High FT3 level and other results.

[lucylocks]

Hi

my daughter has just received her results from Blue Horizon and her FT3 is very high.

She was taking 75mcg. T3 but started taking Topiramate for her migraines, she read it can effect your thyroid so increased her T3 to 100mcg. She has not been feeling well (she is having marriage problems and she thought it was because of this) I purchased her a test when it was on offer at Blue Horizon.

She did the sample at 10.30am and left ten hours from her last dose of T3, which she takes all in one dose.

Results,

hs-CRP 8.07 <5

Ferritin 141 range 13 - 150

Magnesium 1.01 range 0.66 - 0.99

Cortisol 193.0 ( 6am - 10am 113 - 456) (4pm - 8pm 58 - 278) (midnight <64

TSH <0.005 range 0.27 - 4.20

Total T4 5.4 range 66 - 181

Free T4 0.5 range 12 - 22

Free T3 17.30 range 3.1 - 6.8

Anti- thyroidperoxidase <9 <34

Anti - thyroglobulin 11 <115

Vitamin D 119 range 50 - 175

Vitamin B12 863 deficient <145 Insufficient 145 - 300 consider reducing dose > 569

Folate was not analysed as blood partially haemolysed.

She also supplements with Vitamin B12 and Magnesium so maybe this is why her levels are high.

She obviously needs to reduce the T3 but what is the best way to do this please. Also could this be the cause why she feels so unwell. She is suffering from depression, anger, irritability, feels totally stress out and exhausted and cannot stop eating as she feels hungry all the time.

Any advice would be gratefully received.

Thank you.

[fuchsia-pink]

As you say. it's a lot of T3 and a result that is way over range.

My endo first put me on 40 mcg of T3, and halved this 6 weeks later (I suspect he'd made a mistake with the first dose) - and it wasn't good for me dropping that quickly. So slow and steady is likely to be better for her.

Does she take her lio all in one go, or more spread out? If all in one go, it may be worth doing half in the morning and half at night, and I'd then suggest dropping a quarter of a tablet for a week or so, then another quarter, and alternating the reduction between the morning and night doses, so that it's not too quick. Hopefully she'll find her "sweet spot" and then keep it stable for 6 - 8 weeks and re-test her levels. Good luck x

[lucylocks in reply to fuchsia-pink]

She does take it all in one go, thank you for your reply.

[greygoose]

If she's taking B12, does she also take a B complex (which she should be)?

If she's taking a B complex, did she stop it one week before the blood draw? If not, it could be that the biotin in the b complex has given her a false high FT3.

In what way does Topiramate affect the thyroid? And, does she even have a working thyroid to affect? Does it actually affect exogenous hormone? If not, there was no need to increase her T3 like that.

Did she increase by 25 mcg T3 in one go? If so, that could be what's making her ill! That's far too much to increase by, whatever the circumstances. It shouldn't be more than 6.25 mcg every two weeks - or even longer given how much she's taking now.

[lucylocks]

Thank you, did you reduce the T3 gradually ?

[lucylocks]

No, she said she does not take a B complex, I did once tell her she should take it along with the B12, but I have just asked and she said she had not been taking it, just been taking the B12.

She said the Topiramate makes the thyroid sluggish.

Yes I she did increase by 25mcg. in one go, I have told her and told her again that she must increase as you suggest but it seems to fall on deaf ears

Do you know GG how she should reduce the T3 ?

[greygoose in reply to lucylocks]

She said the Topiramate makes the thyroid sluggish.

OK, but she's on thyroid hormone replacement, so her thyroid won't be producing much in the way of thyroid hormone - if any. So, that doesn't really concern her. She should not have increased her T3 at all, let alone 25 mcg in one go. So, hardly surprising she's feeling bad.

How long has she been on that extra 25 mcg? It's it's not too long, she can just stop taking it. If it's been a couple of weeks, it might be better to reduce by 2.5 mcg every two weeks, to let her body down gently.

[lucylocks in reply to greygoose]

Thank you,

she has taken the extra 25mcg. for about a month so as you suggest should reduce slowly.

[greygoose in reply to lucylocks]

Yes, best if she reduces slowly. Her poor body has suffered enough!

[lucylocks in reply to greygoose]

Thank you.

[greygoose in reply to lucylocks]

You're welcome.

[lucylocks]

She is self medicating, as she felt awful on levothyroxine, not much better on NDT so went on T3 only.

She has actually put weight on, because she feels constantly hungry and cannot stop eating.

I have just read too much T3 can make you hungry.

Do you have a link to the info. re Topirimate slowing down the excretion liothyronine please.

Thank you.

[lucylocks]

Many thanks for the link.

Yes she is on anti depressants, does this have an effect on T3 ?

[lucylocks]

She has been on A.D's for quite a while but the vast appetite has been more recent.

I looked at the link you kindly provided but I when I put liothyronine in the search bar nothing comes up, not sure what I am doing wrong.

Hope you are keeping well.

[lucylocks]

Many thanks for doing that.

Does it mean the liothyronine is hanging about in the body and not doing any good, sorry for all questions just trying to get my heard around it.

[lucylocks]

Please do not apologise for your long response, I really do appreciate it and the fact you want help us unravel her health problems.

She is now going to reduce the T3 and then when she is hopefully more stable she will try and come off the Topirimate.

We will also do more frequent testing of her FT3 level and try and get to her "sweet spot"

She does supplement with B12 and her level is now over range, so I do not think it is B12 causing her migraines. It is good that it has helped you though.

I personally think her migraines are hormone related as she seems to either get them at ovulation or pre menstrually.

On reading more about Topirimate I think the side effects out weigh the actual benefits for some people.

Many thanks again for all your help and advice.

Best wishes and Stay Safe.

[momindenver]

I think most people who take LT3 dose it 2-4x/ day. But some of us feel better with 5x/d. It has a short half-life. Recording vital signs--temp, blood pressure, pulse-- in addition to a subjective feeling, is more accurate than blood tests for assessing the T3 dose. Paul Robinson has some excellent books about this. Best wishes!

[lucylocks in reply to momindenver]

Thank you, she first started multi doses it initially but then some members said they felt better when taking it all in one dose, so she tried it and carried on this way.

I will research Paul Robinsons books, thank you.

[lucylocks]

Thank you, yes I will keep you posted.

Best wishes.