Goodness, he actually doubled your dose. Did you do this all at once?....... because you added one grain to your two grains of NT (Naturethroid?) and then added 30T3 which is equivalent to almost another grain. Personally I would have stopped everything for a time.
That's a large amount to add to your dose! Should be an incremental increase. Yes your FT3 is high... I think your dr should have simply increased NDT (incrementally) as comparatively (with the other measures in the same blood test), your T3 didn't look especially low. Not sure how long it will take to improve, but I wouldn't think it would happen during this tritation stage and once you are at the right dosage I think it would take a few weeks at least. Poor you I hope you feel better soon x
James.... there is a protocol 'out there' for lowering R T3 numbers and it is for one to drop their NDT dosage to 1 - 1.5 grains and add T 3. Maintain this regime for 8 - 12 weeks and R T3 numbers should be resolved. Some even drop their NDT all together and take T 3 only. One of our members stayed on the T 3 for two years and did very well.
"But there are other issues where one might have to be on T3-only by itself, or adding T3 to a greatly lowered dose of NDT like one grain….issues ranging from having high RT3 (reverse T3) due to low iron or a cortisol issue, to having Lyme disease (which promotes RT3), to having a rare deodinase enzyme conversion problem (problems converting T4 to T3). There are a small minority who even on high doses of NDT, have to add a little T3 to be optimal."
Which I may do again now that it is available once more. Someone felt we should wear a medical bracelet stating T3 only so if admitted to a hospital they would be aware. I'm thinking anyone with heart failure should have their FT3 check carefully (I think low T3 may be a cause). One physical therapist states that EVERYONE should take T3. There should be studies done but T3 is too inexpensive I guess. Thanks for the post, Phoenix.
Wow what a storm that little comment created. Lets try this then.
People struggle with high FT3 because they doggedly stick to a fixed dose NDT/T3 and end up overdosing.
We need different amounts of T3/T4 from hour to hour (hot cold days, more less exercise etc). Taking the same dose day in day out would be like a Diabetic taking the same amount of insulin every day. Diabetic's test blood sugar levels after meals etc and adjust dose.
Micro analyzing weeks old/single point in time T3/T4/RT3 blood results (as tends to happen here), is a waist of time.
To feel well. People of T3 products have to find other means of judging how they are dosing (daily/hourly). Temp, heart rate, sense of wellness, etc.
Yes, James. I feel we kinda hijacked the thread unintentionally.
Our thyroid does a phenomenal job of producing thyroid hormones on demand as needed. Manual dosing will never approach that level of precision. So, we do the best we can and, even when on thyroid hormone replacement, get our labs done at least every year in order to stay on top of things. Also spreading out our NDT dosage through out the day can be helpful for some.
We can keep a daily log and note our body temp and heart rate and how we are feeling. Remember, before the discovery of the cursed TSH test and synthetic T 4 (Synthroid), doctors prescribed NDT, increasing the dosage slowly and observing the resolution of hypo symptoms, body temp and heart rate to be their determinate.
By the way, I have been on the same NDT dosage for almost 20 yrs with no signs of Reverse T 3 or pooling yet (knock on wood).
i suspect your feeling awful is the reverse t3, it happened to me with ndt. The only way to get rid of it is to stop any t4. You need to stop the ndt and take just the t3 till it clears.
It could also be the addition of extra t3 has suddenly flagged up weak adrenals, which also causes racing heart and shaky feeling.
The drs like us at best are guessing and it will be process of elimination im afraid. If it were me i would stop meds 2 days to settle down and then start with the t3 only split into 2x15mg doses and see how you feel. If you start to feel under medicated start very small reintroducing ndt. I was never able to tolerate T4 in any form after RT3. A
some adrenal support would be good idea mix half teaspoon salt, half of cream tatare (potassium) in water with fresh squeezed lemon or ornge juice helped my adrenal shakiness.
From then on only make small changes so you can identify what makes you feel bad. xxx
yes but she will not be able to reduce what is at top end of range RT3 continuing with NDT i.e T4 i suspect she is getting more t3 than needs and so additional t4 will just automatically become RT3...it is as i said all complete guess work by us and drs. It was a huge leap from previous meds to new meds. adding t3 will highlight any adrenal issues such as shaking, anxiety etc are all adrenal signs too not just over/under medicated. FT3 result is totally dependent on when last dose before blood taken, if it is within 12 hours of last dose it is not high, if last does was 12+ hours before it is over.
rT3 20.3 is not top end of rT3. Furbabymommy is certainly getting more T3 than she needs because FT3 is over range and she should reduce dose or stop T3 altogether.
I was very over medicated several years ago on T3 it was horrible I thought QI was going out of my mind. I couldn't sit still or sleep properly. In the end I had to go to a private Doctor as my GP was saying it was nothing to do with my medication. Make sure you get the proper treatment
He stopped my T3 and gave me Venlafaxine to calm everything down. Plus low dose of Levothyroxine. It took a few weeks to see a real improvement. It was money well spent
Thanks for the response. Then you worked your levo back up? I was overmedicated a few months ago on T3 and dropped it. Tried to increase my levo but I still feel hyper.
Well as I said I was given Venlafaxine to calm things in fact I am still on a small dose as it helps with the pain from my Fibromyalgia Did you have anxiety when over medicated.?
They keep telling me the half life is short and that according to my labs it is not in the blood stream anymore. I was on 88. But I stopped everything a few days ago.
The half life of Levothyroxine is 5to 7 days according to Google. When they say it is no longer in your blood are they talking about T3 or the Levothyroxine
Well yes that has a very short half life. I think you need to ask your Doctor for something to calm your anxiety as your nervous system has been put under a lot of strain
He prescribed Xanax. But I just still feel very hyper. Unless my synthroid dose was too high. That’s why I stopped everything. My TSH is high and my frees are low. But idk, something is wrong since the T3.
Actually you can have anxiety when you are under medicated and as your TSH is high this sounds to be the case. Again I urge you to write a post on the main site to Greygoose as she is very good.
Thank you ALL and keep the ideas about what happened and what to do coming.
My doc left her practice at the time I got overmedicated and symptoms presented-nice timing. The new doc has not started yet and no one in the practice has ideas of what to do. Thank goodness I have you to count on!
Hair fallout was the first symptom, while on the increased NDT at 195mg and no T3 yet.
The hyperactive symptoms started after taking T3 with head itching, which continues.
Yes, adrenals have been a concern we were trying to address. Now unsure how we identify if adrenals an issue in the midst of overmedication.
It was madness for your doctor to raise NDT and introduce 30mcg T3. I would stop the T3 completely and retest in 6-8 weeks.
I had hair coming out in clumps when my FT3 was over range. I reduced dose and hair stopped coming out after 7 weeks. A blood test a few weeks later confirmed FT3 was within range.
It will have been the combination of adding 65mg NDT and 30mcg T3 which has overmedicated you. I've advised stopping T3 and retesting in 6-8 weeks. If FT3 is still over range after you've stopped T3 you will need to reduce NDT dose.
without a test this is a good way to look at symptoms, Dr Lams stuff easy to follow. This shows hypo V's Adrenal symptoms and easy to see if you fall into one camp or both in which case your adrenals need addressing and till then NDT & T3 will be hindered. x lots of symptoms mimic each other for instance a big indicator of hypo is hair loss but yours is after a big increase, not it seems from being under medicated, it is best to start slow and keep notes x symptoms for one person can be for a totally different reason than for you, we are all different. Trial and error x
if it was me i would go back to 130 for a week and get settled. Then increase by a quarter grain/tablet stay on that for 4 weeks and see how you feel. T4 is slower working than t3 and has to be given time to build up (ndt is mostly t4) if after 4 weeks you still feel need to increase then again by a quarter, again for 4 weeks...it has to be slowly for body to adjust...t3 has a habit of highlighting adrenal problems and they are not straight forward to reverse. Low & high cortisol mimic each others symptoms and you will need to test before trying to do anything but in mean time the potassium salt and lemon juice will help support them
How is your sleep, do you sleep right through night?
Yes, good plan: 130mg NT as of today and no T3. Thank you for being specific with dosage of NT.
Sleep: when taking 30mg T3 I slept well but woke up early super alert at 5am or earlier. Since going down to 15mg T3 on 8/23 I still sleep through night, am waking closer to normal wake up time (6:30am) though recently harder to fall asleep at night, staying up later.
My doc gave a cortisol test to take now. Should I wait to take this? if yes, when suggest taking this given the medication changes?
the too much t3 will leave the body quickly so 5 days after last t3 dose will be fine, as long as you feel settled. No point doing it if you feel like your clinging to the ceiling unless that is how you always feel adrenal stuff doesnt change over night but you dont want a test thats done on a spike.
1) Doc ordered a saliva cortisol test now, in the midst of T3 overmedication. Shouldn't I wait to take this until T3 is down/6/8 weeks when next labs are taken?
2) Hair started to fall out after increase from 130mg NT to 195mg NT and right before starting T3.
Should I decrease NT to amount between 130mg (which no hair fallout occurred but hypo symptoms had started to return, fatigue) and 190mg (when hair fallout started)?
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adrenal stuff doesnt change over night but you dont want a test thats done on a spike.
Help with interpreting my latest blood results
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