1st blood test results since adding T3 to T4

[Joell]

Hi everyone

Just received my July blood test results since adding T3 to my 100mg of levo. I have been taking 100mg of levo at night and 25mc T3 split throughout the day. I haven't felt the miraculous change that others have reported since adding T3, sleeplessness and weight gain still the same, but feel no worse either. These are the results :

TSH 1.96 mIU/L (0.3 to 3.94)

Free T4 12.6 pmol/L ( 12.3 to 20.2)

Free T3 4.2 pmol/L (3.70 to 6.70)

Iron 28 umol/L (7 to 26)

TIBC 64 umol/L (45 to 70 )

% saturation 44% ( 14 to 51)

Ferritin 100 ug/L (13 to 150)

Vitamin B12 838 ng/L ( 197 to 771)

Folate 14.4 ug/L ( 4.6 to 18.7)

Vitamin D 139 nmol/L

After this last blood test, I replaced taking my 100mg of levo tablet for equivilant amount of Thyro Gold instead, and carried on with the T3 as before, as i have been convinced that levo was not really helping me. I told the endo that this is what I had done and he sent me for a blood test after my appointment to see if there is any difference from swapping to the Thyro Gold ( not got those results yet) and he is going to ring me to check what exactly is in the Thyro Gold capsule. He has told me to continue taking what I am taking now and made an appointment for 3 months time with a blood test a week before my appointment.

I did ask him about NDT but he said that what I am doing now is more or less the same combination as NDT.

I am just starting to understand the bloods a bit more and am aware that for my TSH to be optimal it should be around 1....

My question is this...could someone please tell me if my FT3 and FT4 are also still too low for my meds to work? I am frustrated with waiting yet another 3 months without increasing anything if this is the case. Am also struggling a bit with splitting the T3 away from food through the day and sometimes missing the window to take it as am running around at work which am sure is not helping . Thanks for any comments.

[Jodypody]

Yes your t3 could rise comfortably further still. Had you taken anything before the test or did you wait 24hrs?

[Joell in reply to Jodypody]

Hi Jodypody...thanks for your reply. I don't think I took my meds before the test but it wasn't first thing in the morning unfortunately

[greygoose]

Your FT4 will always be low when you are taking any form of T3, because the body does not hang on to as much, because it doesn't need it for conversion. So, pointless trying to raise it - as most endos try to do!

Your TSH is still a bit high, and your FT3 a little low, so room for an increase.

[Joell in reply to greygoose]

Many thanks greygoose. Would you recommend an increase in the thyrogold only or also a bit more T3 ?

[greygoose in reply to Joell]

Personally, I would increase the T3.

[Joell in reply to greygoose]

Many thanks greygoose...I will do that. Others have said to take t3 slowly so I'll increase by another half a tablet and see how I get on.

[greygoose in reply to Joell]

[Saelina]

Your Vitamin D is very high and close to what is considered toxic levels. Have you had your calcium levels in your blood checked? I'd test calcium, CRP, and homocysteine levels regularly, high Vit D leads to calcification of arteries.

hopkinsmedicine.org/news/me...

Iron also high, easiest way to reduce it is to donate blood. I'm surprised your doc didn't comment on the high iron. labtestsonline.org/understa...

[Joell in reply to Saelina]

Hi Saelina...didn't realise my vit D was nearly toxic ! There were no ranges printed in brackets after the Vit D on the test results..I have been taking Vit D with vit K2 in an oil supplement as I read on here that was a good idea so maybe i should stop that altogether? I have not had calcium or CRP tested as those aren't what usually suggested to ask for. Is it a bad thing for Iron to be too high also?

[Saelina in reply to Joell]

Yes, it is quite dangerous. A lot of info on the dangers of high iron out there

webmd.com/men/features/too-...

sott.net/article/263834-The...

[Joell in reply to Saelina]

OMG Saelina...Just read the link ...Many thanks for highlighting that....I am getting to the blood bank asap ! What is CRP by the way?

[Saelina in reply to Joell]

C-reactive protien, tests for inflammation in the body, indicator for heart / stroke risk.

healthline.com/health/c-rea...

High Vit D levels can lead to hypercalcemia - the tests I mentioned are to see if any negative effects have started to happen from being on such a high dose/ having high levels of Vit D. Yes, I would stop taking it.

healthline.com/health/hyper...

[Joell in reply to Saelina]

Thankyou so much. It's now in the bin !

[Eddie83]

Your FT3 is 16.6% up in range, and your FT4 is 3.7% up in range. Your T4-only equivalent from your T3+T4 dosage is in the range 175-200 mcg. That is a pretty hefty dose, unless you weigh above 100 kg. This makes me wonder if there is an absorption issue (do you take your thyroid 1 hour before food, or 2 hours after, and never with coffee?), or a hormone resistance issue. Do you have reason to believe that your cortisol level and rhythm is good? Do you believe your gut function is good, i.e. you don't have leaky gut?

I would be tempted to try increasing your T3 dose above 25mcg, as an experiment, although a T3:T4 ratio lower than 1:4 is unusual. If you start feeling better, fine; but if you start feeling worse/hyper, then there is some sort of resistance issue.

[Joell in reply to Eddie83]

Hi Eddie..thanks for your reply...I read that the 300mg capsule of thyrogold is the equivilant to 100mg of levo which is what I had previously been taking so I didn't think it was much of an increase. I take the thyrogold tablet before bed and away from food. The t3 I split to take half when I wake up and the other half in the afternoon ( but have forgot 2nd half frequently as am at work ) I don't think I have any gut issues but no idea about my cortisol level and rhythm? How would I get cortisol rhythm tested and how does this affect thyroid? Thanks for the advice.

[Eddie83 in reply to Joell]

'Normal' cortisol level and rhythm is necessary for thyroid hormone supplementation to work well. The state-of-the-art method for examining cortisol is to use a 5-sample saliva cortisol test (which most MDs do not approve of, and your insurance won't pay for). The only simple test an MD is likely to allow, is a 24-hour urine cortisol, which only tells you the level of your total 24-hour cortisol; gives you no info about rhythm.

[Joell in reply to Eddie83]

Ok thanks Eddie...the 'state of the art' test sounds like it will be expensive but i will look into it

[Joell]

Thanks eljii...yes I am aiming for my TSH to end up around 1...my ferritin, B12 and folate are all on the above list and i think are within range