Aa
newly diagnosed
Will this overwhelming feeling of tiredness leave me?? My concentration is just pants!! I have started levothyroxine 25mcgs. I am sick and tired of feeling lower than the t*ts on a snakes belly!! I know it will get better, I tell myself this....every day!! My question is (and the answer is probably hows long is a piece of string) how long before the meds start making just a tiny bit of difference????? I also have dark skin pigmentation either side of my neck.....anyone else have that at all?? Thanks
Not to worry. We'll have you speaking thyroid in no time at all. LOL
Total T4 (or T3) is the total amount in your blood. Most of that is tied up with protein molecules and not biologically active. Only the small portion not bound with protein (thus called free) is active. FT 4 is largely a storage hormone, readily available to be converted by your body to FT3. FT3 largely regulates metabolism and many other body functions. Scientific studies have shown that FT3 correlated best with hypo symptoms, while FT4 and TSH correlated very poorly. So adjusting FT3 is the right way to relieve hypo symptoms.
As I mentioned, a good thyroid doctor will treat a hypo patient clinically by testing and adjusting FT3 and FT4 as necessary to relieve symptoms, without being constrained by resultant TSH levels. Symptom relief should be all important. Getting a UK doctor to treat you clinically, instead of the relying on the "Immaculate TSH Belief" or using "Reference Range Endocrinology" may be difficult for you, but it is the best way to relieve symptoms and feel the way you want. So, as your blood levels of FT3 and FT4 go up with your medication and dosage increases, you will have to guard against letting the doctor decide your test results are good enough and decide that you don't need any more medication. Many of our members report that symptom relief for them required that FT3 was adjusted into the upper part of its range and FT4 adjusted to around the midpoint of its range.
So hang with us and let us know how you are feeling as your meds start to build up. You can learn a lot from just reading through other posts on the Forum. Ask any questions you want and we'll try to help any way possible to continue your progress. I have been through it myself and believe me you can feel tons better that you do now.
A couple of questions for you. Were you tested for the possibility of Hashimoto's Thyroiditis? When is your next doctor appointment?
Total T4 (or T3) is the total amount in your blood. Most of that is tied up with protein molecules and not biologically active. Only the small portion not bound with protein (thus called free) is active. FT 4 is largely a storage hormone, readily available to be converted by your body to FT3. FT3 largely regulates metabolism and many other body functions. Scientific studies have shown that FT3 correlated best with hypo symptoms, while FT4 and TSH correlated very poorly. So adjusting FT3 is the right way to relieve hypo symptoms.
As I mentioned, a good thyroid doctor will treat a hypo patient clinically by testing and adjusting FT3 and FT4 as necessary to relieve symptoms, without being constrained by resultant TSH levels. Symptom relief should be all important. Getting a UK doctor to treat you clinically, instead of the relying on the "Immaculate TSH Belief" or using "Reference Range Endocrinology" may be difficult for you, but it is the best way to relieve symptoms and feel the way you want. So, as your blood levels of FT3 and FT4 go up with your medication and dosage increases, you will have to guard against letting the doctor decide your test results are good enough and decide that you don't need any more medication. Many of our members report that symptom relief for them required that FT3 was adjusted into the upper part of its range and FT4 adjusted to around the midpoint of its range.
So hang with us and let us know how you are feeling as your meds start to build up. You can learn a lot from just reading through other posts on the Forum. Ask any questions you want and we'll try to help any way possible to continue your progress. I have been through it myself and believe me you can feel tons better that you do now.
A couple of questions for you. Were you tested for the possibility of Hashimoto's Thyroiditis? When is your next doctor appointment?
Just spoke to GPs again, went through the results, the 5.57 is total and not free, the range for this 9 to 12 pmol/l...........I'm getting a tad confused with all of this!!
Hi,
When I spoke to the Drs receptionist they gave me this result, I will request a hard copy for my own records. I did confirm the figures back with her. I wonder if the T4 was total and not Free T4 after all...I need to check this out.
When I spoke to the Drs receptionist they gave me this result, I will request a hard copy for my own records. I did confirm the figures back with her. I wonder if the T4 was total and not Free T4 after all...I need to check this out.
Something doesn't look right about the T4 test. You said that the result was 5.57, which is way over the range of .7 - 2.0. Yet your FT3 was at the very low end. Please clarify the FT4 result. Could it have been .57, rather than 5.57?
Ranges are as follows: TSH 0.3 to 3 mu/L
FT3 2.3 to 4.2 pmol/l
FT4 0.7 to 2 pmol/l
They were Free T4 and T3 tests.
Thanks
FT3 2.3 to 4.2 pmol/l
FT4 0.7 to 2 pmol/l
They were Free T4 and T3 tests.
Thanks
In your prior post you gave this info.
"Hi, I have just been diagnosed...TSH 36.36 T4 5.57 and T3 2.3, just started on 25mcg levothyroxine...as for the symptoms...fatigue beyond belief, lack in interest in things around me, no concentration, visual disturbance, feelings of depression,night sweats......"
Could you please confirm whether those were Total or Free T4 and T3 tests. Also, please post reference ranges shown on the lab report. Test results and reference ranges vary from lab to lab, so It is important to know where results fall within the range. Also, have you been tested for the thyroid antibodies, TPO ab and TG ab. these are used to test for Hashimoto's Thyroiditis, which is the most common cause for hypothyroidism.
In the interim, I can tell you that with T4 meds it takes 4 weeks for the med to reach over 90% of the total effect it will have on hormone levels in your blood. In addition, your starting dosage is a fairly small amount, obviously a cautious approach. Nothing wrong with that, but likely will not give you the quick relief you want. Hopefully your doctor has you scheduled for a followup appointment in 5 or 6 weeks. At that time they would re-test and adjust your meds accordingly.
From a number of members who live in the UK, we have learned just how difficult it is to get adequately diagnosed and treated there. The "Immaculate TSH Belief " is rampant there. Even when testing is done beyond TSH, few doctors are willing to go beyond using "Reference Range Endocrinology" to treat the patient. A good thyroid doctor has to be willing to treat a patient clinically by testing and adjusting levels of Free T3 and Free T4 as necessary to relieve symptoms, without being constrained by resultant TSH levels. Symptom relief has to be all important, not just test results. Test results are valuable mainly as indicators during diagnosis and then afterward to track FT3 and FT4 levels as meds are revised to relieve symptoms.
One of your fellow UK members, who experienced lots of problems getting adequately diagnosed and treated, described in this quote how she was ultimately able to succeed in doing that.
"What I have learned from my experience is that you have to go to the Dr's office and TELL THEM WHAT YOU WANT and to go backed up with knowledge. You have to tell them that you have done your reading and looked into your condition and care about the long-term treatment of your health and thyroid. If you fight for what you want, you will eventually find someone that is happy to go along with your wishes. But we all have to take charge of our own health, right?"
So you are going to have to do some preparation for your doctor visits, and learn about the best way to diagnose and treat hypothyroidism. Reading this link will be a good start. It is a letter written by a good thyroid doctor for patients that he is consulting with from a distance. the letter is sent to the Primary Doctor, to help guide treatment.
http://hormonerestoration.com/files/ThyroidPMD.pdf
"Hi, I have just been diagnosed...TSH 36.36 T4 5.57 and T3 2.3, just started on 25mcg levothyroxine...as for the symptoms...fatigue beyond belief, lack in interest in things around me, no concentration, visual disturbance, feelings of depression,night sweats......"
Could you please confirm whether those were Total or Free T4 and T3 tests. Also, please post reference ranges shown on the lab report. Test results and reference ranges vary from lab to lab, so It is important to know where results fall within the range. Also, have you been tested for the thyroid antibodies, TPO ab and TG ab. these are used to test for Hashimoto's Thyroiditis, which is the most common cause for hypothyroidism.
In the interim, I can tell you that with T4 meds it takes 4 weeks for the med to reach over 90% of the total effect it will have on hormone levels in your blood. In addition, your starting dosage is a fairly small amount, obviously a cautious approach. Nothing wrong with that, but likely will not give you the quick relief you want. Hopefully your doctor has you scheduled for a followup appointment in 5 or 6 weeks. At that time they would re-test and adjust your meds accordingly.
From a number of members who live in the UK, we have learned just how difficult it is to get adequately diagnosed and treated there. The "Immaculate TSH Belief " is rampant there. Even when testing is done beyond TSH, few doctors are willing to go beyond using "Reference Range Endocrinology" to treat the patient. A good thyroid doctor has to be willing to treat a patient clinically by testing and adjusting levels of Free T3 and Free T4 as necessary to relieve symptoms, without being constrained by resultant TSH levels. Symptom relief has to be all important, not just test results. Test results are valuable mainly as indicators during diagnosis and then afterward to track FT3 and FT4 levels as meds are revised to relieve symptoms.
One of your fellow UK members, who experienced lots of problems getting adequately diagnosed and treated, described in this quote how she was ultimately able to succeed in doing that.
"What I have learned from my experience is that you have to go to the Dr's office and TELL THEM WHAT YOU WANT and to go backed up with knowledge. You have to tell them that you have done your reading and looked into your condition and care about the long-term treatment of your health and thyroid. If you fight for what you want, you will eventually find someone that is happy to go along with your wishes. But we all have to take charge of our own health, right?"
So you are going to have to do some preparation for your doctor visits, and learn about the best way to diagnose and treat hypothyroidism. Reading this link will be a good start. It is a letter written by a good thyroid doctor for patients that he is consulting with from a distance. the letter is sent to the Primary Doctor, to help guide treatment.
http://hormonerestoration.com/files/ThyroidPMD.pdf
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