can i know for whom did levothyroxine works ..is there any need of direct t3?

[rai44]

[shaws Administrator]

Levothyroxine does work for some people, but I doubt they would be on a forum like this one. There would be no need to search for information if you felt well. If you take enough levothyroxine for it to be converted to sufficient T3 to saturate all your cells you would feel well but the dose is important. T4 (levo) is the inactive hormone and T3 is the active one.

Research has been done re levothyroxine in quite a few countries and this is one document.

web.archive.org/web/2010073...

[rai44 in reply to shaws]

thanks for the reply...my current free t3 is 3.8 which is 2.4 when i m not on medicine..and doctor says it is free t3 which is responsible for symptoms but as our thyroid gland produce some direct t3 and some research says it actually aids in t4 conversion..

[shaws Administrator in reply to rai44]

I am not medically qualified but I would say it is the 'lack' of T3 which causes the symptoms. I am on T3 only and am symptom free. Before and after diagnosis and when on levo I was and felt absolutely awful with a myriad of symptoms.

[bantam12 in reply to shaws]

Levo works just fine for me even though my T3 is in the lower half of the range, plus I have vit d deficiency.I have no working thyroid due to surgery and RAI and I take 100 mcg.

[shaws Administrator in reply to bantam12]

That's good that you have a dose which works for you and you feel well.

[foreversummer]

I think levothyroxine works for a lot of people. However, for it to work well you need to make sure that your iron - ferritin and folate, B12 and Vitamin D levels are really good. Unfortunately these often are not when people are hypothyroid. It is often a battle to get your doctor to test for these things. I told my doctor about Thyroid UK and since then she has agreed to test me for these things. Therefore, I am very hopeful that once my levels are up my levo will work me.

Always feel free to ask for info on this site. It is a great place to be.

[rai44 in reply to foreversummer]

yess i have worked on all these issues and free t3 raises to 3.8 after iron optimization and feeling almost well..can u tell me is there any need of direct t3 and have also heard that free t3 level fluctuate too much while only on t4 medication..u have any clue regarding that?

[Hidden]

Hi there

I had a total thyroidectomy 12 years ago and was put on 100 mcg thyroxine at the time. I did very well on this until about 18 months ago, when blood test results and symptoms indicated I was over-medicated. I have been up and down a bit trying to get the dose correct over the past year but do not seem to need additional T3.

To get the T3 tested I had to get blood tests done privately as NHS only seems to test if TSH very low and FT4 very high to check for thyroid toxicity. The results suggest that I do convert T4 to T3 adequately and so am OK on T4 only medication. I also had the vits and minerals mentioned tested through my GP and everything is within the upper sections of the ranges, so another benefit in T4 to T3 conversion.

However, as others have said, many people do better on T4 and T3 combined, or just T3.

It would be interesting to know why you ask the question.

Best wishes.

[fixit in reply to Hidden]

Good to hear a success story on here.

[Hidden in reply to fixit]

Thanks.

[rai44 in reply to Hidden]

yess i have worked on all these issues and free t3 raises to 3.8 after iron optimization and feeling almost well..asked this to know need of direct t3 as produced by our gland and have also heard that free t3 level fluctuate too much while only on t4 medication..u have any clue regarding that

[Hidden in reply to rai44]

Hi Rai

I am not an expert by any means but my understanding is that the thyroid gland when working produces both T4 and T3. The liver and kidneys convert T4 to T3, use some of it locally and also put T3 into bloodstream. Other cells convert T4 to T3 and use it locally e.g. heart and muscles. It appears that for many people without a thyroid but take thyroxine, the liver and kidneys produce enough T3 into the bloodstream to compensate. I think FT3 fluctuates during the day normally but don't know anything about it fluctuating too much if on T4 only.

That's my simplistic understanding - I am sure others can explain it better, especially when there are issues of poor T4 to T3 conversion and hence to need to take T3 medication.

Liz

[nightingale-56]

Hi Rai, Eltroxin (T4) did work for me, but the current ones on the market are not working so well, although Wockhardt Levothyroxine seems to be the best of a bad bunch. Janet.

[rai44 in reply to nightingale-56]

while on eltroxin whats ur free t3 and is it stable?

[nightingale-56 in reply to rai44]

Was taken off Eltroxin about 3 years ago and think my T3 was about 5.4 at the time. It has not gone down as such since then, but symptoms have got worse. Janet.

[Clutter]

I don't do well on levothyroxine alone and benefit with the addition of T3.

My sister, however, feels fine on levothyroxine even though, in my opinion, she is a little under medicated.

[rai44 in reply to Clutter]

have u checked ur free t3 when on levothyroxine?

[Clutter in reply to rai44]

My FT3 was always low in range and last time it was tested, 6 months ago, was below range. I've added FT3 ever since.

My understanding is that FT3 needs to be in the top 75% of range to feel well.