Hi all
Wonder if anyone has experienced palpitations on liothyronine? 5 weeks in - managed to get past the headaches, but the last 2 nights I have had awful palpitations- is this something that will go too if I persevere? Scarier than headaches!! Also taking 75mcg levo.
Your combined dose may be on the high side. I never got palps with T3 but had awful ones on levothyroxine.
What dose of T3 are you taking? 25mcg T3 is around 100mcg of T4 (in its effect).
I'm taking 10mg of t3 and 75mcg of levo, so I guess it could be high.... the reason I tried t3, was after being hyper on 150 levo, I tried 125, which was still too high, and have just not been right since. Also menopausal so am on HRT. I'd rather feel tired on t4 than have the racing heart!! X
I agree with your 'racing heart' which is very disturbing as we don't know what's going on. I lost count of the times I had to go to the A&E. Even the cardiologist was puzzled and was going to put an implant in my heartto 'see what was going on' but as soon as I began T3 they resolved and I never had another consultation with the cardiologist.
10mcg of T3 is roughly equivalent to 40mcg of levo so your combined dose isn't too high. I'd try reducing T4 first as it has a long half-life. Keep in mind that I'm not medically qualified and am only going by my own experiences. Or maybe take one anti-histamine tablet one hour before your next dose and if it resolves palpitations, you may have to
I think some people may be sensitive to the fillers/binders in their hormone replacements that causes palpitations.
This is an excerpt from a scientist who was an Adviser to thyroiduk before his untimely death.
"Cellular Resistance to Thyroid Hormone
A patient’s body may be under-regulated by thyroid hormone because her cells are partly resistant to the hormone. Patients who are hypometablic due to resistance to thyroid hormone are classified as having “partial peripheral cellular resistance to thyroid hormone.” These patients have “normal” laboratory thyroid hormone levels. In other words, they have normal amounts of thyroid hormone in their blood, but these normal amounts are not enough to overcome the resistance in their cells.Some patients’ thyroid hormone resistance is caused by mutations of the thyroid hormone receptor. Many other causes have been proposed, as I (JCL) detailed in The Metabolic Treatment of Fibromyalgia (pages 322-329).[1] The causes are debatable, but what isn’t debatable is that among patients with a diagnosis of fibromyalgia, the disorder is common.[161][162] Our clinical experience has also shown that the disorder is far from rare among otherhypometabolic patients.
nebula.wsimg.com/e0c9c9ed95...
Thanks for all the info - very useful... I will think about a new approach tomorrow (again!!) X
Just read things over calmly and then decide what you think is best. It is all trial and error initially if the dose we're on doesn't resolve our symptoms.
Yes thanks....I've had the best set of lab results since Xmas on this mixture, so was keen to stay on it, then the racing heart started 😡 I suppose I need to work out if it could be fillers, by trying a different brand of t3, or if it could be the t3 itself causing it, or the wrong dose of t3. (In all my 23 years on levo only I never had racing heart)
I think I will give it another week as I am and see if the palps subside.
Thank you
Ps - a related question in case you know.... I hear some people take t3 only, so does that mean they don't have any FT4 ? How does that work - I know t4 should convert to t3, but it doesn't work the other way round does it? And what does their TSH look like?
😳trying to get my head round it all
When we're hypothyroid, the aim is to relieve all clinical symptoms and our health restored.
Blood test results are only a 'guide' and symptoms relief is the priority.
T4 (levothroxine) is an inactive hormone and has to convert to T3 (liothyronine) the Active Thyroid Hormone. We have millions of T3 receptor cells and heart and brain contain the most. Some cannot convert T4 into sufficient T3.
The priority - when we are hypothyroid - is to relieve all of our clinical symptoms - numbers don't really tell us much because if we took a blood test 5 times a day, we'd have different results each time.
A number of Research Teams have found that people need a T3/T4 combination to feel well.
Before levothyroxine was introduced, along with blood tests, we were all diagnosed upon our clinical symptoms alone and given NDT (natural dessicated thyroid hormones) made from animals' thyroid glands. There were no blood tests at all, and all emphasis was on relief of symptoms.
From the time NDT was introduced, we didn't die any longer from hypothyroidism as people did before 1892. The fact of the matter is that NDT was withdrawn a little while ago and that was due to untruthful statements made by the Association in order to get that withdrawn too. Some on this forum are well on this but for an Association to make statements which are untruthful just to get another thyroid hormone replacement withdrawn is shocking. That leaves us with levothyroxine alone and I, and many others cannot recover our health whatsoever.
thyroiduk.org/tuk/TUK_PDFs/...
The doctor/scientist who wrote the link above stated that it was due to corruption that levothyroxine overtook NDT. For three years he contacted them to ask why they hadn't responded to his question. They never did reply.
One pharmaceutical company gave the 'Association' £1 million US Dollars. I wonder why??? NDT contains T4,T3, T2, T1 and calcitonin and because it is made from animals' thyroid glands, it may be more conducive for many people who don't get relief from levothyroxine.
Try taking one antihistamine tablet one hour before your next dose. If you don't have a reaction, then you may be sensitive to the fillers/binders in the pill and will have to source a replacement (i.e. b another pharmaceutical company).
Hi there, thanks for more info. What does the antihistamine do exactly? By the way- the palps have not been back since Friday, just the odd flutter, so I will keep on my current dose! Interested on the single dose on empty stomach theory for t3.... I think I will try and swap to that - its a pain remembering at 2pm and I've always just eaten, so certainly not on empty tum!
Thanks
Hi Quaver, in my experience the palpitations stop once you’re optimal, but too high or too low a dose triggers palpitations. A stable dose distributed just right for you is the thing, albeit that reaching that is not necessarily easy. I’d try redistributing the current dose before changing the dose. I get palpitations on waking if it’s time for my next dose, as if my heart is prompting me to take Liothyronine. Have you tried taking a small amount of your current dose of Liothyronine at bedtime to see if you sleep better, just 5mcg is enough to dramatically improve my sleep, if taken at bedtime. Good luck
Hi there - it certainly is not easy!! I'm only on 10mg t3, (5 on waking and 5 at 2pm) I could split it even further, but I take progesterone at night time, so guess I need to stay clear of that for 4 hours.
Didn't get the palps last night, but have had the odd 'skipped beat' sensation today (all related I'm sure). I have had an ECG this year and it was fine.
Think I'll give it another week and see if it settles
How do you split your t3 then?
Thanks 😁
I take 20mcg split into three doses of 10, 5, and 5 at 6 am, 2pm and 10pm. I used to take it earlier but the bedtime dose is just perfect for me.
Your dose of T3 is very low, i.e. equal to around 60mcg levothyroxine.
You don't need to split your dose of T3 and I know some do but our stomach has to be empty. 20mcg of T3 is equal to around 80mcg of T4 (approx) but as T4 is inactive it has to convert to T3.
You are taking 20mcg and maybe consider trying one dose, in order to 'saturate' your T3 receptor cells. Once saturated and on an optimal dose of T3 sends out 'waves' which lasts between one to three days. Also stomach has to be empty and to find a 'window' can be a bit difficult if dose is split.
Read safely getting well on the following link and it was by a researcher/adviser to Thyroiduk.org.uk;
naturalthyroidsolutions.com...
I really need my T3 in that pattern, have tried most permutations! I take NDT also so taking 19mcg T3 in total at my morning dose, that’s enough for me to saturate receptors. I agree that there is a need for a good sized dose though.
Palpitations and headaches
Palpitations 
Heart palpitations and Hypo
Palpitations 
palpitations 
