Am struggling with leaving a 4 hour gap between iron supplement and T3 so it would make sense to take twice daily.
I know some folk on here take T3 once daily, did try that but it didn't work.
Anyone taking T3 twice daily and, if so, what are your timings?
Thanks.
CG, Endo advised me to split dose when I increased from 20mcg. I take it when I wake and before I go to sleep which can be anything between 10 and 14 hours apart depending on how tired I am and memory lapse. Why not try 12 hours apart and tweak timings if you get an energy slump or feel it wearing off.
Thanks Clutter, a 12 hour gap sounds sensible. I'm not always rigid with my middle dose but find that it rarely causes a problem. Need to get a grip on taking sufficient iron on a daily basis.
CG, I think I'm steeped in T3 now and don't notice it if I forget to take a dose or skip it for a blood test.
T3 according to the website on Cytomel and Dr. Lowe, who was an expert on t3, says it is to be dosed once per day, in order to saturate the cells. Shaws knows all about this, has lots of good links and hopefully will chime in here.
faith - yes am aware of Dr Lowe's protocol. I believe my cells have been saturated by the high dose I used to take.
Clutter is right, 12 hours apart could be good. I have to take mine 4 times daily every 6 hours starting at 5.30 am. If I try to change it, I get anxiety attacks. So, if it works, don't change it!
hi cinnamon, Dr. Lowe disagrees with Wilson's protocol and also for timed release. Here is the response. I've also had one expert say that there is no need to wait one hour before eating or drinking when taking T3 but only one source so I've been trying to find another.
r. Lowe: It is possible that a fibromyalgia patient with normal thyroid test results can recover with the use of timed-release T3. However, the likelihood of recovery is far less than with the use of plain T3. Your normal thyroid test results suggest that your fibromyalgia symptoms are the result of partial cellular resistance to thyroid hormone. For most patients with thyroid hormone resistance, timed-release T3 doesn’t work well, if it works at all.
This past year, several Internet doctors, who give advice on thyroid hormone therapy, sired a false belief about the effects of plain T3 on the body—that it causes "physiological instability." These doctors must have a large audience. I say this because I’ve heard (through e-mails, letters, and phone calls) echoes of their false belief in almost every conceivable variation of words. Your doctor’s belief about plain T3 being "a very bumpy road" is an especially creative and graphic variation of the false belief.
Let me explain the error in the Internet doctors’ thinking. Within a couple of hours after a patient ingests a single daily dose of plain T3, the blood level of T3 peaks. The Internet doctors infer that because the blood level of T3 peaks, the metabolic reactions of body tissues also peak, resulting physiological instability. Their inference is wrong.
The origin of the doctors’ erroneous thinking may be the reaction of the heart to T3 in some individuals. In some patients who take a single daily dose of plain T3, the heart rate slightly speeds up for a short time. The speed up results from a direct effect of the T3 on heart cells. Avoiding this increase in heart rate in patients with fragile heart conditions is prudent. However, in the vast majority of patients, the increased heart rate is transient and harmless. This is especially true for patients who take heart-protective nutrients and engage in regular cardiovascular exercise. (I have written more on drlowe.com about the effects of T3 on heart function.)
Thanks for your reply Heloise. One daily dose does concern me, having tried it I felt rubbish and don't want to go there again. What a nightmare!!
You know, maybe the state of your adrenals does make a difference regarding the way you take T3. I wish all the experts would agree but I guess we can't know everything with this complicated condition. I would stick with what works.
If you do hit a plateau, though, you might consider what he said about not having enough available T3 at the same time.
Hi Cinnamon Girl,
I take 40 mcgs of T3 only. This dose I split into 3. I read Paul Robinsons Handbook which describes his circadian T3 method. This I followed for a few months and then sort of lapsed with the first dose. Instead of setting alarm and waking up at 3.30 I take 15mcg as soon as I wake up. This can be any time between 4 and 6 a.m. I take the second dose of 15mcg at around midday. I often forget this one and end up taking it late afternoon. The final dose of 10mcgs I take at 8.30pm. This works for me. Hope you can find a satisfactory schedule. Keep well.
Airmed - thanks for your reply, it works for you and that's the main thing. I used to follow PR's guidance and setting an alarm meant that I could not get back to sleep so ended up feeling dreadful. Do understand the reasons for the protocol.
reallyfedup - who says? Do you have any links please?
Short survey - who's been told they can't have T3 in the last 12 months, for any reason?
Any research or evidence on how cortisol interrupts t3 take up?Is there any scientific evidence showing that TSH is often suppressed when taking T3?
when to take T3 if already taking levothyroxine
I am on T3 only and taking 20mcg daily. I couldnt take any amount of T4. My blood test has just came back at TSH 69.4.
