Trying out the T3 Circadian Rhythm method... 4am?!!! Anyone had success with this?

[Blue_Bee]

Currently I’m on T3-only after unsuccessful T4-only, and T4+T3 mix trials over 18 months. While I’m waiting on the compounding chemist to get in touch with my endo, who is travelling on the other side of the world, so they can fill my script for NDT (they can’t read his handwriting!!) I’ve decided to try out Marsaday’s suggestion of a half-tablet (10mcg in Australia, our standard tablets are 20mcg) at 4am, then my usual 4 lots of 20mcg at 8am, 12midday, 4pm and 8pm. Total 90mcg. Day 2 today and feeling okay, possibly improved. Aaaggrr! I dread writing yes I actually do feel better, because those improvements always seem to fade after a few days for me. But... yesterday I felt sooo well in the morning, I forgot to take my 12midday until 1:30! I felt good, some energy, body pain near zero with paracetamol (normally it just dulls the pain; it’s always still there) and clear-headed, articulate and sharp for at least 4 hours - bliss! So... day 2 today. See how we go. Anyone else out there had success with T3 circadian?

[shaws Administrator]

I couldn't be bothered to do a circadian rhythm as who wants to wake up at 4 a.m. I think most would be shattered for the rest of the day, especially if one goes to work.

I am happy, and well on one daily dose. Take with one full glass of water and wait an hour before eating. I am fortunate that all my clinical/disabling symptoms have also gone.

[Blue_Bee in reply to shaws]

Right, crazy yeah? Taking medication at 4am??!! Shows how lousy I’ve been feeling on treatment so far. Ongoing full-blown Hashi-hypo symptoms for 95% of the last 18 months. Yup! 4am AND I work full-time, as a receptionist (not too stressful most days). I have the half by my bed, with a really quiet alarm and am aiming to do it in my sleep, in time... if it works. He he! How about YOU Shaws? Lovely to hear you are happy and well There is hope. Do you mean you take one lot of T3 a day? It has such a short half-life...How much do you take? And how long has it been working for you?

[shaws Administrator in reply to Blue_Bee]

I take my dose when I get up with one full glass of water and wait an hour before eating.

Dr John Lowe also advised one daily dose. He took his 150mcg T3 in the middle of the night. So he definitely didn't have any interference with food etc. He was well too and as a scientist had a clear head. He was an Adviser to TUK but unfortunately and very much missed, he died due to an accident.

It is not quite true that it has a 'half-life'. The one dose I take today will last between one full day and three days. Once we swallow T3 with one full glass of water (so it wont stick in our throat) and within a few hours the T3 has settled into our T3 receptor cells. It's work then begins and it sends out 'waves' for between one to three days.

I have now been symptom-free for about 4 or 5 years at least. I don't even think about it now. I was diagnosed with hypo in 2007.

[Hidden in reply to shaws]

How much T3 do you take daily shaws?

[shaws Administrator in reply to Hidden]

50mcg.

This is a chapter from Dr Lowe's book - out of print I believe. Excerpt:

During the trial, the patient carefully progresses through metabolic rehab using plain T3. The method of adjusting her dose of T3, and the safety monitoring she undergoes, are based on our experiences with hundreds of resistance patients and our scientific studies of those patients. [36][38][92][93][94][135][137][188][189][292][403]

We want to emphasize that our patients use plain T3 not sustained-release or timed-release T3 They take their full dose of T3 on an empty stomach (one hour before a meal, or three hours after)

once each day (see Figure

web.archive.org/web/2010112...

[Hidden in reply to shaws]

Thank you shaws I would love to be able to take T3 in just one dose and at the moment am working up to it. Do you just take T3 or T4 as well?

[shaws Administrator in reply to Hidden]

T3 only but I worked up to a dose that relieved my symptoms.

I also tried T4, T4/T3 and several NDTs

[Hidden in reply to shaws]

Thank you it takes time I know.

[BadHare in reply to shaws]

If I’m awake enough at 4, to not pour water all over myself or the bed, I take mine then. Any earlier, I’m concerned it’ll be hindered by my bedtime magnesium.

If something’s not working that should, there’s no harm done in trying a different approach, so hope it works for you.

I prefer to stick to restricted eating times, so bitty doses of THs throughout the day would be impacted by coffee, iron, vitamin D & meal timing. I’m still getting to grips with fitting in bio progesterone then magnesium on an empty stomach so I don’t need itchy spray. 🙄

[endomad in reply to shaws]

yes i remember reading something by him which im sure said 'best to saturate receptors, like a sponge it has to be soaked, if you drip drip the sponge stays dry' or words to that effect. I deff couldnt be bothered with trying to fit around supplements and food. I take 25mcg before bed and the rest 50mcg when i wake, whether that be 4am or 7am, i usually go back to sleep for an hour and then have breakfast.

I have low cortisol but having read the CT3M i knew i couldnt do it, so restrictive and tbh if im asleep why wake myself up, undisturbed sleep is a blessing x

[Bertwills]

Hi, yes it's working for me but then I was waking regularly at about this time anyway. I find I usually go back to sleep very quickly, which without the T3, I didn't. Feel much stronger now. However I only take 2 other doses, firstly at midday and secondly at 5pm.

[Blue_Bee]

Hi Bertwills, good to know it’s working for you. Feeling stronger. That sounds good. I feel like I’ve woken up in a much older body, like I’ve suddenly physically aged with this Hashimoto’s. Like about 20 years. Ha! 20kg and feeling 20 years older. I used to love lifting weights, being strong, muscles. That’s what I want again. First things first. Get the right meds in the right mix and the right quantities. I think if I feel significantly better with this method, for more than just s few days, then a 4am dose would be totally do-able. I am so glad you are feeling stronger. Thanks for that perspective.

[Blue_Bee]

Hi Shaw’s, I lost my reply just before, but wanted to say that I’m really too scared to take a whole day’s worth of T3 in one go... still it’s another approach— which clearly works well for you (yay! Jeez, you are counting your symptom-free time in YEARS?!! Fantastic!) — so I will definitely add it to my list of living experiments to potentially try depending on how the last experiment went. Are there any links or articles you can share with me about single-dose T3? That would be interesting. I love the idea of a single dose; being able to set and forget kindof.

[shaws Administrator in reply to Blue_Bee]

These are some excerpts from Dr Lowe who himself took 150mcg once daily (in the middle of the night so that nothing interfered with the uptake).

"Now, to address your rheumatologist's assertion that T3 is dangerous, and his implication that amitriptyline is not. I think the best way to reply to him is to quote publications that are available to him. In the USA, when patients get their prescriptions filled for T3 (usually the brand Cytomel), the pharmacist usually gives them a leaflet on the product. The leaflet contains the following statement:

"NO COMMON SIDE EFFECTS HAVE BEEN REPORTED with the proper use of this medicine." (Medi-Span, Inc.: Database Version 97.2. Data 1997.)

This statement makes a fact perfectly clear: When used sensibly, T3 is extraordinarily safe among prescribed drugs. When I say extraordinarily safe, I am comparing T3 with drugs such as the amitriptyline which your rheumatologist prescribes for you. Below is a list of potential harmful effects of amitriptyline. This list comes from the Physician's Desk Reference, 53rd edition, Medical Economics Company, Inc., Montvale, 1999, page 3418. "

Rumours abound about T3,and the fact is that it is absorbed quickly but its work lasts between one to three days. T3 is the Active hormone which enables our whole metabolism to function optimally, i.e. from head to toe.

web.archive.org/web/2010103...

[BadHare in reply to Blue_Bee]

I currently take 50mcg plus half a grain of NDT first thing. I may need a wee increase as it gets colder, but have had no issues with 75mcg of T3 in one go, aside from my skin needing some NDT in winter.

[Blue_Bee]

Thanks Shaw’s and BadHare. I am beginning to feel quite overwhelmed at how thoughtful, responsive and helpful is this community. Lots of reading and pondering for me. Thank you.