Should I up my Erfa.

[sylus_911]

Should I up my Erfa.My last blood test taken last week was...t4 (8.7)-7.9 20.0 t3 (7.2) 4.0 6.6 tsh(3.28) 0.34 5.6.I am currently taken 75mcg of Erfa.I take 67 1/2 in the morning and 7 1/2 at 5 in the evening.Thanks

[shaws Administrator]

If you still feel symptomatic you can increase dose. As blood tests were invented and introduced alongside levothyroxine, when we add T3 to T4 or take T3 alone or NDT (i.e. Erfa) etc the blood results don't correlate as they contain more than one thyroid hormone. Whereas levo is T4 alone. The following may be helpful:-

naturalthyroidsolutions.com...

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

Sylus911

How do you feel?

With an over range FT3 and barely in range FT4, even though taking NDT tends to lower FT4, that might not be the right balance of hormones for you. As NDT tends to lower TSH as well, even suppress it, and yours is quite high in range, maybe NDT isn't the right replacement for you and you might do better on a combination of Levo and T3 where you can tweak the ratios to suit.

[sylus_911 in reply to SeasideSusie]

Hi seaside susie,I was beginning to wonder if I should try something else,I,ve been up and down for ages now possibly for over a year now I tend to feel ok for a few weeks then I'm back to feeling horrible.I lost my son in December so that has,nt helped.I think I will try the thyroxine and t3 but I will have a problem with the t3 as to where I would get it,my doctor is totally against it,my private endo only does the Erfa,so any suggestions.thanks for your reply.

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to sylus_911]

I'm so sorry to hear about your son.

NDT didn't do it for me when I tried it about 20 years ago. More recently, after years of being unwell on just Levo, through private testing I discovered conversion wasn't particularly good and nutrient deficiencies. I now have good nutrient levels and have been on Levo plus T3 for 3 years, lots of tweaking to find the right ratio but seem to have got there in the end.

Looking at your profile, it seems as though you were prescribed T3 a couple of years ago. What happened?

If you make a new thread asking for recommendations of sources of T3, members will hopefully respond. We can't discuss suppliers on the open forum so we have to close those posts to replies and ask members to send any information in a private message. I'd also put some background information in your post, members re more likely to share their source when they have some information about your thyroid journey.

[sylus_911 in reply to SeasideSusie]

I seemed to be fine at first on Erfa,but over the weeks and months my levels have been all over the place.I,ve tried either taking less or a bit more,usually giving it 6 weeks apart but still no joy.At first I was taking the whole lot in the morning but then started to feel horrible the next morning so I decided to split it,take a bit around 5 in the evening,I just don't know what else I can do,I feel so fed up.So perhaps I,lk try the thyroxine and t3.Thanks for your reply.

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to sylus_911]

2 years ago you said your endo had prescribed T3 to go with your Levo

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu.....

What happened, why are you now on Erfa?

A year ago your B12, folate, Vit D and ferritin weren't optimal, in fact your ferritin went down to 33 which is really low.

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

What are your current levels?

[sylus_911 in reply to SeasideSusie]

Hi,no I was on thyroxine but my first nsh endo would,nt precribe t3.I had to have a private blood test that revealed all not converting t4/t3 vitamins etc...he did,not tell me I had to find it out on my own.Thats when I found the private endo and he put me on Erfa.I knew my iron was low but my go would,nt prescribe me,so I was buying it myself until I saw another doctor as my doc was,not there that day and he prescribed me Ferrous Fumerate 210mg and they were working my iron came up to 44.But then my doctor stopped them and basically told me to go back and see my endo he did,nt want any dealings with my condition because he did,nt understand it.Which means everytime I need a blood test I,ve got to go through my endo,who is 25 miles away,I don't drive.Its been a nightmare and still is.I feel some days I just cant do this anymore.

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to sylus_911]

no I was on thyroxine but my first nsh endo would,nt precribe t3.

Well, I'm confused. That first link, you posted

"I'm happy to say I,ve now been prescribed T3.Im assuming I take the Thyroxin and t3 together as I forgot to ask Endo."

and the second one you said

"my Endo put me on 30mg of t3 and reduced my thyroxine to 50mcg,.I was originally on 100mcg only.This was in August,never felt better after nearly 2years of feeling awful"

Many of us have to do private tests when our doctors wont test for certain things, and we also have to buy our own supplements because we fall outside the level where the NHS will prescribe them. We Hypos need optimal nutrient levels and it's up to us to make sure we attain them and then maintain them, usually at our own expense because doctors just don't "do" nutrients and don't recognise "optimal", they only recognise somewhere "in range".

[sylus_911 in reply to SeasideSusie]

Sorry,at first when i was prescribed Erfa i was confused.I thought it was just t3 and yes i was taking thyroxine with it until my doctor said I should stop taking the thyroxine because my tsh was to low..Sorry it's been a while I,ve just been through all my posts.There have been times when I've felt very well but unfortunately been short lived.I was never ever told I had Hashimotos it was,nt until I had yet another private blood test done that it revealed my auto immune was high and tpo.

[sylus_911 in reply to sylus_911]

Thank you for your help.Just one more thing,when I have a blood test do I take my meds before or after?I,ve seen on here that they say to take it after,yet my endo said before.