Hello - I've been taking T3 for a few weeks now, starting off taking a quarter of a 25mcg tablet. My Endo reduced my Levo from 100mg to 75mg to coincide with the introduction of the T3. First day I felt great, then the next day I felt heavy and jittery. The jitters have worn off but it's still left me feeling heavy and tired. Yesterday I took half a tablet (12.5mg) and felt amazing and today I've gone back to feel heavy and tired.
Can anyone explain what is happening to me? Why do I feel amazing for one day then go back to feeling like crap? Will the heavy tired feeling go away the longer I take T3 or do I have to admit defeat?
Thanks for any advice.
Jo x
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jostafford0
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No idea Jo but guess you would really need to wait a good couple of months to see. And also have blood tests to see if the T3 raises etc. I’m early days on Tiromel and had a couple of days feeling jittery. I stopped meds for one day and the feeling hasn’t returned. The fact you feel good is a good sign. I’ve yet to notice any positive difference yet! I would keep going if I were you. I think it’ll take time...
Don't rush the increases and can certainly be a mix of better and worse all at same time!
At about 5-7 weeks after first starting T3 I wanted to chuck it in the bin....despite so many vast improvements.....you need to stick with it and it should settle.
You may be far better off splitting dose. 1/4 tablet waking and 1/4 tablet mid/late afternoon
Everyone is different, some find single dose works best. Many Hashimoto's patients need to split dose
Hold at just half a tablet per day (split or single dose) and get bloods retested after 6-8 weeks.
Recommended on here that all thyroid blood tests should ideally be done as early as possible in morning and before eating or drinking anything other than water .
Last dose of Levothyroxine 24 hours prior to blood test. (taking delayed dose immediately after blood draw).
This gives highest TSH, lowest FT4 and most consistent results. (Patient to patient tip, best not mentioned to GP or phlebotomist)
If/when also on T3, make sure to take last dose 8-12 hours prior to test, even if this means adjusting time or splitting of dose day before test
Your DIO2 gene test - are you homozygous or Heterozygous?
I have Heterozygous DIO2 gene and find splitting dose of T3 is essential
Levothyroxine was reduced from 125mcg to 100mcg
T3 - Started on 1/4 tablet twice day 7am and 3-4pm
First 3-4 days I actually took 1/8th tablet twice day (speck of dust) before increased to 1/4 twice day
8 weeks later, after blood test, dose T3 was increased to full tablet and further NO reduction in Levothyroxine
After much experimentation I find these timings work best for me.....but we are all individual
10mcg waking, 5mcg mid afternoon and 5mcg at bedtime
I also ended up slowly putting Levothyroxine back up to 125mcg after about 4-6 months, as FT4 dropped too low.
I had gone from being virtually immobile on just Levothyroxine to completely normal life...walking well over 10,000 steps everyday. Something that would have been utterly impossible on just Levothyroxine
More on my profile
I recommend wearing a Fitbit, or equivalent to record resting heart rate and activity levels
I had a similar experience with going from NDT to T3 then again from T3 to T3/T4 combined (still trialling this) I found with any change in my thyroid meds, my body needed a good few months to adjust to 'the new normal' With T3 some people need to increase slowly (this could be your case) for me it was the opposite, I can/could tolerate much higher doses as my uptake was really low, meaning that even if I took a high dose I wasn't able to metabolise and make use of all of it so less was getting to me on a cellular level. Unfortunately, there is no one size fits all solution, so its down to individual trial and error. This includes other supplements and medications/ time of day/ diet etc - there are so many variables. R xx
oh and I found I had to take a break from caffeine when I first started on T3 - as I mistook the jitters to be related to too much T3 but didn't have them again once I cut out the caffeine. Can now take my T3 at 5am have my coffee at 7am and have no ill side effects hurrah!
My endo advised me that it would take 6 months to a year until my body stabilised on T3 and we adjusted levels of it and levo.
Your body has to get used to getting the hormones again and using them. Your FT3 levels will not be stable yet ie if you do too much you will run out of oomph.
You also need to sort out your Ft4 levels. Some folks can cope with low FT4; others need it higher. However you can only adjust one thing at a time.
T3 should be increased slowly - a quarter of a tablet every 2 weeks. It is up to you to decide if you take it in 1, 2 or 3 doses.
Once you get to a whole tablet of T3 stop increasing. Wait 6 weeks and get bloods done.
Thank you for your replies - I am DIO2 gene Homozygous. I believe all my levels are optimal now, my vit D is 88 & B12 3 times over the recommended level (I self inject) and all other levels are good too. I also take magnesium at night, B vits, folate, liver cleanse tablets & fulvic acid elixir.
I didn't realise it took that long for the T3 to stablise as I thought it was quick acting. I've never had high levels of Free T3 so I guess my body is trying to cope with the new hormone. My head is much clearer than it has been for years and I'm able to write sentences without forgetting the words so I know it is working. I just never expected this heavy tired washed out feeling.
I'll get retested in 6 weeks time so I know where I am with everything.
For clarity, the gene that affects T4 to T3 conversion is called DIO2 - that is, three letters and a number. Not D102 - a letter and three numbers. Not DI02 - two letters and two numbers.
The name comes from the enzyme that this gene affects which is a deiodinase. It removes an iodine atom from a thyroid hormone molecule - it deiodinates it.
On this forum we probably understand, but if you wish to look it up anywhere, it might help to get it right. If you are discussing with a doctor, and get it wrong, you are providing an excuse for them to dismiss what you say.
(More strictly, two single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) on the DIO2 gene, rs225014 and rs225015.)
Yes it’s definitely helped with my brain - my head is clearer & I can speak & write in sentences without forgetting the words. My head used to throb in a morning & be so foggy. I just hope the heaviness & tiredness lifts.
Doctor reduced T4 by slightly more than the amount of T3 you are taking, so unless your T4 was over range, you are probably slightly undermedicated and need a little more T3, but stick with it for a month and see what next lot of bloods show
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Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.
R xx
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