I have been very tired/sleepy from when I was child. I also have very dry skin, hair loss, low body temperature. Before I tried NDT my t3 was in optimal range, but TSH was in top border. So I decided to try NDT.
I have tried in last 5 years many things. 5 different NDT brands, different doses. I tried also t3 (Unipharma) alone. I made blood tests about 20-30 times. Tried low dose, higher dose, tried to put t3 in middle range, optimum range, above top border range. This is just one of the results:
TSH 0.72 mIU/L (0.35 - 4.94)
T4 13.34 pmol/L (9.01 - 19.05)
T3 5.12 pmol/L (2.63 - 5.70)
Iron is on top border range (I eat a lot of meat).
Cortisol levels are ok (both blood test and 24h salive test)
Nothing really helped. Then I started experimenting with iodine. In last 2 years I tried different doses of iodine. From 150mcg to 100mg. Every day, every second day, once per week, ... Every time I try iodine after some break I get plenty of energy for the whole day. I feel really great, finally I feel normal and have energy and I am not tired. Unfortunately this lasts only 1 day, then I feel even more tired. I guess it is because of Wolff–Chaikoff effect. I also tried to persist with high dose (25mg) for 2 months and every day I felt more tired. I took also selenium and other iodine co-factors.
The fact that I feel sooo much better and energetic when I try high dose of iodine after I break it for some weeks tells me it may indeed be something about thyroid. But for some reason my body doesn't escape Wolff–Chaikoff effect. I was suspecting that t3 doesn't go into cells. But I am very confused why then 1 day high dose iodine suddenly helps.
I am really lost here what else could I try. Does anybody have any suggestion?
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newbie85
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I didn't thought there are also cases when T4 alone is better than NDT (combination of t3 and t4). I even didn't try because everybody were saying NDT is better choice. And I wrote that I wrote everything
Thank you to mention that, I will give it a try. How soon after switching from NDT to T4 alone did you notice positive change?
I sympathise with you newbie85. I can relate to your story from when you were young When I was about 11 years of age I came down with a sleeping sickness the Doctor told my Mum to have my long hair cut off which by the way was so long I could sit on the bottom part of it. He said it was taking all the strength out of my body- I had it lopped and it didn't make one bit of difference. Years later I was told that I had Glandular Fever sometime and apparently it has never left my body. After reading all the stories on this website I feel that medical research should be looking further into the Thyroid gland and the medications that are being given to us - think of the millions and millions of dollars that are being made out of us Thyroid suffers alone. as there there is so many people around the world with thyroid problems it makes one wonder if it is coming from all the chemicals that are being sprayed on our food or all the hormones that are being pumped into our meat nothing is natural anymore.
Less than a year ago I was diagnosed with Hashimoto disease. Looking back I’ve had it since I was a baby. I take 7 drops of lugols iodine, 200mg selenium a day plus 45mg dedicated thyroid and adrenal supports, along with iron for my severe nosebleeds that have now slowed right down. A doctor prescribed me sythroid and levothyroxine for 12 years, it never felt like it worked but he wouldn’t listen to me, just kept pushing depression and anxiety pills on me that I refused to take. I knew deep down that it was something else causing me to feel so horrible. I used to get every single cold and flu. And it was always full blown! Usually turned into tonsillitis. I am happy to say that since I’ve switched to dessicated thyroid and taking iodine I have had Minor colds, NO tonsillitis and a minor tummy ache. I don’t know if it’s one or both that have helped my immune system but I don’t want to give them up. I suffered too many years!
How did you feel on the results you have posted? They don't look too bad to me though there is room for a very little amount of T3.
Taking any form of T3 the results are read differently. TSH should be suppressed and yours isn't as low as I would have expected so again suggesting room for more T3. FT4 can drop in its range but FT3 should be high in its range.
I was experimenting with different doses through years. This is just one of the 20+ results and in the time of this blood draw I didn't take t3 only but I was taking just NDT. Through years I tried to put T3 to optimal, top border and also above border levels, I also tried to lower TSH into almost non existing levels. Nothing really helped.
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Still not feeling great even through results look OK?
Confused! Taking T3 and T4 and still feeling exhausted.
Still feel hypothyroid, am feeling down. 
