IS IT T3 ONLY OR DIE?

[GKeith]

I took 10 mcg’s of T3 at 11PM last night & then took 10 more mcg’s of T3 at about 5 AM when I woke up with a terrible headache, then for about 2-hours I lay awake with this headache. I usually take the 10mcg of T3 at 11PM with 100 mcg’s of T4 and lately 50mcg of T4, (100 cut in half.) When I do that I also then take 7.5 mcg of T3 at 8-hour intervals, 7 AM & 3PM but last night, my headache told me I couldn’t wait that long and when I awoke at 4 AM I took them both within a few minutes of each other and fell asleep. I’ve been awake now for about 8 hours and feel so-so, alright, but have felt much better. I have taken no T4 for 2 nights now but am debating (with myself) if I should take 100 mcg’s or 50mcg’s of T4 tonight with the first dose of T3, which starts the headaches?) To see if the T4 helps or hurts? Anybody ever do anything similar to this before. I actually want to be able to take T4 alone because it’s the easiest way and is only 1 pill but I ha-ven’t been faring well on T4 lately at all, so I’m stymied. (My wife wants me to take the T4 & the doctors, of course, also as, if I don’t take the T4 they say they can’t tell “anything” from the blood test (which, because I am taking T3 they can’t tell anything anyway) but, they seemingly, don’t understand that?

I may be about to try NDT, (depends on a referral) which is my last chance other than T3 only, which is the hardest as I am sweating all through the night (mostly on my face) and losing weight. I eat huge amounts of food but don’t gain a pound (my wife wants to take T3 now). Anybody have any similar past experiences? I know it sounds crazy but that’s only because it is (crazy). Thanks for any comments or suggestions as this, along with COVID-19, I guess, is giving me some really bad times (esp. at night.) Peace to us all in these harsh times when we (hypothyroid humans) have so much else to affect us also.

[shaws]

I take 25mcg of T3 daily, when I get up with one full glass of water. I don't have unpleasant symptoms and feel well. That's not to say that every person will have the same affect.

[GKeith in reply to shaws]

All together? If that's true, what time? I never thought T3 was as stable to take one every 24-hours? I would probably split it to three times or at the very least two. Eith 25 or 30 mcg's a day.

[Lalatoot in reply to GKeith]

There are folks on here who take t3 as a single dose.

Some on t3 only take a large dose once a day.

[GKeith in reply to Lalatoot]

I would be greatly interested in how much they take, when & why, even though, as we all know, (except for the doctors) everyone is different and we all have tolerance levels, we are all also human beings who like to make the best decisions, especially when it concerns our health and, literally, many times, our very lives and, assuredly, how we feel, daily. Peace be to us in these times.

[Lalatoot in reply to GKeith]

Some on here take 65mcg once per day.

T3 remains in the cells for several days. It isn't as short lived as we think.

One of the advocates of t3 therapy himself took 1 dose of 150mcg t3 at night. You may want to look at some of his articles.

tpauk.com/main/article/the-...

[GKeith in reply to Lalatoot]

150 mcg of T3? Good God, that's 600 mcg's of T4? Well, I'm on 30 mcg of T3 ... so far ... so?

[helvella in reply to GKeith]

It is probably only those who have impaired sensitivity to thyroid hormone (also called resistance to thyroid hormone) who could take that much.

If most of us tried, apart from being plum crazy to do so, we'd be seriously negatively affected.

[GKeith in reply to helvella]

Good reply, not that I would try but ...

[Batty1]

Just my thought but based on what you wrote your taking too much T3 (sweating, weight loss). I would cut back the T3 and add more T4...

[GKeith in reply to Batty1]

If I can I would but everytime I take even a 50 mcg T4 pill it gives me a tsunami headache. I feel like I'm gonna pass out with an axe in the mack of my head,

[Batty1 in reply to GKeith]

Have you ever tried splitting your thyroid meds into 2 doses? I have to do this or Im a mess.

[GKeith in reply to Batty1]

I'm way ahead of you Batty1, I split mine in three doses & sometimes even four, esp. now on T3 only.

[Angel_of_the_North]

If I wake up with a headache, my (very basic) oxygen meter usually shows I have lowish blood oxygen - that also makes my pulse rate increase. Might be worth being tested for sleep apnea and making sure ferritin is good

[GKeith]

I'll remember that for my next blood test; I was anemic when I was a kid.

[blondpalomino]

I take 75mcg thyroxine and 20mcg T3, all the thyroxine and half the T3 in the morning, and the other half of the T3 in the afternoon, about 2 o'clock which is how my Endo prescribed it 20 years ago. T3 is not a miracle cure and took me a while before I began to feel better, your body needs to get used to it. Yes you may get headaches, no-one could have suffered with migraines more than I have in my life, but you can't just stop the tablets if you get a headache, it may not be the ultimate cause anyway. There are usually several trigger factors that come together to cause a bad headache, my main ones were stress and lack of sleep.You need to work out yours.

I would say you need to stick to a dose (and the time you take it) for 6 weeks to let it settle down, if you keep swapping and changing you won't know where you are and what works.

And take pain killers like paracetamol or ibuprofen to help the headaches and not keep changing the dose of your T4 or T3.

I wouldn't advise NDT at the moment, that is harder to control the dose than ever.

I'm with your Wife on this, I would give yourself a chance on the same dose of T4 for 6 weeks and see how you feel.you may not need the T3 ,a lot of people get on o.k with just T4 unless you have had your thyroid removed like me.

If you are sweating all night,and losing weight, this may be too much of the T3 or you may not need it.

You just need to make small changes gradually.

Hope you get well.

[GKeith]

That's funny because I was taking exactly 75 mcg T4 & 30 mcg T3 for several months & never had a problem but then I started taking 100 mcg T4 & 20 mcg T3, which also was good for 45 days and then crashed like a ballon popping like dynamite and the headaches came on starting with weakness all over close to fainting, seeing "blocks of blankness in reading sentences and sweating on my face and weight loss. The thing is I had 4 teeth pulled 2 each time & had headaches & weakness then. I am still trying to figure out if it was the teeth more than the thyroid medication/ I wish I knew? I know this much: if I try NDT, there is a ratio of 4T4 to 1T3; like 39mcg T4 & 9mcg T3 in one grain, I think is the measurement. I just am having, I believe, a conversion problem or I have a D1 or D2 enzyme that prevents me from being able to convert, although I must admit the teeth problem still bothers me.