What were your side effects when starting T3?

[ThyroidObsessed]

Did anyone get any side effects when starting T3? How long before they subsided, and when did any symptoms improve?

Iv started T3 mainly for depression and anxiety...

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

I added T3 to Levo, starting at 1/4 tablet and increased slowly. I experienced no side effects.

[ThyroidObsessed in reply to SeasideSusie]

Thanks SeasideSusie, iv added tiromel t3 to my 75 levo, but i started on half of a quarter approx 3mcg as these are 25mcg tablets, after 5 days i increased to 5mcg split into 2 doses...

Cant say iv benefit yet but its such a small dose, though i have had a bit of anxiety, so best to go slow i think...

When should i increase to anymore and when should i have bloods done x

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to ThyroidObsessed]

I was extremely cautious and took things very slowly. Be guided by how you feel. If you are on half a tablet now then wait a couple of weeks before increasing and if you feel OK maybe add an extra quarter of a tablet and see how that goes. Maybe leave it 6 weeks after that and do a blood test. Don't forget to leave off Levo for 24 hours and it's 12 hours for T3.

[ThyroidObsessed in reply to SeasideSusie]

Sorry i worded that wrong im on 5mcg split in 2 doses so 2.5 in morning and 2.5 later on in the day...

I was thinking staying on this dose for a week then increasing to 7.5 split into 3 doses through the day, i.e 2.5 morning 2.5 afternoon 2.5 evening...

Really hoping its cures my depression and anxiety

[ThyroidObsessed in reply to SeasideSusie]

How long and what dose did u notice any difference? X

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to ThyroidObsessed]

Impossible to say, I had so much going on with thyroid, adrenals, nutrient deficiencies that it took months of supplements and tweaking doses of thyroid meds so I can't pinpoint what made a difference and when.

[fibrolinda]

Monitor your blood pressure. From searching the forum when it happened it's seems pretty rare but t3 sent my blood pressure climbing upwards... I had to stop t3 after 11 weeks as just 25mcg had my blood pressure waaaay to high yet I felt okay. As I said seems rare, I only found a couple of other people had posted the same problem over the years 🙂

[ThyroidObsessed in reply to fibrolinda]

Thanks for the heads up, my blood pressure seems to always be around 70-80 which i think is highish anyway but its obviously normal for me..

I aldo get hypotension, where my blood pressure drops quite low when laying to standing, funny enough that only started when thyroif levels went off kilter :-?

Gonna buy a blood pressure monitor aswell

[LAHs in reply to ThyroidObsessed]

70-80 ? did you mean 170 over 80? 70 - 80 is lowish, not highish (assuming one of them is your systolic and we are talking mm Hg).

[Hidden]

I take mine first thing four months now and feel slightly sick before breakfast. I have a cast iron stomach so I know it's the T3.

[ThyroidObsessed in reply to Hidden]

Thanks for your reply, i feel sick.with anxiety anyway in a morning a alately so ever know whats what...

Im mainly using the t3 fir my depression and anxiety but not sure its gonna work as im more anxious and depressed now ...

[Hidden in reply to ThyroidObsessed]

Sorry but I have never had any depression or anxiety in my life.

I was adopted and when married was thrown down the stairs and lost the sight in my right eye because of it, but I am always happy and cheerful, anyway for most of the time.

Life is not always good to us is it? what about meditation and Yoga to help you a little. I sincerely hope that you feel better soon.

[trelemorele in reply to Hidden]

Lots of hugs! Brave girl!

Your story made my eyes teary!

[Hidden]

I think that your blood pressure only increases when you are over medicated. When I was on three NDT per day and my FT3 was 8.2 top range 6.8 I noticed an increase in heart rate and BP and reduced accordingly.

[fibrolinda in reply to Hidden]

I was undermedicated on 25mcg t3, it just causes high blood pressure in some people, why??? No one seems to know. Within two days of switching back to 1 1/2 NDT for a while before increasing back to 2 my blood pressure was back to 117/69 from 195/93. I do think anyone starting on t3m or another thyroid med should monitor blood pressure and heart rate, and temp. Funnily when I have been overmedicated by blood test results my blood pressure was perfect 🙄 typical.

[Hidden in reply to fibrolinda]

I agree that if everyone was the same, life and thyroid problems would be easy. It's certainly odd you had the complete opposite to me.

[fibrolinda in reply to Hidden]

"sigh'' tried to come up with a joke but failed😶 trying to get well costing more than I can afford but what else can you do? Giving up is not in my nature so each dead end I hit I search for and find yet another way to keep trying.... Bloody knackering lol

[jgelliss in reply to Hidden]

INTELEGENT SMART MOVE on your part Bunnyjean . Journaling your symptoms and lowering your thyroid meds accordingly .

[MariLiz]

The side effect I experienced was a skin reaction, I was fine on the T3 I bought from a private endocrinologist here, but the one I ordered from Greece caused a skin eruption. So I stopped taking it. I couldn’t afford the one available here it doubled in price in one month.

I hope it works for you.

[ThyroidObsessed in reply to MariLiz]

Did u try any others theres a few brands u could try , it was probably the fillers in it.. im on the tiromel t3 from turkey, but only been on it a week and started at 3mcg now im on 5mcg split into 2 pieces so 2.5 mcg twice a day..

[MariLiz in reply to ThyroidObsessed]

No I didn’t try any others, it had cost over £40 to get the Greek one, and I’m still being seen by the dermatology dept at the hospital now. This was two years ago when it started, and it has put me off trying any others.

[Naomi8]

I was on thyroxine for 16 years.When I added 5mcgs of T3 X 3 times a day for 3 days,I had an episode of tachycardia(double normal heart rate)I had been having them periodically on thyroxine.This wouldn't stop,so after 5 hours I went to A&E.They kept me in overnight,where it resolved without intervention.Outpatient tests later confirmed the diagnosis I got years ago.NOT atrial fibrillation.Harmless supraventricular tachycardia.I stopped T3 for a couple of months.Then started again but reduced my T4 down well before.I then went on to have 2 very good years on T3,with no tachycardia,no ectopic beats.

I find on thyroxine with T3 I get tachycardia episodes & ectopic beats.

Am now on NDT & have no problem with the T3.

[ThyroidObsessed in reply to Naomi8]

Iv always haf random palpatations on levothyroxine anyway... im used to it... not sure t3 is doing anything at all yet, im only on 5mcg though...

[Angel_of_the_North]

no side effects

[BadHare]

Feeling ok, till winter, then needing to add some NDT to the mix.

[Hidden]

I must be a really odd person I was prescribed 15mcg Cytomel and I took all 15mcg and had zero side effects absolutely and I really think I could go up another 5mcg and be fine.

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

And I take 100mcg synthyroid

[ThyroidObsessed in reply to Hidden]

Im only on 5mcg at the minute...

[Naomi8 in reply to Hidden]

I could tolerate 55mcgs eventually

[Hidden in reply to Naomi8]

I doubt my Endo will put my T3 that high although for giggles I added extra 5mcg for a couple of days to see what happened and it really reduced my tendonitis in my feet by a lot.

[Naomi8 in reply to Hidden]

I got 40mcgs from the NHS but topped up myself online so I could drop the T4.

[mauschen]

Started on 5 mcg and worked up to 20 mcg with no ill effects

[tzracer]

I've had no side effects that I can pinpoint. Started on 6.25mcg of cytomel for 2 weeks then added another 6.25 before bedtime. Still got hypothyroid symptoms after blood test so have increased morning dose to 12.5 mcg. Like all the advice on here small steps, it's hard because you are desperate to feel better.

I hope you feel well soon.

[Xanthi]

I tried to add a little t3 (from Greece) to Thyroxine, less than 5mg (possibly 2.5) to test.; as seem to be so sensitive to things now. Caused massive anxiety, which thankfully dissipated quite quickly, but was really scary none the less. I was extremely glad that I’d been cautious with the amount. From what I found out online, it appears that it could have been down to adrenal and cortisol problems. Apparently if they are not adequate, it can make you intolerant to t3. If correct, I suspect that this may’ve been the case with me.

[LAHs]

I went cold turkey, from 130mcg Levo on Friday morning to 1.25 grains Armour Saturday morning. I had half a dozen "side affects":

The ringing in my head stopped, my head ache went away, I swung myself out of bed without my muscles hurting, I walked accross my bedroom to the bathroom feeling like an athlete - I just twiddled my legs and they just worked, I planned to do a dozen things which I had been procrastinating about - and I did them, when I got to the supermarket I didn't head straight to the carts for support, and I suddenly felt as if I had things in my future other than just dying.

And it all took about 20 minutes. ThyObs, I hope you have all of these side affects and many more. Oh, and for what it is worth, I was terrified on the morning I switched, it was an unknown but I just took the new pills anyway. Do get familiar with your blood pressure (BP) though, don't panic if it increases, it will die off after about 8 hours - just don't take so much the next day. (It's the T3 that raises your BP and it has a half life of ~8 hours).

[Kell-E in reply to LAHs]

That's fabulous!

[Nana401]

I take levothyroxine and have no side effects. Have to watch your meds, they change your TSH levels