goes along with this is that I might have super efficient transport into cells.
So, there's no lack of theorizing.
Some thyroid doctors theorize that the ratio of FT3 to RT3 (reverse T3) is the best estimation we have of tissue levels. I recently had my RT3 tested, and I have an excellent FT3:RT3 ratio despite having very low FT3. Mainstream medicine tends to have a low opinion of the importance of RT3.
I also tend to be ultrasensitive to all meds. I can usually take about half the recommended adult dosage. So, I guess I might also be ultrasensitive to hormones. Another theory that goes along with this is that I might have super efficient transport into cells.
So, there's no lack of theorizing.
To tell you the truth, I do not have real hypo symptoms. I always have difficulty losing weight, so I always try not to gain weight..I eat healthy stuff. However , my blood cholesterol (240) increased a lot, I do not smoke, exercise regularly, I really do not deserve this..My hands and feet are cold.. But I do not feel cold..no constipation, no hair loss.. here doctors are so concerned about the reason why I have these low levels right in the beginning, before the medication.. who knows maybe I was always like this.. You explained the TSH thing very well, thank you so much.. The last doctor I went had so much difficulty explaining my situation, she even told I had a low FT3 syndrome!!!
Do you have hypo symptoms? Fatigue and/or drowsiness, unexplained weight change, constipation, depression, intolerance to cold, hair loss, etc? Those are the major symptoms of hypo, but you can google a complete list.
If you feel better when you increase your dose and your levels go up, you'll know that you needed the increase. My doctors kept increasing my dose because they wanted my FT3 and FT4 higher in the ranges. I eventually went a little hyper on an increase, and that's when we knew that my levels are naturally low. Different people are asymptomatic at different levels in the ranges.
I have no idea why my levels tend to be low, but my endo is not surprised. He also chalks it up to individual differences.
TSH is a pituitary hormone. It's only function is as a messenger from your pituitary to your thyroid to tell your thyroid to produce more thyroid hormone. Once on meds, TSH sometimes becomes unreliable. We don't know exactly why, but it may have something to do with so much hormone going into your system all at once when you take your meds, instead of in a constant stream like it would naturally.
So you take your meds, and that lowers your TSH. Now, your thyroid isn't being stimulated to produce as much thyroid hormone, so your levels don't go up because the increase from your meds is being counteracted by the decrease in what your thyroid produces.
It can be difficult to get pregnant if you are hypo. Low maternal hormones levels are also associated with miscarriage and slow fetal and childhood development.
If you feel better when you increase your dose and your levels go up, you'll know that you needed the increase. My doctors kept increasing my dose because they wanted my FT3 and FT4 higher in the ranges. I eventually went a little hyper on an increase, and that's when we knew that my levels are naturally low. Different people are asymptomatic at different levels in the ranges.
I have no idea why my levels tend to be low, but my endo is not surprised. He also chalks it up to individual differences.
TSH is a pituitary hormone. It's only function is as a messenger from your pituitary to your thyroid to tell your thyroid to produce more thyroid hormone. Once on meds, TSH sometimes becomes unreliable. We don't know exactly why, but it may have something to do with so much hormone going into your system all at once when you take your meds, instead of in a constant stream like it would naturally.
So you take your meds, and that lowers your TSH. Now, your thyroid isn't being stimulated to produce as much thyroid hormone, so your levels don't go up because the increase from your meds is being counteracted by the decrease in what your thyroid produces.
It can be difficult to get pregnant if you are hypo. Low maternal hormones levels are also associated with miscarriage and slow fetal and childhood development.
How do you know if you are feeling well? What if you feel better when you increase the dose and have a higher T3 and T4..
Do you know why you have low levels of thyroid hormone?
This week I will see the doctor, I guess he will increase the amount of hormone I am taking, you are right, I guess this low dose lowered my TSH , but did not change my T3 and T4, it sounds so weird, but I have no explanation.. I am not a doctor tough..
My mum is a doctor as well, she is a cardiologist, she thinks it may be difficult to get pregnant with low levels of thyroid hormones.. we will see..
Do you know why you have low levels of thyroid hormone?
This week I will see the doctor, I guess he will increase the amount of hormone I am taking, you are right, I guess this low dose lowered my TSH , but did not change my T3 and T4, it sounds so weird, but I have no explanation.. I am not a doctor tough..
My mum is a doctor as well, she is a cardiologist, she thinks it may be difficult to get pregnant with low levels of thyroid hormones.. we will see..
Many people have to be fairly high in the ranges to feel well. That's why you'll often hear that the guideline for FT4 is 50% of range and for FT3 50+% of range. However, that is not for everyone. I am one of the rare (on this forum anyway) people, who feel well quite low in the ranges. My FT4 is just barely in the bottom of the range, and my FT3 has been below range for over a year now. Yet, I'm asymptomatic.
How that relates to pregnancy, I'm not sure. If your levels are naturally low, do you have to increase them during pregnancy?
High cholesterol can be a hypo symptoms, but if it's your only symptoms, there might be another cause.
Your FT3 and FT4 levels certainly haven't changed much. Have you considered raising your dose slowly to see if more meds would bring your FT3 and FT4 levels up? Sometimes, when the dose is too low, meds can actually make you feel more hypo by lowering TSH so that your thyroid produces even less and you net out with the same or lower FT3 and FT4 levels. If, in the process of increasing, you start to feel hyper, you'll know that lower levels are "normal" for you.
It would probably be worth exploring that before conceiving. Pregnancy and childbirth can have some pretty profound effects even on healthy thyroids, so it's best to have your condition stabilized before going into it.
How that relates to pregnancy, I'm not sure. If your levels are naturally low, do you have to increase them during pregnancy?
High cholesterol can be a hypo symptoms, but if it's your only symptoms, there might be another cause.
Your FT3 and FT4 levels certainly haven't changed much. Have you considered raising your dose slowly to see if more meds would bring your FT3 and FT4 levels up? Sometimes, when the dose is too low, meds can actually make you feel more hypo by lowering TSH so that your thyroid produces even less and you net out with the same or lower FT3 and FT4 levels. If, in the process of increasing, you start to feel hyper, you'll know that lower levels are "normal" for you.
It would probably be worth exploring that before conceiving. Pregnancy and childbirth can have some pretty profound effects even on healthy thyroids, so it's best to have your condition stabilized before going into it.
Actually, I was not feeling so bad at the beginning, and I do not feel so bad now. MY concern is my blood cholesterol level, it is too high, and it may be due to my low FT3 and FT4 levels, and I want to get pregnant and I am concerned about that very much.. It looks like I have a healthy thyroid, but somehow it produces too little thyroid hormones.. No antibodies, ultrasound is OK.. I am on 50 ug Euthyrox, TSH dropped down, but hormones never rise..
Have an Answer?
You are reading content posted in the Thyroid Disorders Community
We tapped the CDC for information on what you need to know about radiation exposure
Endocrinologist Mark Lupo, MD, answers 10 questions about thyroid disorders and how to treat them
A list of national and international resources and hotlines to help connect you to needed health and medical services.
Herpes sores blister, then burst, scab and heal.
Herpes spreads by oral, vaginal and anal sex.
STIs are the most common cause of genital sores.
