Doing my own research - T4 and T3

[mb82]

Hi all

I didn't have major symptoms (although have always felt sluggish!) but was put on Thyroxine to get my TSH below 2.5 before IVF from 5.2. This was achieved through 75 mcg of thyroxine daily but recently I have been gaining about 2lb a week for no real reason. (the IVF hasn't worked yet by the way so its not baby weight!). I have been feeling low and have dry skin.

I did have a period of time when i got prescribed lirothyronine and am sure I felt better but this couldn't continue on the NHS.

My antibodies are always high ranging from 150 to sometimes 1300 but the doctors say this is irrelevant.

I was wondering if you think I should incorporate T3 back into the mix and if you think this would help reduce antibodies? What else helps to reduce antibodies?

Thanks in advance!

My results from July are below:

Thyroid Function

TSH 0.77

0.27 - 4.20 mIU/L

T4 Total 90.0

64.5 - 142.0 nmol/L

Free T4 20.06

12 - 22 pmol/L

Free T3 3.98

3.1 - 6.8 pmol/L

Anti-Thyroidperoxidase abs H 404.0

<34 kIU/L

Anti-Thyroglobulin Abs H 350

<115 kU/L

[shaws]

Gluten-free food can help reduce the antibodies that are attacking your thyroid gland - an Autoimmune Condition called hashimoto's.

Many prefer a combination of T3/T4 so I would add it back into your T4. We are all different but we should take whatever improves our health. Your T3 is quite low and should be nearer the top of the range.

Levothyroxine is T4 only and converts to T3 but we don't always do so efficiently and I think you have that problem as your FT4 is good. Both have to be optimum and that's in the upper ranges.

[mb82 in reply to shaws]

thank you - I have some 25mg T3 tablets - do you think half per day is about right (12.5) added to my 75 of thyroxine?

[shaws in reply to mb82]

You can start off with half of T3 tablet to your 75mcg of T4. Recommendations are three T4 to one T3 so after a week you can add a quarter and then another 1/4. Always take your pulse/temp when beginning a new protocol so you have a starting point before adding T3. Sometimes we feel quite hot and make assumption that it must be that we've taken too much but temp may be normal. If pulse goes too fast just drop back to the previous dose.

[mb82 in reply to shaws]

So should i be looking for an increase in HR and basal temps? My resting HR is usually between 55-60 at the moment.

Someone else said I should reduce my thyroxine dose to 50 if i am adding t3 as my free t4 is quite high. do you disagree?

Thank you!

[greygoose]

Oh, I think going back on the T3 will do you a world of good! You have a conversion problem there! Your FT3 is much too low.

Taking T3 won't directly affect your antibodies, but if it suppresses your TSH, then that will stop the attacks - or at least cut down on them. Your doctor is so very wrong about the antibodies, not only can they mess up your results from time to time, but they can also cause symptoms in their own right. But, I wouldn't expect him to know that.

Have you tried taking selenium? That should reduce antibodies a bit, but also help a little with conversion.

[mb82 in reply to greygoose]

Thank you! what should my FT3 be?

So frustrating that doctors don't care about T3 or antibodies - they say the antibody test is only diagnostic - to see if you have hashis, but then they dont do anything about it!

I have read that selenium and zinc are good for conversion - how much of each?

Also the T3 i have is 25mg, if i take half a pill a day does that sound about right, and should i decrease my 75 of thyroxine?

Thanks Again!

[greygoose in reply to mb82]

Your T3 should be where it makes you feel well. For most people that's up the top of the range.

They don't care about antibodies - or T3, come to that - because they know nothing about them. They don't understand the significance or the importance of either.

One usually takes about 200 mcg selenium and I think about 15 of zinc. But, you'll only find one size in tablets, so just take one of each a day.

If I were you I would reduce my levo, yes, your FT4 is a bit high. You don't need that much if you're taking T3. But, I would cut the 25 mcg tablet into quarters and start with one quarter, increasing by a quarter every two weeks until you get to a whole pill. Then, hold for six weeks and test.

[mb82 in reply to greygoose]

p.s. the doctor is not even just a GP - they are in the endocrine and diabetes clinic at St Thomas's hospital!

[greygoose in reply to mb82]

Exactly! Diabetes! They are diabetes specialists who think that thyroid is a piece of cake, and they can treat it without knowing anything about it! Calling it an endocrine clinic is a laugh, because that implies they know about all the hormones. But, they don't!

[Clutter]

Mb82,

There isn't evidence to show using T3 during pregnancy is safe so BTA don't support use of T3 during pregnancy and you will be pressured to take Levothyroxine only.

[mb82 in reply to Clutter]

Thank you - am far from that at the moment! My endocrine clinic said to me that if I was on t4 and t3 they would keep me on that if i did fall preg....

[Clutter in reply to mb82]

mb82,

In that case, I would add 6.25mcg T3 to 75mcg Levothyroxine.

[Gates]

My TSH was about where yours was (2.5) and the dose of levothyroxine alone that worked best was 75 mcg. If I add T3 or natural thyroid hormone (combo T4 and T3) I do have to cut down the 75 mcg of levothyroxine, or I get too hyper and my TSH goes too low, to almost 0.

I now take 50 mcg of levothyroxine and 16.5 Naturethroid, both in the morning. That is an equivalent dose to 75 mcg of levothyroxine but I feel much better on it due to the T3 in the natural thyroid medication. It's a very small amount, but it does make a difference.

You have to be cautious when adding T3; I've had some bad reactions when taking too much too soon. Once I hyped up so much that I became disoriented. I could remember my name but not what I had done earlier in the day. It went away in a few hours, but was a scary experience, as I thought I was having a stroke.

Anxiety, sleeplessness, and increased heart rate or frequent palpitations are also signs that I need to back off on the T3 while I was experimenting with increasing my dose.

[mb82 in reply to Gates]

Thank you - i think i'm going to try cutting down to 50 thyroxine and 6.25 T3 first and see how i go!