I woke up at 5am feeling terribly nauseous, heart racing and very hot. Not sure if this is the T3 but think perhaps it is. The first day I made the mistake of taking one whole 25mcg tablet. But since taking advice from here have broken the tablet into quarters and taken one quarter in the morning with 75 mcg of levothyroxine.
I do feel very mentally alert but had a shocking migraine yesterday. It's difficult to blame the T3 but the symptoms are pretty dramatic.
Not sure if I should take any today , I shall wait and see if the nausea subsides.
I shall keep you posted.......
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Tanya-B
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25mcg of T3 added to 75mcg of levo woud have been too much. 25mcg is around 100mcg of levo so I would have only introduced a 1/4 tablet for a week or so then gradually worked up to when I felt well. So if you took 75mcg + 25mcg = 175mcg
I would not take any today and let your body relax. I am assuming you are self-medicating.
Normally when introducing T3 we drop our dose of levothyroxine or if not on sufficient, 5mcg at a time.
Also, one dose of T3 taken today will have an effect of up to three days, so maybe not take it for a few days as, to me, it appears you have overdosed and allow your body to settle. I will say I am not medically qualified but take T3 only.
Yes I think you are right I shall wait a few days before taking it again. I am self medicating so am very unsure about what I am doing. I think it might be better to cut out the T4 but wonder if T3 is enough why do people carry on with the T4? Do you take T3 ?
Thanks for your response I am learning so much from this site.
On the link I've given it gives good info re going-it-alone. Read it thoroughly.
I take T3 only. I am well and have no clinical symptoms. Always slow and gradual is best. If it is possible to 'love' a thyroid hormone, it is definitely T3 for me. It doesn't suit everyone just as many people find levo is fine for them.
I have found that it is fillers/binders in some thyroid hormones that affect me badly and I've had to change a couple of times. Thyroid hormones are natural to our body so it has to be fillers/binders or insufficient hormones that give us problems.
Many do fine on T4/T3 but it has to be at a dose/combination which suits. It is trial and error.
I just burst into tears , something I never do. It's been such a journey from knowing nothing for over 30 years and being ill to finding answers and taking control.
Thank you so much..
I shall subscribe to this site and fundraise when I start to feel better.
My mother always used to say 'a good cry is good for us as it gets rid of tensions etc'. We then feel better. The internet has given us the opportunity to find out things which we were unable to do so before.
You can become a member of Thyroiduk.org.uk who is the Charity. You also get quarterly magazine and updates. They are the 'behind the scenes' working to change attitudes a very uphill climb.
I was unaware that thyroid glands which were removed could regrow. I have just read your profile. Does that mean your regrown thyroid gland is now discharging thyroid hormones as well as you adding more?
I was unaware it could grow back, it was the Drs in France that told me it could. My GP refused to believe it and was very insulting about the French Drs, I was shocked at his attitude to be honest. He backed down after my scan revealed it had indeed grown back.
All thyroids meds were withdrawn to see if my thyroid was producing anything at all. It seems as if it is slightly but not enough on its own.
Heart racing and feeling hot... you sound like you overmedicated. Did you cut down your Levo when you started with T3. Because if you haven't then this is now probably too much for you. Not all people are on T4, I am on only T3 for 6 years and I do well.
I didn't cut down T4 but I am going to cut it out altogether. I am Worried about telling Dr Toft as he was against me trying T3 ior NDT. I shall email him and see what his reaction is. If it is negative I am note sure I will go back to see him.
He is definitely against NDT. You can always send him a copy of this document which was sent to the RCoP and the BTA. Despite three yearly reminders none ever did respond because they believe that only levo should be prescribed, never mind the devastation to patients who do not do well on it and are forever taking other prescriptions to treat the disabling symptoms.
The sad thing is Dr tofts profile on the Murrayfield hospital website in Edinburgh said he specialises in treating patients who don't do well on T4 alone. It's why I paid to see him. Obviously he has been brilliant in diagnosing my Graves and explaining everything to me. He even wrote to my GP and reprimanded him about the bad treatment I have had for 10 years. He is such a kind man but every time I ask him about NDT or T3 he insists we must get my levels right on T4 and it's too complicated to try NDT or T3...
I don't understand why he's so resistant and I find it really difficult to be assertive with him. I have now seen him 4 times at a cost of £200 per visit. It's why I have reluctantly decided to medicate myself on T3.
Have a look at his profile on the murrayfield hospital Edinburgh. I live in Cumbria so it's a heck of a journey for me to see him. But I thought he was the best I could find.
I think he is in a very difficult position. I would think as a young Endo he would have prescribed NDT (a guess) and that because the guidelines of the BTA are so strict now about only diagnosing if the TSH reaches 10 (how ridiculous is that - I think they all need to be tested for a dysfunction of their glands as it doesn't make sense and that only levothyroxine is the preferential prescribing.
The BTA make False Statements about NDT and they will not retract. Many who don't do well on levo recover on NDT but Endosdoctors wont admit it. They have tried their hardest to make it extremely difficult and now they have succeeded with T3 due to the cost which has given them a perfect reason to not have it prescribed. To the detriment of many on this forum whose lives and well-being depend upon it. They just do not care. Doctors who did prescribe NDT were called before the GMC or lost their licences in the past so few will do so because of the threat to their livelihoods.
Big Pharma in USA paid thousands of $$$ to doctors to only prescribe levo and they did so. Now with the internet and many forums and website about not recovering on levo, patients want to at least try alternatives. Why would our body produce several thyroid hormones but they give us one synthetic replacement which makes many well but many remain unwell. The people who are well would not think of changing it is those who search for info and cannot have the opportunity of even a trial.
I think you are right as Dr Toft does seem to contradict himself on which treatments are best. I saw him on trust me I'm a Dr and he did say T4 T3 combo can be beneficial.
He's pretty decent as he has sent me many emails after various test are done and he never charges. I shall mail him in a few weeks and tell him I am on T3. Hopefully I should have stabilised on it and then can get my bloods done.
Thank goodness for the Internet and sites like these, I knew nothing at all and I am learning so much.
The 25mcg you took 3 days ago will be making you feel over medicated. It should wear off in 2-3 days. I would stop taking T3 for a few days and resume at 6.25mcg.
No, you are under medicated on 75mcg because TSH is too high and FT4 is low in range so don't reduce 75mcg. Just add 6.25mcg (a quarter tablet) T3 and see how you feel on that for a week or two.
I was tested for TRAB in France last year and told that I have Graves, seems I have had it 30 years and I never knew. After my thyroid was removed I was told it was just one of those things and was never tested for Graves.
I had 7/8 th of my thyroid removed 30 years ago and it's the antibodies (Graves) that attack the part that's left that make it grow back as it tries to defend itself. It was Dr Toft who I see privately that explained everything to me. He said it can take between 20 and 30 years to grow back so that's spot on for me.
Will have bloods done to test B12 etc when I next see GP if he will do it if not I shall go private.
Tanya-B I´m a bit curious here and would like to know a couple of things, the overdose symptoms that you´re experiencing, is it only the heart palpitations, nausea, hot flushes or are there others too such as anxiety and insomnia?
Thanks, and of course, wish you good luck with it. I hope you´ll soon find your right dose.
On over medication on levo my symptoms were the same but with cronic insomnia and terrible anxiety. I use to feel anxious if the kitchen was untidy and feel panick as to how I was going to manage to clean up even emptying the dishwasher was a panic. As my levo was decreased the sleeping was better although not perfect and the anxiety has gone.
I think if I had carried on overnedicated on the T3 the symptoms would have been the same.
Hi, I was interested to hear of your experience. I currently take 150mcg of Levothyroxine daily and visited my GP the other day to ask about adding T3 to my medication and in what dose to be safe. She said she couldn't advise me and was a bit sceptical saying that her father is an endocrine specialist and is very dismissive of T3. She did say that I could request a referral to an endocrinologist if I wanted. According to my recent bloods my thryroxine levels are fine. I just wondered if you sought medical advice or if you just went ahead on your own.
I started on my own after a lot of research. It's now 6 days and the difference is amazing. Much more energy a clear head and a feeling of well being I haven't had for years.
I will however tell my endrochronist that I am taking it and see what his reaction is. Appointment in a month. I shall post again and let you know.
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as it doesn't make sense and that only levothyroxine is the preferential prescribing.
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