I’ve taken T4 for over 20 years at around 125mg however over the past year my bloods have show I’ve been over medicated so I’m now on only 75mg having still shown a TSH of 0.01 on 100mg. Antibodies indicate hashimotos.
With my endocrinologists support I have sourced T3 by Uni-Pharma and am due to start taking it twice a day together with 50mg of T4.
Endo has advised that I may not feel very well & this has left me feeling somewhat anxious about introducing the T3
Can anyone say please how introducing T3 made them feel positives and negatives and if there is anything I should be aware of?
I’m also wondering if it may effect my already tricky blood sugars
Many thanks guys and gals xx
Written by
LECJ
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T3 medication is very strong and has a very short half-life. People react to it differently - but the best advice is to take it "low and slow" to start with.
Get a tablet cutter or a sharp scalpel and cut your lio into quarters initially. I assume you have been told to take 20 mcg (1 tablet) a day? If so, take 1/4 tablet a day for the first couple of weeks (with your levo is fine, fasting and just with water - 1 hour before other food or drink or 2 hours after, as you would (should!) with your levo. Then build up to 1/4 tablet twice a day (one bit in the morning and one bit at night); then add a third quarter, then 1/2 tablet in the morning and half at night.
The once you're stable, see if taking it twice a day suits - it doesn't suit me, so I take everything first thing - but there are no hard and fast rules.
Don't reduce your levo and start lio at the same time - if you don't feel "right" you won't know which change didn't suit you. If it were me, I'd get up to half my lio first, then drop down the levo, then build up the rest of the lio.
Good luck x
ps assume your key nutrients are good - ferritin, folate, vit D and B12; you need these to be at good levels to get the most from your lio
Huge drop in Levo!! Are you sure you were over medicated? What were your results while on 125mcg?
I hate to contradict fuchsia-pink but T3 is not ‘very strong’ I can’t think of it like that. It’s different and I take it because I can’t easily covert my Levo to T3 at a cellular level. Taking T3 doesn’t give me a ‘buzz’ I don’t feel like it’s ‘strong’ in fact I didn’t take it ‘low and slow’ when starting. I was prescribed 15mcg and took it in 3 doses from day 1. Didnt have any repercussions. I’m now on 25mcg. I can take it all at once or split. I’ve tried it all ways. No adverse effects. I’ve missed a dose and not ‘missed’ it as it’s not like a drug, there’s a build up in the system.
Anyway back to you. What were your results on 125 Levo and now after being on 75?
Have you got recent results of TSH, Ft4 and Ft3 from reducing levothyroxine from 125mcg down to 75mcg?
Where Ft4 is within range on last test depends on wether you need to lower levothyroxine dose or not when starting on T3
For example if at last test Ft4 was 24 (12-22) you would lower levothyroxine 25mcg before starting on T3
If Ft4 was 16 (12-22) you wouldn’t lower levothyroxine
Adding T3 ....generally, most people need to add very slowly.
Starting with 1/4 tablet in morning
Assuming that is going ok ....after a week or so add second 1/4 tablet mid-late afternoon
Personally I would then hold at that dose for 6-8 weeks and then get FULL Thyroid and vitamin testing
Before considering adding any more T3
For full Thyroid evaluation you need TSH, FT4 and FT3 plus both TPO and TG thyroid antibodies tested. Also EXTREMELY important to test vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12
Low vitamin levels are extremely common, especially if you have autoimmune thyroid disease (Hashimoto's) diagnosed by raised Thyroid antibodies
Ask GP to test vitamin 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 half or third of daily dose 8-12 hours prior to test, even if this means adjusting time or splitting of dose day before test
I’ll pull up results Etc the reduction wasn’t quickly but over a period of about 1 1/2 years - my tsh was 0.01 Whilst my T4 was in range (I didn’t have the t3 Test at the time) I believe Those results can be indicative of over medication
My tsh was last 0.07 having been 0.04 (these have increased slightly since the t4 reduction) at last test - I’m due bloods again on Monday so will have good info on the starting place
You can add one photo to the original post but not in replies. Go to original post , click on 'more' then 'edit' then 'add photo' ....... i think (computers not my strong point !)
Or just type them out in a reply , [include range ] like this ;
T3, for me, restored my health and resolved symptoms and its what I've taken for some time now.
I followed one of Thyroiduk's Advisers and expert on T3 (unfortunately he died through an accident) and he advised one daily dose. He, himself, took his T3 in one daily dose but in the middle of the night so that nothing interfered with its uptake.
I've even found that I was able to reduce the dose I'd been taking for sometime.
I have one word for T3 - and that is 'miraculous'. It is not a storage hormone and I take one daily dose with a glass of water and wait an hour before eating.
That's not to say that others might not have a different experience.
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