I have been taking T3 Liothyronine for about 4 weeks now! I do feel better than i did on Levothyroxine alone, but I have put on quite a bit of weight, Not xmas as it didnt change any of my eating habbits! I just seem to be getting larger every week my clothes are no longer comfortable and Im having to wear baggy Clothes and beginning to feel uncomfortable..
My face has gone pink but mainly my cheeks, I probably looked a bit like a ghost before but this is over red, and seems a bit dry,
I also in last few days have woke up with very bad pins and needles and swollen hands calves are swollen, and had cramps in feet and legs last night , I also had a couple of inactive days which was weird as I had quite a bit of energy when 1st on T3 mix however yesterday I had more energy.
Is this normal to expand on T3 or is it Im not suiting it? Im scared to tell GP incase he says stop taking them then i go back to zero energy and couldn't cope with this.. Maybe all these things are normal and will disappear after taking it a while?
I ill see if i can get a photo on here with a bit of red face showing but not good at tech stuff.
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Pascha1
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O.K. that's about right, i.e. 20mcg approx equal to 60mcg levo.
I take T3 alone and have no problems.
Some people do have sensitivities with thyroid hormones which could be due to fillers/binders and I'd suggest taking one anti-histamine tablet before your next dose to see if your symptoms are eased. If they are you will have to ask pharmacist to switch to another T3 if that's possible.
No - you could not yet be on a sufficient dose of hormones but increases have to be gradual.
Re pins/needles if you've not had B12, tested ask for this and also Vit D, iron, ferritin and folate as well. Pins/needles could be due to low B12 and it is quite common to have too low B12.
Unexplained weight gain is a very common question if hypothyroid and as dose increases so will your metabolism which can then enable weight to reduce.
I take supplements for about everything they are all on high end, in fact i got told to reduce the B12 as was little over, so all vits are good Selenium, B12 sublingual, Vit D Adcal 800 which i often take a couple more as were lower end, I, Magnesium, Vit E, Iron take every 2 days as was low in range, Hair, nail vitamin , folic acid, Vit A I take loads and have done for months so they are not the problem un less you can think of any others i should be taking I take these all at different times thought the day .. I haven't got hashmitos I had part thyroidectomy when in teens , so do vitamins mean so much then ? ive read hashmitos need them, I took them just incase made me feel better ..
I think when I went to Endo I was under medicated as used to be on 200mg Levo then reduced to 175 then 150, I was putting on quite a bit of weight before I went i had put on a stone in 2 months and i feel and look like another stone has crept in, and I have been much more active so doesnt make sense then I did not over indulged at xmas so not over eating in fact quite the opposite ass really dont want to put any more weight on I hate being over weight
I would rather reduce the levothyroxine than the t3 as got a gene defect and don't convert properly I feel much better on t3 I don't want to lose the only good thing I've had in 12 years suey over medicated would make me lose weight not gain it and pins and needles is hypo isn't it ? Never had pins and needles when I was hyperactive years ago. Nor did I get water retention like this or put weight on I in no way feel over active no heart palpitations more hypo feelings than hyper
Sure! Until we find the optimal dose, it's all experimentation and trial and error. How are your B12 levels? At times, pins and needles could be a sign of low B12.
If you have a gene defect, I was under the impression that you cannot convert levothyroxine at all into T3. So that taking levo is a waste of time and that you should be on T3 alone. Levo (T4) has to convert to T3..
I am not medically qualified but why prescribe levothyroxine if the person cannot convert it to T3? This is from TUK and I see that a combination can be given
Myself, I have never had the gene test but I was always unwell on levo but am now fine on T3 only. It turned my life around completely.
i think it says on the gene test, our bloods look normal but they are not, my TSH was very supressed high T4 ok T3 but i didnt feel how my bloods looked, Hyper I was shivering like a whippet, I was so cold, hyper you get hot not freezing cold, low body temp it was 34,5 most days thats when GP sent me too Endo I was freezing everyone was moaning it was too hot, I thought it was quite cold jumpers on, I quite honestly thought this winter I would die of hyperthermia but Endo saved me with T3 :)\
shaws That little bit added has given me so much energy back. i'm also a bit calmer with it. Im glad you have T3 as does sound like you have the faulty gene My aunty was Hypo and was always feeling bad so I guess thats where I got it from as my parents were both healthy never had hyper or Hypo, I got the short straw and got hyper when younger then this later I think Hypo is worse even though Hyper was ignored for years as well ..., if i have to have a red face so be it lol at least i don't look as dead as i did for years
I was on 125mcg T4. Endo reduced T4 to 100mcg and added 10mcg T3 (2 x 5mcg) and then after 6 weeks tests increased to 20mcg (1x 10mcg, 2 x 5mcg) with no further reduction in Levo.
After next blood test FT4 and TT4 was extremely low. Started getting low B12 symptoms. Pins and needles especially.
Increased dose Levo by 12.5mcg. Retested after 6 weeks, TT4 and FT4 improved but still on low side. Symptoms improved but not gone.
Increased Levo back to 125mcg. Symptoms of low B12 slowly faded. Just about to retest next week
May increase Levo further
I am significantly more active now on T3. Was unable to walk on just T4. Now walking at least an hour everyday (aiming for 30 mins brisk minimum) and just joined the gym.
I feel more active, I was unable to do anything some days, so it has changed my life, But I dont feel how i was before Levo, I never used to sleep in the day and still Im having to doze off , I have spent 2 days in bed not functioning well since Ive been on T3, , since becoming hypo I can sleep for England day and night, not so bad on T3 but most days are much better, My aches are no way so bad, I lost use in leg last year that was scary as couldn't put any weight on it ,but is better now it gives way randomly at moment and feels a bit numb but can walk on it now, , My shoulder pain i used to have steroids( which only worked after 15 days and only worked for about 2 weeks for has gone, I was on 2 X 15mgs Loranzapol for severe heart burn which i GP sent me for halitosis test that was negative ( 12 yrs ago just after being diagnosed Hypo) said if it wasn't that it must be a hiatal hernia so unless I want an operation i would have to live with it ! , well now on T3 i've stopped taking 2 tablets daily I think I had heart burn once since but very mild since taking T3, I have stopped taking Oramorph for the pain and only take very little codeine for pain, my hair is no longer a carpet on the floor every morning , I am wondering where these health officials come to the conclusion T4 is the only drug we should have, it must be costing them a fortune on peoples ailments they have from not being treated properly,, I hope they all get hypo and suffer like we have had to for years.... I actually felt like my blood had been poisoned on it, I still have carpel tunnel in hands and now pins and needles ,, and today I feel like im staring into space again and time zooming past me doing nothing..
I think you could try increase in Levo up by 12.5 (100/125 alternate days) retest after 6 weeks. Very important to get total T4 and FT4 if possible
Yes the difference on T3 is astonishing.
Most obvious one was I couldn't walk barely at all, and only at slow shuffle of 90 year old for 10-15 mins max. Had to rest minimum of 2/3rds of every day. Couldn't straighten my legs out in bed. Plantar fasciitis so bad struggled to stand. Plus hundreds of other smaller niggles. All completely gone
Now walking for at least an hour easily, going to gym to get muscle and fitness back.
Poor you I know it is dreadful they can leave someone suffering that long, I felt about 70 when i was 40yrs and 90 yrs when I was 50 and just had it after that...The chemist even said they forgot to put your oramorph on, I said I dont need it now it was a good feeling, I cant wait to see my GP to let him know I was right and he was wrong LOL, this GP isn't to bad its the one I had living at Poole who was the real pig..
I have got mercury Pharma so with others I could get even better, But sometimes it seems what you start off with seems to work better with Levothyroxine so could be the same with T3 they should all be the same really but! x
I haven't got hashmitos as no antibodies I had part thyroidectomy years ago so guess it just wore out that or I was hypo since op.. oh well weekend now I jusyt hope it doesnt flare up more, thanks x
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Selenium, B12 sublingual, Vit D Adcal 800 which i often take a couple more as were lower end, I, Magnesium, Vit E, Iron take every 2 days as was low in range, Hair, nail vitamin , folic acid, Vit A I take loads and have done for months so they are not the problem 
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