Latest results - why would T3 drop?

[Murphysmum]

As above...

This explains some of my symptoms - I think!

In the past I have suffered from head and neck pressure which, with hindsight could have been low thyroid hormone. My T3 was 6.5 at last test a month ago. T4 is the same as before.

As I’ve posted recently, I’m feeling fab now, motivation is great, energy great, other symptoms like stiff neck, tinnitus all gone. However, for the last week or so I’ve been going these spells of pressure in my head. I can also feel skipped beats from time to time.

My HR and BP don’t change during these spells but they’re quite worrisome. I’ve had an ecg and electrocardiogram before, last year, and all was well.

Vits n mins are good but ferritin could be improved and I’m working on that.

Bloods were done first thing, fasting with no levo the night before and last dose of T3 taken at 9pm. I take 125mcg levo and 10mcg T3/day.

Any advice?

[janey1234]

I too have had the head pressure before, used to be put it down to anxiety / stress at the time as it seemed coincidental to what was going on at the time, but now I wonder if it's a perimenopausal thing. It was quite scary, like a pressure from within trying to get out...no headache...like I might explode.

Fingers crossed / touch wood, not happened recently.

Sorry I can't comment on your results...not qualified enough 🙂

[Aurealis]

I think we tend to assume that because test results are quoted to one decimal place that they are accurate to one decimal place. In my experience they’re not, there will always be a confidence interval on any test, a margin of error and the result quoted is probably in the middle. It’s always worth having another test on the same dose, taken at the same time of day, preferably early morning after not taking any hormone for at least 12 hours.

[Murphysmum in reply to Aurealis]

But this is my second test at the same dose....

Sorry I didn’t make that clear but as I started to get symptoms I decided to retest. All conditions are the same, granted there may be around a 15 minute variation in the timing of my last T3 dose but that’s all

[Aurealis in reply to Murphysmum]

Sorry, I didn’t read your post carefully enough. 4.99 and 6.5 are the fT3 results on two separate occasions on the same dose? Both are in range. You’re feeling well.

So it’s just the head pressure worry. I have had that but I don’t know what causes it although mine disappeared over time. I wouldn’t change dose as you feel well, but you never know, you may start to feel better if you rearrange dose a little within the day.

Do you sleep well?

I seem to do better taking T3 last thing before sleep.

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Perhaps time to add third 5mcg dose at bedtime

[Murphysmum]

Hmmm, am I best to move doses around first or add in an extra dose? What do we think SlowDragon snd Aurealis ?

What are my options regarding timings?

At the moment I take 5mcg as soon as I wake up (so could be anytime between 530-7am but always at least an hour before food), another dose at 4pm and 125mcg levo at bedtime, so circa 930pm onwards.

I’m willing to move any of them around if people think it’d help.... or add more in!

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Murphysmum]

I personally find the third dose at bedtime really improved sleep

I take T3 at 7am, 3pm and 11pm (8 hour gap between doses)

Currently experimenting with splitting Levothyroxine too. Taking 100mcg at 11pm and 25mcg at 7am

Previously took whole 125mcg at 11pm

[Murphysmum in reply to SlowDragon]

Hmmm. I might try adding in a third dose then. There’s room in my results for it, yet last time it was top of range.

Could it be because I’m exercising more now? (Much more muscle/strength work)

[Aurealis in reply to Murphysmum]

I also sleep better by taking T3 at bedtime. You could be amazed how differently you feel just be rearranging the same dose differently. So I’d try that first before increasing dose. For instance, you could try moving your 4pm dose to bedtime.