T3 dose, Hydrocortisone!!

[Margimet]

I was taking 100 T4 + 10/10/10 T3. My free T3 has decreased. I changed the dose to 75 T4 + 15/10/10 T3.

I went to an endocrinologist and she said I developed secondary adrenal insufficiency because of Hydrocortisone! Also said that the doctor who prescribed Hydrocortisone only because of my low morning cortisol was wrong.

But she said that I could recover my adrenals without HC.

I lowered my dose to 50 (T4) and increased the dose to 20/15/10 (T3), because I noticed that the higher the T4 dose, lower my Free T3 is. But she emphasized that I doing Hydrocortisone weaning I can't increase the T3 dose.

I am very hypothyroid, low temperature, hair falling out too much, cold skin, very tired ...

This same endocrinologist said that I should not even take T3, I should take only T4!

So I don't know what to do, I don't know if I can trust her.

I want to use T3-ONLY, but she doesn't want to help me with my treatment.

I was taking 7+7 mg of hydrocortisone at 8am and 7 mg at 1pm.

Now I'm taking 5+5 at 8am and 5 at 1pm.

In Hydrocortisone weaning I really can't take a higher dose of T3?

[Hidden]

How much Hydrocortisone are you on? Do you know what your cortisol result was when you started taking it? Did the original Endo do tests that confirmed you were adrenal insufficient? You need to wean off HC very slowly reducing it by 2.5mgs every few days until you are off it. Good luck! I have secondary adrenal insufficiency from removal of a pituitary tumour.

[Margimet in reply to Hidden]

Since january I took 18mg of hydrocortisone.

In May an endocrinologist increased to 21mg. I started to have symptoms that I did not have...

Now another endocrinologist is helping me weaning off: I am using 15mg of Hydrocortisone.

My cortisol when doctor prescribed HC was 16.70 (range: 3.7 - 19.4). My ACTH was 26.2 (range: 7.2 - 63.3).

Now my ACTH is 9.2.

No, the doctor didn't do adrenal insufficiency tests, he just said I had adrenal fatigue.

Weaning off Hydrocortisone I can not increase my dose of T3?

[Hidden in reply to Margimet]

Oh my goodness! Your cortisol is well within range & as fora "doctor" prescribing it for adrenal fatigue - which isn't a recognised medical condition - he needs striking off! he has caused you more issues than helping you. Tests for adrenal insufficiency should have been carried out before you were started on Hydrocortisone, it should never be "just given"!! Good luck with weaning off, hopefully your adrenal glands haven't shut down totally due to his inappropriate treatment.

[greygoose]

Well, he was wrong to prescribe HC with that level of cortisol, but I doubt such a low dose take no later then 1 pm would shut down your adrenals. It's people that take it throughout the day when they don't need to that are in danger of shutting them down. I took a much higher dose than you, for about two years, and came off it with no problem. So, I wouldn't worry if I were you.

I'm afraid I don't know about the T3.