Under active thyroid.

Nonnie I am going to have a blood test in 3 months, but my doctor has agreed that even if the test says I am on too much thyroxine she will be guided by how I feel.

This will be the second time I have been in this situation and I had tests at the hospital which showed that I was not absorbing the tablets properly even though the other tests said I was having more than enough thyroxine. So the tablets were increased.

It is definitely a tricky thing to get the balance right of how much thyroxine to take.

I have never felt jittery (quite the opposite) but my doctor says jittery feelings and a racing heart beat mean that the dose needs to be reduced.

It is important to discuss your own particular case with your Doctor.

Were on hols last week with friends. She is quite a bit younger than me but has been on 125 for quite some time. She also has low BP and body temp. Mine is not that low, but 36.5 instead of the more 'normal' 37.

I have low BP too Granjura is that something to do with hypothyroidism? No idea about my temperature. Finding it interesting that people are on the same or higher doses than me when they still have the gland. Also that my doc seems to be the only one to do a blood test after an increase in dose.

It seems strange to make a huge jump from 100 to 150- why not try in small increases???? No wonder it made her jittery- isn't that the reason doctors generally like to keep the dose as low as possible, to avoid such side effects?

But no, never had palpitations- but I do have very low blood pressure and low temperature too.

Do any of you get palpitations when the dose of thyroxine is increased? DD had 100 for twenty years but was very n well with palpitations etc when it was increased to 150. She was also using oestrogen gel as they said that was low and affects the thyroid.

Yes I do still have my thyroid Nonnie.

To be honest I haven't had much energy in years. Other than the thyroid problem I am fine, just lethargic, hence my Doctor has agreed to let me return to 150 mcg after having me on 100 for about a year (she reduced it to my detriment).

I have a window of 7 hours a day when I feel normal and then it is as if my battery has just run down. I am hoping in a week or two I will be feeling a bit more energetic.

Do you still have a Thyroid gland NanKate, this is getting very interesting for me.

I take 150 mcg a day.

Please do not think I am trying to persuade any of you to change the time of day when you take your tabs. I just found it interesting that some people benefitted from taking it at night (it didn't keep them awake).

Granjura this is where I found some of the info

www.patient.co.uk/forums/discuss/taking-levothyroxine-at-night-improved-my-life--226315#

Here is another one

thyroid.about.com/od/thyroiddrugstreatments/a/bedtime.htm

Yes.

I am on 50 micrograms and still have Thyroid gland - I understand this is the lowest dose if slightly hypothyroid?
my sister who has had Thyroid gland removed is on 125 mcg

Do you still have a Thyroid gland granjura?

I am on 125 mcg too, and have been for about 10 years. I also take it in the morning- and would be worried about taking it at night and keeping me awake. Could you give a link to that site NanKate, please.

Terri you are on the same dose as me but you still have a thyroid gland. I would love to know what dose others are taking.

I'm on 125mcg have been taking it for about 15 years. I don't find it a miracle cure, I still have periods of feeling sluggish. Although I can remember how bad I felt before I was diagnosed with an under active thyroid, not something I had heard of or was familiar with.

I try to counter act my lethargy by walking, hence my posts on the 10,000 steps a day forum. My energy levels fluctuate a lot I'm never quite sure why, although I feel worse eating bread, even though I love it.

I was on a much higher dose of thyroxine a few years ago, but have cut back as I hear it depletes bone density and my mother had osteoporosis (only in the last six of seven years of her life) but I think I might also have a propensity to that condition. I was prescribed calcium tablets a while back but found out that these also compromise the absorption of the thyroxine. In addition a while ago there was a report to suggest that calcium tablets are not good for the heart, insomuch as they deposit calcium in the arteries. Typically their were counter arguments against that theory. I don't know what to believe but I stopped taking them anyway and do load bearing exercises at the gym, allegedly good for strengthening the bones.... when I can be bothered !

I've been taking it in the morning for over twenty years. It never occurred to me to take it at night. Don't think there's any specified time on the instruction leaflet.

My DD has been on thyroxine for twenty years - 100mgs. Had huge problems starting a few months after having a hysterectomy. She was told oestrogen - or lack of it - has a huge impact on the thyroid. She is not at all well and has gone from always being too hot to wearing a hat and scarf many days during the summer. She went to see an endocrinologist privately a few months ago and is now going to a clinic in the hospital but getting very little real help. I shall tell her about taking the tablet at night. The GP has now said the last test looks as if the thyroid has stopped functioning, given her a lot more tablets and suggested she experiments with the dose till she feels better!!
There is a natural thyroxin which is supposed to be much better but because of cost they are not allowed to prescribe it in UK.

100mcg Nonnie (not mg)

I think it's as well to remember that there are many causes of feeling tired during the day, and just because you have an underactive thyroid that is not necessarily the cause.

I used to feel very tired in the afternoon when I was working. Then I stopped having to get up at 6am everyday and voila! my afternoon tiredness disappeared.
Lack of sleep is just one other cause - there are others.

Surely if it were better to take it at night it would say that on the packet?

There is so much stuff on the Internet about thyroid issues that it is hard to know what is genuine.

I went to the doc and asked if I could have mine increased and he agreed but said I had to have another blood test in 3 months to see what effect it had. Then he went and retired without getting my permission! (sad). Saw another doc and she was not nice about it even when I told her I could see the difference in my nails (lost all the nasty ridges) and that I was feeling better she said I was not to take the extra 25 mg on Sundays to reduce the level. Went to see another doc this week about my tennis elbow and he commented on the change of thyroxin dosage and said the reading wasn't that high to start with!

I would be interested to know what dosage others are on. My thyroid has been removed and I was on 100 mg for years and now on 125 mg (except on Sundays!)

Would it not be better to have a chat with your local pharmacist? I find them to be more lnowledgable than my GP and of course the pharmacist is well up on drug reactions.

I was told that it takes about three weeks to have any effect and forgetting to take the pills away on holiday would not make any noticeable difference for up to three weeks.

I am glad the info helped Terri. I gather that coffee stops the Thyroxine being absorbed properly.

On the websites I read about when to take the tablets - at a rough estimate 80% said it suited them better taking it at night and 20% said it made no difference.

So it's a case of working out what is best for each of us individually.

NanKate, Glad to read your post, I'm going to have to change my ways, I take my Thyroxine in the morning with coffee, gulp! I did take it at night a while back, didn't notice a lot of difference, I think however I will revert back to that especially as I don't drink coffee after 12 noon.

It's TSH I was trying to remember. Produced by pituitary grand and rises when thyroid is struggling.
The brain is getting old and rusty.

There are several hormones involved with the thyroid and usually the doctor will look at T4 and it's action on another chemical ( can't remember name at the moment) but sometimes it's T3 that is the problem. Doctors don't test for this unless pushed as it's a very expensive test. If you are on the right amount of thyroxine for normal blood TFT but still feel off then ask for a t3 test. Also doctors are supposed to evaluate symptoms not just results so if any of you think you need more or less thyroxine because you aren't getting the right end results bend the doctors ear.

Mollie I suggest you go and have a chat with your doctor. I was having good mornings from 6.00 to 1.00 pm them tired for the rest of the day, hence my tablets have been increased. Hope you get sorted too.