I started T3 8 weeks ago, initially 3 times a day but then changed to twice a day (8am and 8pm) as it seemed to be affecting my sleep. When I sleep ok, I don’t go to sleep until 3am and wake at 11.30am. Endo advised 15mcg but when I take that I get very interrupted sleep so I am currently taking 12.5 mcg, 7.5mcg in morning and 5 at night. I have tried moving second dose to earlier in day and much later in day but doesn’t seem to help. When I dropped T3 by 2.5mcg I slept well but then day after I tried taking the second dose at 4pm I felt good in the day but really sick and headachy next day!
I think the problem may be my adrenals. I have many typical symptoms of low cortisol so want to check this out so I can start CT3 method if necessary. However, if I do the regenerus saliva test I won’t get the results back until early to mid Jan because of holidays.
I see medichecks do a similar test, which I could get back quicker. Would this be enough to check cortisol levels? Or would it cause massive problems if I tried the CT3 method before getting the results just to see if this helps?
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Agapanthus1
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Regenerus definitely is superior to Medichecks. Have a look at my last post to see the results layout. I also did a Medichecks one some time before that (also in a post). So you can compare.
CT3M, I believe, fixes low cortisol. So if you have high cortisol and did this, them, I believe, it would make it worse. That said, and I’m not a doctor, sounds like you have low cortisol. Same thing happened to me. Taking T3 during the day wears out when the body is needing to make the cortisol, so cant. Then sleep problems happen.
I posted my saliva cortisol results and PR advised me to start on 10 mcg 4 hrs before I wake up, so that’s 3am for me. He told me this because my cortisol was so low. Normally, you start with 10 mcg 1.5 hrs before waking up. Then increase the dose, then shift by half an hour earlier if you need to make more cortisol. So, you end up with your dose and timing that suits you. It’s worth finding out how to do this.
So, until you get your cortisol results, you could try taking some of your day time dose 1.5 hrs before your wake time. And see if it improves things for you?
Hey 👋 and thanks. When you say to take a dose 1.5 hrs before waking up, does this mean the time I am waking up now? So for me, at the moment, it is 11.30am? And if this shifts, (hopefully, I will get into a better pattern!!) do you readjust to an hour and a half before that time?
If the medichecks test highlights low cortisol then maybe that would be enough for the moment? Also, do you take the first sample 30 mins after waking (no matter what time)? Do you need a lot of saliva as I tend to have slightly dry mouth in the morning?!
One final question- how did you contact Paul Robinson because I am slightly jealous lol!!😂
Hi 😀 To answer your last question, he has a Facebook group called ‘The Thyroid Patient’s Manual’. You have to request to join it, and then accept the groups rules for posting too. But it is very helpful info in that group. Lots of questions being asked about adrenals.
If you are genuinely asleep until 11, then I would think you could start taking 10 mcg out of your day allowance at 9:30am. And go from there. It’s a difficult question. I’m a newbie at this and only just stated T3 myself 😀
Not sure about what to say re your morning saliva test. 11am is so close to midday. I guess just do your best. Maybe others have useful thoughts?
This morning I had a load of blood tests to do before 9am. So I had to adjust my last T3 dose. I took it just before going to sleep instead of at 3am. I did not sleep well. I woke up at 4am with a massive headache.
I see medichecks do a similar test, which I could get back quicker. Would this be enough to check cortisol levels?
No, no, no. Don't do the Medichecks test, wait and do the Regenerus one. It may not take that long. My two most recent Regenerus results have been back within a week but I don't know how the Christmas holiday will affect the turnaround time now because the lab will probably be closed for a few days.
Medichecks only test cortisol and don't include DHEA which is important. Regenerus test both.
Medichecks have some of their reference ranges with zero as the low limit. As ranges are based on healthy people, if anyone really did have zero as their cortisol level they would be very far from healthy.
Medichecks bedtime range is 0-2, if your result is less than 1.5 they don't give a result, they just record it as <1.5 which is useless. The bedtime result should be the lowest of the day, near the bottom of the range. When it's recorded as <1.5 you have no idea if it's 0.1 or 1.4 or anywhere inbetween, there is as vast difference and you need to know exactly where your level lies.
Regenerus give the results numerically and plot them on a graph as well, as you can see from Suztango's post here:
so you can see at a glance whether your levels follow the normal curve and, if not, you can see where the problem lies. Medichecks don't include a graph.
Here is Suztango's Medichecks cortisol test results for comparison, it's nowhere near as clear or as good a test as Regenerus:
Thanks SS, that’s definitely a no for medichecks then. Very useful to know. I called regenerus today and that was what they said about time for results.
I am a bit confused about the sample timings- if I wake at 11.30am and do the first test 30mins later, at what times do I do the next 3 samples?
You would have to ask Regenerus about timings in your situation. I always do mine according to their instruction leaflet as my wake time would be usually around 8am, sometimes earlier, sometimes later (although I don't get up then).
I did ask but the call handler I spoke to just said do it at normal waking time, before normal lunchtime etc. Mine are all over the place at the minute!! I will call again and see if I can get more clarity. Thanks again.
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