I have been self medicating with liothyronine and levothyroxine for the past two years or so. Today I started the estrogen patch for perimenopause symptoms, and will also start progesterone in a couple of days.
The provider that prescribed these said that some women need to increase their thyroid medication dose after starting HRT, and to get labs done after three months.
Does anyone have experience with starting HRT while on both t4 and t3? Did it affect your levels/dosages?
Hi It's interesting what you are saying as since being on HRT I have been having symptoms which I haven't had for years. I've been on HRT for four years and was fine at first. Its only now the symptoms are making me feel very unwell. I didn't connect the two however it makes sense now. I have had my dose of HRT changed recently and was never informed to increase my dose of thyroid Meds. I found out on this forum a day ago after putting my blood results, I need to increase my meds immediately and my T3 is extremely low. The GP said all my bloods were normal ! So I know I have a long road again to get better as they left me for two and a half years untreated before being diagnosed . At a hospital appointment they found out I was hypothyroid and at the time extremely unwell.
Raising your oestrogen levels can effect your level of Thyroid Binding Hormone which in turn can mean a tweak to your T3/4... individual as it rather depends how low your sex hormones have been before starting HRT
Some women report needing slightly more thyroid medication when starting HRT, but I actually found I needed less. It’s good to check thyroid levels 6-8 weeks after medication changes.
TurtlesAllTheWay,
Yes, some members do and some don’t (I didn't need to).
Oral oestrogen goes through the liver and so more likely to increase protein carriers that bind too much thyroid hormone. Patches and transdermal gels lessen this risk but some members have had to increase their meds slightly.
I used to think this was only due to recycled oestrogen (that would go through the liver) but have since read oestrogen effects TSH receptors making untreated or under medicated women (further) hypothyroid. Need to do some further reading on this 🤔
HRT patches affecting thyroid 
HRT/Perimenopause and Thyroxine advice 
Long time member advice required on recent thyroid blood test after starting HRT.
Is this thyroid or perimenopause or something else? 
Under active thyroid and HRT
