Anyone success at coming off t3 only?

[Thundermind]

Guess been hypo thyroid for years after RAI 2004 ( which I had for hyper -high thyroid from multi nodulars) believe now was because of a energy product I was taking created a very low tsh ( had kelp and was for energy and weight lost eperdra in it and I was not sleeping as also at age 51 was in menopause ) after the rai treatment went into serverve depression ( then later the endo that prescribe the RAI was only going by TSH blood work so I know I went for years without treatment. Then right before he was to retire he prescribe syntroid which I didn't take . Located a Dr prescribe Armour ( he said treat based on symptoms) I know I was depressed had been thought a serious car accident and had flood in my house and my mother passed away at the same time my husband had troath cancer ( I was the only caregiver for both . Over the years I have been on & off nature thyroid then compounded t3 ( had stool culture show have gluten sensitive E. coli & c diff ) have recently in last 4 mts stopped all thyroid meds gradually ( because my reverse t3 was a 12 and my freet3 was still low ( went for blood work was high tsh low t4 barely in range and free t3 barely in range . Dr suggest I get back on thyroid just t3 at 5mcg 2 X-ray ( would you start back on a thyroid med or would you try to correct by conversion ( good nutrition good iron levels & Vit d3 or would you get back on the thyroid t3 ( I don't want have take rest my life and was concern about how hard it would be if I did start on the T3 only ?

[greygoose]

If your TSH is high, then you are hypo. Your Frees are much too low, at the bottom of the range. You cannot live without thyroid hormone. And, if your FT4 is at the bottom of the range, what do you think you're going to convert?

This has little to do with diet, and you cannot replace thyroid hormones with iron and vit D. You can only replace hormones with hormones. I'm afraid you're just going to have to accept that you will be taking thyroid hormone replacement for the rest of your life, or you won't live for very long. Sorry, it's just not an option, it's a necessity.

[SilverAvocado]

GG is right. I'm not sure if you're aware, apologies if you already know this, but the goal of RAI is to damage and remove part of your thyroid. It dissolves it a bit like sucking a sweet. Because your thyroid was originally doing too much and making too much hormone, the hope is that they can shave off just enough that they take away all the extra capacity, and leave you with a thyroid that is just the right size and making just enough hormone.

But in practice what will happen is that too much of your thyroid gets dissolved, and you are left with less than you need. The thyroid is the only part of your body that can make thyroid hormone. So if you have only a little thyroid left, you will get only a little thyroid hormone.

Thyroid hormone works a bit like putting fuel in a car or a battery in a toy. It allows every organ and cell in your body to get energy to do whatever it needs to do. Without enough, every organ and cell will be running slower and slower and not able to do its job. This includes your brain, heart, muscles, digestive system, etc.

Unfortunately, because a part of your body has been destroyed by chemicals (mine too) this is not something you can bounce back from with the proper nutrition or exercise or whatever. The only option is to replace the thyroid hormone with a tablet (or liquid or powder) that contains replacement thyroid hormone.

Without any, you will end up like a toy when the battery is running out, slowing down more and more. How slow you end up being will depend how much thyroid tissue you've got left, which may be almost zero, or it may be enough that you can just about manage, depending on how much was dissolved away.

Although there are many long term health problems associated with staying unmedicated, as all your organs will be struggling without enough energy. I think the worst part is that depression and feeling crap about yourself is one of the first things to happen. It's easy to end up feeling like you don't deserve to be well, or that the fact you can't do things other people can is because you're lazy and undisciplined, when really it's because you're sick.