I have new blood results and they are all over the place.

[Pixelpup]

Hi.

I would love your advice on my latest bloods please?

History;

I had my previous bloods done in February. At that time I reduced my levo from 170 mcg to 175/150 alternate days after these results.

FT4 29.4 (122-22) Previous bloods 18.8 (12-22)

FT3 5.9 (3.1-6.8) Bloods 1 yr ago 4.3 (3.1-6.8)

TSH .0.4 (0.27-4.2) Prev 3.32 (0.27-4.2)

Vit D 41 (50-120) Prev 38 (50-120) I have increased supplements since last bloods

Cortisol 194 (171-536)

TPO AB 180.3 (0-34) First time tested

B12 548 (197-771) Prev 312 (197-771) I have increased the supplement

Folate 7.9 (3.9-25) Prev 2.6 (>3.9) New testing method

I have just had my latest results. I am still on alternate day dosage but about 2 month ago I started taking T3 to see if it would help. I was so poorly I was considering closing my limited company down as I could not come. The usual exhaustion, coldness, pains, breathing problems etc so I felt I had to try something.

I started on 1/2 of a 25 every 6 hours. The first few days I had so much energy. I ran the stairs!! I usually stop a few times on the way up and pull myself up by the banister at home.

It then "wore off" and I then increased it to see how I felt. I took 1/2 every 4 hours. It made me feel better but still not normal. I then tried to increase to 3/4 every 4 hours. No change. I do notice though that if I, after 4 hours, don't take my T3 I get very tired. Very noticeable when I'm driving.

I have just had the latest results from last week.

Vit D is not too much so I'm cutting that down. It has taken almost a year to get it back to normal I think.

Free T4 30.9 (12 - 22)

Free T3 14 (3.1 - 6.8)

TSH 0.01 (0.27 - 4.2)

So, my Vit D is up to level (well too high) and I have also started to change the way I eat. I take my tabs at 6.30am and I now don't eat anything until about 11am where as before I use to eat breakfast at 7.30am. A also try to not eat after 7pm. In the last two month since starting T3 and changing the way I eat I have lost almost 4 kg!!! That is the first time ever.

I'm guessing I'm over medicated and should cut down both T4 and T3. I feel much better since the T3 and at the moment I am tired but mostly in my muscles. They have 0 energy and I find walking etc very tiring. Would the increased T4 be due to be taking the T3 or due to the change in eating habits and increased vitamin levels?

Thank you everyone for your fab help xxx

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

Pixelpup

Free T4 30.9 (12 - 22)

Free T3 14 (3.1 - 6.8)

TSH 0.01 (0.27 - 4.2)

Your increased FT4 isn't due to the amount of T3 you take. T4 converts to T3, but T3 doesn't convert to T4.

You are very overmedicated.

To start introducing T3 by taking 12.5mcg every 6 hours was way too much. It's advised to start low and increase gradually ie start with 6.25mcg, wait two weeks, add another 6.25mcg, etc, and when you reach 25mcg then retest.

Exactly how much T3 do you take now in total?

How much Levo? Is it still 175/150mcg alternate days? You should have reduced your Levo when you introduced T3.

In your thread 4 months ago Clutter advised that you were probably overmedicated and suggested that you reduce your dose of Levo

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu....

**

From that previous post

"Vit D 41 (50-120) Prev 38 (50-120) I have increased supplements since last bloods

Cortisol 194 (171-536)

TPO AB 180.3 (0-34) First time tested

B12 548 (197-771) Prev 312 (197-771) I have increased the supplement

Folate 7.9 (3.9-25) Prev 2.6 (>3.9) New testing method"

Your Vit D was low, it should be 100-150,nmol/L.

Your B12 was low, it should be very top of the range, even 900-1000.

Folate was low, it should be half way through it's range.

There was no ferritin result, that should have been tested and if less than half way through it's range, and a minimum of 70, that should be supplemented.

All those vitamins and minerals need to be optimal for thyroid hormone to work properly.

Hashimoto's was confirmed. Have you gone strictly gluten free and are you supplementing with selenium to help reduce the antibodies?

Once all those had been addressed, you have the building blocks in place. If there are still problems you look at whether there are any gut issues causing problems, you look at adrenals and sex hormones, they are connected to the thyroid, they all work together.

**

[Pixelpup in reply to SeasideSusie]

Thanks. Yes I did reduce the Levo from 175 to 175/150 alternate days. My dr is useless and wouldn't reduce dose until I kicked up so she went to spk to the others in the practice. Sadly she is the best one I've had. At the moment I'm taking 12.5 T3 every 4 hrs. If I leave it as long as 6 hours I totally crash. All energy give and I have trouble staying awake. I was looking for info re reducing T4 when introducing T3 but couldn't find any 🙁

I feel much better on T3 than before even though I'm over medicated.

[Pixelpup in reply to Pixelpup]

Oh and just checked. Had ferritin tested in Dec 16 was 4.1 (0.0-5.0). I am not totally gluten free but have reduced massively. I find it difficult to find alternatives as a big part of my diet has always been weat. It's a work in progress. How much and how fast should I reduce current dosage please? Thanks.

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to Pixelpup]

Pixelpup,

That doesn't look right for ferritin. Zero would never be bottom of range - and, typically, you might see a range of 15 to 150.

[Pixelpup in reply to helvella]

I though it seems strange. It says; Serum ferritin level (XE24r) and underneath Serum C reactive protein level (XalNL) 4.1mg/L ( 0.0 - 5.0)

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to Pixelpup]

That seems a feasible range for C reactive protein.

Sorry - cannot understand why it would say Serum ferritin level - and then no result and non reference range.

[Pixelpup in reply to helvella]

Yes as the heading for that section in the results are Ferritin! No idea??

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to Pixelpup]

"My dr is useless and wouldn't reduce dose until I kicked up so she went to spk to the others in the practice."

You could have reduced your dose yourself.

"I was looking for info re reducing T4 when introducing T3 but couldn't find any"

You could have asked for further guidance here on the forum.

Long term over range T3 may cause health problems eg atrial fibrillation and osteoporosis.

[Pixelpup in reply to SeasideSusie]

Yes I did reduce my dosage on Clutters advice. Dr then came back agreeing with it.

Yes I suppose I could have asked but for some reason I didn't.

So I now need to reduce my meds. Any suggestions as to how much and how fast would be very much appreciated. I don't have a dr app until next week. Thank you.

[steviecat]

Very overmedicated. Too much T3 can produce symptoms similar to too little. SeasideSusie's advice should be attended to.

[eeng]

I would drop the Levothyroxine down to 50mcg a day or less. That should sort the high FT4 reading. It will take 6-8 week for the extra FT4 to work its way out of your system, then you should get another test. You may find that the FT3 comes down a bit too, because your body may be converting some of the FT4 into FT3 (which it normally would). You don't need to tell your doctor, just do it. With the amount of T3 you are taking you may well not need Levothyroxine at all.

[Pixelpup in reply to eeng]

How come possibly no Levo? Should I really drop it that much? And keep T3 the same as now? I use to be stable on 125 Levo for about 2 years until about 2 yrs ago. Sorry just trying to get my head around everything thyroid 😊

[eeng]

There are people who do best on T3 only. You are trying to find what's right for you. T3 is about 3 times stronger than T4, so for every microgram of T3 you take you should be decreasing your T4 by 3 micrograms to maintain the same total dose. You said you are now taking half a 25mcg pill of T3 every 4 hours, which is 75mcg a day. This may be equivalent in strength to 225mcg of T4. That's why your should be decreasing your T4 by quite a lot (maybe all of it) as you increase your T3.

I hope that helps

[Pixelpup in reply to eeng]

Yes I think to thanks. I will reduce the T4 and keep T3 the same as now and see what my bloods say in 4/6 week. thanks xx