Can I self medicate on T3 now?

[Wicks50]

How soon can I start self medicating on T3?

Recently diagnosed with severely under active thyroid. Taking 75mcg for almost 5 weeks now.

Must of had symptoms for a while. Weight I have put on is a major no no for me.

Can I purchase T3 and start taking it now ?

[jimh111]

Can you post your latest TSH, fT3, fT4 results here. Looking at an earlier post you had high TSH and low fT4. You have just started on levothyroxine, it takes many months to get your dose right and some months after that for you to recover. Given your initial results you will probably do very well on levothyroxine. You need to give it time and let your doctor increase your dose until it is at a reasonable level.

I wouldn't self medicate with T3 unless you fail to get well on leovthyroxine. You need to have a good knowledge of hypothyroidism to self medicate and this will take time to acquire. You shouldn't view T3 as a means of losing weight. Your weight will come down when you are on the correct dose but often patients do not get back to their original weight.

You should have another appointment for a blood test soon and probably another increase in your levothyroxine dose.

[Mary-intussuception]

Why would you want to self medicate? And how would you go about doing that?

You started Levothyroxine 75mcg less than 5 weeks ago. It takes a while before we start to feel the benefits. You should be retested in the next few weeks and have your dose adjusted if necessary - it may be increased by 25mcg to 100mcg. You should be retested again 6 to 8 weeks or so later and if necessary, have Levothyroxine dose adjusted again.

You will need to ask for blood test to check your Vitamin D levels in case you need prescribed supplements for a deficiency or insufficiency.

However your B12 and B9 (Folate) looked ok on your previous post and your Ferritin is not bad (far better than mine).

It's essential to eat a healthy balanced diet and drink plenty of water. Also to take Levothyroxine on an empty stomach with water only and an hour before food.

Are you on any other medications? None should be taken at the same time as Levothyroxine.

I would give Levothyroxine 6 to 12 months to see how you feel. If you feel you need T3 then I'd ask for a referal to an Endocrinologist. You could ask for that now anyway.