hi nill4me,

50mcg of synthroid T4 hormone is a very low dose .. your doctor will be increasing it gradually till you reach the maximal dose for YOU, which will bring your TSH down (preferably below 2). You should be having your TSH checked regularly, every 10 to 12 weeks, and based on the level, your dosage of hormone will be increased in small increments until the adequate dosage is reached. It's important to increase in gradual steps, rather than blast in the full dose at once. Thyroid hormone can cause the heart to race, blood pressure to go up, insomnia and other symptoms .. this is why it's added gradually.

You might be interested to check out this list of foods and drugs which can interfere with the absorption of thyroid hormone. Check out the rest of the About.come Thyroid site while you're there; lots of good information.

Hope you're feeling better soon

Doreen