Do I need T3 ?: Iam on levo - 50 mcg and adrenal... - Thyroid UK

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Do I need T3 ?

Juliatom profile image
5 Replies

Iam on levo - 50 mcg and adrenal,Iron ,Vit D,Selenium,B supplements.

I have hypo problems even with levo and supplements ,Waiting for endo appointment.

Private Blood test results:

DHEA - Sulphate - 243.60mG/DL Lab Range (98.8 -340)

Free Testosterone -2.74 PG/ML Lab Range (0.02 -3.09)

women

Anti TPO -17.50U/ML Positive>50U/ML

ATG -296.61 IU/ML Positive >325

TSH -2.11mUL/mL (0.30-5.5)

FT3 -2.79 pg/ml (1.7-4.2)

FT4 -1 ng/dL (0.70-1.80)

Total T3 -85 ng/dL (60-200)

Total T4 -10 m/dL (4.5-12.0)

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Juliatom profile image
Juliatom
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5 Replies
shaws profile image
shawsAdministrator

Your dose is too low. Levothyroxine should have been increased (not to keep you somewhere in the range) but to have a TSH around 1 or lower and some of us need it suppressed. Surprised that doctors are unaware of this but they are unaware. Many believe anywhere in the range is o.k. whilst ignoring clinical symptoms.

50mcg of levothyroxine is only a starting dose and should be gradually increased by 25mcg around every six weeks until the patient feels well with no symptoms. Having too low a dose can rebound and we can feel worse again. Many do fine on levothyroxine as long as they have a decent dose so that the T4 (levothyroxine) can convert to sufficient T3 which is the only active hormone required in our receptor cells which raise our metabolism.

Your TSH could be towards the bottom of the range. Your FT3 towards the upper part and you'll see the reason in this link:

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

Ask your GP for a rise in levo and you might be fine on it as long as it is a dose which suits you, i.e. makes you feel well with no symptoms.

Always take note of your symptoms, i.e. do you have a low temp, low heart rate etc.

Roadrunnergreg profile image
Roadrunnergreg

You may well not, I'd try asking the doctor to either increase your levo to 75 or 100mcg a day. Plus if not have you had your nutrients checked out recently. Your goals are a TSH 1 or below a FT4 60% of the range FT3 75-80% of the range. If your converting properly and your FT3 is as i said then things are ok in that dept. If your FT4 and FT3 are out of balance then you need your RT3 (reverse t3)checked out as it may not be getting into the cells, hope that helps...

SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator

Suggest you ask GP to check levels of vitamin d, b12, folate and ferratin. These all need to at good (not just average) levels for thyroid hormones to work in our cells.

Also have you had thyroid antibodies checked? There are two sorts TPO Ab and TG Ab. (Thyroid peroxidase and thyroglobulin) Both need checking, if either, or both are high this means autoimmune thyroid - called Hashimoto's - most common cause of being hypo. NHS rarely checks TPO and almost never checks TG.

Make sure you get the actual figures from tests including ranges (figures in brackets). You are entitled to copies of your own results. Some surgeries make nominal charge for printing out. Alternatively you can now ask for online access to your own medical records. Though not all surgeries can do this yet, or may not have blood test results available yet online, but all should be doing this with couple of years.

When you get results suggest you make a new post on here and members can offer advise on any vitamin supplements needed

If you can not get GP to do these tests, then like many of us, you can get them done privately

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

Blue Horizon - Thyroid plus eleven tests all these.

This is an easy to do fingerprick test you do at home, post back and they email results to you couple of days later.

If you have Hashimoto's then you may find adopting 100% gluten free diet can help reduce symptoms, and lower antibodies too.

Juliatom profile image
Juliatom

I had suppressed TSH -0.01 with no hypo symptoms on 75mcg.My gyn is not happy for infertility treatment & asked GP to reduce dose.They believe their books than symptoms.

Iam waiting to see endo to check whether I need T3 to feel better.

Eddie83 profile image
Eddie83

TSH is too high. Functional medicine wants to see a TSH in the 1-2 range, and TSH down to ~0.04 is not dangerous.

FT3 is too low. Don't know what lab you are using, but the range for my lab is 2.77<FT3<5.27 pg/ml. That 1.7-4.2 range appears to be old. What you want is a FT3 in top half of my lab's range: 4.0 - 5.27.

You could try a raise in T4 to, say, 75mcg. I doubt that is going to boost your FT3 high enough, but you should try that first.

FYI, I am on T4=62mcg plus T3=15mcg daily. I never could get good results on T4-only. Adding T3 was like night and day.

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