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scoot · 04-21-2006, 01:11 PM

i dont understand it. i was actually starting to finally feel better and now i'm re-experiencing symptoms i had 4-6 months ago when i was diagnosed and just beginning taking low doses of thyroid hormone. (i've got hashi's)

And by the way, these symptoms come and go on a daily basis. sometimes they last a few days, others a few hours:

muscle twitches
fullness/tightness in throat sensation
dry eye
dizziness/motion sensitivity

just a couple weeks ago i was finally feeling better - energy was up, i started taking 20 minute walks every couple of days - then BAM! i get these symptoms out of the blue. i havent changed anything. i've been on 37.5mcg levo since march 1st.

(lab on 4/7/06 says tsh 2.43 (.47-5.01)
ft4 1.06 (.75-1.7)
ft3 2.6 (2.3-4.2)

what confuses me most are the symptoms which i cant tell if they indicate i'm on too much medication or not enough. doctors are useless. my doc says stay on 37.5 mcg.

what do you folks think?

ellie342 · 04-21-2006, 05:00 PM

My vote? You're not on enough.
37.5 is a tiny dose (most people's starting dose is 50, unless they're elderly or have heart problems) and your TSH is at the high end of the normal range. You'd probably feel better on a higher dose. I don't know why some people "relapse" after that initial dose, but it seems to be a common experience, and usually relieved by a higher dose. So tell your physician you're still having a lot of symptoms of hypo (heck make some up if you need to

- tell them you're tired and cold all the time and have dry skin) and you want to try a higher dose.

Ellie

daisy01 · 04-22-2006, 12:16 AM

hiya scoot,
I think the fact that you had been feeling better is a good sign that you are well on your way to recovery.
The way you are feeling now means that the thyroxine has done its job, but you need a higher dosage to maintain it. It takes 6 - 8 weeks to reach the best levels in your blood and then it feels like you are sliding back.

this happened to me everytime I felt like I had finally made it to being euthyroid. Looking back though, the hypo symptoms were becoming less dramatic each time I needed to 'bump' up.
As Ellie pointed out, you are on a very small dose, I think you need to have your bloods done again. I try to have mine done in the afternoon(usually when I am having my 3pm crash) rather than in the morning. I think it gives a clearer picture of the TSH levels as opposed to being just a few hours after taking my meds.
I am taking 125mcg levo but cant seem to get my TSH below 5.5, but i dont feel too bad right now so you need to be guided by your symptoms and not the TSH levels
go back to your doctor and tell him how you are feeling.

appleofearth · 04-22-2006, 03:13 AM

Hello,

I get dry eyes and dizziness when I'm slipping back to hypo and need an increase... ask them to try you on 50 and see if you feel better, you can always drop back down if it's not right for you

your TSH and frees certainly point at hypo rather than hyper so i'd say give it a go - probably good to get some advice from someone with hashi's tho, not sure what difference that makes?

Becky

scoot · 04-22-2006, 07:44 AM

thank you all so much. i really appreciate your input! i was suspecting people would say 'hypo', and the more i thought about it too, it makes sense. i'm going to increase to 50 mcg and we'll see how it goes.

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