Still shattered

[tootired]

Hello everyone happy Friday! Well I started taking NDT beginning of July as I was perpetually tired and suffering from 6 migraines a week been on T3/T4 combo since Dec 2015 but endo. wouldn't increase the dose. I had my six monthly/in reality 8 monthly check in with the endo the beginning of August. He said I was deficient in Vitamin D, was pleased with the TSH and T4 took blood tests to check my T3 as the Drs surgery would never check this! he was happy with the dose I was on, I asked if I could be intolerant to T4 as I was still feeling awful and he said no, he didn't want to up my T3 as I was on a good dose- ie the starting dose of 20 mcg so I didn't bother telling him i'd started taking NDT since my last lot of blood test results in June.

I got the results back from august blood test :my TSH was suppressed at 0.04!- which I was shocked after 2 months of NDT and my T4 was 12.6 and Total T3 above the upper limit of 3.0 .

I started my NDT at 2 1/2 grains uping half a grain every two weeks, after 6 weeks my migraines subsided to one a week- MAJOR IMPROVEMENT. I stuck at 3 1/2 grains for a few weeks but last week I had 3 migraines and the past two weeks I have been in the deepest sleep at night, struggling to wake up in the morning, during the day I am struggling to stay awake. last week I upped my NDT to 4 grains still feeling really tired. I take Vit B12, Magnesium and iron. I've recently come off the progesterone pill, just worried I am never going to feel energised and I don't want the migraines to come back i've changed my hours at work so I work 5 hours every day now to see if that would help with the fatigue.

Not started taking Vitamin D3 yet - will It make a difference to how I'm feeling? should I start the Vit D3 before I increase my NDT ? my body temp is still stubbornly stuck at 36.6 I'm not having any hyper symptoms, just worried I'm taking a much higher dose of thyroid hormones and still feeling tired.

[Hidden]

Hi, I felt like this on NDT alone. I added T3 and feel much better. Obviously reduced the NDT quite a bit whilst introducing t3. I found with ndt alone I almost got immune to it. Would feel great for the first 2 weeks, then bam, no energy at all, generally awful. Kept having to increase. My t3 is now over range but I feel good and that's the main thing.

[greygoose]

I think it's possible you started too high, and increased too quickly. Once you are at 2 grains, you should increase by quarter grains, and leave longer between each increase, or you could miss your sweet spot.

Having said that, there's no way of telling if you are over-dosed from those labs. The TSH and FT4 are irrelevant once you are on any form of T3. The important number is the FT3. The TT3 gives you no useful information. And, just because it's over-range, does not mean that the FT3 will also be over-range.

If you are deficient in vit D, taking D3 will improve some things. But, you still need the correct labs for your thyroid.

[tootired in reply to greygoose]

Hi Greygoose I started on 21/2 as it was slightly higher than the dose I was on I didn't think there was much point starting on the same dose, I thought you raised every 2 weeks by half a grain -I must have got my wires crossed. I've noticed some improvement in my symptoms but the migraines and the fatigue are the worst. So should I just stay on the 4 grains for six weeks ?or should I reduce my dose? -I think the migraines will increase if I do that, and I'm still in need of a nap in the afternoon.

[greygoose in reply to tootired]

You increase by half a grain every two weeks, when you start from nothing. Not when you start at 2 1/2 grains. Once you hit two grains, you should stick for six weeks, then get tested. Then, increase more slowly by 1/4 grains.

Have you not had any other investigations of your migraines? They might not be connected to your hypo.

If I were you, I'd stick where you are for six weeks, and then get tested. I think your body needs time to adjust. But, make sure you get the FT3 tested, not the TT3.

[tootired in reply to greygoose]

Thanks Greygoose Ill stick at 4 grains for 6 weeks, and see how it goes as for the migraines neurology were a waste of time only interested in giving me pills with lots of side effects which caused a weight gain of 2 stone in 2 1/2months last year so I wont go back.

[greygoose in reply to tootired]

Talking of neurology... have you had your B12 tested?