Anybody work night shift and have to take t3? - Thyroid UK

Thyroid UK

141,244 members166,489 posts

Anybody work night shift and have to take t3?

Netty510 profile image
12 Replies

I been working the night shift for years 4pm to 11pm.but been off work since march and return Aug 1st I tried to change up my dosing and start my first ndt and t3 in morning but I felt like my body wasn't liking it to much so I went back to taking my first dose at 11am like I have for years..my current dosing is

60mg ndt+6.25t3 11am

7.5 at 4pm

7.5 at 9pm?

Currently still working on raises of t3

Im finding it difficult to fit all my doses in my day but I do feel better then when I was trying to take it early morning but alittle worried about the 9pm dose since its late and trying to spread out my dosing so it doesn't run into each other..i do work until 1030 to 11pm sometimes until 3am depends when I was on all ndt the dosing is way easyier,,

Also..eventually ill have to raise my doses and my 9pm will be even higher ...but will it jist all even out eventually while raising slowly?thanks

Written by
Netty510 profile image
Netty510
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
Read more about...
12 Replies
Cartwheel_Girl profile image
Cartwheel_Girl

Hi,

Your dosing seems hard to manage especially if you are trying to fit sleep in as well! ;)

Do you work continual night shift or do you have days off? How do you change your dosing on your 'normal' days? Your shift pattern is more a 'late' shift rather than true night shift so I would try just shifting the doses by a few hours to match your work pattern

I also work night shift - however, I am on a rotational pattern so I work 1900-0700 hrs week 1 and then (with no break, just 8 hour blocks) switch to 0700-1900 hrs. Then a couple of weeks off.

I take Levothyroxine 75 micrograms and Liothyronine 20 micrograms - normally I take them first thing in the morning. This is fine on dayshift but night shifts I have terrible problems which throws everything out of whack and I spend the next few weeks trying to get it back on track and then it all begins again.

When I am on nightshift I have tried different approaches - either sticking to my normal dayshift pattern for doses or switching it to match when I am awake/working. Nothing seems to work out best :(

Due to the shifts and also working in the Arctic Circle (which is fine in summer with the midnight sun but a nightmare in winter!), I find I am in a constant battle to keep my Vit D levels optimum even with a supplement spray and making every effort to get exposure to daylight whenever possible.

I guess I didn't really help you! My GP advised me to stick to dayshift only, however in winter it doesn't really make a difference apart from the daily rhythms getting out of whack and it's all inter-related.

Good luck!

Netty510 profile image
Netty510 in reply toCartwheel_Girl

Hi thanks for your reply, I work 4 to 11pm mon to fri I actually was working the grave yard shift 11pm til 5am then I changed to my current one ive had people tell me find a diff job its not tht easy to change career of 24 years..im more concerned on how im going to fit in my doses in my daily schedule

Cartwheel_Girl profile image
Cartwheel_Girl in reply toNetty510

How long have you been on the current shift? Maybe you just need to give it time to settle out? I know that was a stab in the dark! ;) It's good that you have changed from the graveyard shift that's for sure. In Norway we get paid a lot more per hour to work night shift because there are so many health risks associated with it. Last time I got laid off from work, it took me 6 months to get back to a regular sleep routine.

I agree, it is not easy to change career after so long. I'm in the same boat, but it's not good for you and the older you get the harder it gets. I only know one other person in the same situation as me ie poor converter t4>t3 and working the same shift rotation - but again he takes Liothyronine-only not NDT.

Netty510 profile image
Netty510 in reply toCartwheel_Girl

I been working 4to 11pm shift for 3 years now im on mostly t3 and just one grain ndt I think I to as well stopped converting well im on a low dose of t3 and im worried my night time dose will be to high or maybe it'll even out since im raising slow

Cartwheel_Girl profile image
Cartwheel_Girl in reply toNetty510

I follow 'the healthy shift worker' on facebook and there is some good advice on there. I have just ordered the related book 'too tired to cook' and although I can't cook for myself when I am at work it may help as a guide as what to eat and when for shift workers. Might be of interest to you too since the digestive system has a big impact on absorption of medication.

dealsgap profile image
dealsgap

I've worked 2nd Shift 3:30 p.m. - 12:00 a.m. for years. I take 300 mg (2 and 1/2 grains) of NDT. I do not take any T3 but have experimented with taking it in the afternoon. I take all

of my NDT (300 mgs) when I get up which is usually around 11:00 a.m. When I was

experimenting with T3 I took it in the afternoon to give me a boost and it did give

me a boost but raised my RT3 so I had to stop taking it. As you raise your late day T3

dose watch your RT3 as it "could" raise. If your RT3 goes up you will have all the typical hypo symptoms just as bad as not taking any thing. For me personally I feel better if I take "all" of my NDT when I get up and not spacing it out through out the day. Every one is different with when they take their NDT/synthetic's dosages. You just have to find out what's good for you. The only problem I see with raising your T3 dosing is the later you take it the more impact

it will have on your sleep. As you know it stays in your system for 4 hours.

Netty510 profile image
Netty510 in reply todealsgap

Hi thanks I thought to much t4 causes rt3?not t3. I stopped most my ndt because I had high rt3 so now on just on 1 grain plus t3

aspenca profile image
aspenca in reply toNetty510

It's not very well known but it is possible for T3 to raise RT3 as it did in my case. I take blood labs every 8 weeks and have been doing so for some years now so I know that is what did it. I'm not sure if it is because of stress and/or my iron levels could be low as it takes iron/cortisol to convert T4 to T3. I'm currently checking into my iron levels as I haven't ever checked them. I didn't know T3 could do this either until I checked into it..it is possible..some of us are working on deficiencies (hormonal) and anything is possible as we heal.

Netty510 profile image
Netty510 in reply toaspenca

Thanks..i actually have high iron and low ferritin..i miss ndt...

aspenca profile image
aspenca in reply toNetty510

Try reading this .. July 2016: Along with numerous updates to many pages, STTM has added a new page about having high iron: //stopthethyroidmadness.com/h... Because you can have high iron but be in a low iron state….and that means you’ll have trouble raising T3 or NDT.

aspenca profile image
aspenca in reply toNetty510

Try to explain better..if your body is in a chronic inflamed state then any thyroid (Rx) you give it (T4 and/or T3) could go to RT3. Cells tend to "shut down" when stressed along with their receptors. Stress can come from a variety of things it could be environmental and/or toxins. Some people get their T3 levels up so far (like me) whether on just T3 and/or NDT and then they will not go up any more. The current range of T3 here (I'm in the U.S.) is 2.0 - 5.5. I'm hanging around 3.1/3.2 but still fatigued. My levels were 2.4 I'm better but still not 100%. STTM (stop the thyroid madness) author Jamie Bawthorp says that in order to relieve fatigue "most" patients get relief when their T3 is in the upper rang high 3.0's like 3.8/3.9 or even higher. I can't seem to get mine above 3.1/3.2. I'm thinking if I could then my fatigue would go away and my strength would come back. My current problem is mostly continual insomnia. I just can't get a lot of "uninterrupted" sleep. Working 2nd Shift doesn't help. If my sleep improved my energy levels could go up thereby giving me the strength to do what I need to do (like raise my endurance/stamina). BTW your TSH will be "greatly" decreased if/when you get your T3's up. Mine is like 0.0006. This will flip out most conventional doctors who don't understand hypothyroidism and only go by TSH labs.....

Netty510 profile image
Netty510 in reply toaspenca

Thanks im also in the US. My last test also showed 2.4 free t3 but im on a low dose now and trying to find a way to lower my high iron and higher ferritin i sent away 23and me to see if i got the gene mutation..i will read the link you gave me .si want to go back to all ndt so bad but because of high iron dont think it will happen im not to happy with t3 ..thing tht bothers me is I have to take my 3 dose of t3 at late night since I take my first pill wt 1030am or 11 I wake up at that time and trying to fit my doses in is bothering me..but I think I have seen people take as much as 40mcg t3 at bed but im not taking mine at bed my 3rd dose will be when im still at work

Not what you're looking for?

You may also like...

T3 question about doing schedule

hi everyone so I been doing 1 grain ndt and the rest t3 I work the 2nd shift 3pm to 11pm or later...
Netty510 profile image

Advice on dosing with metavive and T3? How long does T3 stays in the system?

Any tips on dosing with Metavive and T3? I take 2 Metavive (15mcg x2) at 4am as my CM dose. This...
Ocean2 profile image

T3 only and low dose NDT

Hi all. I've got hashimoto's and need to be on a thyroid supplement but struggle with taking...
jamesal0 profile image

T3 and timing

I know this has been covered before, I have read through the forum and googled as much as I could...
dang profile image

When to take NDT

Hi. I'm currently taking split doses of NDT. 2 grains in the morning & 1½ in the afternoon. I've...
Print1972 profile image

Moderation team

See all
Jaydee1507 profile image
Jaydee1507Administrator
PurpleNails profile image
PurpleNailsAdministrator
SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator

Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them.

Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.