Why would my mother's PCP increase her dosage of levothyroxine which is prescribed to her for underactive thyroid if her thyroid hormone levels measured high? I'm no doctor but it's my understanding that levothyroxine increases levels of the thyroid hormone so why would someone need even more of a medication that increases something that is already high. Shouldn't it be decreased. But yet her doctor has increased the dosage twice in the last 8 months. The first time because it was just a little high according to her PCP and this time it was even higher so the dosage was increased yet again. The dosage has doubled in the last 8 months and her thyroid hormone level has more than doubled. It seems to me her PCP doesn't know what she is doing. Is there a reasonable explanation why her PCP did this.?
Does my mother's PCP know what she is doing?
Question posted by Chawk82 on 28 Sep 2023
Last updated on 28 September 2023 by WildcatVet
Answers
Hi, Chawk!
It may seem counterintuitive but this apparently is the proper course of treatment and don't ask the whys and wherefores. It's very complicated and should only be prescribed by a professional.
"If your TSH level is high, the treatment is usually to prescribe pure synthetic T4 (levothyroxine sodium, called LT4), which is a manufactured version of the T4 hormone your thyroid produces. This should restore the feedback loop to the pituitary gland, prompting it to produce less TSH."
You might also want to question the doctor as to why and how specifically it works.
Best regards and good luck getting your answer.
Wildcat
Related topics
underactive thyroid, levothyroxine, hypothyroidism, dosage, thyroid
Further information
- Levothyroxine uses and safety info
- Levothyroxine prescribing info & package insert (for Health Professionals)
- Side effects of Levothyroxine (detailed)
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