increased thyroid dose

[deeddee582]

I have been telling my doctor that I have been having problems for two weeks. At first I was having burning in my chest,my mouth,my eyes burned and so did my lips. She sent me to an ent who said it might be gerd and sent me for an upper gi. I was referred to my gastroenterologist about polyps . I saw him and he said everything was fine since they were found 2 years ago and there was no need to be concerned . I then was getting tired. My legs felt heavy and I was getting tingling in my toes. She said she didn't know why it was happening. My synthroid was increased from 100 mcg to 112 mcg. Since I started the increase I said I felt okay on the 100 mcg and since the increase I was feeling horrible. She said my tsh was 5.5. I contacted my renal specialist she ordered a complete blood workup and was going to recheck my thyroid because she was looking at the results from the last test and wanted to recheck either the t3 or t4. THe following week she contacted me and said all my bloodwork was fine but she said the thyroid test was 1.56 . She said she didn't think I needed the increased dose and that may be why I was having the problems I was having. I was seeing my doctor the next day and she said to make sure I told her about the results. She said she was also was sending a note to the doctor. I saw her the next day and told her the renal specialist did bloodwork to see if anything else was going on and that she questioned the thyroid results. My doctor said she didn't have those results. I told her she could call the nurse but she was 45 minutes behind schedule. She would have them send the results over but not right then. She examined me said I was okay. She didn't give me any kind of answer. At that point I told her all I know is that since you increased the dose from 100 mcg to 112mcg I was feeling awful and that I was going decrease it to 100mcg to see what happens. She said okay let me know what happens. That was it.  Today I took 100 mcg. in the morning . In the afternoon I felt horrible I felt tired, sick, my hands and toes felt tingly. When I told her  I was reducing the dose she said to give it some time. I am going by the way I have felt the past three weeks and right now I Have decided to decrease the dose. I don't know what to make of this but I think that the only way to come to some kind of conclusion is to do this. My renal doctor is aware of my condition and if she this that reducing the dose is a possibility then I believe her.

[deeddee582]

so in other words if your dose is too high you can have numbness and tingling since I increased the dose that is what is happening

[Barb135]

"what do you mean by lowering t3 dosage and starting with a low dose of t3"  My mistake; that was a typo... should have been "lowering T4 dose and starting with a low dose of T3".  

It's not unusual for symptoms to worsen or for new ones to appear when changing (increasing/decreasing) dosage.

My neurological symptoms (peripheral neuropathy) are actually caused from many years of untreated Pernicious Anemia.  That's why I'm concerned about your B12 level.

[Red_Star]

Off the top of my head...

Hypothyroidism: central nervous system depression (severe bradypnea - 6 breaths a minute/extreme shortness of breath); pain when applying pressure to the soles of feet - pain when standing/walking; burning feet; tingling/numbness (toes, fingers); muscle weakness; absent knee reflexes; internal tremors; carpal tunnel; cerebellar ataxia; muscle cramps.

Hyperthyroidism - numbness/tingling of the groin (of all places lol); tingling/numbness (toes, fingers); extreme muscle weakness, hand tremors.

[deeddee582]

what  is your list of neurological sympthoms but hypo and hyper. From what I have been reading .tingling and numbness is more hypo but I developed these sympthoms after I increased my dose.

[deeddee582]

what do you mean by lowering t3 dosage and starting with a low dose of t3

[Barb135]

Okay, now we're getting somewhere.  Your thyroid is no longer producing any hormones, which is why your endo said you'd be on Synthroid, the rest of your life... he's right and he's wrong..  

You will be on thyroid hormone replacement for the rest of your life (that's where he's right), but it doesn't necessarily have to be Synthroid (that's where he's wrong)... Synthroid is the med of choice (by pharma), so most doctors want you to stay on that.  You can do generic levothyroxine, which is the active ingredient in Synthroid, or you can try other T4 meds; I'm on Tirosint, which is a gelcap and I like much better than Synthroid.

Thyroid 101:   A healthy thyroid produces both T4 and T3 hormones, but mostly T4.  Of the T4 produced, a large portion of it will be attached to proteins that render it unavailable.  The body doesn't use T4, directly; it must be converted to T3. The only portion of T4 that can be converted is the "Free" (unbound by protein).  The Free T4, then has to be converted to T3. Most of the conversion takes place in the liver, but some also takes place in other organs.

As with T4, a portion of the T3 in your body is attached to proteins, so is unavailable for use.  We need to know the Free (unbound portion) of T3.

Free T3 is the only thyroid hormone that's used by every individual cell in the body.  If you don't have adequate Free T3, you won't feel well, not  matter how high your FT4 goes.

High FT4 often indicates that your body isn't converting the FT4 to FT3, that your cells need. With your FT4 at 85% of the range, I'd have to question whether or not you're converting adequately.  Some of us (including me) don't, and we have to add a source of T3.  This  usually involves lowering the T3 dosage and starting with a low dose of T3... For some reason, a lot doctors seem to "assume" that the conversion process always works, when, in fact, it often doesn't.

Ask your doctor -- you aren't getting adequate testing/treatment.  If your doctor tells you that Free T3 isn't important, or that it's only for those who are hyper - ditch her/him as quickly as possible and find another doctor.  We can help guide you through that process, as well.