New blood results show very small improvement in T3 and free Thyroxine

[Icicles]

I started treatment with NDT in April (10th) and increased my dose to 1/2 grain bi daily (although I have taken the whole grain in one go recently as trying to keep the supplements and medications apart is a nightmare) for just over 3 weeks. I have maintained low steady pulse and temperature. I take a range of supplements which I take advice on from reading through the posts and follow direction on starting new things. I followed advice on taking my bloods, and am confident that I have done all that I should to ensure that my treatment is maximised by my other efforts and lifestyle. My pre NDT results are here:

THYROID STIMULATING HORMONE 2.73 mIU/L 0.27 - 4.20

FREE THYROXINE 12 pmol/L 12.00 - 22.00

TOTAL THYROXINE(T4) 75.0 nmol/L 59.00 - 154.00

FREE T3 3.68 pmol/L 3.10 - 6.80

I would be grateful for any advice or thoughts before I have feedback from my endocrinologist later this week. Thank you

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

Icicles

If you can rely on your previous test results - you said in your previous post about a large dose of biotin - then the NDT is showing the sort of results one would expect - low TSH and FT4 and your FT3 has increased albeit by a small amount.

Did you take your last dose of NDT 12 hours before the blood draw?

[Icicles in reply to SeasideSusie]

Ah, as you ask that, I realise that it was more like 20 hours, because I had taken it in the morning of the previous day. Did I leave too long? Damn!

I do feel as though very little has changed, feeling minimally more energy, but tired, no memory, put on weight, caught a cold. I’m probably scared that he’s going to say, ‘that’s your trial, didn’t work, try an anti depressant’! Feel very lucky to have found someone who would give me a trial. He said that he’d like to get me into the upper third of the T3 range.

Thank you for taking the time to give me some feedback, I really appreciate it. My anxiety about being dumped is high, I realise. He knows what he’s doing I think and I don’t think that I need to ‘prepare an argument’ it’s just that, clearly, people on here, yourself included, know far more about this stuff than anyone I’ve met in the medical profession, and I could get the heads up on what might happen when he sees my results. Thanks again x

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to Icicles]

Icicles

Taking your NDT 20 hours before the test means that you have a lower FT3 that it would show if you'd left 12 hours. However, you could use that to your advantage and say something along the lines of "There has been some improvement in my FT3, and a slight improvement in how I feel, although not as much as I had hoped. Can we increase my dose of NDT and see how things are in 2 months". After all, it's barely 6 weeks since you started NDT and you're only on 1 grain (if I've read your post correctly). Many people on NDT take 3 grains, some take more.

What you could do for the next test, just for the one day before the test, is split your dose and make sure your second dose is about 8-12 hours before your blood test. I do this with my T3 (I take Levo plus T3). Normally I take it in one dose in the morning, the day before the test I split into two, take half in the morning, and the other half about 9pm as I know I will do my test about 8.30am next day.

[Icicles in reply to SeasideSusie]

Thank you SeasideSusie

You always make great sense, and without knowing it, you have already been a great help to me, when I’ve been reading through your posts to other people. I’ll do what you’ve suggested and see what happens. He’s one of the good guys I think.

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to Icicles]

Icicles

Thank you

Let us know how it goes, hopefully you'll get your increase.

[Icicles in reply to SeasideSusie]

🙂