Hi everyone, further to my (rather long-winded!) post yesterday (below), I've just got my latest results, which I've attached. I'm no expert but I'm guessing my FT3 range does suggest I am currently over-medicating? Thanks in advance!
Hello lovely people, I went to see an NHS endo yesterday and he's just called with the results and echoed what I was told by a gyne a few weeks ago - that I may be overmedicating and he's told me to stop taking T3.
I'm currently on 125mg Levothoryxine and 12.5mg of Cytomel.
I'm 45 and have Hashimoto's. I've felt 'under the weather' for as long as I can remember, but for the the last 18 months I've had nausea, sickness, fatigue, aching limbs, sinus problems, dizziness and depression/anxiety. I am single and self-employed and some days I'm so exhausted I'm unable to work, which is very worrying. I can be okay-ish one day, and then barely able to get out of bed the next. I also have flare ups of symptoms that last for around two weeks.
My doctor suspects I may have Addison's Disease based to two low results from previous cortisol tests, and I'm having another blood test next week. However, I am currently on 100mg oestrogen patches, which I have been told will push my cortisol level up, so I'm concerned it won't be an accurate reading.
I did raise this with the endo who told me 'not to worry about it'. He's also told me that if the reading comes back as normal he will draw a line under my symptoms being endocrine-based and discharge me. When I went to see Dr Peatfield he said my adrenals weren't working as they should be, and when I had a private blood test last year my DHEA was low, so it sounds like my adrenals are struggling. But if the result comes back as 'in range' I feel like I'll be back to square one.
Obviously I'm worried that stopping the T3 could make me feel worse, so I'm really conflicted. I can't afford to go privately again so I feel a bit stuck, and any advice would be greatly appreciated!
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Jojozo
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"Stopping" taking T3 just like that is absolutely wrong. Yes your FT3 is too high indicating you are taking too much T3. But the only sensible way forward is to slowly lower your T3 dose till the FT3 enters into the reference range. Sudden changes like that you were given to do gives huge shocks to the system which will make you feel worse. Slowly and carefully does it, always.
Thanks so much. Instinctively it doesn’t feel right to stop it completely so it’s great to get that confirmation. The endo did the test after I’d been to see him, at around 2.30pm. I’d eaten and drunk (I’d had a coffee just before the test, if that’s relevant!), and taken my usual meds at around 10am that morning because I wasn’t expecting them to do a test there and then.
I had a test done fairly recently and it was negative but I still think it would be beneficial. I’ve had gut issues for a while and it certainly won’t hurt!
And when you were tested for coeliac, did they also test whether you were IG(A) deficient? If you are AND you are coeliac, your test result will always be a (false) negative.
Flagging because my son has had two coeliac tests over the years but only now that we know he is IG(A) deficient do I realise that the standard coeliac tests don’t work for all.
I imagine that TPO is high - please, always put the ranges. So, if it's high, you have Hashi's. And, that will cause your results to jump around. So, that high FT3 doesn't necessarily have anything to do with your dose of T3.
Your FT4 is also high considering you take T3, so I would imagine that what happened was you did the tests on the tail end of a Hashi's 'hyper' swing. The levels will come down by themselves, so I wouldn't stop the T3, if I were you. Maybe just reduce it by 6.25 mcg and see what happens next test.
Thank you so much. Apologies, the TPO reference range is <= 34 IU/mL and the TG is <= 40 IU/mL. Those were done a year ago privately. I don’t think I’ve ever had them done on the NHS.
Yes, and no. No one’s ever spoken to me about it, apart from someone I saw privately. All they ever do is try and get me off the T3. I did come off it once a few years ago on their advice but I didn’t feel good.
Ignore them, then, they're ignorant and obviously don't know anything about Hashi's - not many people do. If you need the T3, you need the T3, and that's an end to it.
You could try explaining to them about the Hashi's swings, but it would probably fall on deaf ears - they just don't want to know because it would make life too complicated for them. But, next time someone suggests coming off T3, do mention that you have Hashi's, and Hashi's people are more likely to be poor converters.
Brilliant, thank you. If I’m being honest, I have zero faith in the endo I’m seeing. I may be proved wrong but he said exactly the same thing last time I saw him several years ago (he even made the same joke) so I don’t think I’ll get anywhere. He takes a very simplistic view of things.
My advice would be stop eating gluten and dairy for 6 months. You have what they call and autoimmune disease Hashimoto's. You have to fix your gut first and foremost. Your best option is to stop eating gluten and dairy for the next 6 months. This has helped me tremendously not only have I lost weight but I stopped taking my medication because medication T3 liothyronine T4 levothyroxine is basically a Band-Aid. Start eating a well-balanced diet possibly the Paleo Diet eating a lot of colored vegetables and fruits. If you smoke stop smoking if you drink stop drinking. You will see a big change in your life and you will start healing yourself
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