Felt better with T3 now back to square one.

[lucylocks]

My daughter started T3 three weeks ago and started to feel better within a couple of days. Last week she was feeling better than she has felt in years but the past four days feels like she is back to square one.

She was diagnosed hypo by Dr. Skinner, he prescribed levothyroxine which did not work for her. She then tried Thyroid - S (self medicated) which did not help.

She does have severe adrenal fatigue and is now using the CMT3 method.

After the initial improvement she is absolutely gutted to now feel as bad as she did in the first place.

When she started the T3 she started sleeping better at night and did not need to have a sleep during the day, had more energy and a lot of her aches and pains had improved.

She initially started on 25mcg T3 daily and has increased over the three weeks and is now taking 55mcg daily. 20mcg T3 at 5.00am. - 20mcg at 11.00am and 15mcg at 4.30pm.

She started to feel bad four days after increasing to 55mcg.

She also takes all the usual supplements, B12 B - Complex, Vit D Iron with Vit C, Selenium and Magnesium.

All the usual symptoms have returned, and for last two days feels hungry all the time.

Could anyone please offer any advice.

Many thanks browny

[gabkad]

Browny, if she felt good at the previous dose, she should reduce T3 to that dose. The hunger thing, at least for me, happened when I was on a too high T3.

[lucylocks in reply to gabkad]

Hi

Many thanks for your reply, just got back in from been at my daughters, I agree with you that she could be over medicated, she has reduced her T3 a little today and will reduce further tomorrow.

She has just eaten her evening meal and feels really hungry again one hour later so like you we now feel it is with taking too much T3.

Best wishes browny

[shaws]

I am on T3 only not on the CTM3 method and dose once daily and I have been well for a quite a while now.

I think she has raised too quickly. Symptoms can be similar hypo/hyper which makes it more difficult.

If on T3, I would think a small increase every two weeks is more beneficial with any supplements taken 4 hours apart. So she should drop her dose back down to when she felt well and keep on that and if she feels well she shouldn't increase but keep on that. If symptoms develop then a very small increase and if she feels overstimulated drop down again (she should be making a record of her waking temp/pulse and about 3 times during the day).

She is taking the equivalent of approx 250mcg of levo.

Personally, I cannot be bothered with splitting doses as it interferes too much with my life to be revolved round taking taking medication but it is up to the person.

Dr Lowe (RIP) took T3 himself as did his Thyroid Resistant Patients and this is a link for info and excerpt.

With Cytomel, if overstimulation occurs, it can be stopped with one or two small doses of propranolol. Or the patient can simply reduce her dosage of Cytomel the next time she takes it. I want to emphasize, however, that when our protocol is used properly, there is no overstimulation to be avoided by using timed-release T3. The protocol has safeguards against adverse effects.

And finally, why do I specify that the typical patient use one full dose of non-timed-release Cytomel for life? Because extensive testing has shown that this is safe, effective, and most economical—when used within the context of our entire protocol.

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

Of course, dosage etc is down to the person's preference.

[lucylocks in reply to shaws]

Many thanks shaws for your reply,

can my daughter just reduce to the dose she was on when she felt well in one go or will she have to reduce it gradually.

She was taking 35 mcg. when she felt well then after four days increased to 45 mcg. then after another four days increased to 55 mcg.

She has been increasing according the CMT3 method in Paul Robinson's book.

She said she felt best on the 35 mcg. so is it O.K. to drop to that dose straight away.

Many thanks for the link just got back in so will read now.

Best wishes browny

[shaws in reply to lucylocks]

Yes, she can drop her dose immediately. If you take a bit too much you can also miss the next day's dose and go back to your original dose - whatever suits you.

Best wishes and hope all goes smoothly.

[lucylocks in reply to shaws]

Thank you Shaws,

I will give my daughter all the information,

many thanks again.

[carly77]

Hi I don't have a lot of experiance with taking t3, but I've been hyper with Graves and hypo after RAI. You mentioned your daughters hunger that's a syptom of to much t3 especially with increased bowel movements, other symptoms of hypo can/are also seen in hyperthyroidism and could easily be confused. Maybe the amount of t3 needed has been overshot, which may explain why she initially felt better and after the increase has started to feel worse. I hope she feels much better soon. X

[lucylocks in reply to carly77]

Many thanks Carly for your reply,

it does seem from all the replies that my daughter has become over medicated. She is now going to reduce back to the dose she felt well on, I think she felt 75% better so thought she would feel 100% with more T3 but obviously this was not the case especially now we know the hunger can be a symptom of too much T3.

Hope you are well after your RAI.

Best wishes browny

[carly77 in reply to lucylocks]

Your welcome Browny I hope your daughter feels much better soon x

[adin]

Yes, too much T3 makes her hyper... hunger is a sign

[lucylocks in reply to adin]

Thank you, yes it does seem from all the replies she is overmedicated so is now reducing.

[Clutter]

Browny, I agree that your daughter may have increased too quickly and overshot. Ask her to have a thyroid panel to check FT3 isn't over range.

thyrophoenix.com/adjusting_...

thyroid.about.com/od/thyroi...

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/testin...

[lucylocks in reply to Clutter]

Thanks Clutter for your reply,

my daughter is now going to reduced to the dose she felt well on and hopefully stabilise on it then get her levels checked.

I have also asked Shaws the same question, but can she reduce from the 55 mcg. she has been taking the past few days to the 35 mcg. she felt better on in one go or will she have to gradually reduce it.

Best wishes browny

[Clutter in reply to lucylocks]

Browny, she can reduce to 35mcg straight away. If she needs to increase after her blood test she should do so in 5mcg increments. Once you have reasonable FT3 a small dose increase goes a long way and its easy to overshoot.

[lucylocks in reply to Clutter]

Thanks, that's great Clutter,

I will pass all info. onto my daughter,

many thanks for your help yet again,

Best wishes browny

[lucylocks in reply to Clutter]

Sorry again Clutter but forgot to ask how long after reducing dose do you have to wait before having the blood test for T3

Thank you

[Clutter in reply to lucylocks]

Browny, if she's having a private blood test I'd leave it 6-8 weeks. I've found FT3 responds to dose adjustments more slowly than TSH and FT4.

[lucylocks in reply to Clutter]

Thanks again.

[lucylocks in reply to Clutter]

Sorry Clutter, forgot to thank you for the links.

Much appreciated.

[narayan8]

I concur, that was a quick increase. It took me practically 3 months to get to 55mcg of T3 which I am perfect at now for about 6 months. I started with 15 and increased every 1-2 weeks. I say go back to where she felt good. Then get her feeling better for a week or so. If she starts feeling hypo again after a couple of weeks (or she may not) you know maybe then is the time to increase, but increase in 5mcg increments. I personally never increased more than 5mcg at a time.

Good luck! The great thing is, there is something that works! And you just need to scale it back : )

All the best!

[lucylocks in reply to narayan8]

Many thanks for your reply,

I agree she has increased to quickly, and too much. She has reduced today so hopefully will feel better soon.

Best wishes browny