Frustrated by thyroid

[Eshep]

I’m going on try to summarize.

I was on t3 only, didn’t feel well, ft4 got too low.

Slowly brought my ft4 by adding as I reduced t3.

I’m on 125mcg Synthroid and down to no t3.

Only been a week with no t3. But I feel very hypo.

Labs are ft4 1.4 (.8-1.8) ft3 2.9 (2.3-4.2)

I expected my ft3 to be higher. Do I need to wait longer than a week with no t3 med to see it come up? You would think with a ft4 of 1.4, my ft3 would be higher than 2.9 even if it’s only been one week without the t3 med, right?

[Clutter]

Eshep,

How long have you been taking 125mcg Synthroid?

FT3 has dropped because you've stopped taking T3. It usually takes 6-8 weeks for T4 and T3 to respond to medication and dose changes.

[Eshep in reply to Clutter]

I have been on 125mcg for three weeks. And was on 100mcg before that.

Strange thing is my ft3 level is actually higher than it was when on the ft3. With no meds for 24 hours my ft3 was 2.6. With no t3 for a week my free t3 is up to 2.9.

I guess I was expecting if my ft4 level was already at 1.4, my ft3 would be higher, if I’m able to effectively convert.

[Clutter in reply to Eshep]

Eshep,

It will have taken 7-10 days to absorb the extra 25mcg before it started converting to T3. If FT3 is up then you are obviously converting.

How much T3 were you taking in addition to 100mcg Levothyroxine?

[Eshep in reply to Clutter]

I had actually been slowly coming down by 2.5mcg of t3 every week. So while on 100mcg I was taking 10mcg for one week, 7.5 for one week, 5 for one week, 2.5 for one week, then been off for a week. When I went down to 5mcg t3, I raised my t4 to 125mcg.

I am wondering if I went up too fast on the t4, and should maybe lower it back down to 100 and add 5mcg if t3 back since I’m feeling so hypo. I don’t want to continue to have 1.4 ft4 levels without it converting to a higher ft3 than its current at 2.9. Because then it will just all go to reverse t3 and make things worse. Does that make sense?

[Clutter in reply to Eshep]

Eshep,

Leave the T4 at 125mcg, you haven't increased to quickly. 1.4 is only half way through range so is very unlikely to cause high rT3. If FT3 doesn't rise further you should either increase T4 to 150mcg or add 10mcg T3.

[Eshep in reply to Clutter]

Currently my reverse t3 is at 16. With my ft3 level, that makes my ratio 18. I read somewhere in order to feel good it should be greater than 20. Is this true?

I’m really hoping my ft3 goes up soon because I feel awful.

[Clutter in reply to Eshep]

Eshep,

rT3 ratio >20 doesn't guarantee wellbeing anymore than a normal TSH does.

tiredthyroid.com/rt3-3.html

If you are feeling awful I would add 10mcg T3 to 125mcg Levothyroxine to raise FT3.

[Eshep in reply to Clutter]

Thank you Clutter. I really appreciate your help.

[Eshep in reply to Clutter]

Won’t adding t3 to T4, lower my free t4 a little anyway?

[silverfox7 in reply to Eshep]

Yes it may. Results are read differently when taking any form of T3. TSH will be suppressed. FT4 can fall in thecrange but FT3 should be high in the range. So the only accurate reading is the FT3.

[Azid]

just stick what feels good and try not to hard to looks at the blood level, although i can understand u want some clues on how to get better

u felt hypo with t3 only?

[Eshep in reply to Azid]

Yes, I didn’t feel well on just t3. I should have started off with t4 and seen if it raised my ft3, instead of doing it backwards.