T3 only: Ok so here are my daughters latest... - Thyroid UK

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T3 only

Stoddy profile image
13 Replies

Ok so here are my daughters latest bloods taking 3 grains NDT

RT3 338 pmcl/L (140-540)

FT4 15.3 pmcl/L (9.0-19.0)

FT3 4.5 pmcl/L (2.6-6.0)

TSH 0.6 mIU/L (0.3-3.5)

Ferritin 33 ug/L (30-250)

Cortisol 211 nmcl/L (100-535)

Have started taking 20 mcg of T3 only 4 days ago and already has noticed increased energy

Advice please on where to go from here?

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Stoddy profile image
Stoddy
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13 Replies
Heloise profile image
Heloise

The ferritin is almost non existent and really necessary if you want to use your thyroid hormone and is she adding the T3 on top of the 3 grains? Seems like a big jump. When were the latest bloods taken? She really needs to improve her ferritin. The T3 will show up in a hurry so see what happens in the next week or so.

Stoddy profile image
Stoddy in reply to Heloise

Bloods were taken last week when still on 3 grains NDT which she stopped taking Friday and introduced the T3 only

Doc has put her on high dose Iron supps and said retest thyroid levels in 2 months

Said she is feeling more energy since going to T3 only?

How do we know whether to up the dose ?

Clutter profile image
Clutter in reply to Stoddy

Stoddy,

Your daughter will be undermedicated on 20mcg T3. There is 27mcg T3 in 3 grains plus 114mcg T4. 3 grains NDT is equivalent to 75mcg T3.

Heloise profile image
Heloise in reply to Stoddy

Clutter was kind enough to give the equivalents but it's hard to know whether you want to match the dose. Perhaps some of that NDT became reverse T3 and wasn't used as T3. This does not happen with T3. But I would guess she will need at least 50 to 60 T3 and possibly NOT 75. I also think two months is a long wait to test since the half life of T3 is less than a day and T4 is two weeks. You need to increase faster but I really don't know how quickly. Perhaps you can get information from someone like Ray Peat.

silverfox7 profile image
silverfox7

Also test Vit D, folate and B12. It's impossible to accurately see if conversion on is good once on any form of T3 as the FT3 result is the only accurate reading you will get now and yes adding more T3 can make you feel better but it may not be addressing conversion if that is a problem so getting the other three tested and addressed will help the conversion and your general health. These other tests need to be optimal so any results please post with the ranges and others. An comment. You may in time have to lower your T3 as if everything else is address then your original NDT if at the correct level should suffice.

Everdean profile image
Everdean in reply to silverfox7

Please would you tell me what Oncerstion is ,and what conversion you are referring to silver fox? Thankyou

silverfox7 profile image
silverfox7 in reply to Everdean

Sorry my phone makes things up and often changes things or reverts back to a a mistake I've since altered. Oncerstion being conversion

When we take Levo that is T4 and it is inactive so often referred to as a storage hormone. But what we need for every cell in our body is T3 which is active so our body when working as it should converts the T4 to T3 so without getting too complicated it the T4 loses an iodine molecule to change into T3. It needs other things in place to do this so mostly Vit D, B12, folate and ferritin to. E optimum. Optimum being the correct level for this to happen rather than just in range. So we can given extra T3 to make us feel better but I feel it's better to address this and get your body to do it as it should then you are in my opinion much more stable as you are more in line with what we are supposed to do. I spent about 6 months getting this right and then went over to NDT after Levo after 20+ years started giving me problems

Everdean profile image
Everdean in reply to silverfox7

Thankyou for clarifying. Silverfox7

Heloise profile image
Heloise

stopthethyroidmadness.com/r...

This shows that your daughter does have more reverse T3. Straight T3 will help with some of that.

Stoddy profile image
Stoddy in reply to Heloise

She has been taking T3 only since Friday after stopping NDT and is feeling good on 20 mcg so just wondering if she should go up to 30 or 40 in one go?

Heloise profile image
Heloise in reply to Stoddy

I wouldn't. It would be quite a jolt when you aren't used to T3 but I really don't know how to advise but I think you can have too much T3 floating around and your receptors must be ready to handle it all and they may be blocked. Her ferritin needs more work.

When I switched (but I'm on a much smaller dose) I added 5 mcgs. about every four days. She may be able to move faster than that and I know some people are on high doses of T3 but she may run into problems.

Maybe this will help. stopthethyroidmadness.com/t...

Stoddy profile image
Stoddy in reply to Heloise

Thankyou 😊

Meanbeannyc profile image
Meanbeannyc

I’d kill a cat to have labs like that.

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