Hi all, can I ask if people who have decided to self medicate with T3 have informed their Doctors? If they haven’t is it possible to tell you’ve introduced T3 when your TSH level is tested? I understand that you have to lower your T4 when taking T3 so does T3 lower your TSH and do your Doctors just believe that the T4 they’ve prescribed is the reason? Does the introduction of T3 mean your Doctor will inevitably lower your dose of T4?
Sorry I know that may sound like a really daft question but if my Doctor decides to lower my dose or refuse an increase of Levo and I decided to add T3 I want to know if he will know and if introducing T3 means my TSH will drop and the Doctor will decrease my T4. 🤔
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Even though most gps are not knowledgeable about hypothyroid I feel it is important to be up front with your gp. I have told both gp and ent surgeon, neither are happy but both acknowledge the difference t3 has made to me. ( not enough to prescribe it though). As to whether t3 will lower your TSH it may do but of course it is dose dependent.
It is important to have baseline blood tests of both ft3 and ft4 before starting t3 in order to monitor response. If both are high in range before you start t3 you may not benefit as ft3 May quickly go over range and give symptoms of overmedication, this could also lead to side effects such as osteoporosis and heart arrhythmia.
Be aware that when reducing levothyroxine it takes 6 weeks for levels to stabilise so you need to introduce low levels of t3 and increase slowly. There is a lot of t of helpful info on this site. Good luck.
Hi thanks for the response, I haven’t decided to introduce T3 I’m just planning ahead and looking at all the scenarios. There’s a lot to think about but at the moment I think if I can get my Doctor to prescribe according to my symptoms that Levo might work for me. I agree it’s always best to be honest and I would find it difficult not to tell my Doctor, I’m the type of person who confesses to the crime just because I thought about it!
My opinion would be to level with your doc. This way he/she can't accidentally prescribe something that may cause you harm. If they don't agree with your decisions about your health they can't make you stop. All they can do is express their disapproval. And if we all had a dollar or a pound sterling every time someone disapproved of us we would be able to take a nice cruise!! And who knows, some docs may actually open their minds and learn something from us, esp if we can show them we are feeling better. If they are really upset, it might be time to move on. Good luck. xx irina
I think you’re consulting them, it’s your choice if you tell them but I would be worried other mistakes might be made if I didn’t. You’re an adult, they have to accept your decision. As T3 is short acting you could leave it off before the test but I’m not sure that would affect TSH that quickly. If you don5 tell them you’re taking T3 they will think too low a tsh indicates a dose reduction is necessary. Of course they shouldn’t adjust according to the test, they should take your sympt9ms into account of course if they did that you might not be self treating.... and if you are your symptoms may have gone...
Thanks you’ve answered my long winded question. The fact that TSH does lower with the introduction of T3 would make it difficult not to disclose I was taking it. I haven’t decided to add T3 yet I’m still at the early stages of treatment with Levo, which I think will work for me, at least early indications are positive.
If you can get well on Levo that’s the best thing. It’s easy. Personally I don’t think that introducing T3 is very easy and I wouldn’t want to do it on my own. Fortunately I didn’t have to. However I think that I spent many years with problems I might not have had. But even now I sometimes think things are not quite right and it’s difficult to know what to do. Adjusting Levo was easier ! Good luck!
I haven't told my GP that I add T3 to my Levo, nor do I intend to, can't be doing with dealing with that can of worms.
Lowering dose of Levo depends on what your results are when starting T3. Once on a combination tweaking doses of both may be necessary and it may take a while to find the right doses of each where you feel well and keep stable.
Adding T3 can lower or suppress TSH. Mine was already suppressed on Levo only.
I "manage" my doses before a NHS blood test so that the free Ts always come back between mid range and 3/4 of range, that seems to allow me to continue with my usual prescription for Levo but it depends on the doctor who looks at the test results. One is TSH obsessed and wont take into account the free Ts, another is happy with my suppressed TSH as long as my free Ts are well within range. But I do private tests as well so I do know my accurate levels.
Thanks SSS, I would struggle not to tell my GP because I have loose lips! However he’s the type of Doctor that would throw me off the list if I self medicated. If I do decide to go down this route I might need to have my jaw wired first! Kindest regards 🤐
My gp knows, fully supports and monitors me. He has said on numerous occasions he would prescribe it if he was allowed and that I’m not his only patient to self medicate with T3.
My GPs do not know that I self-medicate on T3. About 5 years’ ago I had a letter from a doctor at the surgery to say that I was not hypothyroid as I had never been diagnosed as such and they were stopping my T3 immediately. Craven of me, I know, but I didn’t even bother to respond and just bought my own T3. I have given my GP ca copy of Dr. Peatfield’s book and talked to most of the doctors about misdiagnosis and treatment but to no avail. Goodness knows what the doctor was thinking when he stopped my T3 as the surgery had prescribed NDT, T4 and T3 to me over the years - should I sue them for giving me unnecessary medication? What do they think i’m doing now for hypothyroidism? I was diagnosed privately and copies of the results were sent to the surgery so they know that I have been diagnosed. Sloppy and dangerous thinking.
Oh my goodness! I would certainly write a letter to the surgery and ask them to keep it on file. I think it’s terrible that people have to resort to self medication!
Although it's good to be able to level with people sometimes it's just not worth banging our heads against a stone wall. My late brother used to remind me when I wanted to be open with someone about a problem "Some people really don't want to hear the truth!" He was right. One can only hope the docs that you gave books to might someday read them (maybe under the covers so no one catches them learning something.) But they'll never have the ^$#@! to thank you!
Trouble is every GP reacts differently but the bottom line is that they are not supposed to dictate your treatment...they advise and recommend. Mine always asks if her suggestions are ok with me before implementing anything....but having read your post I feel she may be a rarer breed than I realised!
Yes, I told her that I had started to self medicate. She is no longer allowed to test T3 far less prescribe it.....madness!
I wrote out all the stages I had gone through - research, blood tests, buying T3, discovering poor conversion, titrating the hormones, monitoring temp and pulse rate etc - explaining my reasons and backing those up where possible with evidence. I pointed out the invaluable help TUK has been and how my long term debilitating symptoms are gradually improving.This is now in my medical records.
I explained when I handed this epistle to her that I was very concerned about her reaction! Amazingly she could not have been more understanding and has offered to do blood draws for my private tests. My prescription for T4 remains on my repeat list and I am still adjusting the dose. Following my explanation she is satisfied that I am not putting myself at risk and is happy for me to continue....but I fear many less confident GPs may view my approach as undermining their professional status!
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of course if they did that you might not be self treating.... and if you are your symptoms may have gone...
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Does anyone know why Levo. suppresses TSH but does not raise T4 and T3 
