Why is my ft3 low when I take t3?

[JBLOVELL]

I will be seeing my gp today who unfortunately doesn’t seem to understand t3 very well and focuses on my tsh. Can someone please help me explain what I need (I have no idea myself)

I take 125mcg Levothyroxine and 25mcg t3 split into two doses. My first dose is with my levo first thing in the morning away from food, caffeine other meds etc and the other is an hour after lunch. I am constipated, feel the cold, achy, exhausted, anxious and depressed. I am experiencing suicidal thoughts because I can’t bare feeling like this anymore. Could someone please help? Xx

T3 3.03 range 3.1-6.8

T4 17.4 range 12-22

Tsh 0.616 range 0.27-4.2

[HashiFedUp]

Maybe see another doctor who does understand. Is that possible perhaps??

[McPammy]

Gosh your T3 seems low if you are on 25mcg daily. But your TSH is good? I’m a little confused as with your T3 being low and T4 ok you’d think you’re TSH would be higher calling for more T3

What brand are you on. How do you source it.

When I explained it to my GP who also doesn’t understand T3. I told him that T4 Levothyroxine sits in your body waiting to be converted to active T3. T3 is the only hormone that is used for energy and well being. Without T3 one is seriously compromised. If you are a poor converter of T4 to T3 then you will definitely be struggling and need extra help with supplying your body with T3 medication.

I had the DIO2 gene test recently and it was positive. Maybe just maybe you have a gene fault too. You could get this test done through Rengenerus Laboratories to check.

[Treepie]

Maybe change your post to e.g. “Why is my FT3 so low when I am taking T3? “

May get more notice.Sorry I cannot help.

[SilverAvocado]

JBLOVELL, T3, like all thyroid hormone, needs to be tailored to the optimal dose for you. Just taking T3 is not a guarantee in itself that freeT3 will be good, you need to continuously adjust the dose until your freeT3 is high in range.

Everybody is different, so some people need higher doses and others can manage on low doses.

All you need to do is to keep adjusting the dose. You could add an extra quarter tablet of T3 to your daily dose, 6.25mcg. I tend to go pretty slowly so I would retest in 6 weeks and then adjust again. You may need a handful of increases to get your freeT3 high in range.

[ThyroidalLinda in reply to SilverAvocado]

It can take 3 months for the original dose to get fully into your system.. don't increase too quickly.. reverse t3 should be tested but isn't by endocrinologists.. big jigsaw piece missing there!

Familiarise yourself with over active thyroid too as has many cross over symptoms such as fatigue..

Tsh ranges are based on poorly people who feel a bit better.. not optimal..

Tsh to be accurate should be tested every 1/5/10 years in the general population to find the proper well ranges.. many people think these symptoms are due to age as it can change so slowly.

Always get

Free t3 and Free t4

And check antibodies x3

Docs will only test TSH..

Your pituitary gland may be signaling fine.. your feed back loop of reverse t3 might not.. why don't they test it to get the full picture...

I've gone from feeling 60 (actual age 42) to feeling 30 again.. back to karate and living again.. not just surviving.

Anxiety, panic, sloppy stools, ocd, stress, suicidal thoughts tired late eve 6pm/7pm, insomnia can mean over-active thyroid...

Depression, tiredness in afternoon 1pm-3pm ish or longer, dry skin on hands, constipation, lethargy, low libido, etc can all be underactive thyroid.

You may swing high and low and only have one or two symptoms an hour/day/week/month...

Hashimotos. Some more extreme swings than others.