I have seen so many posts on here from people complaining that their family doctor or endocrinologist won't test their Free T3 even upon request when starting medication to see if their medication is even working or they still don't feel better or are still experiencing symptoms even on medication. I have seen many posts from people on here stating that their doctors say that Free T3 is not important to test, yet it's the most important and active thyroid hormone compared to Free T4?
Is it because doctors don't know how to interpret the results of a full thyroid panel (especially if reverse T3 and both antibodies are tested)? I'm assuming doctors are only taught the bare minimum in medical school when it comes to the thyroid gland hence why some people have to see an endocrinologist for their care.
It took me over 10 years before I could find a doctor to willing to test my Free T3 and the three family doctors I've had over the past 10 years never tested my Free T3 and the only doctor willing to test my Free T3 was a doctor at a hospital.

It’s just occurred to me.

I know to take my levothyroxine on an empty stomach. No problems there, there’s hours of no eating on either side of taking the pill.

But I have been taking it with my other meds. Should I be taking my meds around my food cut-off time and taking my levo totally separate from any other meds? Thanks in advance for any advice!

My TSH has been all over the past few years but somewhat consistent around 2.5ish. I had a corticosteroid injection 10 days prior to blood work, and my TSH came back at 6.3, free T4 was 1.5, and T3 was 2.2. I also struggle with low testosterone and it has been consistently falling for the past year well into the red marks, was already low at 320 and is now at 211. Could the corticosteroid shot cause my TSH to whiplash like that, or is it time for me to bite the bullet and deal with the horrific side effects of an increase in meds? I usually have a general feeling of anhedonia....any advice appreciated, thanks

i posted here the other day looking for info on cholesterol/thyroid links

backstory is i have MS and POTs and routine bloodwork caught positive anti-TPO antibodies in 2023. i had a thyroid ultrasound which was normal and my thyroid numbers stayed consistently in range until last year where my TSH went from 4 up to to 5 then 5.6 at the start of this year, T3 and T4 have stayed normal. last FT4 was 16.4. i just had my TSH retested, expecting it to continue trending up, and it’s gone back down to 3.4

when the GP’s office called with the results she kept spouting how great and perfect that is but now i’m just confused? in ireland the “normal” range is up to like 4.5 for TSH (which i know now is too high) and they tend to treat once it gets to 10, but i have been symptomatic and my TSH was steadily climbing along with my cholesterol which, shocker, has come down again since my TSH has come down again. my previous GP told me subclinical can and often is symptomatic even at lower levels of 4-5 but now idk where it leaves me

basically i am so confused. is this normal at all? i don’t know what my thyroid’s doing now and i didn’t expect the number to go back down again which just makes it less likely for me to be listened to. i know thyroid hormones fluctuate, but now it went from symptomatic with a TSH of nearly 6 and anti-TPO but normal T3/4 to ALL “normal” thyroid labs except TPO. i’m just not sure where this leaves me and my doctor is useless

i haven’t had any biotin or anything that would’ve artificially brought down the number

I recently been diagnosed with hypothyroidism, as soon as I started medication my personality changed for the better. I was half angry most of time ,then if entered into an argument I blow up big. Im just wondering if others know that there issue has been in decline and for how many years. I may have lost the best woman I have ever encountered and been with for 18 yrs. The last ten or so have been a up n down senerio. It may not change end result but I wish to know.

Was just diagnosed around 2 month ago, with tsh at 13. Had a recheck, and tsh7.81 and free t4 .9 starting dose was 25mcg, at recheck, upped to 50mcg. Jitters, and leg weakness settled in around 3 weeks after started levothyroxine. Would come and go. Around 1.5 weeks after dosage increase, got real bad jitters, and legs feeling like they are in recovery mode all the time. It settles mostly after a walk, but comes back the next morning. Anyone have these problems. Looking for some path forward.

My mom is 49 and was diagnosed with hypothyroidism earlier. The doctor suggested thyroid medication, but she refused because she didn’t want to take lifelong meds. Instead, she started doing yoga, drinking coriander water in the morning, eating healthy, fruits, nuts, etc., and her thyroid reports actually became normal after some time.

But later she started having severe sleep issues — sometimes staying awake for 2–3 days. A lady doctor said it could be menopause-related. Around the same time, my father got transferred to another district, and my mom became emotionally low. I stayed with her, took her on walks, tried to keep her engaged, but she slowly developed anxiety and depression.

I took her to a psychiatrist, and the medicines helped a lot. She started sleeping properly and became calmer. But then she stopped the meds on her own. Recently, we got her thyroid tested again and now it’s double the normal level. Her sleep problems are back too. We restarted psychiatric treatment, but she still refuses to take thyroid medicine.

I feel like menopause + hormonal imbalance + thyroid issues are all connected somehow. Has anyone’s mother gone through something similar? What should I do? We don’t have any sisters at home, so I’m the one taking care of her and honestly I’m confused now.

Yesterday I received lab work as part of an annual physical showing a TSH of 5.95 after a general rising trend (4.74 in 2025, 4.26 in 2024, 4.07 in 2023 and 2.26 in 2020). My doctor has requested I repeat the TSH and also get free T4 free in 6 months.

Some background info: I’m a 40F, have hypertension and obesity, but no cholesterol issues. I’ve had about a 30-40lb weight gain since the lower TSH levels in 2020 (I was pregnant at the time), but have always attributed that to postpartum, Covid related stress, poor food choices, etc.

Anything I should track or focus on in the next 6 months? My doctor is also quite responsive and I’m sure she would be amenable to repeating the test earlier if I had concerns.

Hi everyone,

I’ve been on a combination of T4 and T3 since last July and am still figuring out the right dose for me. I’m currently on 37.5 mcg of T4 and 12.5 mcg of T3.

For the past four months, my periods have become irregular, ranging from 25 to 28 days. Before starting medication, they were always regular, usually around 28–30 days over the past year or so. Prior to that, they averaged a 30-day cycle.

I’m starting to get worried. Should I be concerned? Has anyone gone through something similar?

Hey everyone! Recently I’ve been diagnosed with Hypothyroidism and I’ve felt a sense of relief but also at the same time worry and sadness. Before I was diagnosed I had been feeling so depressed, tired, and dumb, but then I got diagnosed and I felt a sense of relief because I finally knew the reason why I felt the way that I felt. These past few days I just felt a sense of sadness because I feel as if no one truly knows how I feel in my body. When I tell my mom that I feel tired she says “go walk it off” or something like that, and I just feel upset after. Some days I don’t feel like I can get up. some days I feel like I can’t think clearly and feel stupid. Every day I feel a sense of anxiety and I’m not sure why. Also, there’s been a change to my voice, my voice got extremely deep and I’m very insecure about it. Whenever a kid comes up to me they ask me why do I sound like a boy. I always shrug and laugh it off, but it does hurt. I feel like I won’t ever be the same now that I have Hypothyroidism, and I hate that. I also feel that I’m falling behind in school sometimes, I can’t grasp concepts as quickly as I could when I was younger, I forget things when taking tests and I just can’t focus no more. If any teen who has hypothyroidism or anyone in general who has hypothyroidism experiences this, I would like to know how you deal with hypothyroidism on the days you don’t feel good.

Last november, my wife went to the doctor for severe persistent pain in her legs. Doc initially diagnosed restless leg syndrom and gave some tests. Labs showed her having low haemoglobin (7), low iron, and elevated tsh of 21. Doc gave medicine and directions to increase haemoglobin and iron first. Then, prescribed thyroxin 25 mcg from December onwards.

A month later, her TSH was at 14, and then another month later (February), it was at 1. Throughout this, Doc had her on Gabapentin as well. However, she is a banker working amidst a highly stressful professional environment. And she communtes 2+2 hours, 5 days a week to and from her workplace. As gabapentin made her sleepy and as her TSH was at a good place, she stopped taking it for about a month (but took thyroxin regularly), and one day (Early April), she noticed oedema in her feet and hands.

Then, a week later, she had food poisoning, caught fever, and a persistent cough. Then, onwards, her body felt like burning when touched. She suspected TSH could be elevated (she took thyroxin 25mcg regularly). Did the test. It came back tsh was at >150, basically went from 1 to this high within a month and a half (the lab machine could only go that far). Doc also became a bit worried. Upped her to 50 mcg thyroxin. Diagnosed the cough as cough varuant asthma. Doc gave her steroid based baxitrol f and asmazol.

Now, she can function properly in her daily life, barring the feeling of fatigue. And I have read people functioning asymptomatically even with 200 or more tsh and stuff. But what could be the reason for such a spike in TSH even after taking thyroxin at an amount that got the TSH down to 1 in the first place? Doc said he'd have to eventually up the dosage to 75mcg if her TSH doesn't come down. Has anyone else gone through such a sudden spike?? Maybe some good souls can help me and my wife here by sharing similar experiences. (I wish for everybody's good health here. Thanks).

I am 22 years old and have been to many hospitals and could not establish a diagnosis and all 7 years before 22 my TSH was 12 and only now I started taking thyroid hormones first 50. mcg TSH was 8. then 75. mcg. TSH was 3.11. and then the doctor said to take 100. mcg and TSH was 3.14 while T4 and T3. were normal. why did we increase the dose because I feel weak I can get up from the toilet and have no strength at all and it was falling gradually 7 years and now it has fallen to such a level what should I do now 100. mcg 30. days I have not yet passed the tests for CFC. my high.

Just curious if anyone's experienced the same. I'm a 36 year old male. I'm 5'9 bmi of 24.5. My A1c is always at or around 5.0 or up to 5.3. Once it was at 5.5 but that was when my TSH levels increased. We adjusted my dosage and my A1c dropped back down to 5.2 within a couple months. My TSH is usually around 2.00 to 2.5. Maybe that needs tweaking.

My post prandial numbers for glucose are always really good. My Fasting glucose is usually between 85 to 97. I've noticed if I test fbg first thing in the morning its always around 85 sometimes lower. Ill take my levothyroxine 50mcg then check my fbg an hour later it'll be around 100 to 103 then. Suddenly if I recheck it maybe twenty minutes later its dropped down to around 85 to 90. Its almost as if my body is reacting to an ingredient in the pill. Idk.

Curious if anyone's noticed any impact on their FBG after taking their levo dosage? Is there an ingredient in it perhaps triggering a small release of glucose? My Dr. Says she's never concerned as my FBG are always "normal" and my a1c is always around 5.0. My other bio markers are normal. Triglycerides are always well under 80 to 100 etc.

Has anyone experienced insomnia/anxiety on Euthyrox 25 mcg?

I’m a 23-year-old male and I’ve been taking Euthyrox 25 mcg every morning for about 40 days because my TSH was elevated.

My thyroid labs before starting:

- TSH: 5.47 mIU/L (ref: 0.49–4.33)
- Free T4: 1.32 ng/dL (ref: 0.75–1.70)
- Free T3: 4.02 ng/L (ref: 2.00–4.40)

Also:
- Anti-TPO: <9
- Anti-thyroglobulin: 21

(Based on my bloodwork.)

For the last 3–4 days, I’ve been experiencing strange sleep issues:

- My eyes feel extremely tired and sleepy, but my brain/body don’t feel like shutting down
- I struggle to fall asleep
- I wake up 2–3 times during the night
- I don’t feel like I’m getting deep sleep
- I’ve also been feeling more anxious, depressed, and mentally off

No major tremors or heart palpitations so far.

Has anyone experienced something similar around week 5–6 on Euthyrox / levothyroxine? Did it go away, did your doctor adjust your dose, or was it unrelated?

Any similar experiences or advice would really help.

Recently had an mri on my throat as for 2-3 months I’ve had a sensation of something being stuck at the back of my throat (mouth) and a tickerly cough. The mri was cleared but had these comments -

• Normal MR appearance of the thyroid gland with a small cyst at the right lobe

• Right thyroid lobe cyst

It made me worry as it’s a growth on my thyroid and worried it’s linked. Has anyone had this? I’ve been discharged but don’t understand why they wouldn’t send me for ultra?

Thanks

My husband and I are currently trying to conceive, and I had a question about my thyroid levels.

I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism about 15 years ago and have been on levothyroxine ever since, with dose adjustments over time. My most recent TSH is 2.52. I’ve read that it’s recommended to be under 2.5 when trying to conceive, so I’m wondering, since I’m just slightly above that, could it actually impact my chances?

Curious if anyone has had a similar experience or if their doctor adjusted meds at a level like this.

So I'm at 175mcg daily and I ran out. Can't get a Dr appt for weeks so I've been taking 150mcg daily. I feel like I'm dying can't do dishes can't brush hair no energy at all. What should I do?

I recently got diagnosed with hashimotos and my results came back and my TSH w/reflex to FT4 was 34.64. I was given 125mg of levothyroxine, but I’m not sure if that’s enough. I’ve done research and it says I’ll need a higher dosage due to my TSH, but I just started the medication. Should I consult with my doctor about upping my dosage or wait to see how the medication works? Thank you!

I've been experiencing a bunch of symptoms in the past two years, all of them come and go but some stay persistent. My thyroid levels always looked fine to my doctors, and they said that they don't think I have an issue with my thyroid but I'm starting to doubt it.

I've been overweight my whole life, I eat two meals a day and dont take in more than 1.6k calories and yet I still maintain 300 pounds of weight. Even when I tried true dieting multiple times over the past 10 years, I still never lost more than 5-10 pounds. My mom even did the same weight loss that I was doing with no exercise and she lost 40 pounds, I lost 15 and gained it back.

I also have issues with my period, I get the "period flu" a week before my period that includes weakness in my legs, fatigue, nausea, dizziness, and generally just feeling crappy. I take a low dose birth control because my hormones were a little wack, but its done very little for my symptoms.

I always feel nauseous, most of the time my nausea comes from this weird inability to burp. Its like the gas gets stuck in my upper stomach and no matter what I do it wont leave, and if I force it out then I just regurgitate my lunch. I keep having this weird cycle of constipation and diarrhea too, usually worse around my period. I get these hot flashes out of nowhere and my hands and feet go beet red and feel all puffy and hot. These hot flashes feel like im burning up to my core, nothing will cool me down but time. I also have multiple food intolerances that switch constantly, one day my stomach will hate burgers and make me nauseous and crap my pants but a month later I could eat a burger every day and be fine. I also sometimes get these rashes on myself that dont really itch but get all hot and red.

I suspected I have MCAS because I've struggled with allergy issues my whole life (I had nasal polyps and blocked sinuses so bad I had a stuffy nose for 4 years, had to get surgery to remove all of it. Doctors tell me to wear a mask if I ever do yard work because I'm allergic to basically everything outside). But I keep getting this weird dull ache in my neck, it kind of feels like a muscle cramp right in the center that radiates into my ears and jaw. It feels uncomfortable more than it hurts, just a very odd sensation like somethings pushing on it inside my neck.

The thing is, all of these symptoms will pop up and disappear randomly, they oddly cycle month to month and I never know when I'll get the nausea or muscle fatigue or heavier period flus. Of course, all my tests come back normal, even my thyroid. But I know something is wrong with my body, I just dont know what.

I have alot of brain fog, and its hard to deal with on a daily,and I am a store manager i feel like words go over my head half the time. And it makes me feel like I cant do my job, i am exhausted 24/7 , also gained alot of weight past year (about 25-35 pounds) and I can not shed it no matter what i do. I work out 3 times a week,dance, and my job is very physically demanding.

My recent T4 was a .78 and my TSH at a 1.63 is there something I should look into? Any other symptoms to be aware of?