Going to start T3 just checking dosage

[Peanut31]

Hi

My T3 has arrived and I would to start to introduce it.

I’ve had a really rough week, Monday I was anxious and had a really bad tension headaches with a stiff neck.

Tuesday the same, Wednesday I was in bed all day as no energy, yesterday I felt better, well 50% better, but suffered a really bad panic attack (never had one before)

Today I’ve woken up and my neck is locked solid and I’ve got so much muscle pain in my shoulders it’s unbelievable, I struggled to move out of bed.

I’ve not gone to work as I’m not safe to drive as I can’t move my neck, I’ve taken ibuprofen and paracetamol to help.

I’m due a blood test on Monday for thyroid at 8am, I was then going to wait until I see my results to add T3, but, I’m in so much muscle pain that rather than wait for the results I want to add it after I’ve had my blood test.

I’m tempted to add some today, but, I don’t know if that is wise as it will muck up my results?

I’m currently on 100mcg of Levothyroxine.

I’ve got 25mcg of T3, should I quarter the tablet and take the quarter when I take my Levothyroxine in the morning?

And repeat that process for 2 weeks?, then add another quarter.

I’m sick of this muscle and neck pain, my ears are blocked as well.

I have Hashimoto’s and I’m gluten free.

Blood results

March 2018 before on Levothyroxine

TSH 12.2 (0.27-4.5)

T3 4.12 (3.1-6.8)

T4 10.2 (11.0 - 23)

April

TSH 4.1 (0.27-4.5) on 50mcg

T3 4.51(3.1-6.8)

T4 14.2(11.0-23)

May

TSH 1.6 (0.27-4.5)

T3 4.58 (3.1-6.8)

T4 17.4 (11.0-23.0)

On 100 mcg of Levothyroxine

Bloods booked for Monday.

Best wishes

Peanut31

[Judithdalston]

Sympathies Peanut. I would have upped my levothyroxin first to get TSH to 1 or below, to see if FT3 over 5, up to 6 and FT4 up to 19-20. I found adding T3 to feel far stronger than Levothyroxin in that I could sense palpitations etc, but within hours the disabilitating stiffness in my hips seemed to ease (only short lived). Best tip go very very slowly introducing T3: I started for first two days on 1/8 of a pill only, then two 1/8s of a pill for rest of week: 6 am (first with levothyroxin), then second at 6 pm. The difficult part was getting the doses spread out away from food/ drink/ other prescription drugs and supplements ( especially when some like VitD, iron etc have 4 hour exclusion windows). Reduced my levo dose from 133.5 to 100 mcg as my FT4 had been over range, but FT3 still well below 5. Week 2 one 1/8 th pill swopped to 1/4. etc; so got to my full 25 mcg after about 1 month. Just ordered by Medichecks blood test for next week for 7 weeks on this dose. But you will have to experiment abit yourself with for eg timings- some take theirs all in one go, others split it into 3 doses ( heaven knows how). Some feel they need a 'kick' in the pm. Some recommend taking it at night for T3 to reach hard to reach cells ( like the beer), others say it keeps them awake then. I am expecting to need more T3 after I get my bloods back, as still falling asleep in afternoon ( and I have experimented shifting T3 to nearer 3 pm but that didn't help), can now do 10,000 steps daily, but hair still falling out, weight not shifting, head bit fuddled....

[Peanut31 in reply to Judithdalston]

Thanks for your reply Judithdalston

Thank god for this forum, I’m bloody sick of this neck pain, this was one of the symptoms I had very early on before I knew it was thyroid related. You name it I had also sorts of treatment, chrio, physio etc.

I’m sat with ice packs all over my neck and shoulders.

I’ll have to buy a sharp knife to cut my T3 into 1/8, I’ve got a pull cutter, but, it won’t cut that small.

I would guess my TSH will be 1 when I have my bloods on Monday as it’s responding well to Levothyroxine just not my T3.

Thanks again for the information.

Best wishes

Peanut31

[Judithdalston in reply to Peanut31]

Yes a craft knife- my T3 cuts quite well it is brittle, my levo tends to produce bits/ powder - I have little boxes to keep bits/halves in and then transfer that night's dose to another one. When I first took T3 I had taken my T4 at 4 am but it was then too dark to see a tiny piece of T3 so changed time but also method- I tip, and tap contents into mouth( don't want to wake up too much and stick a light on when winter dark draws in). Good luck Peanut.

[shaws Administrator]

Try to hold off T3 until after test. Otherwise you wont know for sure if it is helping you. Add 1/4 tablet to your dose of levo every two weeks and take note as symptoms are relieved.

Read second part of link first:-

hormonerestoration.com/

T3 resolved all of my awful palpitations and relieved all symptoms and hope you find the same. I've always taken one daily dose. It stops food interfering with the uptake of it. T3 saturates all of the T3 receptor cells and then its work begins and it sends out 'waves' for up to three days for one daily dose.

[Peanut31 in reply to shaws]

Thanks so much shaws for the information and link.

I’m in so much pain, it’s dreadful.

Good damn thyroid.

Best Wishes

Peanut31

[shaws Administrator in reply to Peanut31]

From Dr Lowe:

web.archive.org/web/2010103...

[Peanut31 in reply to shaws]

Very interesting read.

Thanks shaws.

Best wishes

Peanut31

[Peanut31 in reply to shaws]

Shaws

I just want to say a big thank you again.

Having researched further on fibromyalgia symptoms and areas it affects, I can certainly relate to those symptoms as well as my underactive Thyroid.

My neck stiffness was the first symptom I had and it’s not disappeared.

My Endocrinologist blamed it on Epstein Barr virus and despite taking anti viral tablets early on in my thyroid journey this didn’t help.

It appears that it is another good reason to introduce T3 to my T4.

Once again thanks so much, you are a mind of information.

Best wishes

Peanut31