For the last two or three weeks I have been taking 22.5 mcg slow release T3 on top of 100 mcg levothyroxine. I'm not really sure how best to take the slow release T3 though, and internet searches haven't thrown much up.
For the first week, I took them both together, then realised that was probably rather daft, as the T3 might be affecting the absorption of the levo. So I changed to something like this:
6 am Levo
7 am Breakfast
8 am Slow release T3
At the moment I haven't seen any benefits from the addition of the T3, and some symptoms that had improved a bit have even worsened slightly.
Thanks for any help.
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AnotherSarah
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I do not know anything about slow release T3 but I take my normal T3 at the same time as my Levo, as soon as I wake up, around 6am. I figure the T3 actually helps Levo to work better but may be completely wrong of course. Would it be worth going back to that, because as it is slow release, you may as well start to get the benefit as early as possible? I also take a small dose of T3 at bedtime, as more natural T3 is produced at night, so if you took some then, you would be mimicking your natural T3 production. Just a thought! Hope you start to feel the benefit soon.
Your suggestion makes sense until you consider that the ingredient that makes SR T3 slow (if you see what I mane) might affect levothyroxine absorption. So many things do affect levothyroxine!
AnotherSarah, I think there will be very few members who are taking slow release T3. There isn't usually a problem taking T4+T3 together but if there is gelatin in the SRT3 capsule this might affect absorption of T4 so continue to take them separately but I would leave 2 hours after eating to take your SRT3.
Thanks, I was concerned about the capsule too. My head is spinning slightly trying to work out how I can manage all this in the mornings, but I'll have to find a new routine.
I didn't reduce the T4. What happened was that I was on 100 mcg of T4 only and had a blood test. The doctor then reduced me down to 100 mcg of T4 on 6 days a week only. I then had another blood test and my levels of T4 and T3 had come right down. At that point he put me on the T3, but kept the T4 at the same dose.
This is all so complicated. It was hard enough getting a diagnosis, let alone actually starting to feel well.
Sarah, I wondered whether T4 had been reduced to much, but obviously not. It may be worth trialling non-SR T3, Liothyronine instead. The first dose can be taken with your T4 but usually a second dose is required 6-12hours later. I use an alarm on my phone to remind me when to take meds and supplements.
This doctor, now deceased, took T3 alone himself and used T3 for his thyroid hormone resistant patients. For other he prescribed NDT. This is an excerpt from his page one T3:
Dr. Lowe: Whoever posted the statement was right. In my experience, for thyroid hormone resistance patients, sustained-release T3 is a poor alternative to plain T3 taken once per day. We don’t have enough evidence to know why plain T3 is more effective.
It is possible, however, that some patients have resistance due to mutations in the c-erbA-beta gene. Such mutations would result in a patient having mutant T3-receptors that have a low binding affinity for T3.
He states that slow release is not helpful, not totally sure why but maybe the body needs a bigger shot of T3 to be told it's around- if being 'stalled' for some time.
SR will allow the body to compensate, via residual T4 more easily [and possibly allow more RT4 to be built -if on T4 too]
NB Compensation can occur from 1 to 4 days,typically -which curiously is the life of T3.
AnotherSarah, I want to try some SR T3 out, since ordinary T3 gives me great peaks and then slumps. I seem to be processing hormones very quickly, even T4, I can feel the effects of a dose of T4 next day, same thing if I skip a dose some day.
I cannot order NDT because I am from Bulgaria and no one ships to this location. I can only order Thyroid-S ot Thiroyd from Thailand. However I doubt that NDT will be helpful for me since the T3 in it has a very short half-life as well.
It seems to me there is no solution for my case and I will remain hypothyroid forever.
Why have you switched to Armour? Wasn't SR T3 helping?
Can you message me as well to tell me some sources I can order SR T3 from?
I might have managed to get get sustained release T3 to work for me if the accompanying T4 dose was right. Difficult to know. But I did also find it caused constipation, which I put down to the ingredient used to make the T3 long lasting (cellulose, I think).
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