Extreme fatigue on t3 only

[Kailey99]

Wondering if anyone else has experienced extreme fatigue on t3 only? I take 10 mcg 2 times a day and I either sleep or lay in bed all the time, I can't do anything. It's been getting worse since I increased my dose. Should I go off this medication ?

[greygoose]

When did you last have your FT3 tested? What was the result? Could just be that you're not taking enough. And, what about T4? Perhaps you need some T4 with your T3. I think we need more information before anybody would be able to tell you if you should stop the T3 or not.

[Kailey99 in reply to greygoose]

The last t3 was 3.6, TSH 7.3 and t4 11, I don't get references for them unfortunatley.

[greygoose in reply to Kailey99]

Do the results just come from your endo in a letter, with no ranges? That's one of their little tricks to keep patients in the dark. But, with a TSH that high, your FT3 has got to be low. You are very under-medicated. So, not surprising you're tired. Did you get an increase in dose after those results? When was that test done?

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

Kailey99

I didn't do well at all on T3 only, it just wasn't right for me. I need a reasonable amount of FT4 as well as FT3. But it's difficult to answer your question unless we see current results for full thyroid and vitamin testing. Can you post results for

TSH

FT4

FT3

Thyroid antibodies

Vit D

B12

Folate

Ferritin

[Kailey99 in reply to SeasideSusie]

TSH 7.3, T4 11, t3 3.6, antibodies over 1300 I have never gotten them down, I have not been tested for vitamin D for a long time, B12 342, Folate 24, Ferritin 323. I take vitamin D daily and I can't take syntetic t4 so that is why Im on t3 only atm, I might try nature throid but it's taking some time. I'm just asking if someone has experienced this to and if it resolved or how they resolved it.

[Bugbear123]

you may be taking too much Kailey. When I was on 20mg a day I felt the same. Just by reducing my dose by 2,5mg a day was like night and day. Keep reducing it by 1,25 per week to see what happens. When I was on too much I had very dry eyes and felt awful. Remember

overactive thyroid can make you very tired too!!!

[Kailey99 in reply to Bugbear123]

I'm just on 10 mcg and I cut that in two doses daily so 5 mcgx2 but then I suppose I should go for only 5 mcg a day

[Bugbear123 in reply to Kailey99]

You should be having regular blood checks while on T3 and as grey goose said the important result is FT3 which you don't have. You also need a reverse T3 result.

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Previous posts show you were on 125mcg levothyroxine 7 months ago

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

What were your thyroid results BEFORE starting on Metavive?

Most people on T3 take a very SMALL dose alongside Levothyroxine

But for levothyroxine, T3, Metavive or NDT to work you need to have GOOD Vitamin Levels

When were vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12 last tested?

What vitamin supplements are you currently taking?

Please add most recent results and ranges

Just 20mcg T3 is likely enough to completely suppress your own thyroid output so TSH at zero ......but is likely not enough without levothyroxine as well.

Some people can take T3 as single dose, others need it as split dose 2 or 3 times per day

You obviously need to test levels

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 third or half of daily dose 8-12 hours prior to test, even if this means adjusting time or splitting of dose day before test

Is this how you do your tests?

Private tests are available as NHS currently rarely tests Ft3 or thyroid antibodies or all relevant vitamins

List of private testing options

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/testin...

Medichecks Thyroid plus ultra vitamin

medichecks.com/products/thy...

Medichecks often have special offers, if order on Thursdays

Thriva Thyroid plus vitamins

thriva.co/tests/thyroid-test

Blue Horizon Thyroid Premium Gold includes vitamins

bluehorizonbloodtests.co.uk...

[SlowDragon Administrator]

High thyroid antibodies confirms autoimmune thyroid disease aka Hashimoto’s

Absolutely ESSENTIAL to regularly retest vitamin levels. All four need to be OPTIMAL

We need GOOD vitamin levels for levothyroxine or T3 to work

Clearly you are currently very under medicated. Likely to have very low vitamin levels

Hashimoto's frequently affects the gut and leads to low stomach acid and then low vitamin levels

Low vitamin levels affect Thyroid hormone working

Poor gut function can lead leaky gut (literally holes in gut wall) this can cause food intolerances. Most common by far is gluten intolerance. Second most common is lactose intolerance

According to Izabella Wentz the Thyroid Pharmacist approx 5% with Hashimoto's are coeliac, but over 80% find strictly gluten free diet reduces symptoms, sometimes significantly. Either due to gluten intolerance (no test available) or due to leaky gut and gluten causing molecular mimicry (see Amy Myers link)

Changing to a strictly gluten free diet may help reduce symptoms, help gut heal and slowly lower TPO antibodies

While still eating high gluten diet ask GP for coeliac blood test, or buy test online BEFORE trying strictly gluten free diet

Assuming test is negative you can immediately go on strictly gluten free diet

If coeliac test is positive you will need to remain on high gluten diet until endoscopy, with maximum 6 weeks wait, officially

Trying strictly gluten free diet for 3-6 months

If no noticeable improvement, reintroduce gluten and see if symptoms get worse

chriskresser.com/the-gluten...

amymyersmd.com/2018/04/3-re...

thyroidpharmacist.com/artic...

drknews.com/changing-your-d...

restartmed.com/hashimotos-g...

Non Coeliac Gluten sensitivity (NCGS) and autoimmune disease

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/296...

The predominance of Hashimoto thyroiditis represents an interesting finding, since it has been indirectly confirmed by an Italian study, showing that autoimmune thyroid disease is a risk factor for the evolution towards NCGS in a group of patients with minimal duodenal inflammation. On these bases, an autoimmune stigma in NCGS is strongly supported

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/300...

The obtained results suggest that the gluten-free diet may bring clinical benefits to women with autoimmune thyroid disease

nuclmed.gr/wp/wp-content/up...

In summary, whereas it is not yet clear whether a gluten free diet can prevent autoimmune diseases, it is worth mentioning that HT patients with or without CD benefit from a diet low in gluten as far as the progression and the potential disease complications are concerned

[Kailey99]

Thank you for all the information but I do know about being gluten free, I have been for a long time. I was asking about my side effects on lio.