Should you change T4/T3 dose when you feel good?

[Emily78]

Hi everyone,

I had a baby 6 weeks ago and just got my post-partum thyroid bloods done. My T3 is higher than it's ever been and I think it may explain why I've been managing sleepless nights so well! For a new mum, I feel great :-).

However because my results are slightly over range, the doctors have called me in to discuss dosages... I currently take 100mcg T4 and 15mcg T3.

These are my results:

TSH: <0.01

FT4: 20 (10 - 18.7)

FT3: 6.6 (3.5 - 6.5) - This has always been bottom third in range in past.

Folate: 21.8 (3.4 - 15.8)

B12: 1292 (211 - 911)

Vitamin D: 181 (>50 - 200) - Will reduce my supplement slightly.

Ferritin: 23 (22 - 322) - Baby stole my iron despite heavy iron consumption!

So, if I feel better than I have in years, should I reduce my meds? Is it dangerous to be slightly over-range? My doctors ranges seem to be a bit stingy compared to ranges I've seen elsewhere anyway!

Thank you for reading :-).

[greygoose]

If you can get away with it, stay on that dose! Your FT3 is not enough over-range to be dangerous.

But, the range has nothing to do with your doctor, it's the range of the machine that the blood was analysed on.

[Emily78 in reply to greygoose]

Thanks greygoose. And thanks for the clarification on the ranges. I’ve always been confused by the variation, and wondered if it was just that different people had different ideas of what ‘normal’ was!

[greygoose in reply to Emily78]

They probably do! But, it is the range that goes with the machine that counts.

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Getting your iron levels up ASAP will help use up your extra Thyroid hormones

Eating liver or liver pate once a week or other iron rich foods should all help

[Emily78 in reply to SlowDragon]

Thanks SlowDragon. I tried so hard to keep my iron up in pregnancy but it just kept dropping (ferritin went from 90 to under 20 in 9 months). I am working on bringing it back up now.

I didn’t know iron uses up thyroid hormones. Is that both T4 and T3? Worried I’ll feel worse if my T3 drops!

[Hidden in reply to Emily78]

It's the other way around, I think, low thyroid hormones causes low iron. But of course the effect is the same

[silverfox7]

I don't suppose there is any written law that says your body is 'back to normal' after six weeks so I would suggest hanging onto your dose a bit longer and retest again later. It it's then risen then fair enough but it may drop by then. If you get any symptoms of being over medicated then act accordingly.