After 2 weeks on T3

[Wired123]

As some of you know I’ve started a trial of 10mcg T3 to add to my 150mcg T4.

So far it’s been great, I have more energy, more alert and able to do my job without struggling with brain fog.

I saw my physiotherapist for the first time since starting T3 and he remarked how my face doesn’t look tired, my posture is better and most importantly my muscles are not tense and stuff like they used to be.

It’s quite good to get some objective feedback from a medical professional who you see regularly.

Have others had similar experiences?

My only real concern now on T3 is that sometimes my heart rate goes up too much and I can find a bit of difficulty catching my breath. It’s happened a couple of times when I’ve gone out for b a leisurely stroll.

[MMaud]

Hi there Wired123 , either before or at the time of starting your T3 did you complete an SF-36 lifestyle questionnaire? It is a questionnaire quite commonly used in the NHS to monitor and track outcomes from treatments of all sorts.

I did one on the day I was started on my trial, and (foolishly) didn't keep a copy of my completed document for myself. I should just have photographed it.

Anyway, anyway it was supposed to be redone at the 6month review point, but wasn't as that changed to a telephone consultation.

I had a further review - one year in - earlier this month, and whilst I wasn't asked to complete the questionnaire again, I did one for my own curiosity and was aghast how much my responses had changed. As I said, I didn't keep a copy of the first, but going through it again, I knew as I progressed how much things have changed.

I'm still not at my sweet spot, but I feel so, so much better.

I hope your improvement is sustained and your palpitations subside. I must admit I stated my T3 slowly as I wanted to minimise the chance of symptoms whilst settling into it.

[MjM2015 in reply to MMaud]

Wish I had known this. My endo gave me prescription for t3 and sent me on my way. T3 made me extremely unwell

[FancyPants54]

I have nothing useful to add as I'm right at the start of my T3 journey too and my endo. told me to reduce my T4 by 25mcg a day and that's really messing me up. It seems as if your's didn't do that.

Is there any correlation to the times you take your T3 and the walks that make you feel like that? For me I "feel" the T3 about 1 hour after I've taken it, as a sort of urgency, a slight panic but not much, or a lowering of mood. And then again, worse, about 3 hours after taking it. That's when I get the higher heart rate if I'm going to get it. I think it means we need to adjust our dose down a little until our bodies are used to it.

[MjM2015 in reply to FancyPants54]

Sounds like I felt on mine... first I was told I was over medicated then it turned out I couldnt tolerate t3 for some reason, I wasnt told only it was suitable for me

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to MjM2015]

MjM2015

Looking at previous posts you have Hashimoto’s and very low vitamin levels

Essential to get all four vitamins OPTIMAL before adding T3

Vitamin D at least around 80nmol and around 100nmol maybe better

Serum B12 over 500

Folate and ferritin at least half way through range

With Hashimoto’s strictly gluten free diet frequently helps or is absolutely essential too BEFORE considering adding T3

[jrbarnes]

Did it take 2 weeks for you to feel better or was it right from the start?

[Wired123 in reply to jrbarnes]

I started feeling better almost immediately, don’t know how much of that was placebo!

[redhead41]

Hi, Thank you for your post - can you please explain your schedule? do you take the T3 at the same time as the T4? Is the T3 slow release?Thanks Sue

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to redhead41]

My schedule

20mcg T3 daily - split into 3 doses

10mcg at 7am

5mcg at 3pm and 5mcg at 11pm

Levothyroxine at 11pm 125mcg x 5 days 112mcg x 2 days

Always same brand levothyroxine and T3

Absolutely strictly gluten free and soya free

All four vitamins optimal by supplementing

[Wired123]

T4 and T3 in the morning on waking.

Second dose of T3 at 2.30pm.

I don’t think Sigma T3 is slow release.

[MMaud]

I have sort of experimented with the timings of my T3.

My prescription says 20mcgr, twice daily. Once I had titrated myself up to the full dose, I did that, but would feel a bit cold in the early evenings (my main symptom was crushing, bone cold). I was taking it at 4am, along with my T4, when I naturally rouse, then go back to sleep, then again at 4pm. Next step was to split it 20/10/10 (04:00, non, 16:00).

That was "fine", but I resented the intrusion of meds 3 times a day. I'm still new to meds of any sort, and hate that my body can't take care of me any more, but I digress.

Having read others' regimes on here, I stated taking all my T3, with my T4, at 04:00. I noticed no difference in how I felt, or how my levels reacted, so I am doing that at the moment.

Not sur eif that helps you, but I think one thing that is incredibly evident with thyroid disease is that we are all unique. Sometimes frustratingly unique.

[Batty1]

If you're taking the 10mcg T3 at once try splitting it could just be too much T3 at one time.

[Wired123]

Thanks for all the replies. I’m taking 5mcg T3 twice a day

[SlowDragon Administrator]

One of my most obvious improvements was that tendons and muscles returned to “normal “ when T3 was added

On just levothyroxine, tendons and muscles were so tight in my legs I couldn’t ever straighten them in bed and walking was excruciating and unable to walk for more than 5-10mins

Within a week of starting T3 I was able to walk easily for over an hour

3 years on, improvements remain astonishing

[FancyPants54 in reply to SlowDragon]

That's marvellous SlowDragon . My legs and feet have been very painful, making it hard to stand at work and meaning I no longer go for walks at all. Just getting back to the car after going round the supermarket can be so painful and like dragging a ball and chain around. Since starting the T3, even with the problems I'm having, my legs don't hurt quite so much. They still hurt, but it shows me it's possible to perhaps recover.

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to FancyPants54]

Oh yes I had terrible plantar fasciitis too before T3 was added

Completely resolved

[FancyPants54 in reply to SlowDragon]

Getting out of bed in the morning and putting weight on my right foot is really painful. I have to hobble. Plus my toes are both numb and tingling so I feel as if I'm going to fall over because I can't feel the floor and that affected my gait.

[Carna]

I had to reduce my Levo to stop the racing heart. I then had to up my T3 by 5mcg as I started getting hypo symptoms creeping back. I am now on 75mcg Levo and 30mcg T3. I was originally on 125mcg of Levo and felt dreadful. Things are much better, not perfect but so much better than they were 18 months ago before I started the slow T3 build up.

I feel I am heading for T3 only and that Levo is not good for me.

[chrissie1996]

Where is everyone getting the T3 from?

[dandiliontilt in reply to chrissie1996]

Christie, did anyone get back to you with a source for T3

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to dandiliontilt]

Before considering adding T3 you need to get all four vitamins optimal

Previous posts show absolutely dire vitamin levels

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...