Does anyone here who takes T3 only, take more in the winter?

[Totoro]

[tDR1980]

I only started on 10mcg T3 a few weeks ago. I have 5mcg tabs so take a morning and late afternoon dose.

I have noticed more symptoms creeping back in since it's gotten very dark and cold here in Scotland, and when I was out on Saturday into night time I didn't have my tablets with me to take a dose - by 9.30pm I had that thick fog feeling in the middle of my brain and was having to fight so hard to stay awake, round a dinner table in conversation with 2x friends. I kept doing the nodding dog thing as I fell asleep and instantly made myself wake again.

I made my excuses and left for home - luckily we were right next to the Train station. As soon as I got on the Train I fell asleep and I think by sheer fluke woke up at my stop!

I seem to be very sensitive to missing a T3 dose and with more back and hip ache creeping in during the day, I feel like I need to increase the T4 or T3 - not sure which. I'm on a mean 142.5mcg T4 daily.

[babycatcher7572]

Hi....i was taking 62.5 mcg through the summer and felt not too bad.since winter have noticed symptoms creeping back in so increased to 75mcg but my body has not been able to tolerate this amount and has given me cardiac issues. So i have had to reduce again. Now stuck in limbo land feeling awful so going to try NDT under Dr P's care.x

[sarahstevenson]

Hi

am about to try to increase again currently on 31.25 mcg cynomel - current NHS amdipharma Mercury really not suiting me. The MHRA are "on the case" I hope

- I find that taking 2xNutri Adrenal about half an hour before taking the lio has been helpful in the past. I've not trialled NDT so that may be a way to go although Izabella Wentz warns that TPO antibodies can in some Hashi patients increase when on NDT.

Mmm will try a lio increase first - then ask Dr P again

[T3sortedme]

I am on T3 only (50mcg in 3 doses - 20/20/10mcg @ 6.45am/12/5pm) but do not vary the dose summer to winter. As tDR1980 says, any delay in a tablet or worse, missing one, has a very significant effect. Also any cold or virus knocks me back for a few days and often before I am aware that I have a cold. It seems that the body fighting it uses up a lot of T3 before the symptoms arrive. BY the time the cold is noticeable to anyone, I am getting stronger! What level are you on Totoro?

[tDR1980 in reply to T3sortedme]

Interesting what you say about Colds / Viruses T3sortedme - I have a Cold now (started yesterday), so perhaps I'll feel better aches & pains and fatigue wise without a dose adjustment once I'm better.

[Totoro in reply to T3sortedme]

I'm on 90mcg. I do 45/30/10/5 @ 6am/10/2/5.30pm

Do you get up at 6.45am or do you sleep for a little after that and then get up? I've been waking at 6am and getting up later. But I'd really prefer it if I could just take some on waking up.

[T3sortedme in reply to Totoro]

I get up then weekdays but stay in bed weekends but not often truly sleeping, just resting. You can move timing but it must then stay the same for about 4 weeks before patterns settle and you really know the difference. I think the bodies other cycles adjust. If you change too fast you don't really know what is happening. It becomes guess work. Have you read Paul Robinson 'Recovering on T3'?

[picturemaker]

Healthy scientists over wintering in arctic/Antarctic stations suffer from lack of T3, antarcticarctic.wordpress.c...

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/100...

It makes sense that if healthy individuals use up T3 more quickly in the cold, or dark days, then we on T3 replacement will do the same.

Incidentally I was diagnosed with SAD about 15 years ago. The symptoms were relieved greatly as soon as I was diagnosed as hypo and got my T3/T4.

[jacksprat]

Hi I am currently India for the next three months. Prior to travelling I was taking 80mcg of t3 daily and been here for two weeks and still on same amount and so far so good. Temperature change is immense 5 degrees to 34 approx, and no noticeable difference in the way I feel.

[Totoro in reply to jacksprat]

Mmmm, I've been in India in January and it was a lovely temperature. Although that was back before I was diagnosed, looking backwards I think I do better in hot countries. But, it could also be because of the better sunlight.

[Neeta-K]

I would recommend reading these 2 articles by Mary Shoman;

thyroid.about.com/od/relate...

thyroid.about.com/u/ua/wint...

[Hidden in reply to Neeta-K]

I like number 5 - 'get some sunlight everyday' (feels good but winter sun can't hit the spot here in UK)

or a sunbox or (my fav) Vitamin D!

[PinkNinja]

I have recently needed to increase my dose. I was quite shocked at how hypo I became. I'm starting to fell more human now though