Not sure how to ask this question so that it makes sense...Here goes!!!

[missdove]

Errrrmmm my brain is not working very well, I am not sleeping at present so please bear with me... Tried T4 for over 6 months last year and got to 175mg, it did not work for me and made me very,very depressed...I have been self medicating with T3 the past few months and am still struggling but no where near as depressed...Had some bloods done in Nov last year and my T4 blood results are down to 4 from 17 and my GP is really concerned and thinks that's why I am feeling like I do, so I tried taking T4/T3 combo and with in a week I start feeling really low in mood so I have stopped the T4 again and am on 25 mcg's of T3 only, along with the usual collection of vitamins/minerals!!

I have seen my Dr today and she has requested T4/T3 bloods along with antibodies as mine are sky high and have been for a while and have been Gluten Free for about 5 months now to try and lower the antibodies, I tried to explain that T4 converts to T3 so surely the low T4 figure should not make make any difference especially if there are conversion issues...

I have just somehow deleted a whole paragraph and forgotten what I had written...

I know there are people on T3 only so what do they do? I am so confused by all of this and hope that some of you can advise me, and if I am right in thinking I do not need T4 as I am taking T3 is there any info that I can print off to show my GP.

Just to say I have worked my way through all the GP's in my surgery over a period of 4 years and my GP is lovely and is just trying to pick up the pieces of the dire care I previously received from her fellow GP's!!

So if anyone can answer this more succinctly than the way I have asked the question it will help me greatly...

Many thanks

[shaws Administrator]

Hi Miss Dove

I am sorry you are going through a bad patch. When you take T3 alone, your T4 will be low and sometimes TSH suppressed. 25mcg may not be enough and you may need an

increase.

These are two links which you may find helpful (links within may not work):-

Go to the question dated July 12, 2010 and other questions you may find of interest:-

web.archive.org/web/2010103...

web.archive.org/web/2010103...

[missdove in reply to shaws]

That's brilliant...I will print some bits off and show them to her then try to convince her that T4 simply does not agree with me and try undo her brainwashing that T4 is for everyone, and the fact that is a storage hormone till it converts to T3....I thought I was going mad and sadly with this illness it makes you question your sanity on a daily basis!!

Thanks for your advice...

[shaws Administrator in reply to missdove]

How about this? Dr Lowe wrote to the RcoP and BTA and despite him requesting an answer three times they ignored his scientific argument. What a loss he is to suffering people.

thyroidscience.com/Criticis...

[missdove in reply to shaws]

Oh my gosh I know and what with Dr Skinners sad passing, its scary as we have so few people advocating this awful complex illness on our behalf and it worries me...Thanks Shaws

[Clutter]

T3 suppresses TSH and lowers FT4 so it may have come as a shock to your GP if she doesn't know you're taking T3.

25mcg is a very low dose and being undermedicated might explain why you're still feeling unwell.

Post TT and prior to RAI ablatement I was on 3 x 20mcg daily.

[missdove in reply to Clutter]

Yes you are right the low T4 has come as a shock to her, and my TSH has been suppressed for a while now 0.5 was the last reading...So I will just have to try and retrain her thinking on T4! Ha ha wish me luck on that one!!!

And yes I will increase my T3 again...Thanks for your help