Slight chest pain too much T3/pooling?

[Gillybean129]

I am at the moment over medicated on 2 grains NDT, I have cut this back to 1.5 for the last week, the only symptoms I have had are feeling a bit shaky and the odd chest pain, kind of a tightness which really scares me, could this be a result of the over medication? My Free T3 had a value of 10.3.

[humanbean]

How much of a gap did you leave between taking NDT and then taking a test?

If you really think you have been taking too much you can get back to normal most quickly by skipping meds for a day or two (it shouldn't need to be longer than that - a level of 10.3 is not a really massive overdose) then re-starting at a lower dose.

[Gillybean129 in reply to humanbean]

Thank you, I was thinking of doing this or at least just taking 0.5 grain for a couple of days, I was just thinking as I increased by 0.25 every 2 weeks for about 3 months (I did this really slow) then it might take a time to go down again. I had no idea if 10.3 was a massive overdose (Serum free triiodothyronine level 10.2 pmol/L [3.1 - 6.8])

[humanbean in reply to Gillybean129]

I think going down too slowly will just delay you feeling better. A couple of days without meds will get the excess out of your system that much faster.

If you still think you have problems after two days then stay off meds for an extra day. But T3 is disposed of quite quickly by the body, so it is unlikely you will need that extra day.

Whether someone thinks a level of 10.2 is a massive overdose or not is probably just a matter of opinion. A doctor would probably have a panic attack, but knowing how quickly it can clear from the body, personally I wouldn't.

[Gillybean129]

My bloods took about 12 days to come back, I kept calling and the receptionist said you need to speak with a doctor. Needless to say I haven't made an appointment, they wouldn't know what to say except have a rant at me like the last time I went about NDT.

I think at the back of my mind I just think 'heart attack' (has anyone ever had this cause by excess T3?) and they'd say I told you so!

[shaws Administrator in reply to Gillybean129]

If you took excessive T3 you'd feel the effects quickly and would not want to take your next dose.

It's always best to take your symptoms into account. As humanbean has suggested a couple of days rest from T3 should be fine.

If on NDT when it was the only thyroid hormone available available (before blood tests and levo) we were given sufficient NDT until our symptoms were relieved and it was always 'how the patient felt' which was the criteria for adjusting doses.

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

Did you allow 24 hours gap between your last dose of NDT and the blood test and did you fast?

The blood tests were invented along with levothyroxine. So the results cannot be equivalent as levo is T4 only which converts to T3. NDT has T4 and T3 so I should imagine it would be difficult to be identical results.

The link I gave above is self-explanatory.

[Gillybean129 in reply to shaws]

Thank you, no I didn't fast the appointment was a 4pm in the afernoon, thank you for the link.

Are you saying if I was that over medicated then I'd feel really rough?

[shaws Administrator in reply to Gillybean129]

I have read that pulse will probably have increased (mine did that anyway before being diagnosed and also on thyroid hormones and I wasn't overmedicated) .

So pulse and temp are usually a guide if we take a bit too much, both might rise and make us feel uncomfortable, so we'd either miss next dose and reduce dose back slightly. A clinical symptom of hypo is both pulse/temp are usually low when first diagnosed.

[shaws Administrator in reply to Gillybean129]

I also use a weekly pill box as sometimes a person can forget or wonder 'have I taken pills').

[humanbean in reply to Gillybean129]

I think the biggest danger from excessive T3 might be developing atrial fibrillation which would then increase your risk for stroke. But I don't know how big a risk is involved. I know that someone with a. fib. would be put on blood thinners to reduce the risk. I don't know what else would be involved in treating the condition.

I don't know how big these risks are though, sorry.