Well raised T3 and lowered T4 this past week...

[pepipop]

feel really bad. It seems to be my stomach/GI tract that gets most effected. It's only been a week of t4 100mcg/t3 10mcg. Was on 112 t4 and 5 t3. The last time I went down to t4 100 I had the same stomach problems, it's painful like being completely dehydrated with complete shut down of my GI tract. I have pains in my lower and upper back and feel awful.

So, I have increased today to 125mcg and T3 7.5.

I felt sl better on t4 125mcg but then my t4 was 25 (range up to 22). My TSH is always suppressed and i had hoped going to t4 100 would have raised it, but it really makes me ill going to that level, mainly due to the stomach issues/back pain and dehydration feeling - like a bad hangover.

The last time I tried to go to t4 100, was last Oct and my GI tract , more of less, shut down. My stomach, intestines were rock hard and I actually thought I had a growth under my ribs. I also had sl diarrhea, and hence did not realise I was 'constipated'. I took a lot of prunes, 5 days after getting the 'hard' intestines, and that reversed it and I then realised my GI function had practically stopped. I also got extreme anxiety, what felt like a stomach ulcer, for several mths after, also flu like symptoms, lower back pain, etc.. so believe I wrecked my gut flora at this time.

I am doing a SIBO breath test this week.

However, as this stomach problem has reoccurred, by lowering to t4 100 that's the end of that plan of thinking to get my TSH to rise! I believe the increased t3, ensured it was not as bad as the first attempt when i was on t4 100 and 5 t3.

The worst of it is, I had sweet spots when I first lowered my T4, in 2016, ,and felt 'normal' for the first time in ages, but that has since gone. I had been on 150/175 (winter mths) for 30 yrs prior to my results going out of range.

I would stay at the 125 and forget about it, except my hair falls out each time I stay on 125, hence why I reduced to 112mcg, however I think I felt better on 125.

I will try 112 plus t3 7.5 for a while and see how it goes. Possibly a few days of 125 first.

I also feel an immediate effect when increasing/lowering my dose of thyroxine 'even though' it has a long shelf life (within an hour)!

[Clutter]

Pepipop,

I'm sorry you had no replies.

I hope the dose adjustments help you feel better soon.

[pepipop in reply to Clutter]

Thanks Clutter!

Still trying.........I upped my T4 again slightly, and will see what happens. I did find increasing my t3 stopped any palpitations (I believe these are more so to do with dehydration, in my case), my pulse decreased and was also very steady, all day. Hence the explanation that palps are a sign of too high thyroid medication, seems to be another tenuous link rolled out by the medical profession. Too high t4 only possibly, especially if there is low t4-t3 conversion.

This is a great site with a wealth of information on it.

[Clutter in reply to pepipop]

Pepipop,

I found palpitations were worse when I was undermedicated and FT3 was low.

[pepipop in reply to Clutter]

Yes, I believe that is my problem, low FT3

Initially my T4 was high and out of range but my total t3 was just scraping above normal. I may consider NDT again - I have taken it in the past and felt good on it for a while.

It's just so difficult to get consistency, for me anyway, especially when my TSH is a useless indicator - as it's always suppressed. Funnily enough, I noticed one poster with good T3 and high normal T4 results, on similar medication amounts to mine, who had a TSH of 7.5!

I may increase t3 again, up to 10mcg, as I went down to 7.5 ATM and see if it will help. I admit to not feeling anything really when taking T3, better mental clarity yes, but no physical feelings of well being.