First blood test results since adding T3 to my levothyroxine!!!

[Zazbag]

Guys! I have really good news!!!!!!! Check out these results (please excuse the excessive use of caps, I'm so excited) – ALL OF THE ABNORMAL RESULTS I'VE HAD HAVE NORMALISED/IMPROVED AFTER YEARS OF STEADY DECLINE/DECREASE WHICH BEGAN WHEN I STARTED DEVELOPING HYPOTHYROIDISM. I'm on 125mcg levo and 25mcg lio.

Thyroid:

TSH: <0.02 (0.27–4.2)

FT4: 16.5 (12–22) (was 19.4 on 150mcg levo only – I felt BAD)

FT3: 6.8 (3.1–6.8) (was 5.2 on 150mcg levo only - I felt BAD)

Ferritin: 73.8

(THIS IS THE HIGHEST I'VE EVER SEEN IT IN MY ENTIRE LIFE, I WAS TAKING 420mg FERROUS FUMARATE PER DAY FROM FEBRUARY UNTIL JULY (5 MONTHS) TO TRY TO INCREASE IT AND IT ONLY WENT UP BY 22 (31 to 53) AND IN JUST ONE MONTH WITH MANY DAYS OF NOT REMEMBERING TO EVEN TAKE THE FF, IT HAS GONE UP BY 20)

Blood count:

Red blood cell count: 4.17 (3.80–5.30) (LAST RESULT A MONTH AGO WAS 3.80 AND IT'S USUALLY LOW OR AT LLN, HAS BEEN CONSISTENTLY LOW/AT LLN SINCE DEVELOPING HYPOTHYROIDISM)

Mean corpuscular volume: 97.4 (83–100) (USUALLY HIGH OR AT ULN)

Mean corpuscular haemoglobin: 30.7 (27.0–32.0) (USUALLY HIGH OR AT ULN)

Haemoglobin estimation: 128 (120–150) (LAST RESULT A MONTH AGO 121, AND IT'S USUALLY AT LLN)

Kidney function:

Serum creatinine: 63 (45–84)

(HASN'T BEEN THIS LOW SINCE 2015, WHEN I WAS FIRST TESTED AND HAD A HIGH TSH, AND HAS STEADILY INCREASED SINCE THEN UNTIL IT REACHED 77–80 WHICH IS ULN, A SIGN OF DETERIORATING KIDNEY FUNCTION. SINCE ADDING T3 A MONTH AGO IT HAS RAPIDLY DECREASED BACK DOWN TO 63)

eGFRcreat (CKD-EPI): >90 (ANOTHER MEASURE OF KIDNEY FUNCTION, NOW IT IS NORMAL, BEFORE IT WAS LOW, A SIGN OF DETERIORATING KIDNEY FUNCTION)

These results show without any doubt how much my insufficient T3 was negatively affecting my overall health! I feel so vindicated. Since adding T3 I have felt SO much better, I can't believe the difference. My PMS is GONE, my periods are normal/light now, not crazy heavy, I've lost some weight without trying, I'm sleeping better, my digestion is better, I have so much mental clarity and focus, loads more energy, I feel sociable and like I want to be around people again, I've also noticed I've stopped getting grey hairs.

THANK YOU TO THE PEOPLE ON THIS FORUM FOR HELPING ME REACH THIS POINT.

Do you think my T3 is too high though? It's right at the ULN, I feel good but could this potentially be harmful to my bones or anything else...? I took 12.5mcg at about 4pm yesterday and had my blood test at 8.30am this morning, fasted before taking any thyroid meds.

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

Zazbag

Do you think my T3 is too high though? It's right at the ULN, I feel good but could this potentially be harmful to my bones or anything else...? I took 12.5mcg at about 4pm yesterday and had my blood test at 8.30am this morning

Last dose of T3 should be 8-12 hours before blood draw. You asked in your previous post when you should take your last dose of T3 and SlowDragon explained exactly how to take your dose the day before the test, she gave you the split dose and timings. You left over 16 hours so your FT3 result is showing a false low. The true result will be over range so I'd say you are taking a bit too much T3.

Considering that a month ago you said your endo wanted you on 5mcg and retest in 4 weeks, you seem to have increased your dose too much too soon.

[Zazbag in reply to SeasideSusie]

Why does that matter? I can simply reduce the dose. I already explained last time that I wasn't willing to waste any more of my life feeling awful. Your view was that I can't rush my hormones, but I disagree, because that's exactly what I did, and I feel a million times better because of it, and have the blood test results to corroborate that. All I need to do now is reduce my T3 slightly. It's hardly the end of the world, is it?

[Lalatoot in reply to Zazbag]

Zazbag SeasideSusie has given you advice from her experience. She has done this kindly and nicely. Yet you snap back at her.

"Why does that matter? I can simply reduce the dose. I already explained last time.." If this is how you feel why do you come back asking what we think of your results?

[Zazbag in reply to Lalatoot]

Because she shamed me like I'm a child before giving any useful advice. I find several members on this forum to be this way and I find it highly disagreeable.

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to Zazbag]

Zazbag

Of course I haven't shamed you like a child, that's in your imagination!

I pointed out that you previously told us what your endo wanted you to do and also were given the right advice by SlowDragon and you have ignored both. That's entirely up to you but as Lalatoot says, why come back and ask what members think of your results if you're not interested when they give you an honest opinion? Do you only want people to agree with you and if they don't then you're rude to them?

There are other members on the forum that have done exactly what you've done - rushed into increasing their dose of T3 because they want to feel better quickly - and it's backfired on them and they've come back admitting they were wrong.

Do it your way, I'll make sure I don't comment on any more of your posts, I'll spend time answering people who appreciate the sensible suggestions made.

I find several members on this forum to be this way and I find it highly disagreeable.

And that makes one wonder why you come here.

[LindaC in reply to Zazbag]

Yes, we all have a perspective - none necessarily 'right or wrong' - they are simply how we see things!

Not taking any 'side' here, because I can [virtually] see both points of view But...

A nurse once said to me (on discussing T3 in a surgery that 'turned me over' re Armour and my 5+ year long accepted diagnosis!), "You make me feel inferior" - my response was, "Whoa, I have no power to make anyone feel inferior - check out your views on yourself".

So this 'she shamed me' [sadly, common garble of today] is seeking to kind of blame how you feel onto a person who gave you their advice... I get that too but no one is responsible for your feelings.

In these awful Covid times - as if things aren't difficult enough for those with chronic illnesses - we can all get just a little tetchy Stay Safe and Well, Everyone xox

[Zazbag in reply to LindaC]

I come here because the majority of members are good-natured and helpful, and I wish to help others in return.

I'm not going to engage with rudeness any further.

This is the last post I will make on the subject, and third parties do not need to get involved.

[LindaC in reply to Zazbag]

That's why we're all here.

There was no 'rudeness' intended in anything I said above and it's not rude.

But 'we're all in this together' and I said I can [virtually] see both points of view - why would you react in this way?

I am only responsible for what I say - (taking full responsibility for that) - I'm not responsible for what you understand.

This is the second time in a week+ that people are taking offence where none whatsoever is intended. Re-read.

[Zazbag in reply to LindaC]

"This is the last post I will make on the subject, and third parties do not need to get involved."

[LindaC in reply to Zazbag]

Oh, you do not get to run this show. If someone is explaining their reason (I rarely do) there was no need to become 'haughty'... I'm not the only 3rd party. Bye!

[Hidden]

But there is after all an important difference between T3 and T4...T4 is mostly inactive with a long half-life, and the body can inactivate unneeded T4 by turning it into reverse T3...T3, on the other hand, is fast-acting and more potent, so it would seem that excess T3 is more harmful than excess T4.

I´m not saying the OP should not feel good or necessarily decrease T3 at the moment, but I am not sure you can compare high in range or slightly above range FT4 to high in range or above range FT3...

[Zazbag in reply to Hidden]

I am going to lower it to 22.5mcg don't worry! I know too much T3 is harmful.

[Zazbag]

Thanks Lora, I'm going to try 22.5mcg for a while and have another test to see if I feel any different and where I am in the range. It's a bit tricky as due to cost I bought a supply of 50mcg tabs and they're quite difficult to break up evenly, even though I use a pill splitter. I have a bottle of 5mcg tabs too so I'm going to take a quarter of a 50 (12.5mcg) and two 5s. I was thinking of maybe increasing my levo as my FT4 is only 45% through the range, what do you think? Only by 12.5mcg to take it to 132.5mcg, as 150mcg was definitely too much for me (I felt awful).

[Batty1 in reply to Zazbag]

Why don’t you just reduce your T3 by 5 and retest?

[Zazbag in reply to Batty1]

Hey! I'm going to try 22.5mcg first mainly because I have a supply of 50mcg tabs and so basically impossible to split them into multiples of 10, may end up reducing to 20 though.

[Cat013]

Zazbag I’m really pleased you finally feel like you’re getting better. That’s great news. Long may it continue and thank you for giving us all hope 😃🙌🏻

I’m stunned your ferritin increased so much on its own. Just goes to show hey.

I think as others have said, keep an eye on your t3. I also want mine at the higher end when I finally get t3, but not right at the top of the range just to be safe. It sounds like a smart idea to drop it slightly and keep going with that for a while and see how you feel at your next test. Good luck ☺️ and I hope you continue to feel well. x

[Zazbag in reply to Cat013]

Thank you so much! Yes hah I was amazed by the increase in ferritin too! I have reduced my dose to 22.5mcg and will have another blood test to see where that puts me in the range. Thanks for your kind words 😊 I hope you have similar if not better results when you try T3!

[Cat013 in reply to Zazbag]

Thank you ☺️ Let us know how you get on.

[Zazbag in reply to Cat013]

I will 😊

[galathea]

That mcv is a getting a bit high.... what level is your b12? Guessing its on the low side.

[Zazbag in reply to galathea]

Hey, do you think so? It has actually gone down from 100.7 in July so I think it's heading in the right direction, I expect it to be lower at my next test as I'll have been on T3 for longer which seems to be improving it.

My B12 was 548.2 (180–900) at my last test in June and I've continued to supplement it since so it's probably higher now. I've been tested for IF antibodies, I don't have them. I'm going to ask for my B12 to be tested at my next blood test so I know how it is now.