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[Cassie]

Morning ladies, I have a question for the thyroid ladies, had a blood test as was on Eltroxin previously, but ran out of tablets and had not taken for about a month, silly I know. My TSH is raised @ 5.38 and my T4 is within normal range @ 16.3. Does this mean I have hypothryoidism, not sure how to interpret normal T4 and raised TSH.  GP suggested I go onto 0.05 Eltroxin daily, just not sure where I am in the status of classification, I have no symptoms apart from the fact that I do feel the cold but am not slugglish nor overweight etc. Any input would be appreciated. Thankyou.

[countrybumpkin]

I used to be an advisor for thyroid charity.   Not sure if you are UK based or not as you mention a brand name not the generic name of thyroxine.

Everything hangs on the reference range of your lab so not sure if your tsh is very raised or just very slightly raised. If it was my health authority lab then it would only be 1 point above normal.  The tsh is your pituitary  gland telling your thyroid gland to produce more thyroxine so if it is raised even mildy then it shows that your thyroid gland is not doing its job.  I am guessing you are referring to Free T 4 with the normal result?  This will be the circulating amount of T4 in your blood.
It is perfectly possible to have raised tsh and normal free t4. i get this myself but it does still mean that you need  to take even a tiny dose of thyroxine. 
Plus thyroxine has a half life so for first 2 weeks that you stopped taking it it would not have had much effect on your results so the results you have got afte a month off it as really only showing you the past 2 weeks of so. I would imagine if you continued to not take your thyroxine then your test results would slowly get worse as it takes time for your results to change.
Can you start the tiny dose the Dr suggested and then retest in say 8 weeks to see how your results are??

[Cassie]

Thankyou CB, I enquired as to the range and was told it is from: 0.27 - 4.20 so I am definitely over a bit.
Will start the Eltroxin and see how it goes, just a question, I have read that one should wait an hour, or was it 2, before drinking tea, coffee. I love my morning tea and have a few cups during the morning and afternoon so its really difficult to know when to take the tablet, unless I wake up an hour earlier just to drink it, and I have also heard that morning is better than night, any input? Thankyou

[babyjane]

Hi Cassie, you are really lucky if you are getting Eltroxin.  I used to be stable on it but then it was discontinued when Goldshield was taken over by Mercury Pharma who then brought out their own brand of Levothyroxine which they said was exactly the same.  It wasn't there was something different as I became quite unstable on their generic.  They then said they were going to 'bring back' Eltroxin but by then I had found a generic I could stabilise on.  It's a minefield as some hypothyroid patients are very sensitive to a change of brand and I am one of them.

I take my thyroid meds at 7am and then have my morning cuppa between 8 and 8.30am and my breakfast around 9.  Thyroid meds are best taken on an empty stomach and wait 45 mins to an hour before eating or drinking.

Hope that helps 

[countrybumpkin]

As babyjane says the recommended way to take thyroxine is empty stomach for at least 30 mins after but the most important thing I have found is to be consistant. i wasn't told this many years ago when I first started taking it and always had a cup of tea before I took my tablet although would not eat for at least 30 mins.  When I was training and mentioned that I was doing it wrong I was told that consistancy is the key so if this is what I had always done then continue as suddenly changing could affect my absorbtion and raise my levels. 
So if you can take it and not eat or drink for at least 30 mins perfect but if you find it really difficult to remember or stick to this then find what you can remember and stick to and do it every day!

[Cassie]

Thankyou ladies, sigh....I am going to have to pull up my socks, have been very lacksidasical about taking my tablets, some days, it will be in the morning, then I remember I have had tea, and then wait an hour and forget and end up waiting another hour, because, I have just eaten and then sometimes, it is only late afternoon, when I remember and have also skipped days here and there, will have to leave them next to my bed!

[countrybumpkin]

whatever routine you can get into and can stick to every single day is fine, the most important issue is you do exactly the same every single day as only then can you get a reliable blood test result.  The blood tests are not of much use until you have a routine although they would show a huge over or under dosing obviously!

The way I have remembered for over 40 years ( I was diagnosed young ) is that
as soon as I am out of bed the first thing I do is take my tablets then make myself a cup of tea. The timing is not same every day as I don't get up at same time but I keep it to within a couple of hours at most.

Having them next to your bed with a glass of water would be good way of remembering to take them.

[Wrensong]

Hi Cassie, I do exactly as Countrybumpkin suggests & have my morning's thyroid meds on the bedside table with a large glass of water, so that the first thing I do each day after getting out of bed is take the meds.  It's about an hour before I have tea, then that's only lemon & ginger, so mostly water, then about another hour before I have breakfast.  For years I used to take Thyroxine with orange juice before breakfast, as was never told it should be taken with water & found this out by accident.  As Countrybumpkin says, consistency is the most important thing, so that you can establish the right dose for your body whatever your routine 

[babyjane]

Calcium or iron supplements also should not be taken within 4 hours, or longer, of thyroid meds.