Blood results

Have just picked up bloods for doc, ones I had done at endo appt:

TSH less than 0.01

T4 21.3

T3 7.3

This was on 150 thyroxine and 20 T3.

I am now on 200 thyroxine and 10 T3 but still cant function.

On 200 thyroxine and 25 T3, I started to feel human, though my bloods results were:

TSH less than 0.01

T4 36.8

T3 51.1

On those I would seem overmedicated but started to improve.

I cant seem to find the right balance. Now taking 150 thyroxine with 25 T3. It's the T3 that makes me feel better. The lower the T3, the worse I feel. Maybe I need more T3 and less T4?

If I was on a high does of T3 and little T4 would it matter if my T3 bloods were high, as T4 bloods would be very low.

Can anyone shed some light on this? x

[Hidden]

PS excuse my spelling lol. It meant to say 'bloods from doc'

[Clutter]

Pinkgirl, what are the lab ref ranges? FT3 7.3 still looks like it may be over range. FT4 can go a few points over range but FT3 should be within range.

[Hidden in reply to Clutter]

Hi Clutter, thanks for replying:-). Am not sure what the lab ranges are but I will ring the hospital tomorrow and check. I can then post them. Those bloods were taken at endo appointment x

[Hidden in reply to Clutter]

I have just finally managed to ge the ranges after 5 phonecalls to the hosp because no one was answering phones down there, and when they did ans I got cut off.

Here they are:

TSH 0.3 - 4.4

FT4 9 - 19.1

FT3 2.6 - 5.7

[Clutter in reply to Hidden]

Pinkgirl110, FT4 is slightly over range which isn't a problem but FT3 7.3 is over range and it is generally accepted that FT3 should remain within range. You might consider reducing T4 to 125mcg as you don't want to reduce T3. This would be equivalent to reducing T3 by 10mcg and may be enough to bring your FT3 into the top of range.

T4 and T3 can peak up to 6 hours in the blood but you left 8 hours so it's unlikely that your results are false highs and are representative of normal circulating hormone.

[Hidden in reply to Clutter]

Thanks Clutter, I will reduce T4 to 125 and leave T3 at it is (25mcg) and see how I get on. Hopefully, I will start to feel better on that dose

[shaws Administrator]

Welcome,

The fact that you said you felt an improvement on your higher doses, it would seem to me that that's what you might need. More T3 and less T4.

I am on T3 only and am well now, although it did take a while to find a dose and medication which suited me.

The doctors nowadays insist that only levothyroxine is the best, but for many they might be intolerant of levothyroxine as they might just not be able to convert it to T3. T3 is the active hormone needed in all of our receptor cells and if we don't have sufficient T3, we are still unwell.

The only way is up now.

When you get a blood test for your thyroid hormones, have the earliest possible one and leave approx 24 hours between levo and your blood test. Take levo after. Ask GP if you can have a Free T3 .

Did you take your levo/T3 before your last blood test, as that might cause a 'high' T3.

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That does make sense. I did try T3 on its own in the Autumn but after a week felt awful - looking back I didn't try it long enough. For me, it may be a gradual process. Yeah, definately felt better on higher T3. On the day of my hospital appt, I had taken both levo and T3 at around 6am. The appointment was 2pm ish and a 3 hour journey, which I did part drive then 2 buses to save on cost. The T3 result am guessing would have been lower had I not taken any meds for 24 hours before. Endo did ask at appt, when had I taken my medication. I wasn't expecting to have blood tests done, but they did them as the ones previous to that which were part taken at a different hosp for another health issue and the T3 I had at the Gp's - though did have some persuading to get it done.

Am with a different Gp practice now and am the only patient in the practice on T3 as they dont use it in this area - am lucky I got it from endo. I dont think I will have any problems getting the blood test done here, Gp seems very good - I have a good patient/gp relationship with her so thats a positive sign.

Endo wants to lower T3 because he mentioned risk to heart and bones, however, he also said that many psychiatrists use high doses of T3 for patients with depression. He asked me if I would consider antidepressants - I dont agree with them - if T3 makes me feel better, thats what I need and not antidepressants that I would never touch