Hypothyroidism - New to it all

[pbscfc]

Hi. I have just been told i have to start medication for the an underactive thyroid gland.
I have been having blood tests for the last year and now the conclusion is i must start taking Levothyroxine. 25mg a day for 2 weeks then 50mg a day after that and then reacess after the 100 tablets have gone.

I knew i had a problem suffering from migraines, tiredness(could sleep 14 hours and still be tired. Going bed early and being accused of being lazy when i have no energy. Also started noticing i have become rather snappy towards people and seem a little depressed and lost interest in a lot of things. I also have a lot of patches in my beard where i was told this could be due to this and will the pills correct this? Is all this normal?

I am due to start taking the pills tomorrow. What should i expect to see/feel after how many days/weeks etc.

Any advice for a newcomer to thyroid disorder will be massively appreciated.

Thankyou for your time.

[pbscfc]

Thanks for all the advice. I feel much better hearing from others who have the same thing.

[Tippyclubb]

I also have a lot of patches in my beard where i was told this could be due to this and will the pills correct this? Is all this normal?
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Yes, the loss of hair is normal.  When I was first diagnosed as hypo all the hair had fell off my legs.  Yes, it will grow back when the medication takes effects which should be in around a month.  You will start to feel better and have more energy.  

When the thyroid stops working its a very serious matter.  It controls all the hormones in your body and when that isn't functioning properly affects many things.  Sometimes your cholesterol will rise drastically causing numbness, tingling in the hands, especially at night while sleeping. You become lethargic, your eyes may swell up and become extremely puffy.

All of these things will straighten out when your medicine kicks in, so do not worry.  The most important thing is to take your pills the same time everyday and on a empty stomach.

I know all of this because I am hypo also.

[goolarra]

You want to take it on an empty stomach and then not eat or drink for a half hour to an hour.  Usually, first thing in the morning is recommended.  

[pbscfc]

Also just to add. Is there any specific time of day i should take the tablet?
It is LEVOTHYROXINE i have been prescribed.

Thankyou.

[pbscfc]

Just spoke to my doctors and they will have a print out ready for me to pick up tomorrow.

I will post them up when i recieve them and any advice now will be great.

Also another thing my fingernails have become quite badly damaged and disfigured. Could this be part of this?
Thankyou.

[pbscfc]

Hmm. I don't have any numbers. Just been told that it is underactive. Will the doctor give me these? All i had was a blood test.

Thanks

[gimel]

Speaking from experience you can expect to eventually feel a lot better than you do now.  The time frame for this depends on your thyroid levels, how much medication it will take to get you up to the optimum levels, and then have a bit of time to take the full effect.  So let's start with looking at your actual results from thyroid testing, along with reference ranges.  If you will post those numbers, you can get the benefit of a lot of experience among our many members here.