Results on T3 - Advice please

[Numberone1]

Since seeing Dr P about 18 months ago, I have been on T3 only and Im gradually increasing my dosage until I am now on 3 tablets of 20mcg each.

I still feel achingly tired, my joints are a bit painful still and my weight still wont reduce.

Sent off for new blood test and the results to me look quite perfect ie:

TSH 1.07

Free Thyroxine (T4) >0.3 range 12.0 to 22.0

Free T3 6.2 range 3.2 to 6.8

The doctors comments from Blue Horizon indicated that if Im taking T3 only then the results are unremarkable but that I should discuss with my doctor.

Anyway, what I wanted which is to get the T3 up and the TSH down has worked to almost perfect levels I would say. However, why do they think I should discuss with my doctor and also do you think the T4 is a bit too low now?

Advice please on how I can improve my wellbeing now that these figures look okay?

[shaws]

I think your test is very good. I believe they only put a query on T4 as range usually begins at 12 to 20 and yours is very, very low, as it would be if you are not taking T4. I think the comment re your doctor is only a courtesy or if you have a query yourself.

This is an excerpt from Dr Lowe:

For someone taking 100 mcg of T3, we expect your pattern of lab results—a low TSH and high T3. However, your TSH and T3 levels are irrelevant to whether you're overstimulated or not. Two studies we just completed confirm other researchers findings: these tests are not reliable gauges of a patient's metabolic status. Many patients taking T3 have TSH and T3 levels like yours but still have severely low metabolic rates. Their metabolic rates become normal only when they increase their dosages further. Their metabolic rates become normal and they have no detectable overstimulation.

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

[marmaris in reply to shaws]

What does DR Lowe mean by no detectable overstimulation. My tsh was always suppressed on T4 only and still is on T4 and T3. 100mcg stills seems a scary amount to take but I do believe that Dr Lowe was taking a high dosage also. It is just that my Endo was very cautious to even up my T3 from 20mcgs to 30mcgs, there is always that scare in their eyes. Yet I see that many people do take higher dosages.

[shaws in reply to marmaris]

Dr Lowe doesn't mean suppressed TSH when he says 'no detectable overstimulation.

Dr Lowe didn't use T3 always but mostly NDT. Some patients who were resistant needed higher doses of T3 than normal but what he means 'by no detectable overstimulation' is normal pulse, good heart beat, normal temps and normal health.

This is a link and read first question/answer on his procedure. It is similar to how doctors used to treat patients before the blood tests came in. The patient took a dose of medication and gradually worked up till they felt well:-

It doesn't mean that everyone has to take high doses - only some of his patients and as they were under his care everything was monitored.

I only take 30mcg and some even less. Modern Endocrinologists, I believe, don't really understand how T3 works. Even listening to the video on ATA the other day, the speaker said that T3 peaks too quickly. It does peak within a number of hours but not one of them mentions (knows) that when our receptor cells are saturated with T3 the effect of our doses continues for between 1 to 3 days.

[Clutter]

Numberone, your results do look good but if you're still symptomatic meds could be increased. It looks like a little Levothyroxine (T4) might be beneficial. Some people need TSH in the lower range 0.2-0.5 or even suppressed to feel well.

Oral T3 bypasses the need for good FT4 levels as T4 to T3 conversion has been bypassed but I haven't seen such low FT4 before.

Low ferritin and vitamin D can cause fatigue and aches and pains.

[greygoose in reply to Clutter]

That's because you haven't seen my results, Clutter! lol My FT4 is undetectable having been on T3 only for several years.

Periodically we have this discussion about whether T4 is of itself necessary if you can't convert it. And several reasons have been suggest as to why it might be, but none of them substantiated.

I would say that if T4 doesn't agree with you then don't take it. And certainly don't worry about the low levels.

[Clutter in reply to greygoose]

Grey, Yes, didn't think before I posted that someone on T3 only would have had problems previously with Levothyroxine

[shaws]

This is a link on T3 and this is a quote from the page:-

Doctor Says "No patient needs to

take T3, and T3 can be

dangerous." My reply to him.

Endocrinology Specialty's

Presumption that T3 is

dangerous

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

[greygoose]

No, I don't think it's too low, Number one. If your thyroid doesn't work and your not taking T4, then it's bound to be low, isn't it.

The TSH could be lower. Lot's of people, such as myself, need it suppressed. I also need my FT3 over-range, and I'm not in the least little bit hyper. That is probably because I was hypo for many years before finding a doctor capable of diagnosing me! Even then, she had no idea how to treat me. Sigh.

Doctors are so afraid of hormones but that's probably because they have never needed to take them. If you take them you know that taking a little bit too much T3 for a little while is not going to do anything drastic. It's only dangerous if you take a lot more than you need for a long period, and you're not going to do that, are you? It's dangeous for people that take T3 when they don't need it because they think it's going to help them lose weight, when their weight gain is not hormone-related.

Increasing the dose until the symptoms lessen or disappear is the only way you're ever going to find out how much you need. And if you take a little too much then you just lower the dose again, no harm done.

I'm sure there was something else I wanted to say here but my memory is so bad... lol

Hugs, Grey