T3 every other day?

[infomaniac]

I am trying to increase my T3 and lower my T4 very, very gradually so today I took my normal dose (125mcg T4 and 12.5 T3 at 6am then took another 6.25mcg T3 at 12pm. Is there any point in taking the extra 6.25 every other day? I was going to do extra T3 one day and reduce 25mcg T4 the next but I chickened out!

I'd be grateful for any advice on this as I've been getting myself into a bit of a state about the best way to do it.

Thanks

[shaws Administrator]

If you reduce levo by 25mcg you can add 1/4 tablet of T3.

I have read from Dr Lowe's paper that increases should be by 1/4 tablet every two weeks. He didn't agree with splitting doses at all. Once daily was his recommendation but it is up to individual's what they want to do.

I will look for his Chapters which give details and let you have them.

[infomaniac in reply to shaws]

Thanks Shaws When I first started taking T3 I tried splitting the dose and it didn't seem to suit me so I've been taking them all at once. I thought it best to keep on with the same amount of T4 until the extra T3 kicks in-would you reduce the T4 now?

(My latest results were: Free T4 1.20 (0.80-1.80), T3 Total 1.02 (0.59-2.00).

The T3 result isn't correct however as I made a mistake and instead of stopping T4 for 24 hours and T3 for 12 hours I stupidly stopped both for 24 hrs prior to being tested.)

[shaws Administrator in reply to infomaniac]

You're not stupid because I always leave 24 hours gap as it is how 'I feel' which is more important to me than my blood test. I also don't want GP interfering.

Dr Lowe only took only one blood test for his patients, thereafter it was how they 'felt' on dose increases. When we used to only get NDT prescribed and no blood tests that's how it was done also. Also he would never prescribe levothyroxine at all. Only NDT or T3 for thyroid hormone resistant patients.

If his patients were already taking doses before consulting him, dose was reduced by the equivalent to what the T3 would be. 100mcg of levo is around 25mcg of T3, so reducing by 25mcg levo is approx 5mcg or 6.25mcg of lio depending if dose was 20mcg or 25mcg.

Copy and paste the tinyurls onto a new page.

Chapter 2

tinyurl.com/ya5blrr2

Chapter 3

tinyurl.com/y7ejh9sh

Chapter 7

alttinyurl.com/ycxpz565

[infomaniac in reply to shaws]

Thanks so much for that Shaws-it took a bit of reading but was worth it! I couldn't get the last link though?

I think I overload my poor little brain with so much stuff that I really don't understand that well and I end up stressing about it. I remember a while back reading on here that having a very supressed TSH was bad...and I decided to google that just before I went to bed. Instant insomnia!

[shaws Administrator in reply to infomaniac]

Made a typo which I've corrected, i.e. so reducing by 25mcg levo is approx 5mcg or 6.25mcg of lio

[Angel_of_the_North]

You need a constant, even supply of T3. You can take a whole week's T4 in one go, if you want to.

[infomaniac in reply to Angel_of_the_North]

I've taken Shaws' advice and am taking the whole lot at the same time. Much easier and far less hassle

[Angel_of_the_North in reply to infomaniac]

As long as you take it every day, it doesn't really matter if you take it all in one dose or in split doses. It just needs to be taken every day (not like levo)

[infomaniac in reply to Angel_of_the_North]

Yes I am taking both T3 & T4 at the same time every day.

[humanbean in reply to Angel_of_the_North]

I agree that it can be taken all in one go, but there are some people who don't do well with this. I was taking all my T3 in one go for quite a while, but I didn't feel great. I've now switched to taking the T3 in two doses and my heart has slowed down a lot as a result and I feel better for it.