Help with T3 & T4 needed from a very confused newcomer.

[LisaDM]

Hello Everyone. This is my first post after joining about 2 weeks ago. I have been reading lots of posts but just feel so confused. I am 49 and I was diagnosed with an under active thyroid in my early thirties and have taken Levothyroxine since then. I suspect that I was over active in my late teens/twenties, but this was never diagnosed.

Just over a year ago I was taking daily 150mcg, but after a routine blood was told that my T4 was too high and reduced to 125mcg. A few months later after another blood test by GP, it was reduced again to 100mcg. Since then I've had countless trips to the GP explaining that I don't feel well, always to be told I'm on the right dose. In that time I've been offered HRT (GP said I didn't need a blood test as I had all the symptoms!) I insisted on a BT and it came back I am not yet in menopause! He then offered me anti-depressants which I refused. Fast forward to the new year and after two bouts of flu which frankly left me feeling like a hollow shell and unable to function properly, I insisted on a referral to an endocrinologist. I think my GP only agreed to this as my husband has private health cover! The endocrinologist said that although my T4 was high, 20.4 (12 - 22.5) my T3 was very low, 3.6 (3.1 - 6.8) and I also have thyroid antibodies. He says I am not converting T4 to T3 and has diagnosed me with Hashimotos. He also said my testosterone levels are really low, 0.1 (0 - 1.8) He has reduced my thyroxine from 100 to 75 mcg and prescribed Leothyronine of 20mcg taken twice a day. In addition he has prescribed testosterone gel. I have not yet started the testosterone gel as frankly I've been scared a bit by reading about side effects. So I have decided to take the thyroxine/Leothyronine for a month or so and then decide whether to add in the testosterone gel later. Also in addition to all this he's started me on selenium tablets which I'm taking. I'm not due to see the endocrinologist again until May. He has also referred me to see a consultant Opthalmologist as I have very bulgy eyes. The selenium is supposed to be helpful for this condition.

I am feeling a little better but a long way from feeling well and normal. For some reason I had a dreadful day yesterday and could hardly walk up the stairs and needed to sleep in the afternoon which I haven't felt like since starting the new tablets nearly two weeks ago. I am so scared that this isn't going to work for me and to be honest I'm at my wits end and feel so low. On top of all this my GP has been really sniffy and dismissive about giving me the new prescription which really upset me. Why are we treated in this way and made to feel like we are hypochondriacs???

I am so sorry for this great long post and I'm sure most of you are asleep by now, but I wanted to explain everything clearly. Does the above dosage sound right, and if so how long before I really start to feel better? Also does anyone else have experience with testosterone gel? It really didn't help my confidence when the pharmacist said to me "I don't know why your doctor's prescribed this to you as it's normally only given to men!)

[Angel_of_the_North]

I had testosterone in my biohrt cream when I first started (without bloods - going on symptoms only). It didn't suit me (but it turns out that I make testosterone like it was going out of fashion - it's about the only one I do make). I didn't get a deep voice or facial hair, just classic "roid rage". If you need it, give it a try. But write a note to yourself that if someone tells you that you are bad tempered you REALLY are! I now have DHEA instead and my testosterone levels are good for an old wifey.

[humanbean]

20mcg of liothyronine (T3) to be taken twice a day is too high a dose to start on. Buy a craft knife/scalpel from a hobby shop and start cutting the T3 into quarters (5mcg). Start by taking quarter of a pill in the morning and quarter pill early in the afternoon. See how you get on with that for a few days. Then add another 1/4 pill, either to one of your existing doses or take a third dose in the evening. Don't be in too much of a hurry to increase. Increase by 1/4 tablet at a time. Some people end up multi-dosing 4 or 5 times a day, others end up taking once or twice a day. It is personal preference and you have to experiment.

Having had your levo reduced you may find it a bit hard going first of all when adding T3, but it does get better. On the other hand you might do brilliantly from day one.

Good luck.

[Clutter]

Lisa, I think 2 x 20mcg Liothyronine (T3) daily is too much. T3 is 3 x more potent than Levothyroxine (T4). 40mcg T3 is equivalent to 120mcg T4. Being overmedicated is as unpleasant as being undermedicated and also causes fatigue. I would try 20mcg daily split into two doses 12 hours apart. If you feel an energy slump between doses time the 2nd dose to be taken an hour or so prior to the slump. You can take the first dose with your Levothyroxine (T4).

T3 is faster acting than T4 but it also wears off quicker due to its short half life which is why split dosing is recommended. T3 gets into your cells 36/72 hours after a dose but it still takes around 6 weeks to feel the full impact of it although you should notice some improvement along the way.

If you haven't already done so, please sign and share the TUK petition asking for funding into T3 and NDT research epetitions.direct.gov.uk/pe...

[LisaDM]

Angel thanks for your reply about the testosterone, still very unsure about whether to start it. Thanks as well Human bean and Clutter. I've realised I've not explained myself very well. I'm actually taking one x 20mcg T3 tablet a day, cut in half. The endo said take half a tablet in morning and half in the afternoon. So not 2 x 20mcg a day! I'm taking half a tablet at 9am and half at 4pm. I wonder if I'd be better to space them out more. I've felt better today, yesterday was just such a bad day. In my heart I am wondering if 75mcg of levothyroxine is just a bit too low for me but I do appreciate that I have to give this time to work as you both say. Before seeing the endo I didn't even know about T3. Just been blindly taking levothyroxine all these years and never knew there was more to it. Clutter I will sign the petition for you.