Slight dizziness from T3

[Maniacos]

Hello,

I have problems converting T4 (I can barely walk due to major leg stiffness and can't stay more than 10 minutes up) so I'm taking Tiromel (T3)

My current dose is 50mcg.

I started to feel a bit dizzy 2 days after starting on 50.

When I was on 43mcg my blood test results were:

fT3 II 4.53 pmol/l | 3,1-6,8

FT4 II 15.48 pmol/l | 12.0-22.0

TSH 7.65 uIU/ml | 0.27-4.2

Ferritin 487.5 ng/ml | 30-400

My fT3 looks very low on 43, but if my 50 is causing the "overdose" symptom, I'm not sure what to do I'm still super weak and stiff. I assumed my dosage is too low, but now - dizziness and still stiff and tired. My temp is ok, my heart rate too, only slight dizziness.

Thank you for your time!

[T3sortedme]

A few questions to help us understand what might be happening. How are you taking your 50mcg dose? Are you spreading it across the day? When do you take it? Are you taking anything else eg T4?

[Maniacos in reply to T3sortedme]

Thank you for your answer. I took my dosage 2 times a day 25mcg per dose. Morning and 16:00. After research, I think this is the issue (I hope). I will split it to 4 times a day. I'm not taking T4, I can't convert it I have another question: is it okay to take my dosage right before lunch? Thanks again.

[T3sortedme in reply to Maniacos]

Some people are very sensitive to T3, so splitting the doses is a good idea. It also takes time to settle and for your body to adjust.

Taking it on an empty stomach is good. Taking it at the same time each day is also good.

I take mine when I wake up (6.45am - 20mcg), before lunch (12.00 - 20mcg) and before evening food (5pm - 10mcg). I have an alarm on my wrist and on my phone otherwise I miss a dose when busy. If I miss a dose by an hour, I lose my energy for the rest of day. That’s my experience.

However, each of us is different and we have to find the right dose and timings for ourselves (some even take the whole dose in one go at start of day because that works for them; unlikely for you as you seem quite sensitive to T3). Decide on your pattern and stick with it for 6 weeks before making further changes. It takes that long for you body to fully adjust and for you to evaluate it. I make notes every day or few days. Busy days, stress, a mild cold all impact on it, so it needs a good length of time to know if you are better or worse after a change.

[Maniacos in reply to T3sortedme]

Thanks for the tips. It's a very weird situation. I was totally okay on 43, then switched to 50 and started feeling dizzy. Today I started my first-morning dose - 12.5 and felt a bit dizzy again. So, I need to stay in this "dizzy" mode for 6 weeks and it's okay? I plan to increase my dose more because 50mcg is not even close to enough. I plan to take my doses 30min before eating. Thanks again!

[T3sortedme in reply to Maniacos]

43mcg is a very exact amount. An extra 7mcg would not make a huge difference. How did you measure 43mcg? Just checking I’m understanding correctly!

[Maniacos in reply to T3sortedme]

Tiromel pill is 25mcg, I add 1/4 of it every week (6.25). 7 weeks on T3 = 43.75 (1 full pill + 3/4 of a second pill). When I took 2 full pills I got dizzy. Did I hit some weird limit? It's so bizarre..

[T3sortedme in reply to Maniacos]

So what was you dose total just for yesterday? 43.75 or 50 mcg?

Were you not dizzy on 43.75 mcg?

[Maniacos in reply to T3sortedme]

Yes, I was not dizzy on 43.75. On the second day on 50, started to feel dizzy. I'm taking 50, split into 4 doses and still a bit dizzy.

[stig5882 in reply to Maniacos]

I too am on T3 only and every time I raised my dose it took about a week for my body to adjust. As long as your not getting hyper symtoms eg. racing heart then it should all settle in a few days. I must say that I only dose once a day. I set alarm for 6am and I take my dose 75mcg then and go back go sleep for an hour then I dont have to worry about food or coffee interfering with absorption. You of course must do what suits you best as we are all different but do not eat ot drink except for water for at least an hour either before or after T3. Hope you get sorted soon.

[Maniacos in reply to stig5882]

Thank you for replying. So "adjusting" means "dizzy"? What will happen when I up my dose again in a week? I can ~live with current dizziness because it's not that big, but I'm afraid what will happen when more is added.

[T3sortedme in reply to Maniacos]

I would stay on the 50mcg dose until everything settles down. I wouldn’t just keep increasing it. Once everything is settled and you know where you are, you can choose to increase it again. 50mcg is a typical dose. It is much more powerful than T4 (which is a storage hormone that breaks down to T3 as it’s needed) whereas T3 acts directly on your cells. I use 60mcg which is common. Some use more (like stig5882) but it is less usual. As I said before, everyone is different and it takes time to get it right for each of us. Hope that helps.

Hopefully others will comment. The admins here are really helpful and experienced.

[stig5882 in reply to Maniacos]

Only raise the dose at least every 6 weeks if and when the dizzyness has stopped.

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Maniacos]

I take my dose 3 x a day. 8 hour gap.....

10mcg at 7am. 5mcg at 3pm and 11pm (plus split dose Levothyroxine, 100mcg at 11pm and 25mcg at 7am)

Personally I avoid anything other than water for two hours before and hour after

[Maniacos in reply to SlowDragon]

I don't think I can take any levo. I tried (only levo) it gets worse. Until I fix my prostatitis levo is out of the question (I think), but ... I can't

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Maniacos]

But you may find 3 doses per day works well. Might be easier than 4 doses

[SlowDragon Administrator]

You need to test vitamin D, folate and B12

Ferritin is suspiciously high

Look at getting tested for hemochromatosis

Hashimoto's and hemochromatosis may be linked

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/182...

redriverhealthandwellness.c...

hindawi.com/journals/jir/20...

Are you on strictly gluten free diet?

Have you tried adding back in small dose of Levothyroxine?

[Maniacos in reply to SlowDragon]

Hello. Thank you for your answer. All those tests are made and ~okay. I looked at the symptoms of "hemochromatosis" and I have only 1 of those. I have all of: ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...

I can't be sure. Gluten is not the cause for sure. Ferritin can be related to my prostatitis or something else, who knows. Doctors here are clueless

Am afraid to add T4 at this point. I can't cure my prostatitis for years. I plan another rT3 soon when I hit 75mcg T3. Thanks again.