Should T3 be being taken?: Hi, can anyone advise... - Thyroid UK

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Should T3 be being taken?

claiream profile image
14 Replies

Hi, can anyone advise please. My 20 year old daughter had her thyroid and 3 parathyroid glands removed 5 years ago due to thyroid cancer. She struggled with energy levels, brain fog, concentration etc, where we were just told was depression, couldn't be because of medication as thyroxine level were fine. She has been self medicating with T3 for over a year. Results 8 weeks ago were Free T4 level 22.9 pmol/L 9.00-24.00pmol/L, free T3 level 17.6 pmo/L 3.50-6.50pmo/L, TSH level <0.03 mu/L 0.35-5.00mu/L. We were told she had toxic level of T3 and were advised to stop taking it, which she did. She has just done bloods again and T4 is 19.1 and T3 is 3.3. Should she be taking a small amount of T3 as level is low? Can anyone advise as confused. Doctors wont entertain T3 and until these tests never had her T3 level checked. She is going back to uni soon and is worried. Any advice would be appreciated.

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claiream
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14 Replies
HypoHden profile image
HypoHden

I would say yes, however on another note: has she been diagnosed with hypoparathyroidism? Since the parathyroids are removed I'd assume she has to be. Has she had her parathyroid hormone measured, as well as her calcium, magnesium and phosphorus?

EDIT: low parathyroid hormone can also cause depression, brain fog etc.

claiream profile image
claiream in reply to HypoHden

She is on a high dose of alphacalcidol.

georgiamaym profile image
georgiamaym in reply to HypoHden

I have bloods for these all the time and the levels are always within the normal range

janveron1 profile image
janveron1

Change her doctor to one who cares!!

georgiamaym profile image
georgiamaym in reply to janveron1

We have tried loads and none of them seem to care

humanbean profile image
humanbean

I hope your daughter's calcium and vitamin D levels (amongst others) are checked regularly. Having three parathyroid glands removed is going to make it difficult for her body to have the right levels of these.

This website should be helpful although most of the site is about hyperparathyroidism rather than hypoparathyroidism :

parathyroid.com/

parathyroid.com/hypoparathy...

The site can help to explain what the parathyroid glands do and can help you understand the effects of having three parathyroid glands removed and the possible consequences.

claiream profile image
claiream in reply to humanbean

She is on a high dose of alphacalcidol.

greygoose profile image
greygoose

These doctors! It's all or nothing with them. She was, obviously, taking too much T3 at the time of the first test - you don't say how much she was taking. But, she obviously need some. Now, it's obviously out of her system, she should start taking a lower dose. If she's buying her own, she can do what she likes! :)

georgiamaym profile image
georgiamaym in reply to greygoose

i was taking 2 x 25mg, thinking taking half a tablet to get into the normal range

greygoose profile image
greygoose in reply to georgiamaym

Start with half a tablet and see how it goes. You don't have to guess the optimal dose before you start. You start low and work up slowly. :)

humanbean profile image
humanbean

Why do doctors see high levels of something and then assume that the patient doesn't need something AT ALL!

Your daughter's Free T3 level was too high, but rather than stopping the T3 she should have cut down until her Free T3 was in range, but she would probably need to keep her level high in range. Having a Free T3 level under the range would make her feel absolutely appalling!

georgiamaym profile image
georgiamaym

This is about me, was thinking of going back on t3. I used to take 2 x 25 mg now i'm thinking of taking half of one tablet. Could this get me into the normal range?

cjrsquared profile image
cjrsquared in reply to georgiamaym

It could, you need to try it and see. How much levothyroxine are you taking? When you had your bloods taken were they at least 12 hours after taking t3 and 24 after levothyroxine? If not your levels would be artificially high.

georgiamaym profile image
georgiamaym in reply to cjrsquared

150 levothyroxine, , hadnt taken t3 for the last one but had taken levothyroxine a couple of hours before

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