Help required with dose T3 : Hi I am reposting... - Thyroid UK

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Help required with dose T3

Janey130 profile image
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Hi I am reposting my previous post for info for the question I am going to ask !

I have decided to try t3 only as previous advice was that I am taking too much thyroxine and I agree I have very poor conversion . I have been on 2 grains of NDT and 100 mg thyroxine ... results lower down the page . Could someone please advise me as to what dose I should start on T3 only please

Thanks Jane 😊

I have just received some results from blue horizon medicals

regarding my thyroid. i have sent off of a full thyroid test as i am finding it impossible to lose weight ......

currently i am taking 2 grains NDT daily and 100mg thyroxine .

my lab results are normally ok and in range . i don't have any recent ones at the moment only the one i have received today .

would anybody be able to look for me and advise if my RT3 be causing me any problems. I have just spent the last month trying the cambridge diet (i know not good for me ) and have not managed to lose a single ounce .. My blood sugar sometimes drops and i get the shakes but not all of the time. i don't indulge in eating sugar ... in fact i eat a very healthy diet normally. i walk the dog every day and exceed my 10,000 steps a day ...

ferritin 61.2 (20-150)

magnesium 0.87 (0.6-1.0 )

thyroid function

TSH L 0.01 (0.27-4.20)

T4 total 73.1 (64.5 -142)

free T4 13.64 (12 -22)

free T3 3.63 ( 3.1-6.8)

Reverse T3 17.0 (10-24)

reverse T3 ratio L13.90 norm >15

borderline 12-15

low <12

immunology

anti thyroidperoxidase abs 15.1 <34

anti thyroglobulin abs 20.4 <115

Vitamins

Vit D (25OH) 75 deficient <25

insufficient 25-50

consider reduce dose >175

Vit B12 516 deficient <140

insufficient 140-250

consider reduce dose >725

B12 Active 102.90 25.1 - 165.0

Serum Folate 24.54 8.83 _60.8

i hope this makes sense as I've just copied it from letter.

i started being treated after my daughter was born 13 years ago . i was treated with just thyroxine which i didn't feel the benefit of so contacted a dr my hill who prescribed NDT which has helped me with energy and depression.

Went to see an endo In May and she prescribed me T3 small dose 10mg a day and reduced my thyroxine . however i did feel tired on this dose and have since received a letter today my health authority will not prescribe t3 any more so have resumed the NDT

i hope i have given enough info.

and would appreciate any advice given

kindest wishes

Jane Greaves

T3CYANOCOBALAMINVIT DTHYROGLOBULINTHYROXINET4UNDERACTIVE THYROIDTHYROID CANCERTHYROID ABNORMALITIES

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3 days agogreygoose

Your FT3 is much too low for you to lose weight. And, as your taking a lot of T4, I can only assume that you have conversion problems. Personally, I think it's T3 you need added to your NDT, not T4, because all that unconverted T4 could be converted to rT3, and you don't want that. It it were me, I would stop all that extra T4, and increase my NDT up to 3 grains - 1/2 a grain at a time - and see how that goes. Get tested after six weeks. If your FT3 stays low, add in some T3.

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3 days agoJaney130

Thank you grey goose it's great to hear from someone who knows what's going on . I have been told before that I have poor conversion .... fingers crossed 😏

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3 days agogreygoose

In that case, there wasn't much point in piling on all that T4. I know some people think that taking a small amount of T3 improves conversion, but in my experience, that just isn't true.

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3 days agoJaney130

What I get confused about is tsh t4 and t3 all seem to be low ! Normally tsh would be higher if the other 2 are low ! Does it matter if my tsh becomes even lower ?

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3 days agohumanbean

I wonder if you have a slight degree of secondary hypothyroidism i.e. your body is unable to produce sufficient TSH for your needs. It can happen. Or it could just be low because your meds include T3 which has a habit of suppressing TSH quite dramatically in some cases. The problem is that doctors get very worked up about a low TSH.

Low TSH in itself doesn't cause any symptoms. The really important one is your Free T3. If that is low in range or below range you will be hypothyroid. If it is very high in range or above the range then you are likely to be over-medicated (in the event that you are hypothyroid) or hyperthyroid. Doctors sometimes tell hypothyroid patients that they have become hyperthyroid when what they really mean (usually) is "over-medicated". This is very sloppy terminology that confuses patients, in my view.

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3 days agoJaney130

Thanks for that ! You may be correct with your first comment as when I was first treated my tsh wasn't very high at all .... it was the other 2 that were Low also and I had to find a doctor who was willing to treat me .... I had problems with both pregnancies and something that has always stuck in my mind is I never produced any breast milk for both my children ....

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shaws profile image
shawsAdministrator

I am not medically qualified but assume, due to your low FT4 and FT3 results that you cannot convert T4 into sufficient T3.

As your dose of NDT plus levothyroxine is approximately equal to 400mcg daily of levothyroxine which is quite high but some do need a higher dose.

T3 @ 25mcg is said to be equal to around 100mcg of levo (some suggest if may be between 75 and 100mcg) and we all have different effects whatever dose we take.

I'd start with 2 x 25mcg (I take dose when I get up with one glass of water and wait an hour before eating). Take note of pulse/temp before beginning and after a week I'd increase by a half tablet and so on until relief of symptoms. I'd reduce to 1/4 tablet when you think you're nearing an optimum level (you feel much better). If your pulse or temp goes too high or you have unpleasant symptoms reduce to the previous dose .

Janey130 profile image
Janey130

Thanks for your input ! My rt3 reading /ratio is it good or bad ? It was highlighted in red on the report !

shaws profile image
shawsAdministrator in reply to Janey130

There's not much to worry about RT3 and read the answer on the following link for the explanation. Go to date March 24, 1999

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

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