What time do I add T3 to NDT? : Hi, folks - am in... - Thyroid UK

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What time do I add T3 to NDT?

Schenks profile image
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Hi, folks - am in a real pickle here.

An endo I used to see sporadically, between cancellations on their part that took my appointments to every 6-9 months, ended up prescribing 1 grain of Armour plus 50mcg levo, which only helped a little, but I still felt poorly. I asked to add-in T3, but he changed the regime to 50mcg Levo with 2 x 5mcg of T3 a day. He refused to countenance that the Levo was problematic for me after my having remained stable on it since '84 until my health collapsed in 2007 from being bullied for several years. He also said that their was no precedence for taking Desiccated Thyroid along with T3, and would not let me change to 1 grain plus T3, so eventually, after getting up my courage from much research on here, TUK and support from the forum, I did it myself. Felt quite a bit better but still very weak and tired part-way through the day.

Two weeks ago my new, kindly and listening endo prescribed 2 grains of Armour. BUT - the last few days I have been having the most dreadful arrhythmia, at its worst when I go to bed, along with ectopic beats every second or third contraction: lubdup.....lubdupBang..................lubdup.....lubdupBANG................Heart rate down to 56 and the pauses between resuming after the thumps getting longer. Emailed the endo yesterday and she said to reduce the Armour down to 1 1/2 grains and add-in 2 x 5mcg of T3. I am now so b****y confused, I don't know what time to take what!

Sorry to go on, but I feel weak, tired, ill, fuzzy-headed...can't figure this out. It feels like I am dying - seriously, and I can't think my way through this. I will email endo - but am fearful she will start thinking about me as a heartsink. Please, any advice what times I should take the things?

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Clutter profile image
Clutter

Schenks,

It's trial and error, I think. If you take Armour early in the morning, try taking 5mcg T3 midday and the second dose around 5pm. If you feel buzzy with the midday dose take it a bit later, ditto the second dose.

Schenks profile image
Schenks

Thanks for the reply. My problem is I can't trial and error at all at the mo - I can't think it through, it's become so complicated. For the last 2 years I've done all the timings, taking T3 at 3 - 4 am because of the adrenalin surge from adrenal fatigue - that seemed to rectify itself after a few months so then took the T3 later in the day, spacing out for the 8 hour half life/elimination and so on, along with calculating when to take the b**** NDT and its percentage of T3 to T4 but I've ground to a halt!! I've emailed the endo - will see what she advises - guess that's what she's paid for...but it's Bank Holiday..... Still, you gave me a reminder, so thank you.

shaws profile image
shawsAdministrator

I take my medication once per day. It saves all complications of remembering etc etc. I've taken NDT and now take T3 only.

You're fortunate your Endo prescribes as many wont and lots think NDT is useless.

T3 is absorbed quickly but the effect of one dose continues for between 1 and 3 days.

Schenks profile image
Schenks

Thanks, Shaws. I did not know that T3 continues to have an effect for some days - as far as I had discovered half of T3 is eliminated at the eight hour mark, so I thought it had to be eliminated altogether after just a few more after spiking in blood concentration. Dr P used to say he took all of his stuff all at once.

What I am finding is that I seem not to be responding too well on NDT - I have symptoms both of hypo and hyper - shaking, mad heart rate yet freezing cold and weak!

I guess it is going to take a while to get it right - I think that I need to eliminate T4 in whatever form altogether. I am going to have the full thyroid profile with Genova - I think that might give me a much better picture.

Thanks for your reply.

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