I finally got my GP to prescribe T3, but after the first few days of feeling so much better

[Everdean]

I have gone right down hill. With exhaustion and fibro pain.

I am still on 75/100 Levo but Dr put me strait on to 10 mg of the T3.

Any suggestions please as to why I feel so rough.

[shaws Administrator]

Usually when they add 10mcg of T3 they reduce T4 by 50mcg.

Hope you feel better soon.It is disappointing when you've felt an improvement initially.

[Everdean in reply to shaws]

Thank you Shaws. I don't actually feel overdosed, but just full of pain and tired. Could that be a symptom of overdose?

[shaws Administrator in reply to Everdean]

Before the blood tests came in, patient were medicated according to disappearance of clinical symptoms. They were on NDT.

I am sure you would have feelings of overstimulation if dose was too much for you. I will say that the more I reduced T4 and increased T3 the better I became.

[Vickiti in reply to Everdean]

Paul Robinson explained why this happens in one of his Recovering with T3 blogs - which I am very sorry but can't find right now. It is a frequently observed phenomenon apparently.

[sarahstevenson]

Mmmmm I didn't feel right until I was off T4. I was even better on very low T3 alone than on T4/T3 combined. Lots of aches and pains could also be iron, food sensitivity or other mineral / vitamins issue. Do you know these are OK?

Again would thoroughly recommend Paul Robinson

NB possible problem at the moment as to which T3 are you on - Only supplier in UK is Mercurypharma and some batches have been reported as being less effective. Make sure you keep a note of which batch you are taking - the hospital or pharmacy don't keep records and it could be significant. It may be the fillers or the strength or the patients? The Jury is out at the moment watch for posts.

Hope you find some answers soon

Sarah

[Everdean]

Thank you all very much for your replies. I will try and find Paul Robinson's blogs you mentioned.

I have got these T3 on trial for 6 months only, so need to get it right before I see the DR again.

[Yana]

This is the article by Paul Robinson.

recoveringwitht3.com/blog/e...

[Everdean]

Thank you Yana. That information was so interesting.He suggests that the T3 be taken in 4 small doses to combat this. But I already have to split the 20mg tablet and to split it further would be too difficult. has anyone managed this successfully?

[Hidden in reply to Everdean]

Yes. When I started T3 I had to split the 20mcgm tablet into quarters and this was spread over two days. Now I am on 1/3 tablet three times a day and I am looking forward to increasing this next time I see Endo.

[keeponbelieving]

Hey there,

What were your test results and why did your gp add in the T3 ? I only ask because the Levo gave me muscle pain and fibromyalgia and I only started getting better when I stopped the levo completely. I am on T3 only now and doing much better....I stopped taking the levo for over a month before SLOWLY building up the T3. Then after a couple of months I had to reduce it further as my uptake was suddenly better. (Quite common apparently).

Plus all sorts of other things have to be optimal in order to get the best from the T3 - but Paul's book will give you all that info...

My TSH was "normal" during ten years of being told I was adequatley replaced - only to get more and more ill - but when I finally got tested for T3 - it was practically non existent! So clearly none of the T4 was getting to my cells - do you have a conversion problem too?

I know we are all different and it is all so complex - so hope you get sorted soon!

Good luck.

[Everdean in reply to keeponbelieving]

I've been trying to find my little book where I write down all my results. I remember I left it at my daughters. When I get it back,I will reply to your question keep on believing.

[Everdean in reply to keeponbelieving]

I have got my results now keeponbelieving.

TSH 0.4(.55-4.78) T4 18 (9-23) T3 3.5 (3.5-6.5).

When you said you stopped your Levo, did you start your T3 strait away or wait for the month before starting T3? Also how much T3 did you start with and how much did you increase and when?

How much Levo had you previouslybeen on?

Thanks

[keeponbelieving]

Hey there- were these taken before you started the T3? As you can see, your TSH is low so guess they did not worry about that, your T4 is in range but your T3 is only just in range...so thats probably why your gp added a small amount of T3. As others have said a mix of levo and T3 does not help some people. Were you ever well on the levo? Personally I found it of some benefit at the start...probably because I needed it so badly..but it gave me other problems over the years....which of course they all said could not be thyroid as usual!

I stopped taking the levo, ( which they kept changing from 75 to 100 then 75 all the time as my T4 was going over), and waited for over a month before touching the T3 - then the Endo said to take 2 x 20mcg tablets - one in the morning and one at lunchtime. Luckily for me Paul's book had just come out so I knew that was TOO much as soon as I took the first one!!!!! So I started dividing it into quarters and carefully monitored my temperature and blood pressure daily. I kept notes and took it real slow.If you read Paul's book he will explain how it builds up. I got as high as 35mcg when it seemed to kick in more powerfully so now back to 25- small changes do make a difference! Good luck!

[Everdean]

Yes that test was before the T3.

How were you for that month on no thyroid at all? And why did you not take anything for a whole month?

Thanks for replying keeponbelieving