Hi there, I was wondering if anyone knows of anywhere I can get T3 medication from?
I live in Kent uk.
I’m on Levothyroxine 125 but my blood test are telling me I’m not converting Levothyroxine to T3 so I’ve been reading that T3 is what I should be taking if I can’t convert!
Thank you
Kathyx
Written by
Kathy1960
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So your antibodies confirm that the cause of your hypothyroidism is due to autoimmune thyroid disease also called Hashimoto's
Did you know this?
Low vitamin levels are extremely common with Hashimoto's
Has GP tested vitamin D, folate, B12 and ferritin?
Add results and ranges if you have them
Ask GP to test them if not been done
Vitamins need to be tested and improved to optimal levels BEFORE considering adding T3
Recommended on here that all thyroid blood tests should ideally be done as early as possible in morning and fasting. Do not take Levothyroxine dose in the 24 hours prior to test, delay and take immediately after blood draw. This gives highest TSH, lowest FT4 and most consistent results. (Patient to patient tip, best not mentioned to GP or phlebotomist)
Is this how you do your tests?
Private tests are available. Thousands on here forced to do this as NHS often refuses to test FT3 or antibodies or vitamins
Medichecks Thyroid plus ultra vitamin or Blue Horizon Thyroid plus eleven are the most popular choice. DIY finger prick test or option to pay extra for private blood draw. Both companies often have special offers, Medichecks usually have offers on Thursdays, Blue Horizon its more random
Suggest you email Dionne at Thyroid Uk for list of recommended thyroid specialists, many who will diagnose and prescribe T3
please email Dionne at
tukadmin@thyroiduk.org
Perhaps ask your GP for small dose increase in Levothyroxine
Your TSH is slightly over recommended range when on just Levothyroxine
Many need TSH under 1
New NHS England Liothyronine guidelines November 2018 clearly state on pages 8 & 12 that TSH should be between 0.4-1.5 when treated with just Levothyroxine
As you have Hashimoto's, are you on strictly gluten free diet?
If not you might need to consider trying it
According to Izabella Wentz the Thyroid Pharmacist approx 5% with Hashimoto's are coeliac, but over 80% find gluten free diet helps, sometimes significantly. Either due to direct gluten intolerance (no test available) or due to leaky gut and gluten causing molecular mimicry (see Amy Myers link)
Changing to a strictly gluten free diet may help reduce symptoms, help gut heal and slowly lower TPO antibodies
I’ve just ordered a new home kit from medichecks and I have used them before. I do the tests first thing in the morning.
My ferritin is in the top scale of their range so no problem there, my folate is pretty low, their scale is 2.91 to 50.00, mines 5.02.
I need to get my vitamin D done and also I was taking b12 supplements but was told to stop taking them as my b12 is to high now.
I’m trying to give up the gluten and dairy and doing pretty well on this and I’ve pre ordered Izabella Wentz new cook book that’s due out in March/April.
Feeling rough and can’t shift these headaches I’ve been getting so hopefully I can get this sorted
Your FT3 is very low. Trying an increase in Levothyroxine is perhaps first step
Like many of us with Hashimoto's, you may need addition of small dose of T3
Come back with new post once you get new results and ranges
Meanwhile suggest you email Dionne at Thyroid Uk for list of recommended thyroid specialists, many will prescribe T3. Though it's harder to get on NHS, it is possible in some CCG areas. Some CCG's are still going against guidelines and refuse to allow funding
Improve Thyroid Treatment campaign on Facebook has info about an endocrine centre in Kent... Sittigbourne area where they offer DIO2 gene variation test on NHS and T3 on NHS if test positive
ITT is a closed Facebook group, so you have to apply to join
You asked me to post you my test results once they came in so here they are, I still feel I’m not converting thyroxine to t3 very well but what do you think?
TSH is 0.34. Their range is 0.27 to 4.20
T4 is 21.600, their range is 12.00 to 22.00
FreeT3 is 3.96, their range 3.10 to 6.80
Thyroglobulin ant 483, their range 0.0 to 115
Thyroid peroxidase ant 101, theirs 0.0 to 34.00
CRP 5.81, their range 0.0 to 5.00
Ferritin 203, their range 13.00 to 150.00
Hope that’s not too much of an overload for you but would appreciate some feedback please ..
Folate was too low. Are you now supplementing a daily good quality vitamin B complex?
one with folate in not folic acid may be beneficial.
B vitamins best taken in the morning after breakfast
Recommended brands on here are Igennus Super B complex. (Often only need one tablet per day, not two). Or Jarrow B-right
If you are taking vitamin B complex, or any supplements containing biotin, remember to stop these 3-5 days before any blood tests, as biotin can falsely affect test results
I'm not medically trained but have Hashimoto's like you, so just wanted to offer some thoughts in case it's useful.
From the test results you posted, your T4 is only middle of the range and T3 low in range. It looks like there would be scope to try increasing your levo dose to see if that helps with your low T3 - some people need it to be close to the top of the range to feel well.
SlowDragon has added lots of info about checking micronutrient levels, which personally I found useful for managing my diet and spotting where supplements could help. People have shared on here about Hashimoto's being associated with poor absorption of nutrients so sometimes supplementation is really necessary to get levels high enough.
It can be quite a process to work out the right approach for you. Wishing you all the best.
I have sent a reply to SlowDragon to thank them for their info!
It’s such a pain trying to get this right and feel normal again.
What’s really getting me down is this weight! I walk 2/3 miles every other day, eat as healthy as I can and still nothing happening apart from putting on weight when I look at a cream cake 🤣
Please do not think T3 will enable you to lose weight. It can make you feel more hungry as your metabolism speeds up 😊 We are of course all very different ...
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