r/Hypothyroidism

▲ 1 r/Hypothyroidism

Confused about lab results

Hi there! I recently took a blood test and asked to have my thyroid checked as well. I'm not sure exactly how it works but on my lab results page it says my 'TSH w/ reflex to FT4' result came out to be 0.50. At first this didn't stand out to me because any other problematic results were bolded while this one wasn't and my doctor didn't point it out when we went over the results. However I later decided to look up what a normal range would be and google tells me that a 0.50 is considered hypothyroidism. I'm not sure why my doctor wouldn't point that out to me if that were the case. Can someone with better insight than me weigh in on this?

u/tangerinepuppie — 4 hours ago

▲ 2 r/Hypothyroidism+1 crossposts

28M - Blood work flagged significant thyroid antibody levels - sharing results and looking for similar experiences

Wanted to share my recent test results and get some perspective from people who've been through this.
Family history: My mom has been on hypothyroid medication for 20+ years, so this has been in the back of my mind.
My symptoms (that prompted me to finally get tested):

Fatigue and brain fog that's been going on for a while, hard to pin down how long
Hair thinning over the last ~2 years
Uncertain if these are thyroid related or something else entirely
I did have a really heavy weight period about 3 years ago (I was up from my current weight of ~230 up to like 242. My face looked really really heavyset, first time ever in my life. I definitely need to be more active, office work isn't great for me. Looking long term I want to be closer to 200lbs)

Test Type	Reading	Normal Range
TSH (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone)	4.65 (High)	0.40 - 4.50 mIU/L
Free T4	1.4	0.8 - 1.8 ng/dL
T3, Free	3.6	2.3 - 4.2 pg/mL
Thyroid Peroxidase Antibody (TPO)	511 (High)	< 9 IU/mL
Thyroglobulin Antibody	82 (High)	< 2 IU/mL

Not knowing much going in, seeing TPO at 511 and Thyroglobulin at 82, both ~40x+ over the upper limit of normal definitely made me raise my eyebrows. Free T3 and T4 are still largely within range so my thyroid is apparently still compensating for now.

Where things stand: My PCP acknowledged the results but feels the TSH isn't high enough to treat yet. We have a retest scheduled for ~3 months out. I have been not going to the doctor regularly the past 3-4 years so I do understand that getting some actual medical history / testing history is valuable. Make sure its not just a one off. I've also started Vitamin D supplementation as that came back insufficient at 26 ng/mL.

I'm not here to self diagnose and I'm actively trying not to fall down the Google / AI rabbit hole. Just genuinely looking for perspectives from others, especially men in a similar age bracket, who've had comparable antibody numbers and can speak to what their experience navigating the specialist system was like, particularly in the US.

What should I expect?

u/anthonyspanier — 8 hours ago

▲ 220 r/Hypothyroidism+1 crossposts

The most prescribed drug in America has a wilder origin story than basically anything else on the shelf. A physician in 1891 treated a woman with sheep thyroid injections. She lived 28 more years and consumed the glands of 870 sheep. That’s the beginning.

I’m a pharmacist. I dispense levothyroxine probably 40 times a day. I knew almost nothing about where it came from until I went down the rabbit hole.
The short version:
A surgeon named William Gull described a condition in 1873 where women became slow, puffy, cold all the time, mentally foggy. Nobody knew what it was. The thyroid gland was considered possibly vestigial. A committee gathered 61 cases and 18 autopsies and named the condition myxedema. They had no treatment.
A physician named George Murray decided in 1891 that if the thyroid does something essential and these patients have no thyroid function, maybe you just give them someone else’s. He injected sheep thyroid extract into a 46-year-old woman who had been severely symptomatic for years. She dramatically improved. He published it in the BMJ. His original patient lived another 28 years on sheep thyroid preparations and died at 74 in 1919. Murray later calculated she had consumed the glands of approximately 870 sheep.
Then a chemist at the Mayo Clinic named Edward Kendall processed 6,500 pounds of hog thyroid glands over Christmas 1914, fell asleep in the lab, and woke up to crystals in a beaker. That was the first isolation of thyroxine. He later won the Nobel Prize. Not for thyroxine. For cortisone. The thyroid work is a footnote in his prize biography.
Then two chemists in London figured out the structure and synthesized it from scratch in 1927. Then a biochemist named Rosalind Pitt-Rivers and a Canadian postdoc named Jack Gross identified that thyroxine isn’t even the active hormone - it converts to something else in your body, which they published in The Lancet in 1952. Pitt-Rivers got elected to the Royal Society. The discovery got increasingly attributed to Gross in the literature over the following decades.
Then in 1987 the manufacturer of Synthroid paid a UCSF researcher to study whether their drug was better than generics. She spent five years on it. In 1990 she had the answer: no difference. They spent the next seven years trying to prevent her from publishing it. The Wall Street Journal ran it on the front page in 1996. JAMA published the study in 1997. The company eventually paid $135 million to settle a consumer class action and another $41.8 million to 37 states.
The FDA’s current regulatory framework for levothyroxine descends directly from the aftermath of that suppression.
150 million prescriptions a year. I wrote up the full history as a long read for anyone interested.

https://pillardrugclub.com/blog/the-molecule-that-replaced-an-organ

u/pillar_drug_club — 20 hours ago

▲ 2 r/Hypothyroidism

How much symtomp resulotion you achived when your TSH (4-6) ranges dropped to (.5 to 1)?

Hello there! Basically title, looking for people who had their TSH ranges 4 to 6, and treated it with levo and dropped to 0.5 to 1 ranges. How much it did help overall?

u/breakallshittyhabits — 8 hours ago

▲ 2 r/Hypothyroidism

Just got diagnosed. questions about levo side effects

TLDR: Too much energy and high blood pressure after starting 25 levo and weight management questions

I (F28) had symptoms for awhile (low energy, gained 15kg in a few months with no changes to my lifestyle at all, brain fog) and people told me to check my thyroid, especially my mum who has Hashimoto’s. Did the labs (including TSH, T3 and T4) and an ultrasound and the endocrinologist said I don’t have autoimmune issues and put me on 25 levo straight away based on my labs.

Since starting the pills literally this week, I suddenly have a lot of energy and the brain fog is gone - I feel like a whole new person, I didn’t even know how to not be tired and grumpy all the time.

However, I have headaches and trouble falling asleep. I had a second coffee one day and felt absolutely terrible when before I was drinking even 4 coffees with no issues. I read that increased blood pressure is a side effect of the medication, so I was wondering if I should cut down on caffeine? - what is your experience with that?

I also talked to the doctor about the weight problem, because before symptoms started last year I had no issue maintaining a normal weight, but now my BMI is obese, which worries me because I am an active person (walking 10k almost daily, working out a few times a week and eating healthy). She said she wants to do more tests after 6-8 weeks of levo, to rule out insulin resistance for example. I saw people saying losing weight with this condition is incredibly hard, so I am considering asking about the possibility of a glp-1. Is it too soon?

I see lots of people here have very different experiences both with medication and weight management and none of the situations exactly fit my situation so any advice is appreciated!

u/nouasute26 — 9 hours ago

▲ 1 r/Hypothyroidism

Help with TSH and general opinion?

Hi everyone!

Im 29F, hipo hashi taking Levo 6+ years at least. In the last 2yrs i was taking 100 for 4 days, 150 for 3 days. I was also anemic before, so I am taking iron supplements, D vitamin 4000iju, Selen, Mg every day. Im also using inofolic twice per day cause I want to get pregnant. My concern is that my TSH oscillates a lot on the same dose. I am trying to be consistent and not eat/drink anything at least 30min after taking the levo. Avoiding gluten and dairy but not fully. 170cm height, 60 kg so I am pretty slim

After the last lab result I have changed my dose to 125/day.

12/2025:

Iron 18.9 (ref 9.0-31)

Feritin 22 (ref 13-150)

Ft3 4.6 (ref 2.8-7.3)

Ft4 20.4 (ref 12-22)

TSH 2.53( ref 0.27-4.2)

04/2026:

Iron 8.8 (ref 9.0-31)

Vit D 26.5 (ref 30-50)

Ft3 4.2 (ref 2.8-7.3)

Ft4 15.4 (ref 12-22)

TSH 3.19 ( ref 0.27-4.2)

05/2026:

Ft3 4.8 (ref 2.8-7.3)

Ft4 18.6 (ref 12-22)

TSH 4.85 ( ref 0.27-4.2)

u/aureus37 — 13 hours ago

▲ 10 r/Hypothyroidism

Stumbled on a blog post by an endocrinologist. If you’re considering or on T3 or TDE treatment, read this.

***EDIT***

I just want to clarify a few things and my own situation. I’ve been hypothyroid due to hashimotos since I was 5. I’m 18M now. For 11-12 years I’ve only taken levothyroxine until 1+ year ago I did a blood test that showed low T3. Since then my endo told me to up my T4 from 100->125. All that did was suppress my TSH very low, yet I still had low T3. In all of my blood tests this past year I’ve consistently had low T3 and normal T4. I’m very aware of my health and have almost always followed a clean Whole Foods diet this past year. I ensure my relevant bloodwork (selenium, iron, etc) is all in optimal range. I exercise (up until now since I’m bedridden), try and get optimal sleep, stay hydrated, etc. This past year has been horrid for me as my symptoms have gradually got worse until I was bedridden. I myself am very frustrated as to why my body doesn’t produce enough T3. But I just want to be cautious and not make premature assumptions. I can’t assume that I’m someone special who has a genetic issue because how come after 11-12 years I was fine and now the genetic issue has become apparent. Maybe after puberty the genetic issue became apparent? I don’t know. And I don’t know what else could be affecting my T3 at this point and sympathize with everyone who puts a lot of effort into their nutrition and lifestyle and still feels terrible. And honestly, what do I know about my body or yours? This field is definitely still foreign and has a lot of unanswered questions. But if your lifestyle choices aren’t great or you’re deficient in some nutrients, it’s better not to just blame everything on the thyroid and demand high doses of T3 or TDE.

********************

****** SECOND EDIT**********
Upon reading my comments and other people’s stories, it seems like a lot of people do benefit from doses higher than 5-10mcg of T3 or ratios higher than 15:1 of T4 to T3, and I can’t just ignore that. What matters most is the medication truly helps and makes you feel normal again, instead of acting like a stimulant you feel great on for a period of time, until it wares off and makes you want to up the dose.
What I want to clarify is this:
When I say most people don’t need to go over 5-10mcg of T3 it’s because as I mentioned, 80-90% of T3 comes from Deiodinase enzymes that convert T4 into T3. Your thyroid only produces 10-20%, or 5-10mcg of T3. And what I assume is that this genetic disorder that affects your D-enzymes is very rare and only applies to a small number of people. I could be wrong and maybe this disorder is more common than I thought. But, I cannot prematurely assume that I’m special and I have this genetic problem myself.
So the point I’m trying to make is:
- your thyroid is likely to be the biggest factor contributing to lower T3 production (hashimotos, thyroidectemy, EDCs, etc) rather than an inherent problem with the D-enzymes. Unless you have nutrient deficiencies (like low ferritin) that can impair T3 conversion and the effectiveness of the enzymes. These nutrient deficiencies should be addressed first.
- this means if I have an impaired thyroid or thyroidectemy, I could be missing up to 5-10mcg of T3, not 20,30,40 because the thyroid doesn’t produce that much.

But this is where conversion outside of the thyroid becomes relevant, because I do not know how truly rare a genetic disorder that impairs T3 conversion is. I do not know if there’s other factors that you cannot control outside your lifestyle choices that can impair T4 to T3 conversion. Maybe it’s the environment, maybe it’s the EDCs, I don’t know. And at that point, your T3 production is impaired beyond your thyroid and you probably do require more T3.
**********************

As the title says, I came across this blog post by an endocrinologist and it’s very insightful and has changed my perspective on T3 treatment. He mentions a lot of things across different posts but I want to highlight these areas:

- First of all, our bodies are smart, adaptable and very good at protecting T3 levels.

This is what the author mentions “should someone have a specific defect somewhere along the pathway of thyroid hormone production, metabolism, transport, and/or action, their body will most likely compensate for that defect. Remember that the body is excellent at achieving and maintaining homeostasis; it can increase T4:T3 conversion, decrease thyroid hormone breakdown, increase thyroid hormone transport into the cell, upregulate thyroid hormone receptors, and increase thyroid hormone binding to receptors.”

Hence, I can’t just assume that I’m special and my body just doesn’t make adequate levels of T3 because even if there’s a defect affecting my thyroid hormone production, my body can adapt by adjusting other mechanisms to ensure my T3 remains normal.

- secondly, too much T3 supplementation isn’t physiological. Levothyroxine is amazing because it’s an identical replacement for the natural thyroxine hormone because it follows a physiological ratio of 15:1 of T4 to T3 just like the thyroxine hormone that the body naturally produces. A TDE however (pig thyroid hormone) that some people take follows a 4:1 ratio of T4 to T3 which isn’t natural to the body. Hence, by adding an unnecessary T3 dose or taking TDE, it can act as a stimulant which will obviously make you feel great at first, but can ween off over time, making you need more. So it can become a cycle of always chasing that high. Same as when bodybuilders use testosterone even though they’re not testosterone deficient, they obviously feel pumped on it because it’s a stimulant. At the end of the day testosterone and T3 are both hormones, and too much of any hormone can be a stimulant.

- thirdly, it’s important to understand normal physiology of T3 production in a normal (euthyroid) person and where/how it gets produced.

“In order to provide context for what a reasonable dose of T3 might be, it is critical to understand how much T3 is produced in euthyroid people. Without getting into a detailed physiology lesson, the thyroid contributes roughly 5 micrograms (mcg) of T3 to the body’s pool, with the rest produced by peripheral conversion of T4 to T3 by deiodinase enzymes. The D2 enzyme (brain, pituitary, muscle, heart, brown adipose tissue) does the bulk of the heavy lifting, producing about 20mcg of T3 per day. The D1 enzyme (liver, kidney, thyroid) contributes a small amount to the T3 pool, about 5mcg/day.”

This means that most of T3 is produced by deiodinase enzymes (roughly 25mcg). The thyroid only contributes around 16.7% or 5mcg of T3.

Think about it, unless you have some rare genetic issue that affects deiodinase enzymes. Losing the thyroid’s ability to produce T3 is likely to be the biggest problem the body can face in the entire thyroid hormone system. And the thyroid only produces 5mcg of T3. So even if you did a thyroidectomy (surgery to remove thyroid), you only ever need maximum 5 maybe 10 mcg of T3 medication. And most people still have a thyroid that partly functions, so you may even need less T3. If you take above 10mcg of T3 and still feel off, maybe you need to start considering other underlying causes to your symptoms.

This also (as you probably already know) relates to selenium, ferritin, Vitamin D, iodine, B12, and zinc levels. Because if these levels are low then that can affect T3 conversion by affecting the deiodinase enzymes and their conversion processes. So, it’s important to ensure that these levels are optimal first before considering T3 treatment.

- lastly, people really want the thyroid to be the answer to all their problems. Patients blame all of their symptoms on their thyroid when they eat like crap, sleep like crap and are constantly stressed. As unexciting as it is, your symptoms could really be down to your lifestyle, or other underlying issues like sleep apnea, other autoimmune conditions, etc.

There are so many more interesting insights that the endocrinologist talks about like:
- keto diets and how it affects the thyroid.
- T3 levels on someone who ate 100% only fat diet of 1500 cals VS a person who ate 100% only carbs diet of 800 cals.
- why reverse T3 is useless.
- the problem with alternative/ functional medicine
- how EDCs (endocrine-disrupting chemicals) can affect T3 production

This is the link to one of his blog posts that talks about T3, you can find all of his posts if you scroll down.

https://hormonesdemystified.com/t3-controversies-how-much-t3-should-i-take/

Also to clarify, I’m obviously not a professional, and most of you reading this are probably older than me. I’m just reiterating words of an expert in the field to my understanding. But also do be careful of self diagnosing or following a naturopath/functional medicine approach. If you do, I recommend to read this blog by the same author:
https://hormonesdemystified.com/the-dysfunction-of-functional-medicine/

In my opinion, taking all of these herbs, supplements, doing procedures recommended by functional doctors/naturopaths is a waste of money. Simplicity is better, eating Whole Foods, sleeping well, mental health, exercise. Like I said, our bodies are smart and know what we need given we just provide it with the right nutrition. Theres no need for some herb or some supplement like ashwaganda or large doses of selenium/iodine as that can also have harmful impacts.

u/SeaworthinessMany368 — 23 hours ago

▲ 3 r/Hypothyroidism

Hypothyroidism?

Hypothyroidism?

Free T4 10.9 pmol/l
TSH 1.79 mUI/L

I have been experiencing all the classic symptoms of hypothyroidism since 2021. My results come back persistently low. My consultant says if I had hypothyroidism my TSH would be elevated and referred me back to GP to explore other causes of my symptoms. I have been treated for pituitary adenoma successfully. The adenoma is now only 2mm thick and my other hormones have returned to normal. Do I seek another opinion? Or should I accept this is not hypothyroidism?
Symptoms:
Hair loss. Dry skin. Lethargy/fatigue. Dry skin. Difficulty concentrating. Weight gain. Low mood. Hoarse voice. No periods.
40/F/UK

Edit: Iron, vit D, B12 all normal/fine. Vit D 61.7 nmol/L, Serum Iron 14.9 umol/L, B12 > 2000 pg/mL.
T3 4.1pmol/l. Ferritin 65ng/ml. Estradiol 334pm/l. A1c 35pmol/l. Testosterone 0.14 nmol/l. Free testosterone 0.002nmol/l.

u/RavenSaysHi — 1 day ago

▲ 2 r/Hypothyroidism

Tsh from 0,01 to 28,4 in 1 month

Hello, I’m new here 😅

I need advice regarding my lab results. 1 month ago I got bloodwork done and had my tsh at 0,01 mU/L, and my doctor told me it could be hypetyrroidism and told me to redo a bloodwork one month later.

Now tsh is 28,4 mU/L and T4 8,8.

I feel tired and sleep a lot since 2-3 years, i don’t now if it’s linked.

Could you tell me what’s happening? Do I have hypothyroidism ? Is it dangerous at my levels ?

Thanks in advance and sorry english is not my first language

u/MaitreJedi24 — 16 hours ago

▲ 3 r/Hypothyroidism

For those with long term fatigue: did going to brand name help?

I’ve been taking levo for 3+ years now and I just saw a new endo (who seemed to listen to me!!). She switched me from levo to unithroid. She also upped my dose. I’ve been having long term fatigue for years that hasn’t subsided with levo (seemed to be better than when I was unmedicated). I sleep 8-9+ hours a day and wake up not rested at all. (I got a sleep test and was negative for sleep apnea). I also get exercise intolerance if I push too hard. I’m getting my iron and vitamin d up as well!

Just wondering if you noticed a different from levo to unithroid? If it makes a difference I was on the amneal pharm levo (generic).

u/aklep730 — 1 day ago

▲ 2 r/Hypothyroidism

Doctor doesnt take me seriously

I have been suffering from a huge amount of brain fog and fatigue to the point that its now unbearable and severely impacting my life.

3 months ago I had my tsh tested which came back at 4.52, and 2 months ago I retested and it came back at 5.18 with an FT4 of 20.95 pmol/l which is at the top end of the range. I also asked for vitamin D which came back at 13 ng/ml and b12 which came back at 250pmol/l.

I have been taking 3000iu d3 daily as well as 1000iu b12 but my brain fog has not improved. I also have constant derealization and it seems like im living in some sort of dream.

My doctor thinks my thyroid is perfectly fine and doesnt even want to retest TSH. I recently called them for an FT3 test but he doesnt want to do it because he claims there is no experimentally defined threshold for FT3 normal values and that testing FT3 would therefore be useless.

I’m a 22 year old male 6’0 and weigh 155 pounds. And I’m not sure what to even do anymore.

u/Cavalier_kingc — 1 day ago

▲ 2 r/Hypothyroidism

PCP not concerned?

Would an endocrinologist treat these? My pcp won’t. I’m 7 months pp. I’ve been struggling with constipation for a few years now, fatigue and major depression brought on by pregnancy. I’m on the max dose of lexapro and still feel depressed. Do I find a new pcp or ask for a referral for an endocrinologist or just wait the 6 months to recheck?

TSH: 6.210 -reference range 0.27-4.2 (H)

T3 Free: 2.3 -reference range 2-4.4

T4 Total: 6.7- reference range 4.5-11.7

T4 Free: 0.96- reference range 0.92-1.68

Thyroid peroxidase 435- reference range 0-34 (H)

u/littlelou222 — 1 day ago

▲ 8 r/Hypothyroidism

Is it normal for boobs to get big with hypothyroidism?

I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism in March and have been taking levothyroxine for about two months. Because this diagnosis is still very new to me, I'm trying to understand how my body reacts to it. Lately, I've noticed that my breasts have gotten a bit larger. Is this a typical experience or a potential side effect of the medication?

u/skrilladoll — 1 day ago

▲ 5 r/Hypothyroidism

Synthroid doesn't work

I'm a 26yr old male and I take Synthroid 125, this medication does nothing for me. Even today my face is really ugly, nasty pale skin, and extremely bloated looking. I always have fatigue, can't do anything without caffeine. My life has been completely ruined by this disease, Hashimotos. Yes, there are people out there who absolutely cannot function on Synthroid. I literally have zero energy, mood issues, sleep issues (can't breathe well in bed), stomach issues - always bloated after eating almost anything.

And nothing is helping currently which is why I'm looking for someone new. I've tried Tirosint, does nothing even why trying to take a lot of it at once. Tried liothyronine generic and that also does nothing. I went to a new Endo and told her that I need to be on brand name liothyronine, the generic just does not work. I take Synthroid every morning and it doesn't do dick and my life sucks ass for years now. Can't take it anymore.

Anyone else have these issues? Anyone else life ruined on Synthroid? I know people won't let your talk about your real issues in the medication on here. I don't really see anyone mentioning anything that's that helpful.

u/No-Marketing7199 — 2 days ago

▲ 2 r/Hypothyroidism

Test results and questions

I started worrying about 3 years ago about weight gain around my midsection, chest and neck (15 kg in the past 3 years despite a healthy diet and regular exercise) and debilitating fatigue.

In that time I visited GPs and endocrinologists who ran tests all assured me I was totally fine. They looked specifically at thyroid and Cushing's (blood and urine). I have all the symptoms for hypothyroidism however. No noticeable goiter but I have some quite strong acid reflux and noticed that any type of pressure on my throat from clothing or even a necklace can make me feel like I'm running out of air.

I've recently been tested again for thyroid function and my free T4 came back at 8.4 pmol/L. My TSH however is normal at 1.92 mu/L.

I noticed that my free T4 is on a clear downward trend (from 12/13 in 2023, to 9.8 last year and now even lower) but my GP says that as long as my TSH is not higher it's nothing to worry about. I'm curious what people here think?

u/DebakedBeans — 1 day ago

▲ 51 r/Hypothyroidism

I've had Hashimoto's since I was 9. Here's what I wish someone told me about doctor appointments sooner.

I was diagnosed at 9 years old after trauma triggered it. They put me on Synthroid and that was basically it. No explanation, no roadmap, no one telling me what to actually watch for I spent 16 years just… living with symptoms and assuming it was normal. The fatigue, the brain fog, the mood crashes. I blamed my ADHD. I blamed stress. I never connected it back to my thyroid because nobody ever taught me how. It wasn't until my mid-twenties after the pandemic, after hitting rock bottom that I finally started paying attention to my own body. And what I found is that I had been walking into appointments completely unprepared my whole life. Not because I didn't have information. Because I didn't know how to present it in a way doctors actually respond to.

Here's what changed everything:
-Doctors don't respond to how bad something feels. They respond to how long it's been happening and what pattern it follows.
-TSH alone is not the full picture. Free T3, Free T4, TPO and Thyroglobulin antibodies tell the story TSH misses.
-Walking in with a one-page document completely changes the dynamic. It goes in your chart. It signals you've done your homework. It's a lot harder to dismiss.

I now help women put together exactly that before their appointments. If you have one coming up and you're tired of leaving with nothing let's chat I'm exhausted of this unhelpful healthcare system.

u/QuickGuava6759 — 2 days ago

▲ 5 r/Hypothyroidism

TSH .18

My latest TSH shows .18 as the value. I have no hyper symptoms, and am still exhausted all the time. I'm currently on 90mg of Armour Thyroid, but at my last telehealth (this last Monday) because of that TSH result my Endo convinced me to go down to 75mg. I haven't picked up the pills yet but I'm trying to not be scared that I'm just going to be backsliding into an even more exhausted state. I barely made it through a semester of college with just 2 classes on the 90mg, and am trying to go back in the fall as well.

I'm just tired of never feeling truly awake and having any energy. 10 years of my life have been exhaustion and brain fog, I'm just trying to fight my way to feeling alive in my own body.

u/aureasmortem — 2 days ago

▲ 26 r/Hypothyroidism

Life after correct meds

So I’ve been on Levo for 2 years now. I’m on the correct dosage, all levels are ideal, but I still have symptoms. No Hashimotos btw, just hypo. Vitamin D is now normal with suppliments. Although my joints don’t hurt anymore, I’m still sensitive to cold, nails are still brittle, hair is the same, and I cannot lose weight at all. What’s the point in taking meds when you still feel the same?

u/Aggravating_Simple56 — 2 days ago

▲ 2 r/Hypothyroidism+1 crossposts

Questions about T3 treatment and central hypothyroidism

I’ve had hashimotos since I was about 5-6, and now I’m 18M. Ive been only on T4 all of my life until about 1+ year ago I tested low on my T3. Since then my doctor upped my T4 from 100 to 125. My T3 remained low, TSH was very low and T4 was normal. Now I’m on 112mg of T4 and on my most recent blood test I had these results:

TSH: 0.29 (normal: 0.27-4.2)
Free T4: 15.8 pmol/l (normal: 12.0-22.0)
Free T3: 2.8 pmol/l (normal: 3.5-7.7) Low
TPABs- 23.1 (normal: 0-34)

My new endocrinologist has finally prescribed T3 and he’s prescribed me 20mcg twice a day and I was wondering is that not too much? Aren’t you supposed to start slow and then gradually increase? But to be honest I’d rather it be too much and then gradually decrease it rather than it not being enough because all of my symptoms are unbearable at this point and I just want to finally feel normal.

Also, how come my antibodies are normal? I remember testing them 2 years ago and they were high. And I want to point out that my ferritin, vitamin D, B12, selenium, iodine is all normal. I have a clean Whole Foods diet and take magnesium, vit d and iron supplements. Recently though I’ve been eating terrible because I feel terrible no matter what I eat anyway and I’ve been eating Whole Foods for so long so I just want a break until my T3 medicine arrives.

And since my antibodies aren’t high, and all my bloodwork is fine. I just don’t understand why I have a conversion issue. I’m not anorexic and I eat enough daily fat. Why after 11 years has my body decided to stop converting T4? That’s what baffles me. Although, ive had an iron deficiency most of my life but even then my T3 was fine. Now my iron is fine but my T3 isn’t. My liver function is normal from bloodwork. Is there something I’m missing? I’m asking because people usually say that you should treat the root cause or make lifestyle changes in order to fix T3 and taking a T3 supplement is like last resort. What other lifestyle changes could I make?

u/SeaworthinessMany368 — 2 days ago

▲ 1 r/Hypothyroidism

Are my levels normal?

I'm not asking for medical advice, just advice interpreting my results. As I know doctors ranges can be wrong.

TSH - 2.13mU/L

Free T4 - 15.04pmol/L

Free T3 - 3.6pmol/L

I had a slight iodine deficiency a few years ago and took iodine until my TSH got to 1ish, but it is slowly climbing back up over the years. Is this level still ok?

u/backentrancebourbon — 1 day ago