I have been taking 75mg Levo for 2 years and feel reasonably well. Main problem is tiredness in the afternoon and a few ‘down’ days. Wonder if I’m not converting very well. Currently in Greece on holiday and have read the report in Daily Mail about buying T3 over the counter here. Any advice on how much I should take and when?
Latest Medicheck results are here
TSH
0.27 - 4.2 Range
0.595
mIU/L
FREE T3
3.1 - 6.8 Range
4.36
pmol/L
FREE THYROXINE
12 - 22 Range
20.2
pmol/L
Many thanks
Donna
It's true, you don't convert very well. T3 could help.
To know how much you should take, just follow the rules for taking hormone: start low and increase slowly. So, reduce your levo by 25 mcg and take 1/4 pill T3. You can increase by 1/4 every two weeks until you reach 25 mcg, then hold for six weeks and retest.
For anyone wondering what the DM article said, you'll find it here:
dailymail.co.uk/health/arti...
Is it my imagination, or did the DM not slam T3, a short while ago, for being dangerous?
Previous post from year ago
healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...
After RAI it's likely you will need addition of small dose of T3
Really need vitamins tested FIRST .....extremely common for these to be very low when under treated
We need good vitamin levels for Levothyroxine and Liothyronine to be able to work well
Did you try gluten free diet to see if it would help lower TPO antibodies?
Being left on just 75mcg after RAI is a low dose
For full Thyroid evaluation you need TSH, FT4 and FT3 plus both TPO and TG thyroid antibodies tested. Also extremely important to test vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12
Low vitamin levels are extremely common, especially if Thyroid antibodies are raised or if under medicated
Recommended on here that all thyroid blood tests should ideally be done as early as possible in morning and fasting.This gives highest TSH, lowest FT4 and most consistent results. (Patient to patient tip, best not mentioned to GP or phlebotomist)
Last Levothyroxine dose should be 24 hours prior to test, (taking delayed dose immediately after blood draw).
If/when you are also on T3, make sure to take last dose 8-12 hours prior to test, even if this means adjusting time or splitting of dose day before test
Come back with new post once you get results and ranges. Members can advise on what vitamins need improving and how much T3 to start with, depending on Thyroid results
Many thanks for the info. I’ve ended up on 75 mg because at 100 mg I went hyper so that was too much. I haven’t tried gluten free but I have tested vitamins . Results are here
FOLATE - SERUM
3.89 - 26.8 R
4.03
ug/L
VITAMIN B12 - ACTIVE
37.5 - 188 R
66.9
pmol/L
VITAMIN D
50 - 175 R
92.1
nmol/L
FERRITIN
13 - 150 R
146
ug/L
THYROGLOBULIN ANTIBODIES
< 115 R
14.2
kU/L
THYROID PEROXIDASE ANTIBODIES
< 34 R
48.5
Thanks for your help
Like many with Graves' disease your Vitamin levels are low
B12 and folate work together
Folate is very low
Active B12 is below 70. GP should run full testing for Pernicious Anaemia before you consider starting any Vitamin B supplements
If GP will not test, and/or not prescribe B12 injections then Supplementing a good quality daily vitamin B complex, one with folate in not folic acid may be beneficial.
chriskresser.com/folate-vs-...
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. Certainly only start with one tablet per day after breakfast. Retesting levels in 6-8 weeks ).
Or Jarrow B-right is popular choice, but is large capsule
If you are taking vitamin B complex, or any supplements containing biotin, remember to stop these 7 days before any blood tests, as biotin can falsely affect test results
endo.confex.com/endo/2016en...
endocrinenews.endocrine.org...
If you have low B12 symptoms like tinnitus or pins and needles then you may need addition of sublingual B12 as well as vitamin B complex
Vitamin D is pretty good. Do you supplement?
TPO antibodies are slightly above range, because of your previous Graves' disease
You may find strictly gluten free diet reduces symptoms....might be worth trying
Trying gluten free diet for 3-6 months. If no noticeable improvement then reintroduce gluten and see if symptoms get worse
chriskresser.com/the-gluten...
amymyersmd.com/2018/04/3-re...
thyroidpharmacist.com/artic...
scdlifestyle.com/2014/08/th...
Thank you so much for your helpful comments. I will read carefully and action the ones I can!
Much sppreciated
I live in Crete and need a prescription for T3. You may be lucky and find some but keep the amount low as it was the greed of many in the past that curbed the amount of T3 available in the system for us all ...
Not sure I’ll get it here in any case. I’m in Cyprus by the way. Think an appointment with my endo is needed really!
Think they have clamped down in Greek Cyprus as stocks were coming from Turkey via Turkish Cyprus 😊 You should be able to have T3 prescribed as you are without a thyroid ... lots of advice on the forum for you. Enjoy your hols ...
There are UK endocrinologists who will prescribe T3
Private prescription enables access to cheap T3 from Germany
Roughly where in the UK are you based?
Email Dionne at Thyroid Uk for list of recommended thyroid specialists when you get home
I’m in St Albans. I did see a lovely endocrinologist when I was first diagnosed with Graves. I will make an appointment to see her first in case she will prescribe T3. Many Thanks for the advice.
Hello Dim,
In short, yes.
Buy the T3 over there, if you can, so you can come back and try it for yourself.
You don't need permission to try to get yourself better.
I am with Graves Disease post RAI ablation in 2005. and becoming increasing unwell some 5 years ago.
A fully functioning working thyroid would be supporting you on a daily basis with approximately 100 T4 + 10 T3. It just seems logical to me that if there has been a medical intervention and the thyroid either ablated or surgically removed, that both these vital hormones need to be on the patients prescription.
Some people get by on T4 - Levothyroxine alone, some people at some point in time simply stop converting the T4 into T3 and some people simple need both these essential hormones dosed and monitored independently to being them into balance and to a level of wellness acceptable to the patient.
Graves in an autoimmune disease and as such it's for life, it's in your blood, and your DNA.
The thyroid is not the cause of your illness but the victim of an attack by your antibodies. Removing the thyroid by surgery, or disabling it by ablation is not the answer to the problem but simply removes the symptoms expressed by a gland, the thyroid, going haywire.
The thyroid is a major gland so when it misfires, the symptoms experienced are, and can be considered life threatening and alarming.
Living without a thyroid comes with it's own set of problems especially if unable to get the necessary, relevant replacement hormones of T3 and T4.
The thyroid is responsible for full body synchronisation including your physical, mental, emotional, psychological and spiritual well being and if not optimally medicated you will experience many symptoms that can be thyroid related.
It is imperative that you are not monitored on TSH test results but on T3 + T4 bloods.
There are Graves anti bodies that can sit on the TSH giving a distorted blood result.
There are 3 books you might like to take a look at :-
Elaine Moore's - Graves Disease a Practical Guide - this lady has the disease and went through RAI. She found no help with her symptoms so wrote the book to help others.
There is now also a very comprehensive website, stateside, but a very useful reference and platform, much like this amazing site.
Barbara S Lougheed's - Tired Thyroid - another lady with the same health issues - this lady now also runs a blog.
Dr Barry Durrant Peatfield - Your Thyroid and How to keep it Healthy - an excellent read and reference book written by a doctor who has himself hypothyroidism. We may have now lost this wonderful little piece of " kit " so we need to compensate for all that it does and the implications of living well without a thyroid.
Pennyannie thank you so much! Really good to hear from someone else who’s had the RAI! I’ll be downloading Elaine Moore’s book right now for a start! I know about Graves’ disease itself but not so much about getting fully right after RAI. I think I’m almost there but T3 seems to be the way forward for me. I do my own blood tests through Medicheck because my GP only looks at TSH. To be honest the docs on Medicheck seem to interpret the results like GP’s. Anyway I’ll follow your advice and the other helpful ladies on this forum and see if I can improve!
Many Thanks again.
It's a massive learning curve, there is much to read, and reread, until it all sinks in.
The medicheck doctors, are simply doctors, working for " pin money " or whatever.
They will still spout the same dogma, please don't expect to rely on their knowledge.
So good luck with the Cyprus pharmacy excursions, whilst others will be on the beach, and the down loading the book.
Help please! T3 results etc
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