need advice on latest bloods and up coming Drs appointment

[amandac46]

Just after some advise:

Just had my bloods done on Friday after self medicating with T3 for 6 weeks,

Latest bloods are TSH 1.19 and T4 6.2

The dr wants to see me about my results.

I was on 100mcg levo every day and 25mcg levo every other day.

Then when I started to take T3 I changed to the following every day:

T4 50mcg and 12.5mcg T3

My previous results just on T4:

May 2015

TSH 0.16. Range 0.34-5.6

T4 14.70 Range 7.5-21.1

Feb

TSH 0.32

T4 12.20

The funny thing is apart from a bit of weight gain i feel a lot healthier in my self and hardly

any side effects of feeling hypo.

Question is:

Do i now come clean and tell my dr about the T3 ? knowing he will not be happy or say nothing

and just keep self medicating but up my T4 or up my T3 im really confused.

any advice will be great.

[mattioso]

Hi Amanda!

I can't comment on the T3 side of things as I'm just starting to explore that avenue myself, I did however up my Levo from 50 to 100 myself and felt remarkably better for it.

I went to see my GP to let him know I wanted to book another blood test, and let him know I'd changed my own dosage. The message I took from that conversation was as long as they know what they're currently testing for, and know what has been in your system for the past few months, they'll go from there really! It's much better than the alternative, which is you're both on different pages and unsure how you're progressing!

Hope this helped!

[Clutter]

Amanda, your GP is probably concerned about your low FT4. I think you'll have to come clean. FT4 usually drops when adding T3 because T3 stimulates better conversion of T4 to T3. I think you reduced T4 too much, though. 12.5mcg T3 is equivalent to 37.5mcg T4 and you appear to have reduced T4 by 62.5mcg. I'd increase T4 by 25mcg. Ideally you will have a FT3 test before increasing T3.

[Angel_of_the_North]

You need to know free T3 if you are taking T3. GP will be concerned as T4 is low (which is to be expected when you are taking T3). I'd wait and see what s/he suggests before volunteering any information - depends on how much you trust your GP and how clued up s/he is.

[amandac46]

Thanks for the advice and just a quick update:

It went really well with the dr so I am actually shocked.

He asked what was happening on my current medication as the T4 had dropped so much.

I told him the truth that I had started taking T3 and reduced the T4 so I would not be over medicated.

He advised that he would have to make a note on my file that I had reduced my medication etc..

He then went on to explain the usual stuff that doctors do not prescribe T3 and they follow the text book

with treating only on T4.

I then said that I would like to try T4 @ 75mcg per day to see how I go and explained that I feel

so much better even if the T4 is low.

He agreed to this and adjusted my prescription to 75 a day and said we will look at the blood in 8 weeks.

So I’m hoping this is a good start.