Feel Hypo taking T4/T3 combo,don't know what to do.

[TJM3]

I've been taking T4/T3 combo for a about 18 months now, my dose has mostly been 31.25 T4

and 12.5 T3 split into two, one in the morning and the other in the afternoon.

I seem to be better with the added T3, but for a while now I've got

more tired, my hair is thinning, itchy skin etc.,

Two weeks ago I increased my T4 to 37.5, but don't feel any better.

Last June I had a blood test done and it showed the following,

TSH 1.71 range 0.27 - 4.2

FT4 6.9 range 12 - 22.00

FT3 3.9 range 3.1 - 6.8

I was taking 31.25 T4 and 12.5 T3 and have been ever since until I increased it

recently.

Before that thought I was on 37.5 in June and the results were,

TSH 0.64 range 0.27 - 4.2

FT4 9.8 range 12 - 22.00

FT3 4.1 range 3.1 - 6.8

I don't know what to do, I'm exhausted and don't know if I should increase the T4 or

T3, I would be very grateful if someone could advise me please, I'm fed up with being

so tired and my fibro is getting me down.

Thank you.

TMJ

[queridalady]

Hi there TMJ, have you had your Ferritin, B12 and VitD levels checked? Low ferritin in particular can give the symptoms you require.

[TJM3 in reply to queridalady]

Hi, yes I have, my ferritin was low last March at 50 same as my VitD and I do have B12 injections every 7 weeks. I took extra Iron last year and in December my ferritin was 79 so I stopped taking the Iron, but have now started again. I did take VitD last year as well and it went back into normal range so I stopped it, but am now taking that again.

It's difficult to know what to do and I can't afford to keep having these tests done.

Thank you for replying.

[shaws Administrator]

I would increase your T3 as that's what is required by our cells. Your dose was/is incredibly small at 31.1/4 T4 and half of T3 i.e. 12.5 mcg. which is equal to less than 90mcg of levo. Hardly anything at all as your FT4 and FT3 were 'under' the range.

Even though you say you have now increased it may not still be sufficient. I take my dose of T3 all at once as recommended by Dr Lowe and I don't know why you split such a small dose of T3. T3 has to saturate our billions of receptor cells and I doubt 12.5 will do that and the effect of a decent dose will then send out 'waves' for between 1 and 3 days. T4 is the prohormone which has to convert to sufficient T3 and it's obviously not doing that due to your results.

[TJM3]

Thank you Shaws, I only used to have 75mcg T4 and felt it wasn't enough, but I do get

a fast pulse sometimes. I'm so tired, but I don't now how much to increase it by.

Where is Dr. Lowe based and can anyone see him?

Thanks again for your help.

[shaws Administrator in reply to TJM3]

Unfortunately, Dr Lowe died an accidental death two years ago and he was based in the UK. He was an Adviser to Thyroiduk.org but he would have responded to questions on his website. I'll give you a link and you can learn a lot from it.

Why not take your dose all at once. Scare stories have been made about T3, for some reason. Probably because the 'powers that be' don't want to prescribe T3. I took my levo with T3 with no problems at all. Sometimes on T3 we may be sensitive to our heartbeat about 2 hours after taking but it is harmless. I'll give you a link too about T3. What I found best about T3 was it calmed my whole body down after my horrible experience with levo.

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

There are topics at the top of the page on the above link but most links within may not work.

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

[TJM3]

Thank you very much for your help.

I'll check it out.

Best wishes