After stopping T3

[yuliyam]

Hello everyone xxx I am writing on behalf of my friend who has been on thyroid medication (T3 only) for 2 years. He TSH is obviously suppressed, so once she stops taking it, would the thyroid start functioning again? Thank you xxx

[Marz]

If your friend is Hypo - then stopping T3 will not kick-start the thyroid.

[shaws Administrator]

If we've been diagnosed as hypothyroid we must take thyroid hormone replacements for life.

If your friend has not been diagnosed he shouldn't be taking T3 anyway or any other thyroid hormones. Some people may take it hoping for weight loss etc.

We will become very ill if hypothyroid and without replacement hormones we and could go into a coma at the most serious.

The blood tests were invented along with levothyroxine (T4 only) so if we take T3, T4/T3 or NDT the blood tests cannot correlate as we aren't taking T4.

If we are hypo and stop we could develop other more serious illnesses and our heart and brain need the most T3 as well as every other T3 cell in our body.

[yuliyam]

Thank you so much for comment! She started taking it AFTER weight loss since T3 decreases significantly after the weight loss. That was adviced by the doctor. However, it has been a while, so she wants to come off it but is now afraid that her thyroid would not start working on its own. Do you think this is the case? Thank you xxx

[shaws Administrator in reply to yuliyam]

I am not medically qualified so cannot advise. If her thyroid gland was working before taking T3 and she was not hypothyroid, then it should work in theory. It will be a trial and error. She should have a blood test, i.e. TSH, T4, T3. Free T4 amd Free T3 before stopping. Then if she stops and shortly thereafter doesn't feel too well, have another blood test for comparison.

[yuliyam in reply to shaws]

Thank you. She is reading these comments and says thank you very much

[shaws Administrator in reply to yuliyam]

Blood tests have to be at the earliest, fasting (she can drink water). If she was taking thyroid hormones she should allow 24 hours gap between last dose and test and take afterwards.