T3

[Soph43]

I've managed to get some t3 25mcg while abroad. I'm currently on 150mg levothyroxine. I'm not sure how to take t3 so any advice would be great. I cant get into see my gp for 5weeks to discuss it with her.

Thanks

[Marz]

What's your FT3 level at the moment ? & the FT4 ? I am only asking as it affects the response. Sometimes Levo needs to be lowered - sometimes not ..

[Soph43 in reply to Marz]

Marz I've managed to get an appointment today for bloods and discuss it with my gp

[Marz in reply to Soph43]

Does your GP understand T3 ? - so many seem clueless

Good Luck !

[Soph43 in reply to Marz]

Probably not. It's a doctor I've not spoke to before about it. And hes been there years. I'm hoping hes clued up

[Marz in reply to Soph43]

Well he may know T3 exists but his hands will be tied and he will have to follow the guidelines - thinking they are rules. 😴

[Marz in reply to Soph43]

How did your appointment go ?

[Soph43 in reply to Marz]

Well surprise surprise he doesn't know how to dose T3. But hes sent me for bloods and hes going to ring me in a few days when hes studied the dosing

[Laundretta in reply to Soph43]

Wow! He sounds amazing!

[Marz in reply to Soph43]

Is he testing the FT3 ? Sadly even if he requests the test - the labs often fail to carry them out if the TSH is in range. Fingers crossed !

[radd]

Soph43,

As you have previously medicated NDT your body should accept T3 ok but without test results you can not assess whether a Levo dose reduction is necessary or not ?

It can also be helpful in assessing conversion abilities in order to guesstimate final T3 dose amount. The ratio is either 3:1 or 4:1 depending on what you read. A common dose regime is 100mcg T4mcg + 20 T3mcg.

[Soph43 in reply to radd]

radd I've managed to get an appointment today to request bloods

[Heloise]

Soph, keep in mind that the half life of T4 is about two weeks so you will have T4 remaining in your system for more than a month. What is your objective? Are you eventually going to only T3 or a combination of T4 and T3?

[Soph43 in reply to Heloise]

Heloise I'm thinking a combination of both

[Heloise in reply to Soph43]

I looked back at your posts when dear Clutter was still here. Miss her. Were you actually taking 4 1/2 grains of Naturethroid?? That's a lot. I've taken Armour, Erfa, Naturethroid and two T3s and a combo of both. I know you were suggested to get your folate, ferritin and B12 in good ranges but some of us can't achieve that. You obviously are not converting the T4 but your T4 wasn't good either in the post. How are your adrenals? I'm slightly radical and could not raise my T levels without feeling hyper so I started slowly on T3 only along with adrenal cortex.

Your current 150 of T4 is way below 4 1/2 grain of NDT. How did that happen? But if you need to increase you could begin adding tiny amounts of T3. It's hard to divide the small tablet which makes it difficult but that would probably be a short period of time. I waited about four days before additions to feel results but this is very difficult to dictate to someone else. You may still be one of those that needs to be on T3 only. I've done it for years and in my best shape right now although still working on my microbiome. Listen to your body.

[Soph43 in reply to Heloise]

Thank you for your reply. When I first started on NDT a few years ago I did great. Then the shortage hit. When I finally got some naturethroid I couldn't get right with it. Felt dreadfully. So I went back on levo. Never got upto 4 1/2 grains I felt it was way to much as you say listen to your body. I'm currently on iron tablets and having b12 injections. I'm just sick of feeling tired hair falling out joints hurting. You know the list . I doubt my gp is going to agree as they are clueless but I need to do something. When my adrenals were tested I was told that they are ok. How much T3 do you take??? I dont have a thyroid. I'm a little worried about swapping to T3 only. Do you have your GP support??. How do I know how much T3 to take if I go with just that.

Thanks

[Heloise in reply to Soph43]

I have to leave in a moment so not time for a good answer. I didn't realize you had a thyroidectomy. You may need 75 mcgs. of T3. I take 50 but I may still have some function. I had to get over omitting any T4 but I don't see it as a problem any longer. No GP support. I use her only to get tests and half the time will not do an FT3. A 150 T4 is equal to about 37 mcgs T3.

[Margeau]

Sorry can’t help wouldn’t know what 13 is equal too why don’t you get a telephone appointment with the Dr or even the practice nurse

[Soph43 in reply to Margeau]

I've managed to get an appointment today

[Margeau in reply to Soph43]

Well done good luck

[Angel_of_the_North]

It's quite unlikely that your GP will know or be in favour. Your best bet is to post your current results for free T4, free t3 and TSH here. If you don't have recent results, get a private test done before changing any meds

[LAHs]

First get a blood test to measure your levels of FT3 and FT4 - post the results here. If you are taking 150 mcg Levo then you are taking enough to generate a reasonable amount of T3. If you are not, then measure your Vitamins D, B12, Folate, Ferritin and Selenium. If you are deficient in any of these then buy and take supplements, get them to levels in the upper half of the range. These are the vitamins and minerals which are essential for the conversion of T4 to T3. Do not take T3 unless your level is low, you will introduce other complications. However, should you be low on 150 mcg Levo after you have raised all of the afore mentioned vits and mins then you should have no problems converting to T3 only. Watch your blood pressure as you titrate the T3 up to the dose which makes you feel well.