How do i know when...

[dpleiman]

my hyperthyroid symptoms are not caused by overmedication? Doc bumped me from 88mcg to 100mcg.. I've been on 100mcg for 22 days and each day i feel more and more hyperthyroid symptoms.. When do i begin to question what the cause of the hyperthyroid symptoms are caused from? Do i have to wait 3 more weeks and depend on a blood test to tell? what if the blood test is "within normal" range but i still feel hyper? is it because i need to critique my meds or is it because of antibodies or just because i'm hashimotos and i'm going to swing back and forth? This is madness to me and i don't understand what is a reliable method to determine what needs to be done.... How would anybody know?


My last levels:

TSH 25
FT4 .99 (0.71 - 1.40)
FT3 2.6 (2.0 - 3.5)

[TamraW]

Some people don't react well to synthetics and may not feel better until they find an endo who will try them on natural meds.

Sometimes, switching the brand of synthetics helps, too.

I  have gotten the heart racing when my labs were low. Very strange, because I had all of the hypo symptoms, plus when I would lie down, it sounded like my heart was racing, but my BP was low, dry skin, tired, constipated, cold feet, etc. I wondered if the heart racing sensation was just my big fat goiter mimicking the heart racing.

:) Tamra

[redheadaussie]

I am having similar issues.
Do you still have your thyroid? Have you tried different brands of your medication? Do you take a T4 or a T4 and T3 medication?

These are questions that with your answers can help to figure out what might be happening.
Cheers

[goolarra]

I was working on a theory, but since your TSH has gone down that far, you just blew my theory out of the water.  Sorry...

[dpleiman]

My TSH was .009 and I felt HORRIBLE.. Couldn't even get out of bed.. That was in August on 100mcg of Levoxyl.. That is when they took me off the meds completely when i shot back up to TSH of 102 and then put me BACK on 100mcg because the 88mcg only took me down to 25 after 8 weeks..

[goolarra]

What's the lowest you've ever seen your TSH go?

[dpleiman]

He based the decrease on my symptoms.. on the 100mcg i was having mild episodes of tachycardia, mild chest pain and heat intollerance... Based on those symptoms i was "hyper" but he didn't check my levels.. This was also only 3 weeks after starting the 100mcg.. Maybe i myself should have waited it out but the chest pains scared me...

I'm thinking of alternating the 88 and 100 on my own since i have both AND he planned to do that anyway if my levels were still hypo in 6 weeks..

[stella5349]

with a 25 - even if he bases treatment only on a  TSH and lowered meds... I would question why for sure.

[dpleiman]

My doc decreased my meds back down to 88mcg for 6 weeks and will retest.. If i'm still "hypo" by labs then he will alternate the 88 and 100mcg for a 94mcg dosage...

I don't see why he took me back down to 88mcg when it proved to not be enough based on my last labs...

[stella5349]

Boy - those are some really off labs for feeling well. A few things could be an issue.

1. Conversion issues ? but both your labs for Free are low.

2. not enough meds - sometimes "hypO" symptoms can mock hyper symptoms and that can be confusing.

3. suggest some T3 meds - Cytomel to raise that FT3 lab/ That may help

4.Depending on what symptoms. a deficiency is an issue. Magnesium- B's

5. could be raging in Hashi's right now and that can through off the whole thing too

[Barb135]

I don't think one day of skipping med is going to make that much difference, since it takes a while to build in your system and will also take a while to get out.  If you continue with the tachy and other heart symptoms, you need to see your doctor or go to the ER as they can be dangerous, if you are truly hyper.  

[dpleiman]

Thanks for your response..

I am trying to wait out the 3 more weeks but each day gets worse.. I didn't take a pill today in the hopes that i have some relief at least for today.. I"m getting heart palps and tachycardia and feeling "hyper" I know that sometimes you can have both hyper and hypo symptoms so maybe it is just the hashi's acting up ughh.. I'll take my meds again tomorrow and go from there. All i can really do is wait for labs, I just hope it doesn't get worse :( but if it does i just wont take my meds for a few days or just take 88mcg when i'm feeling it... Thanks again hun :)

[Barb135]

With your TSH at 25 and your FT's both near the bottom of the range, you most likely really needed that increase. Maybe you are extra senstive to the med. Is there a way you can split the increase?  Or maybe talk to your doctor about taking 88 mcg one day; then alternating with 100 mcg the next.  I did that for several months with 75 and 88 mcg and it worked great.  I'm now strictly on 88 + my 5 mcg cytomel.  Just started the 88 the other day, but am already feeling less hypo.  

What hyper symptoms are you having?  Don't forget that sometimes hypo and hyper can have the same symptoms.  

If your thyroid is still working some, it could be spurting out some hormone, which in addition to your levo, may be more than you need.