Normal T3T4TSH,discontinued Elthroxin

Posted on Sat, 28 May 2011

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Sat, 28 May 2011 Answered on

Tue, 22 May 2012 Last reviewed on

Question : i have been tested normal for T3T4TSH and i have discontinued elthroxin 6 months back There are no problems with my healthIs it fine i have been tested normal 3 times for T3T4TSH and have discontinued elthroxin for last 6 months There is no medical problems with me Please advise if this is fine.I am a female aged 24 and was under elthroxin treatment from 2002

Answered by Dr. Jasvinder Singh (7 hours later)

Hi,

Thanks for posting your query.

This is a little surprising as you've been taking the thyroid pills since 2002. It's good that you've not been having any symptoms since stopping the drug for the past 6 months.

However, you'll need a continuous monitoring of the TSH. You should do TSH every 2 months. In case, there's an increase in the TSH levels or you develop any of the symptoms suggestive of hypothyroidism like weight gain, lethargy, constipation, slowing of heart rate etc, you should consult your physician.

Another test which should be helpful is anti-TPO antibodies. These are the antibodies which are circulating in the blood and are actually responsible for the damage to the thyroid gland resulting in hypothyroidism.

If the anti-TPO antibody levels are high, then you'll likely need to start eltroxin again.

Please consult an endocrinologist for the same.

Hope this answers your query. If you have additional questions or follow up queries then please do not hesitate in writing to us. I will be happy to answer your queries.

Wishing you good health.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar