Thanks Red Star- I was taking 50,000 I.U's and I would have loved it if taking magnesium helped. It didn't make one iota of a difference. Even with excellent brands and different forms.
I guess the doctors are right and I am just too mysterious.
You went from 16 to 26 ng/mL taking 600 000 IU of vitamin D. Poorly rising vitamin D levels is typically a sign of low magnesium levels. I suggest improving your magnesium levels first and then start vitamin D again along with magnesium. You will feel bad taking vitamin D with magnesium deficiency. I know.
http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Heart-Rhythm/Magnesium-supplements----to-avoid---how-to-take-it-and--safety/show/1002415
Well, the interesting part is, I still do feel sick when my levels rise no matter from what source. I even tried cod liver oil, straight up and that was no so fun! You're right though, I can handle the sun better, but when my levels start to rise, not so hot.
Could my thyroid be causing that issue?
Vitamin D of 26 is still very, very low. What about getting out in the sun some? Just 20 minutes with face and forearms exposed will give you RDA. I'm willing to bet that you wouldn't feel sick with higher levels if they came from a natural source as opposed to supplements.
Sorry to hear about your first year, but I am happy you are doing better now!
Also, thank you so much for your responses. they have been very helpful to me.
My doctor did test my b12 level and it is 592 and the range is 211- 946.
The thing about the vitamin d is this: I was tested months ago and found to be very deficient at level 16. My endo quickly put me on a 12 week dose of 50,000 a week. After 8 weeks I couldn't stand it anymore. I felt so sick and so weak. I tried taking it with added magnesium because I had found out that a rising vitamin d level can illumintae a magnesium deficiency. Well suffice to say, I felt so bad I still can't take vitamin d. My last test show me at 26 and I think it's from the almond milk I have been drinking.
At this point I have to suffer a vitamin d deficiency because when the levels rise I always know because feel so sick and so weak. My doctor doesn't know why, and frankly doesn't seem concerned. I'm concerned but I'm too sick to figure it out on my own. My endo did test me for parathyroid disease and it came back just fine. My calcium levels are normal too. So I don't know anymore. I was hoping my thyroid was making vitamin D a problem for me, but I'm not sure how I'll find out.
Sure thing! Sorry about posting in different spots, I thought that's how it was done here. I'm still figuring it out!
So are you saying if your symptoms change or worsen when first starting meds, it could be a good thing?
Nope I am not Hashi's. Well not that I know of. I will ask my doctor when I see him in June if he tested me for that.
This is what I know:
TSH- 4 the range is .45 to 4.5, and he wants me under 2.5
FT4 1.21 and the range is ..82- 1.77
He did my T3 months before these tests were done, and said they were normal. But when I see him next I will ask for the numbers
The other possibility is that it's not unusual for symptoms to change or worsen when first starting meds or when changing doses.
It takes a dose 4-6 weeks to build in your system and reach its potential. In the meantime, your body has to rebalance.
I know you had another thread going, but I can't remember if you have Hashi's or not??
Would you post your labs again in this thread, please?
Well goolarra, it has been a beautiful, if not gorgeous weather wise here this week. And guess what? my exhaustion is worse. The only thing different is my Tirosint.
Absolutely. It's best to start low and increase slowly.
You can have my weather, and I'll take yours haha. Well, I hope you are right. I guess time will tell. I know it's a pretty low dose, but I think that's good if it's my first time on thyroid medicine right?
I think it's more likely the temperature, humidity and lack of A/C (sounds miserable) than a single dose of Tirosint. The hot temps always hit you hardest the first time of the year when you're not accustomed yet. 90 is sounding kind of good to me at the moment...it's in the lower 40s here now and predicted to go to 27 tonight...we had "spring" a couple of weeks ago...
The only thing different about today is it is 90 and humid for the first time, and the a/c isn't working. I am very hot. But I don't remember that causing exhaustion in me before.
You're taking an extremely low dose of Tirosint, which is a hypoallergenic gelcap. Although symptoms can change when starting meds, it takes time for the meds to build in your system. Your hormone levels don't change immediately. Could there be some other explanation for your exhaustion?
I don't know that we can call it a "good" thing, but it happens frequently. It's hard to know what's going on. Sometimes the meds cause your system to have to rebalance, sometimes your thyroid condition is worsening by the minute, as can be the case with Hashi's.
FT3 should be tested every time you have labs. Months old FT3 is really useless. As FT4 changes, FT3 should as well, but if there's a conversion issue, that's not the case.
Tirosint is hypoallergenic and has virtually no fillers like the other tablets do. So, immediate reaction to those is unlikely in your case. In addition, you are on such a low dose that even if your didn't need thyroid hormones, your body ought to be able to compensate for that low a dose. I'd stick with it and see how it goes until your next visit.
If your fatigue hasn't resolved by then, you might ask your doctor to test vitamins B-12 and D, both of which can cause debilitating fatigue. Also, iron and ferritin are essential for metabolizing thyroid hormones, so those levels could be important.
The process of finding the correct dose can take time. It took me about a year to get to the right dose. It takes a lot of patience, but I think your doctor's approach of starting out low is a good one. My PCP started me out way too high, and I had one hell of a ride for the first year.