Hello again!: At the moment I am taking 150 mgs... - Thyroid UK

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Hello again!

cookiecole profile image
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At the moment I am taking 150 mgs of thyroxine, if I was to take some t3 what would be the starter dose, I understand I would also need to reduce t4, not sure how much?, any help please. Thanks gill

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helvella profile image
helvellaAdministrator

UK Liothyronine (T3) tablets are 20 micrograms. They can be split once (into two 10 mcg) pieces. A few people manage splitting into four - but they are getting very difficult to manage.

Further, many people find they need, or prefer, to split their doses. So they take it at two, three or even more times a day.

Putting those thoughts together, it is very difficult to get a reliable dose of less than 10 mcg a day. And many find that a bit of a challenge.

Reducing T4 is difficult to gauge. There are so many factors involved it is effectively impossible to get this right. But it is often suggested that each microgram of T3 is roughly equivalent to between 3 and 5 micrograms of T4. So a 20 mcg a dose T3 dose could mean a reduction of between 60 and 100 micrograms in T4.

Also, a reduction that might work on day 1 of trialling some T3, well, it might be the wrong adjustment by day 2, 5, 10 or somewhere down the line.

Rod

Hi here

Rod is right, its difficult to say, everyone is different. But just to let you know how I managed it, might give you an idea. I was originally on 112.5mcg of T4. When I added in the T3 I started on 100mcg of T4 and 20mcg of T4 (split into 2). However, the first day I felt awful (worse than before) so I started changing the dose, down to 75mcg of T4 and 20mcg of T3, but I feel better on 50mcg T4 and 10 to 15mcg of T3 although I may still have to tweak this as time goes on.

However, if your vitamans and minerals are out of kilter it will make it difficult for any combination or T4 dose to work properly for you. I was low on Vit D and now take supplements along with B12 methyl with a B-complex which includes folic acid.

Its difficult to say how much these supplements were instrumental in improving my absorption of the T4/T3 combo but I worked on the basis that 15mcg of T3 equates to about 45-60 of T4, so added to my 50mcg of T4, gives me 95-110mcg of T4, which is close to my original dose. But, as i said, everyone is different and although it is working for me at the moment I may still have to jiggle it a bit.

Hope this helps

Heloise profile image
Heloise in reply to

Why are hypothyroid people always deficient in something? Maybe this article answers that.

stopthethyroidmadness.com/s...

cookiecole profile image
cookiecole

Thanx so much for your help gill

shaws profile image
shawsAdministrator

Dr Toft ex of the BTA suggests a reduction of 50mg of levo for 10mcg of T3. That's what my Endo did too.

cookiecole profile image
cookiecole in reply toshaws

What would we do without this brilliant site thanx again gill x

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