So I've been taking t3 for a few days now and when I take it I feel high and shaky. I'm not sure what to do as I was feeling okay before starting it (no energy but could function) and as feeling okay is so rare for me I feel like I don't want to waste any more time adjusting doses, or working on something that I may or may not get right. Does anyone have any experience of this or any advice?
Thank you as always
Why did you start taking T3?
How much did you start on?
Did you reduce your levo at the same time?
How long after swallowing the pill do you start to feel 'high and shaky'?
What exactly do you mean by 'high'?
I have felt a lot worse on levo than i did before I got diagnosed a few years ago, even though I havent felt good for ten years after a virus. The last two weeks maybe though I have felt okay (as in able to get up and walk about without complete fatigue, but still no stamina to do anything). I think this might be the result of following the aip diet.
I have been fighting for t3 for years and finally got prescribed it recently.
I have reduced by levo by taking a quarter out of my 75mcg tablet, and have been taking 5mcg of t3 in the morning. I feel shaky and strange pretty much instantly and it then wears off within about an hour, and I feel back to how I did before.
By high I mean going more hyper, I think, shaking, lightheaded, on edge. Do you think I will get used to this or would you say I'm taking too much?
Thanks for your reply 
Impossible to say if you might be taking too much without seeing your lab test results. But, I think it highly unlikely that adding 5 mcg T3 to less than 75 mcg levo would make you over-medicated.
If it's an almost instant reaction, it can't be the T3 itself. It takes an hour to leave your stomach. It then has to pass from the gut to the blood, and then be transported through the blood to the individual cells. It then has to wait in front of the cell receptors for a while to get into the cell. So, it's not the T3, but it could possibly be the fillers in the pill. If I were you, I'd press on and see what happens.
Hi greygoose, can you explain why it’s thought that fillers could cause an effect straight away but not the T3. Surely both follow the same route into the bloodstream? Some take NDT sublingually, I can’t remember if this is a quicker route for T3 or not, do you know?
Not quite as long, no. The fillers don't have to get into the cells to irritate. They could very well irritate your stomach liner.
All thyroid hormone replacement tablets are designed to be swallowed. The hormone molecules are too large to pass through the skin under the tongue. Which means that the pill particles will hang around in the mouth until swallowed, anyway, and risk coming into contact with things like iron molecules that they will bind with, thus reducing absorption. We often see people on here taking their hormone sublingually, and their results don't correspond to their blood levels because of the poor absorption.
Sorry to jump on this post 😬
greygoose , I am finding that after around 21/2-3 hours after I take my T3 I’m getting really strong heartbeats, maybe a slight increase in rate but not much.
I also get a lot of head and neck pressure around this time.
I’m only on 5mcg 2x a day and I’ll do a medichecks test tomorrow but does this sound like too much T3?
Previous bloods a month ago showed T3 just below top of range and T4 around 18 (top of range 22)
21/2-3 Is that 21 hours, 22 hours, 23 hours? Is that after the first dose or the second? There wouldn't be much of that first dose left after 21 hours. I'm not sure I understand what you're saying. Could you clarify, please?
maybe 2.5 - 3 hours I think she probably means 😊 thank you for all of your help 😊
You're welcome.
😂 sorry, I really wasn’t thinking there! 2.5- 3hrs.
Seems worse with exertion too... then I get head pressure too 😉
OK, well, I don't really know. How long have you been on this dose? Did you start on 10 mcg or did you start with 5? Could very well be, as Aurealis says, that your body has been without decent levels for so long that it isn't used to it. It takes time to get used to it. Perhaps try 5 mcg for a while, and see if that's better. I doubt if 10 mcg would be too much in the long term. It's only a tiny dose.
I wonder if you’re sensitive to T3 because your body isn’t used to much being around. I’ve had a different experience to greygoose and have sometimes felt the effect of T3 within 20 minutes. But if you prefer life without it, why bother? It is very tricky to get just right.
I didn't say it was my experience. It's just fact. It takes a hell of a lot of everything to make me feel anything at all.
There are a lot of ‘facts’ out there and yet sometimes what’s written in books just doesn’t apply. Best to look at ‘facts’ and symtoms together. Could be the T3. Could be the fillers. Are the same fillers used in T4 as in T3? There are a lot of variables to consider for each individual.
I hope you can find out which one is your ‘variable’
Hey there, yes, it can happen, I am also sensitive to t3, it can take some time to get used to it. Sometimes it can be that your dose is too high, but this is why you need your bloods. I personally can only tolerate 2.5 mcg increase at any one time, I tried to take 5 mcg too soon and I thought I was going to have an anxiety attack. Few days later it was fine. And yes, other people feel nothing, I used the be that person - I was able to increase NDT to 4 grains with no side effects. But not anymore .We are all different
I totally agree with you . After being dosed for years with T4 only my endo at my request gave me 5mcg T3 . I had all the symptoms mentioned . Instead of palpitations I had surges and anxiety . Not a pleasant experience for me . I lowered my T4 and split my 5mcg T3 4 ways . It still didn't work well for me . I felt a T3 run out and headaches . I'm now on low dose NDT for my T3 mix with my T4 . It's a much smoother way for me to get my T3 . I know many that do Great on T3 and wouldn't have it any other way . It's an individual preference .
Interesting re t3 in different forms. I made a mistake of not lowering my dose of 150 mcg Levo and added first 2.5 mcg of t3, then raised to 5 and 7.5 afterwards and now I'm suffering with anxiety, feeling hot, my pulse went up to 72, feeling not great. Last two days lowered to 137.5 Levo. Might have to lower even more.
I would lower the T4 first for a few days before adding any T3 . T3 is 3.5 -4 times more potent than T4 . It depends by what your Dr goes by . Some can go as low as 2.5 - 4 . Depends on how one metabolizes the thyroid meds . I go by 3.5 and it works well for me . So for every T3 that I would like to add I reduce my T4 first by that much . For eg. If I want to add 5mcg T3 I would lower my T4 by 17.5-18 mcg T4 first . Keep testing with new tweaking's your FT3 FT4 TSH 4-6 weeks to see how your BW values are moving . And journal your symptoms along with it too .
That's right , my doctor advised me to lower to 125 mcg and to add slowly t3 every couple of weeks by 2.5 to 10 mcg eventually. He said that possibly I will need to lower it to 100 or more. So it's totally on me, I was afraid to lower from 150 as I felt like myself on 150 despite like lingering hypo symptoms.
It's great that you have a Dr that understands and *Listens * too . Your Dr is a *Keeper* . You might also want to try to split your T3 dose AM and in the afternoon . I also found what helps me was dosing in the AM with a smaller dose since my Cortisol levels are higher and in the after noon to dose with a bit larger dose since my Cortisol levels are lower . You will need to try what works best for you .
He truly is great! Thank you jgelliss x
This sounds like me jgelliss
I’m having not so much palpitations but “surges” as you say. These appear to happen towards the end of a four hour window after taking T3, or 2.5 -3 hours if I’m active - could that be right?
I feel much better generally on T3; I’m much more motivated, energetic and generally feel better but the last week or so I’m getting these surges, head pressure and anxiety.... like I’m over medicated.
I’ll send off bloods this week and see where I am but I can’t believe as gg says that my tiny 10mcg per day is causing this.
Hey Murphysmum, I generally feel like this when I'm overdosed. Some people only add up to 5 mcg to a higher dose of Levo and anything more can make them shaky. I know someone whose conversion got so much better that she had to reduce t3 to 2.5 and then to none. Good you're checking bloods
So how would your conversion “improve” then? Does the introduction of T3 kind of kick start the body again?
I felt so much better for around 3-4 weeks, I thought I was cured!! But then, as always, something goes wrong again. Bloods will help hopefully
I should add I’m only taking 125mcg levo and 10 mcg T3 per day 😉
I have no idea, she claims her thyroid function got better as her tsh recovered after being suppressed for some time. Some people say t3 helps conversion, some say it has no effect on it. I'm doing bloods tomorrow to see if that's the case. Don't get discouraged, we will get there. I'm in a pit now, but I know it will all work out.
I’ve just started my 3rd week on T3 just increased my dose as per Endocrinologist ( he wanted me to take 25mcg straight away, but I said I would start slowly so have been taking 1/4 twice a day, no bad side effects; just added another 1/4 and getting pins and needles in my face ,and tingly arms, I’m not due to see him till 9th June do I carry on or reduce dose back down? He will do bloods at my appointment.
Great Plan . It's important to remember to lower T4 first before adding any T3 .
Hi yes I’ve reduced my thyroxine from 100 to 75 so hopefully things will settle 😀
Sometimes it may be the brand of t3 you are reacting to. Personally I am only able to take one kind out of three options of t3 in UK without getting serious reactions.
Starting T3
t3 starting dose? 
Has anybody else felt worse on Armour?
Feeling unwell
Should I be feeling so unwell after starting Levothyroxine?
