I just left the endo and he said my T3 was 10! The highest is meant to be 6 he said. Didn't get a copy of the blood results yet. However I was taking 2 x 20 tabs of T3 a day, now he wants to try combination therapy of 75 levo and 2 x 10 of T3 spilt over two doses. My T4 is not optimal and I'm finding it difficult to lose weight. He said it may be because my thyroid is not optimal.
I was on levo to begin with but looked like I had a problem converting then nature thyroid then T3....now it's to high! But my thyroid is still not optimal. Just really trying to understand how it will help to get optimal with less t3 plus levo??? Any thoughts on what is happening? Also had lots of anxiety he said because my t3 is too high and it's not good for the heart!!
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Leyla123
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I have hashimoto's have not got blood test copies yet...this is the first time this has happened though. I will look at my blood test taken a few months ago on the same dose.
OK, so if your blood test taken on the same dose two months ago has the FT3 in a reasonably place, then this sudden rise is nothing to do with your dose of T3, it's to do with your Hashi's, and I would just ignore the endos advice, an leave off my T3 for a few days, while the levels go down naturally.
Surely if your FT3 had been that high two months ago, someone would have said something then, no?
Hi well I was seeing my endo privately but now seeing him on the NHS. The test before was done by my Dr. So not sure if they would have noticed? I will try and find the results later and see what it was then. Thank you.
OK, well that explains everything. That is why your FT3 is so high, because they were just testing the dose you just took. Not your normal circulating blood hormone level. But, I doubt your endo would even understand that. You could try and explain to him, but if I were, I certainly wouldn't take his advice on changing your dose so radically.
Did you leave a gap of 12 hours between dose of T3 and test? If not results will be skewed. I'd get another test through one of the recommended labs, to prove that you made a mistake by not getting the earliest appointment (we cannot do that if its a hospital appointment) and allow a gap of 12 hours between dose and test (this a patient-to-patient hint as I doubt doctors are aware of this fact). If you were having an early appointment I'd adjust dose to fit in with blood test. An early appointment helps keep the TSH at its highest as that is the main result doctors note.
Your doctor has got scared as he may think you may be developing hyPERthyroidism. That's not possible but of course we can take too much hormones and thus feel hyPer but still be hypO.
Did you allow a gap of 12 hours between your last dose of levo and the blood test? If not your results will be skewed and thus an adjustment we don't want.
I'd suggest you get a private test and I'll give you a link and when you get the results back you can communicate with the Endo and say these are the new results (whatever they are).
If you decide to do a test, make the appointment at the earliest, fasting (and allow a gap of 12 hours for T3 and if taking T4 it is 24 hours. Also make sure Vitamins/minerals are optimal, i.e. B12, Vit D, iron, ferritin and folate and ask GP to do these.
I actually did the test in the afternoon as I wanted them to test my sex hormones, but it looks like my thyroid was tested again, even though I told them not to test for that as I already had it done by mr Dr. So I think you may be right that the test is screwed up now!!
Having the test in the afternoon would only affect the TSH, it wouldn't have made a lot of difference to the FT3, but, had it made an effect it would have been to lower the FT3, not raise it. It's the length of time between the last dose of T3 and the blood draw that affects the FT3.
Presumably you left the correct gap between your last dose and the blood draw for that one? But, it does look like you're under-medicated.
How do you take your t3? Do you always take it on an empty stomach, leaving at least one hour before eating, etc. just like you would levo? Because it looks like you're not absorbing it very well. Your FT3 isn't even mid-range there, which is strange on T3 only.
I take the first dose at 7am at least an hour before food and the second one about 12.30pm leaving an hour at least before food. So I need to increase it?
It is a learning curve - I think we eventually know more than most of the professionals. Rather than relying upon 'blood tests' we learn to take note of our clinical symptoms and as they are relieved - with small increments in dose - we begin to feel well again. The following 'Safely Getting Well with Thyroid Hormones' might be helpful.
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