What is your experience with taking T3?

[Hattie87]

Hi,

I'm thinking of taking T3 but wanted to be sure before I did. Any information I've found has been mixed advice, so I was wondering what your experience is with taking T3. Did you feel better after taking the tablets? Was there a difference? Any negative effects maybe? What were your blood test results like after?

Some reviews from people who have taken this would be really helpful.

Thank you!

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

Hattie

My blood tests on Levo showed over range FT4 at 165% of range, and FT3 just 55% of range. A clear case of poor conversion. I confirmed this with a thyroid urine test.

I started adding T3 to a lower dose of Levo, FT4 reduced, FT3 increased, confirmed by blood and urine tests.

Lots of tweaking to find the right balance of each hormone and I'm in a better place thyroid-wise and no negative effects.

Original results - Medichecks test

FT4: 28.59 (12-22) - 165% through range

FT3: 5.15 (3.1-6.8) - 55% through range

Results where I feel best - GP test so different ranges

FT4: 14.2 (7-17) - 72% through range

FT3: 5.8 (3.5-6.5) - 76% through range

So the author of the book you mentioned in your previous post hasn't had this experience so I can't see how she can make the statement that the T3/T4 combination therapy offers no benefit to thyroid patients. It offers benefit to some thyroid patients. It's the usual case of one size doesn't fit all .

[Hattie87 in reply to SeasideSusie]

Thank you so much Susie!

[Aurealis]

Before T3 I felt that my life was over, I couldn’t continue, with working, socialising, studying anything. I could barely function. I had no test of T3, it was obvious to all that thyroxine was no longer working. I do feel better and my test results for fT3 and fT4 are in range, but even if they weren’t, no- one could suggest this is not the right treatment for me. My life is transformed. But it’s not a quick fix, lots of adjusting and waiting etc. A hard road to follow on your own.

[SlowDragon Administrator]

It's not an easy medication to manage. You must have good levels of vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12 before even considering it

If you have Hashimoto's then likely to need strictly gluten free diet , or certainly try it for 3-6 months, first

Different brands of T3 give widely different results, varying between patients. Once you find brand that suits you need same one each time (just like Levothyroxine)

Like SeasideSusie i have found it works well within very fine tuned dose and I also still need to fine tune Levothyroxine as well. So it can be a bit like juggling two balls at once. Plus various vitamin supplements

Testing for DIO2 gene variation may help with getting T3 on NHS, if you test positive

[penny]

I’m another one on T3 only. If you don’t convert T4 to T3 then the only answer is to take T3.