My Levoroxine has been increased to 75mg

[Guest guest]

The doctor increased my dosage when I told him I had muscular weakness, things

haven't got any better, still have severe weakness and joint pains, not due for

another blood test for three weeks to check my TSH, etc. Anyone else having

joint pain, muscle weakness?

[Guest guest]

Oh boy, am I the one to tell you about really quite debilitating

symptoms of muscular weakness and severe pain. Had I not started natural

desiccated porcine thyroid extract 8 years ago, because it was found I was not

converting the mainly inactive thyroid hormone T4 (thyroxine) into the active

thyroid hormone triiodothyronine (T3) I would most definitely now be confined

to a wheelchair, if not to bed. We hear of this so often.

TSH is not a good test and should not be relied on especially on

its own. You need to write a letter to your GP and tell him that you are no

longer prepared to put up with such debilitating weakness any longer without

being given the opportunity to have a trial of the active thyroid hormone T3,

either adding in combination with your T4, T3 alone, or natural thyroid extract

which contains T4, T3, T2, T1 plus calcitonin for the bones.

I was only taking 1 grain (60mgs) of natural thyroid extract

(Armour Thyroid at that time - but now take Erfa 'Thyroid') for 9 days only

when the sun came out for me, and it has never gone in since - and my weakness

and severe pain have never returned.

In your letter, set out all of your symptoms and signs (check

these against those in our web site www.tpa-uk.org.uk

).

Take your basal temperature for 4 or 5 mornings before you get

out of bed and if these are less than 97.8 degrees F (36.6 degrees C) or less,

list these too.

List any members of your family who have a thyroid or autoimmune

disease.

List ALL the thyroid function blood tests you need i.e. TSH,

free T4, free T3 and the tests to see whether you have thyroid antibodies i.e.

TPO and TgAb.

List also the following specific blood tests you need to done to

check their levels in the reference interval. These are ferritin, vitamin B12,

vitamin d3, magnesium, folate, copper and zinc. Tell your GP that you are aware

that should any of these be low in the reference range, they need to be

supplemented before thyroid hormone can be fully utilised at the cellular

level. In case your doctor might try to tell you that there is no connection,

then be one jump ahead of him and enclose a copy of just some of the references

to the research/studied done to show that there is a connection.*** (see below)

Mention in your letter that you would like to have access to the

results of the above blood tests together with the reference range for each of

the tests done once these have been returned. Remember, that doctors are not

allowed to withhold any information from you that is in your medical notes. You

can then post these on the forum and we can help with their interpretation.

Next, ask for a trial of T3. If your GP is unwilling to give you

this, then ask for a second opinion and a referral to an endocrinologist of

your choice. If you want our recommended doctors list, let me know and I will

send it to you.

Last, ask for your letter of requests to be placed into your

medical notes and send a copy to the head of Practice, remembering to keep a

copy yourself.

Good luck.

Luv - Sheila

***Low

iron/ferritin:

Iron deficiency is shown to significantly reduce T4 to T3 conversion, increase

reverse T3 levels, and block the thermogenic (metabolism boosting) properties

of thyroid hormone (1-4). Thus, iron deficiency, as indicated by an iron

saturation below 25 or a ferritin below 70, will result in diminished

intracellular T3 levels. Additionally, T4 should not be considered adequate

thyroid replacement if iron deficiency is present (1-4)).

1.

Dillman E, Gale C, Green W, et al. Hypothermia in iron

deficiency due to altered triiodithyroidine metabolism. Regulatory, Integrative

and Comparative Physiology 1980;239(5):377-R381.

2.

SM, PE, Lukaski HC. In vitro hepatic

thyroid hormone deiodination in iron-deficient rats: effect of dietary fat.

Life Sci 1993;53(8):603-9.

3.

Zimmermann MB, Köhrle J. The Impact of Iron and Selenium

Deficiencies on Iodine and Thyroid Metabolism: Biochemistry and Relevance to

Public Health. Thyroid 2002;12(10): 867-78.

4.

Beard J, tobin B, Green W. Evidence for Thyroid Hormone

Deficiency in Iron-Deficient Anemic Rats. J. Nutr. 1989;119:772-778.

Low vitamin B12: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18655403

Low vitamin D3: http://www.eje-online.org/cgi/content/abstract/113/3/329

and http://www.goodhormonehealth.com/VitaminD.pdf

Low magnesium: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC292768/pdf/jcinvest00264-0105.pdf

Low folate: http://www.clinchem.org/cgi/content/full/47/9/1738

and http://www.liebertonline.com/doi/abs/10.1089/thy.1999.9.1163

Low  copper http://www.ithyroid.com/copper.htm

http://www.drlwilson.com/articles/copper_toxicity_syndrome.htm

http://www.ithyroid.com/copper.htm

http://www.rjpbcs.com/pdf/2011_2(2)/68.pdf

http://ajplegacy.physiology.org/content/171/3/652.extract

Low zinc:http://www.istanbul.edu.tr/ffdbiyo/current4/07%20Iham%20AM%C4%B0R.pdf

and http://articles.webraydian.com/article1648-Role_of_Zinc_and_Copper_in_Effective_Thyroid_Function.html

Ferritin levels for women need to be between 100

and 130 (for men around between 150 and 170)

Vitamin B12 needs to be at the top of the

range.

D3 levels need to be about 50.

Magnesium levels need to be at the top of the

range.

The doctor increased my dosage when I told him

I had muscular weakness, things haven't got any better, still have severe

weakness and joint pains, not due for another blood test for three weeks to

check my TSH, etc. Anyone else having joint pain, muscle weakness?

[Guest guest]

hi christos

How are things with you? I came across you post and read with interest as I am

in a similar situation with muscle and joint pains and increasing weakness.

Unfortunately despite many visits to GP, endo, and having gastroscopy in the

last 12 months I still don't have a proper diagnosis. I have requested all the

tests etc, have written a very long letter to doctor which is now on my file ,

but all to no avail. I feel stuck like this now and do not know what to do . I

read Sheila's reply to you, have you tried Armour or a natural thyroid product?

It seems to help so many people.

I have 2 daughters, both hypothyroid, also my grandmother and aunt were also. My

mother had auto immune rheumatoid , that's why I am sure I have thyroid probs

causing my ill health... Been like it now for 20 years, last 8 years have been

pretty awful. So sorry for the ramblings.. But once I start off loading it just

seems to pour out. ! Do let me know if your weakness has improved, I really hope

you are feeling better now. Best wishes Marilyn.

>

> The doctor increased my dosage when I told him I had muscular weakness, things

haven't got any better, still have severe weakness and joint pains, not due for

another blood test for three weeks to check my TSH, etc. Anyone else having

joint pain, muscle weakness?

[Guest guest]

lyn, you should NOT be putting up with this. Take a copy of

the paper I posted to the forum earlier today, and show it to your endoprat to

show that what you are suffering are symptoms of hypothyroidism and that you

want treatment. No, don't do that, show it first to your GP and ask him to read

the paper and then refer you to one of the doctors who are recommended by our

members.

If you are suffering so badly and not getting the help you need

from the NHS, have you considered going down the self-treatment route. Many of

our members have had no other option other than to do this, but they found it

all so worthwhile in the end. We have had people who were bed ridden, living

off State Benefits who are now up and about and back at work earning a living

again. You should NOT suffer in this way..

Luv - Sheila

Unusual Manifestations of Hypothyroidism

http://archinte.ama-assn.org/cgi/reprint/144/1/123.pdf?ijkey=aa99568f984bb7a72337b45fee22d9249e744fe5

Irwin Klein, MD, Gerald S. Levey, MD

Thyroid

hormone exerts direct effects on essentially all of

the organ

systems of the body. Hypothyroidism is a frequently

diagnosed

endocrine disorder that has characteristic clinical

signs and

symptoms. In addition to these common manifestations,

however,

there are many additional manifestations of

hypothyroidism

that are less commonly acknowledged and

Include

involvement of the hematologic, muscular, cardiac,

and

rheumatologic systems. It is important to recognize that

these other

organ systems may be involved and that the

resulting

disease states can dominate the clinical picture. As

with the

classic manifestations of hypothyroidism, these unusual

manifestations

respond to thyroid hormone replacement

therapy.

Thus, the importance of recognizing these signs

and symptoms,

as a result of hypothyroidism, is evident. This

article

emphasizes these less common manifestations of the

patient with

hypothyroidism, and, in addition, discusses the

possible

pathophysiologic mechanisms by which thyroid hormone

deficiency

can lead to organ system dysfunction.

(Arch Intern

Med 1984;144:123-128)

From: thyroid treatment

[mailto:thyroid treatment ] On Behalf Of Marilyn

Cannon

Sent: 09 January 2012 00:15

thyroid treatment

Subject: Re: My Levoroxine has been increased

to 75mg

hi christos

How are things with you? I came across you post and read with interest as I am

in a similar situation with muscle and joint pains and increasing weakness.

Unfortunately despite many visits to GP, endo, and having gastroscopy in the

last 12 months I still don't have a proper diagnosis. I have requested all the

tests etc, have written a very long letter to doctor which is now on my file ,

but all to no avail. I feel stuck like this now and do not know what to do . I

read Sheila's reply to you, have you tried Armour or a natural thyroid product?

It seems to help so many people.

I have 2 daughters, both hypothyroid, also my grandmother and aunt were also.

My mother had auto immune rheumatoid , that's why I am sure I have thyroid

probs causing my ill health... Been like it now for 20 years, last 8 years have

been pretty awful. So sorry for the ramblings.. But once I start off loading it

just seems to pour out. ! Do let me know if your weakness has improved, I

really hope you are feeling better now. Best wishes Marilyn.

>

> The doctor increased my dosage when I told him I had muscular weakness,

things haven't got any better, still have severe weakness and joint pains, not

due for another blood test for three weeks to check my TSH, etc. Anyone else

having joint pain, muscle weakness?

No

virus found in this message.

Checked by AVG - www.avg.com

Version: 2012.0.1901 / Virus Database: 2109/4730 - Release Date: 01/08/12

[Guest guest]

Sheila

Many thanks for the info, but I cannot print it out.. I can go to the website

via your link but then I cant get any further..! Any ideas?

Thanks. Marilyn

>

> lyn, you should NOT be putting up with this. Take a copy of the paper I

> posted to the forum earlier today,

MODERATED TO REMOVE TONS AND TONS OF OLD MESSAGES.....

PLEEEEEEEEEAAAAAASSSSEEEEEEE REMOVE OLD MESSAGES. DON'T JUST WRITE YOUR REPLY

AND HIT SEND

[Guest guest]

Hi Marilyn - oh dear!Seems that you hve to

purchase this article, but I know yesterday, I managed to get access to it

because I spent a long, long time reading it. Can anybody else find it please,

and copy it and send it to me as an attachment. Too big to go into the body of

an email:

Unusual Manifestations of Hypothyroidism

http://archinte.ama-assn.org/cgi/reprint/144/1/123.pdf?ijkey=aa99568f984bb7a72337b45fee22d9249e744fe5

Irwin Klein, MD, Gerald S. Levey, MD

Abstract:

Thyroid hormone exerts direct effects on essentially all of the organ systems

of the body. Hypothyroidism is a frequently diagnosed endocrine disorder that

has characteristic clinical signs and symptoms. In addition to these common

manifestations, however, there are many additional manifestations of hypothyroidism

that are less commonly acknowledged and Include involvement of the hematologic,

muscular, cardiac, and rheumatologic systems. It is important to recognize that

these other organ systems may be involved and that the resulting disease states

can dominate the clinical picture. As with the classic manifestations of

hypothyroidism, these unusual manifestations respond to thyroid hormone

replacement therapy. Thus, the importance of recognizing these signs and

symptoms, as a result of hypothyroidism, is evident. This article emphasizes

these less common manifestations of the patient with hypothyroidism, and, in

addition, discusses the possible pathophysiologic mechanisms by which thyroid

hormone deficiency can lead to organ system dysfunction.

(Arch Intern

Med 1984;144:123-128)

Many thanks for the info, but I cannot print it out.. I can go to the website

via your link but then I cant get any further..! Any ideas?

Thanks. Marilyn