Advice on Dosage desperately needed

[Maxxxx]

Hi all,

I would be so grateful if someone could give me some advice on adjusting my dosage please. I just got my test results back and my T3 has gone over the range so I am very worried. I have Hashimotos and take 25 mcg T3 + 50 mcg levothyroxine. I forgot to NOT take my pills before the test but I took the pills at 7a.m. and test was done at 3p.m. so 8 hours later. I am feeling quite good at the moment and not hyper in any way.

Here are the latest results from Medichecks:

TSH - 0.012 (0.27 - 4.20)

Free thyroxine 10.900 (12.00 - 22.00)

T3 8.42 (3.10 - 6.80)

Thyroglobulin antibody 931.000 (0.00 - 115.00)

TP antibodies 364 (0.00 - 24.00)

Previously I was on 12.5 mcg T3 and 75 mcg levothyroxine and my T3 was low in the range which is why I changed the dosage. Here were my results from November 2017:

TSH 0.088 (0.27 - 4.20)

Free Thyroxine 17 (12.00 - 22.00)

T4 103.0 (59.00 - 154.00)

Thyroglobulin antibody 1142.000 (0.00 - 115.00)

Thyroid peroxidase antibodies >600 (0.00 - 24.00)

I am worried that I might be overdosed. Thanks so much for any help!!!

[shaws Administrator]

If you feel fine I wouldn't worry and your results are probably skewed due to you taking your dose before your blood test without a decent gap..

You'd feel 'hyper' if you had taken too much. Also blood tests were invented along with levothyroxine alone therefore if we take other hormones, i.e. NDT or add T3 the results cannot correlate.

Your antibodies are high and it is those that attack the thyroid gland. You can reduce antibodies by going gluten-free.

(I am not medically qualified and have hypo).

[Maxxxx in reply to shaws]

Thank you so much for your reply. Yes I am gluten free but that hasn't got the antibodies down so I probably have some other things that need doing! I need to get back to taking selenium daily, possibly consider dairy free but that's quite a stretch for me.

I have high ferritin and low TIBC which I think means inflammation, also low protein which I think means I am not digesting properly and high cholesterol too.

[ThyroidLadyLondon in reply to Maxxxx]

Gluten and selenium is all well and good, but the antibodies are a sign that your thyroid is over stressed. You need to try and reduce the stress on your nervous system, stay warm and really reduce your body’s energy exlenditure. Take a sick leave for a week or two and then do nothing but vegitate and relax. That will reduce stress on your nervous system, which will send a signal to your thyroid that your body requires less energy expenditure and will allow your thyroid a chance to recover.

The thyroid is capable of healing just like broken bones and skin. The thyroid is stimulated by the nervous system to make more T4 and T3 when the nervous system senses that the body is in greater need of energy. If this happens at a heightened rate over a long period of time, then the thyroid nodules which make the hormone become overworked and die off. The immune cells then come to take away the destructed cells. Give your body and mind a break and your antibody count will go down. Over weeks and months your thyroid may begin to rebuild and heal if you continue to live in a relatively stress free way for a little while (stress on body as well as mind).

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

Maxxxx

You left the correct gap between last dose of T3 and blood draw, ie 8-12 hours (Levo is 24 hours).

If you look at the graph of how FT3 levels fluctuate throughout the day - third one down here

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

you will see that FT3 is at it's lowest at 3pm.

When you changed your dose from 12.5 mcg T3 and 75 mcg levothyroxine, did you not try 18.75mcg T3? I think I would have left Levo at 75mcg and tried 18.75mcg T3 rather than reduce Levo to 50mcg and increase T3 by half a tablet to 25mcg. It's best if T3 dose is changed by 6.25mcg at a time so you don't miss your sweet spot.

On your current dose your FT4 has dropped to below range and your FT3 is rather high considering the time of day the test was done. You may be like some of us and need FT4 at a decent level as well as FT3. I need both to be around 75% of range, and I take Levo plus T3.

Are you addressing the Hashi's with a gluten free diet and supplementing with selenium l-selenomethionine 200mcg daily to help reduce the antibodies?

[Maxxxx in reply to SeasideSusie]

Thanks so much for your reply. Yes I did try 18.75mcg but found it difficult to cut up the pills evenly so I just went to the 25 mcg tablet. I have some 25mcg liothyronine from Greece and I also bought a year's worth of 20mcg liothyronine tablets when I was in Austria in the spring so now I am wondering if I should switch to those? If I do switch should I stay at 50mcg of levothyroxine or go back to 75mcg. I get a box of 25mcg and 50mcg every month but I haven't been using the 25mcg since I upped my dose of liothyronine.

Yes, I have been gluten free for two years now and did take the 200 mcg of selenium every day but have been slack in the last six months. I will go back to taking the selenium.

My latest tests also revealed that I have low protein, high ferritin, low TIBC and high cholesterol which I think are all indications of stomach problems which I've been trying to address but it's tough to win that battle!!!

Thanks again,

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to Maxxxx]

Maxxxx

I manage to cut my 25mcg T3 into quarters.

I would only change one thing at a time.

On 75mcg Levo, your FT4 was exactly half way through range. If that was me I wouldn't have reduced my dose.

If your current results were mine I would increase Levo back to 75mcg first. It will take 6 weeks for that dose change to stabilise your hormones and results. You could retest at that stage but personally I would reduce T3 to 18.75mcg, wait 6 weeks then retest. Or do it the other way round, reduce T3 to 18.75mcg first then follow with an increase in Levo and retest 6 weeks later.

Please bear in mind that my reply is based purely on my own experience, it's not medical advice.