Going to a reluctant doctor today for T3 - what is my best argument?

[kiwifruit1]

I am on 250mcg levoxine (I'm now in Sweden) and for the first time in 14 years my NEW doctor has said my results are normal. I have discussed the T3 supplement with him before and he WAS open to the idea until my results came back "normal".

I have not yet seen or received my results. I will get them today.

When I was on 175 mcg I put on around 1kg a week and had very severe hypo symptoms. I manage on the dose I am now on- but I still don't feel 100%

I truly believe that after reading masses of info and hearing so many stories from people who are doing better with the extra t3 that this could be exactly what I need.

He obviously has no clue and I have no other options where I live. He is a private doctor as I left my GP specifically to try my luck with the private one.

I am 145kgs.

I also exercise like a madman, drink protein shakes and eat well. I put on 35kg in a matter of months when my dose was 175 and I was going to the gym 4-5 times a week.

I also did Herbalife where you go to group meetings and drink protein shakes for two meals per day. I was the only person in the group who if I was luck would go down 500g every 2-3 weeks. It is soul destroying.

I am also gluten and milk intolerant.

Any ideas/ arguments and what is the way to work out the correct dose for t3 before I go today?

[Aurealis]

Please see my reply to jigsaw cat on the adjacent thread. Good luck!

[kiwifruit1]

Awesome! Thank you!!!!! Fab info

[Aurealis in reply to kiwifruit1]

Let us know how you get on

[shaws]

Usually, when adding T3 you take 10mcg for a 50mcg reduction of T4.

If you email [e-mail] and ask for a copy of Dr Toft's Pulse online article and question 6 is the one you want to read and give to him, wherein it says that some need a suppressed TSH and/or 10mcg T3. Normal range doesn't mean we are normal if we still have clinical symptoms.

P.S Dr Toft was the President of the British Thyroid Association.

[Aurealis in reply to shaws]

This may be one reason why the evidencefor T3 is mixed, maybe T3 makes little difference at 10mcg replacing 50mcg Levo, but statistically significant difference at 20mcg replacing 50mcg Levo. Or (using Paul Robinsons analogy) perhaps 20mcg is the minimum necessary to get over the beach wall.

[shaws]

10mcg T3 is equivalent to 50mcg levothyroxine.

[Aurealis in reply to shaws]

Yes, so by replacing the first 50mcg reduction in Levo with 20mcg of T3, this is a dose increase. Any further reductions need to be at the equivalence you mention. There is debate about the equivalence isn't there?

[kiwifruit1]

Thanks for the replies!

Today did not go as expected. For one, I didn't get my usual doctor and don't know why.

I now have to book another time in two weeks to talk to the right doctor again.

I tried to discuss it with the doc I got but he was reluctant to do anything as everything previously had been discussed with the other one.

My question is- what should I be pushing for?

From what I understand my current T4 meds need to come down a bit to accommodate the T3.

Can anyone give me a ballpark best informed guess? I am not good with all the maths and am starting to get confused.

1. I am really really overweight. 145 kg

2. Current dose is now 275 (after todays visit) as here in Sweden it works differently from the UK. When I was living in the UK I would get tablets of various sizes to make up to my prescribed dose. Here in Sweden they prescribe you just what you need in one pill which is why I always got the 175 bottle and had to break them up. to make the higher dose.

Today I said that I didn't want to keep breaking up my pills and would actually like a presciption for the "unofficial" amount that I have been taking for a long time. Also everything is so regulated here and computerised no matter which pharmacy you visit- when you take out an prescription that can be renewed 4 times you are not allowed to get the second out take until a week or two before you are due to take them.

And so now due to the sizes of the pills he could do I am now going to take a slightly higher than usual dose.

3. So my real question is- with that info how much T4 meds would I need to go down to and what is the "usual" starting T3 dose for someone of my weight/current dose of T4

Like:

200mcg t4 and ? T3 type of thing.

I just want to be sure that I don't get rolled over with some paltry dose that does nothing. I am interested in taking a combination dose not just a T3 dose.

So once again, thanks everyone. I am not too proud to admit that I had a wee cry in the car because I feel I am actually just so over it.

I am so glad I found this website!

[shaws in reply to kiwifruit1]

Reduce 50mcg of levo for 10mcg of T3. The more I reduced T4 and increased T3 the better I became. I am on T3 alone but I only need 30mcg at present but am well.

[Aurealis in reply to kiwifruit1]

It's really the Endo's call to work out the dose. The dose I was put on seemed illogical to me, but I have to admit that Endo knew what to do. It's worth reading Paul Robinsons book about T3 though, especially if you seem to not be responding to the dose you're put on. He suggests that the morning dose needs to be the highest and I independently found this to be the case. If that dose isn't high enough nothing happens. Take it slow at first till you know how your body reacts.

[Glynisrose]

When my endo said my tests were normal I went,'Woohoo, that means I don't have to take meds every day, I'm cured!!' He said, no, I would still have to take my meds every day. I said in that case I will take over and manage my own health as he either couldn't or wouldn't.

[Aurealis in reply to Glynisrose]

Love it! But it can be scary on your own.

[Mauds]

Watch yourself on herbalife I used a protein shake last year made by them and it containers soya and sent my thyroid crazy still suffering.

[kiwifruit1]

Would love to hear more about the soy protein shakes. I quit Herbalife as I can buy protein powder cheaper elsewhere but was going for the weekly weigh in...

I can't tolerate any whey, or milk based protein powder and it is the only one that my stomach can handle. But I am aware that soy is not meant to be fantastic with the thyroid.... I just don't know how much or why?

[carolr]

Don't take the meds before the test. Seems to be the answer.

[kiwifruit1]

Agreed. Although I left it for 5 days as I wanted to get a "true" result... maybe I shouldn't have left it that long?