T4 with T3?

[infomaniac]

I have been on 100mcg T4 and 18.75 T3 for a while now but I've been trying to increase T3/decrease T4 . Last night I realised that instead of taking 3/4 of a tablet of 100mcg T4 I have actually been taking 3/4 of a 25mcg! I've only got one tablet left so have obviously been on 25mcg for a month which is a pretty big drop. I don't seem to have suffered so it's left me wondering exactly why people take T4 with T3? I'm currently now on 18.75 of both T3 and T4...I can hardly believe it!

[Hidden]

It depends on whom you ask. Some people, like me, need a certain amount of T4 along with T3. If my FT4 levels drop below range, I feel worse, even if I am also getting quite a lot of T3 (I take NDT). Some people, however, do great on T3 only, others on T4 only. There really is no way of telling why that is, except that we are all different.

You may be one of the people who need very little or no T4 and do fine on T3 only. The most important thing is how you feel.

Just out of curiosity: what prompted you to decrease T4 in the first place?

[infomaniac in reply to Hidden]

Mainly because I never felt well on T4. Just lately I have tentatively admitted to myself that I'm not actually feeling too bad (for the first time in ages) so maybe the drastically reduced T4 is the reason? I'm pretty chuffed actually as in the past any changes I've made have been tiny and done really slowly so to have no adverse effects after dropping more than 75mcg of T4 in one go is amazing!

[Hidden in reply to infomaniac]

I guess the only way to tell is to keep track of how you're doing. If you continue to feel better without T4, that probably means you do better on T3 only. No need to take T4 if it does nothing for you!

[hipolion in reply to Hidden]

Interesting information, I'm on ndt too and I don't know how to rise my ft4(it's below to range) over the range. I tried to add some levo but I feel worse.

[Hidden in reply to hipolion]

Do you feel bad with below range FT4? Not everyone does. If you felt worse when adding levo to NDT, maybe you don't need your FT4 to be any higher?

[hipolion in reply to Hidden]

Yes I feel bad(dry hair, cold fingers, hoarse voice, etc) . My ft4 it's 11,9 (12-22) and for the moment I can't increase my 3,5 grains Thai -Thiroyd ndt dose. Have been on this dose for about 2 weeks. I went up from 3.1/4 gr.

[Hidden in reply to hipolion]

It's a bit strange if that is caused by your low FT4 levels as I would have assumed you'd feel better when levo was added...are you sure you don't need more T3? Have you had your FT3 levels tested recently?

[hipolion in reply to Hidden]

My ft3 is 5,6(3,2-6,8). If I add levo my bad symptoms disappear but I can't sleep, I'm agitated, brain fog, etc.... I tried to lower the ndt dose from 3,5 gr to 3 gr and I added 25mcg of levo but after about 2 weeks, booom-insomnia, anxiety, races thoughts, etc. I think that two cannot be combined .

[Hidden in reply to hipolion]

Well, your FT3 levels are well in range so you don't seem overmedicated. Have you tried raising your NDT a little instead of adding pure T4...you may need your FT3 levels a little higher.

[hipolion in reply to Hidden]

Yes I tried raising to 4 grains but I felt overmedicated. Maybe I need more time on 3,5 dose, let's say 6 weeks.

[shaws Administrator in reply to hipolion]

If you're on NDT, it contains T4, T3, T2, T1 and calcitonin.

Blood tests were introduced along with levothyroxine (T4 only), so results don't correlate when we take NDT or add T3 to T4. The emphasis on dose is how 'we feel' on a particular dose - the aim being that we relieve symptoms and feel well. The following link is by an Adviser to TUK (before his early death) and he only took one blood test for the initial diagnosis and thereafter it was small increases of NDT or T3 (never would he prescribe levo).

naturalthyroidsolutions.com...

[infomaniac in reply to shaws]

Shaws you are on T3 only aren't you? What made you drop the T4 altogether?

[shaws Administrator in reply to infomaniac]

We're supposed to be pain-free symptom-free on a dose that suits. I had never heard the word hypothyroidism or it didn't mean anything if I heard it.

I will guess I may have some sort of resistance to T4 as I was worse and had more awful symptoms on it than before I diagnosed myself when TSH was 100.

Doctor phoned me the week before to tell me that I wasn't to worry as he'd done 23 blood tests and all were fine. At my consultation I told him there was something seriously wrong with me that I would have to get a 'private whoe body scan'. He reasurred me and he'd get all the blood tests necessary.

On being told all tests were fine I cried as I had been feeling awful for months and months. But it was a good job I had already requested another blood test form a week earlier for 'thyroid which was was an unknown word to me' and suggested by a First Aider when I had to have assistance at the airport. I went straight to the blood test dept. at 8 a.m. Was phoned by another doctor in the surgery one hour after blood test who asked 'who gave you a blood test form' I said "I did". She said come and get a prescription you have hypothyroidism. I had to get husband to collect it as I was bedridden. Beside the above printed test result for TSH - it stated "gp comment - No Action Required.

Another page then opened when I began levothyroxine. By the way, when I looked at copy of blood test male GP took i.e.23 tests taken it stated 95.61 for TSH and beside the result it stated "gp comment - no action required'

[hipolion in reply to shaws]

Now I wait for it to washout the levo from my body and then I will try to raise again or add some T3.

[shaws Administrator in reply to hipolion]

Scientists have proven that many recover on a T4/T3 combination of 3:1 or 4:1.

[infomaniac in reply to shaws]

I don't really understand why T4 is needed with T3...I just do it because most others seem to!

[LindaC]

Happy it's working for you.