drained of energy: i have been on t3 only for... - Thyroid UK

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drained of energy

katherine107 profile image
18 Replies

i have been on t3 only for past few months 60mcg a day . i stopped taking thyroxine as i didnt feel well on it. dr peatfield recommended t3 only. i dont feel better in fact i feel worse than ever. have no energy and always fatigued and exhausted. my gp gives me the t3. i had blood test last week and the endocrinologist at hospital recieved them and said he wants to reduce the t3 to half the amount as if i take more it will make tsh go down. he wants to put me back on thyroxine at 50mcg a day. my blood test results were t3 4.2 . tsh 0.2 and t4 nil as i am not taking it. i am at my wits end as i really dont know what to do and cannot carry on feeling llike this . dr peatfield recommended i try t3 from mexico which i have done and that hasnt helped either. please please someone help me.

katherine

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18 Replies
Trixie64 profile image
Trixie64

Have you had Vit. D, iron studies, B12 & folate, magnesium levels checked? Low Vit. D especially can cause dreadful fatigue & ferritin needs to be high for T3 to work properly.

I also didn't do well on T3 only; I'm still trying to find the right balance of Nutri- thyroid & T3. We're all individual. Don't despair!

Trixie

katherine107 profile image
katherine107

i had a vit d test done a year ago and was low but have been taking supplements. b12 is normal, havent had ferritin checked but i do not think my gp will give me test. where do you get nutri thyroid tablet from?

TSH levels become almost irrelevant when you're on T3 only. It's going to be low if you take T3 - that's how the feedback mechanism works. I'm wondering whether you actually need slightly more T3, though it's hard to be sure without a range for that FT3 result - do you have a range for it? 4.2 is under mid range on most ranges so there might be room for improvement.

shaws profile image
shawsAdministrator

I am sorry you are not doing well. You do pin your hopes on a change of medication.

I am not medically qualified and my suggestion is just a guess really.

I wonder if your body doesn't like synthetic thyroid gland hormones, which is T4 and T3, and you may be better on Naturethroid which is hypoallergenic. Of course, all natural dessicated thyroid hormones are more synergistic with the human body. The fact, too, that the Endo says he will switch you back to T4 which didn't do you any good is worrying for you.

There is also something called thyroid hormone resistance, which means at cellular level it is difficult for the hormone to get into the cells. This is an excerpt and the link is archived so any links within may not work:-

Dr. Lowe: When supraphysiologic dosages of thyroid hormone fail to suppress TSH secretion, the patient has "general" resistance to thyroid hormone. This classification of thyroid hormone resistance is different from the one that manifests as fibromyalgia in many patients. The latter classification is termed "peripheral" resistance to thyroid hormone. I will explain the difference between general and peripheral resistance.

The classification of thyroid hormone resistance is based on whether (1) the pituitary gland and (2) the other tissues of the body (referred to as "peripheral" tissues) are involved in the patient's resistance. In general resistance, both the pituitary gland and the peripheral tissues are partially resistant to thyroid hormone. The patient's thyroid hormone levels are elevated, but his TSH level and his peripheral tissue metabolism are usually normal. Here's why:

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

katherine107 profile image
katherine107

this all seems so confusing and the endo who i saw says he will reduce the t3 to 30mcg a day and add 50mcg of thyroxine which i do not want to take as ill on it before. i tried the mexican t3 and hasnt helped either. what does anyone suggestiond

in reply tokatherine107

Surely it's worth trying taking the two together?

yorkshiregirl44 profile image
yorkshiregirl44

I wonder if the brand of t4 you were taking did not agree with you. I was very unwell on one brand so switched to another..its just a suggestion.....

Aurealis profile image
Aurealis

Sorry you're in such a dilemma and feeling poorly. We're all different, but I feel really poorly as my T4 level drops, so if my results were like yours the answer would be to add in some thyroxine. The brands seem very different to me

katherine107 profile image
katherine107

Thank you for all the replies. I will start thyroxine again and see how I get on. If there is a brand which is better can people message me about it please. Thanks

Katherine

Heloise profile image
Heloise

katherine, I'm afraid that more T4 is not going to help or even more T3 if your receptors are blocked by cortisol. I think this video may explain.

youtube.com/watch?v=qYeFh06...

katherine107 profile image
katherine107 in reply toHeloise

could you please tell me if there is a blood test to show high cortisol level

p1d2n3m4 profile image
p1d2n3m4 in reply tokatherine107

Adrenal saliva test from Genova Diagnostics £75

Heloise profile image
Heloise in reply tokatherine107

The blood test is not as reliable. The saliva test is discussed in the beginning of this article.

stopthethyroidmadness.com/l...

Heloise profile image
Heloise in reply tokatherine107

katherine, keep in mind, there are also other reasons for the problem of hormone not working well. Endos don't seem to want to look any further, i.e. secondary Hypothyroidism.

p1d2n3m4 profile image
p1d2n3m4 in reply toHeloise

Cant get this video;- annoying

Heloise profile image
Heloise in reply top1d2n3m4

I'll try again with video #1 (above is #21) which you may be able to locate if you can get this one to work.

youtube.com/watch?v=nZ_CP7l...

Kitten-whiskers profile image
Kitten-whiskers

Hello Katherine,

Exactly the same thing happened to me, I felt awful on Levo, then saw Dr Peatfield who recommended adrenal support and T3 and i felt like I was dying - it was dreadful. Has Dr P recommended the ASI test for your adrenals?

I am surprised you are on such a high dose of T3 in such a short length of time (remembering T3 is a lot stronger and more powerful that Levo )- you should really build it up gradually and also what has helped with me, is taking it in divided doses throughout the day, as T3 only stays in the body a few hours (the effects remain for much longer) Have you spoken with Dr P again, he always tries to help. I also got mine for Mexico but tablet was much to strong (even being cut up into quarters) for me.

Best wishes

katherine107 profile image
katherine107

i take t3 in divided doses. the mexican t3 which dr peatfield didnt help at all. i have had severe stress and worry in lat 5 years so that hasnt helped. what is asi test?

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