Im new to this and fairly ignorant. I was diagnosed hypothyroid 2 years ago after apending 18months not wanting to get out of bed. At work i felt like i was wading through a swamp and I slept 18 hours some days.
Anyway Im now on 150mcg levothyroxine but still was feeling rubbish and am still sleeping a lot. After reading some of your posts I got myself some Tiromel. Well actually I got myself too much Tiromel. 5 boxes in fact which all expires in feb next year duh. Anyway I started taking 25mcg on top of the levo. I also have started vit b12 2000ug, vitamin D 4000iu (I work nights) folate 5mg and magnesium 375mg. Ive gone from a fit healthy human to a rattling, sleeping, overweight wreck all in the space of 2 and a half years. I have no idea what my blood results are other than my TSH is now normal and my folate is low, as my GP is useless and thats when I can get to see him. Can anyone offer any other advice to someone who doesnt live anymore.
Thank you in advance. X
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Suet11
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25 mcg T3 was a huge dose to start on. How has it made you feel?
So, you didn't have your B12 and vit d tested before starting supplementing? That wasn't a very good idea. For two reasons :
B12 - once you've started supplementing, it will skew the results of an ordinary blood test (you would have to get an active test, which is more difficult), so you won't know your base line. Your base line could have been so low that it warranted testing for Pernicious Anemia - in which case you would get B12 injections for life. So, now, you will have to stop the B12 for five months to get a true level, which would be a shame if you feel the B12 is helping you. Also, when taking B12 - either sublingual nuggets or injections - you should be taking a B complex, to keep the Bs balanced. Not just folate.
Vit D3 - you can over-dose on D3 because it is fat soluble, and stored in fat. In excess, it becomes toxic. So, you need to know you're not taking too much - although I doubt it with that dose. So, best to get that tested, now. Also, when taking vit D3, you should also take vit K2 - MK7, because D3 increases the absorption of calcium from food, and the K2 makes sure it goes into the teeth and bones, and not the soft tissues.
It's ok to carry on with magnesium. That is another cofactor of D3, so is necessary. But, no point in testing because the test is unreliable, and most people are deficient in magnesium. Also, taking D3 decreases your magnesium.
So, all in all, what it comes down to is, you need proper testing! Would you be prepared to do private testing? It would be an investment in your future. What you need are :
TSH
FT4
FT3
TPO antibodies
Tg antibodies
vit D
vit B12
folate
ferritin
It's possible that most of this are low, and they aren't all tested under the NHS! You can find details of private testing, here :
You don't say how long ago you started the T3. If it was about six weeks ago, go ahead and test as soon as possible. If very recently, I think if I were you, I would reduce the T3 to 1/4 tablet - 6.25 mcg - and wait two weeks before testing.
You could also take some vit C - you can take up to 5000 mg, but start low and increase to bowel tolerance. That might make you feel a bit better and help with absorption of other things.
Don't worry about the date limit on the boxes of Tiromel. I think most of us take out of date T3 at some point. It doesn't hurt. And you'll be surprised at how fast those boxes empty! lol But, you could put a couple of boxes in the freezer, to conserve them.
Well, I've never tried it myself, but there are people on this forum that say they do it. In any case, you can keep it in the fridge if you're keeping it long-term. It's ok with Tiromel to do that, because the pills are in individual bubbles, but I wouldn't do it with a pot of Cynomel, where the pills are loose.
Make sure that you wrap them extremely well. They must be kept absolutely bone dry. Moisture will destroy their usefulness even if it isn't immediately obvious. Wrap them in small(ish) quantities so that you don't have to unwrap them, take out a few, then re-wrap them - if you were to do that condensation would be a major problem.
I have frequently taken T3 which was past its use by date. It may eventually (after a year or so) be a bit less potent, but if you are buying your own you can just take more if you have to.
Wow. I wished I had a quarter of your knowledge. I did start t3 on 12.5mcg but felt no difference. I take the magnesium due to the severe cramping I was experiencing before levo. I would definetly be prepared to pay for a blood profile and will look at that today. Thanks so much for your advice. Im very grateful for all help 🤗
It doesn't matter if you don't feel a difference straight away. With hormones, you have so start low, to give your body time to get used to it, and then you increase slowly until you do feel a difference. If you start on too high a dose and/or increase to quickly, you can easily miss your sweet-spot and become over-medicated - which is as bad as being under-medicated. And, then, you have to stop everything, and start again. 'More haste less speed' sums it up nicely. There are no instant fixes with hormones - any hormones - we're not talking aspirin, here. You have to have patience if you don't want to mess everything up.
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