New here - please help!

[Sporty-mi]

Hi I've recently joined and had underactive thyroid for years (treated with levothyroxine) I've also got PA, treated for yrs on B12 injections every 10 weeks now.

My HRT treatment has recently cocked up my thyroid treatment and the docs increased me from 150 to 200 of Levo.

I'm feeling worse than ever. I've always been active running half marathons etc. Lately I can't even walk up the stairs 😥. I paid privately to see an endocrinologist a month ago and he's agreed to treat me with T3 (reluctantly) .

So he has suggested I should decrease my levothyroxine to 100mg and take 10mg of T3 in the mornings and another 10mg at night.

I'm a bit scared as I don't want to get worse but to be honest I'll try anything ! I've recently had to reduce hours in work as I'm just not functioning right !

Can I ask any of you lovely people if this dose sounds right? I've no idea. I post my blood tests a week ago.

Any advice greatly appreciated

Marie

X

[shaws Administrator]

I've always taken combinations together as it makes it easier for us and also stomach has to be empty as food can interfere with the uptake.

I'd start with 10mcg T3 with your levo for one week. The following week add 5mcg and then another 5. I found T3 very calming to my system as levothyroxine gave me lots of palpitations. T3, being the only active thyroid hormone is absorbed into our body quickly and enters receptor cells and then it' work begins and that one dose lasts between one to three days. Levothyroxine is T4 and T4 has to convert to T3. Also take pulse/temp before you begin as a guide to how your new addition of T3 is working.

[Sporty-mi in reply to shaws]

Ah thank you so much shaws .. that's good advice I wonder why he told me to take twice a day ?

I will monitor it .. but not sure what you mean by pulse and temperature. How often to I go this ? I'm assuming with a thermometer ? Not sure how to do purse though. How did you do it ? Sorry to be dumb lol.

[humanbean in reply to Sporty-mi]

There are some people who have to split dose T3 and some people who take it all in one go. The only way to find out which is right for you is to experiment, with number of doses, size of doses and timing of doses.

Obviously with only 10mcg T3 per day your options are extremely limited, but when/if higher doses are reached you might want to take as many as 4 or 5 small doses a day. Some people do. Others might take half their dose twice a day. The right way to take T3 is whatever works best for you.

[Sporty-mi in reply to humanbean]

Thanks I didn't realise you can split it .. the endocrinologist is starting me on 20mg per day split into 2 but I've heard people start on much lower so as Shaws suggested I may try 10 and then increase it gradually ?

[humanbean in reply to Sporty-mi]

Try it and see. Only you can decide what works for you, but 10mcg seems like a good starting point.

[humanbean in reply to Sporty-mi]

Taking T3 will often raise the pulse/heart rate for a short time after taking it. Then as it gets absorbed the increased heart rate will drop for a while. When the amount of T3 in the bloodstream has dropped a lot then the heart speeds up again.

Once people get used to the signals their body is giving them it makes life a lot easier. It can be confusing because taking a dose of T3 will speed the heart up a little, and running out of T3 in the body will speed the heart up a little.

Once you get used to T3 the effects of taking T3 and running out of T3 become less pronounced.

As for temperature, basal body temperature, which should be taken the instant you wake up (without getting out of bed), is a good way of monitoring how thyroid treatment is going. Hypothyroid people have a low body temperature. Treatment may make it rise again (but it doesn't work for everyone - the body temperature may have been low for so long it never rises again.)

[Sporty-mi in reply to shaws]

Thank you shaws .. I am starting my T3 tomorrow and as you suggest. Just 10mg with my 100mg of T4.

I normally take my T4 at night. Is there a best time of day to take T3?

[shaws Administrator in reply to Sporty-mi]

I've always preferred one single dose of whatever I've been taking. T3/T4: NDT: T3.

It's up to the individual but I follow Dr Lowe's advice. Read question January 30, 2002 but the other ones are helpful too.

web.archive.org/web/2010103...

[Sporty-mi in reply to shaws]

Thanks shaws your a star .. valuable advice and great link 😊X

[Sporty-mi]

Thank you beanie😊

I'm a bit scared, but I have to try it. So I take my temp every morning before getting out of bed ?

[humanbean in reply to Sporty-mi]

Yes. And keep records. If you ever end up over-medicated it might show up in your temperature going over normal. There are no guarantees, but it is worthwhile keeping records. Eventually, taking it just occasionally might be all you need to do just to keep tabs on whether things are changing.

But be aware that if you still have a menstrual cycle that that will alter your temperature as well - your temperature spikes when you ovulate.

If you are really keen, you might want to read this link :

drrind.com/therapies/metabo...

[Sporty-mi in reply to humanbean]

Thank you so much for your help and that link is brilliant. Thank you for your kindness and help. Much appreciated x

Ps i had a full hysterectomy 4 yrs ago lol

[shaws Administrator in reply to Sporty-mi]

I wonder if op was due to hypothyroidism:-

web.archive.org/web/2010103...

Read question dated February 6, 2003

[Sporty-mi in reply to shaws]

Wow interesting .. yes I wish I knew 10yrs ago. Too late now. Thanks for the link shaws much appreciated

[shaws Administrator in reply to Sporty-mi]

Doctors are unaware of clinical symptoms nowadays.