Hi everyone
I currently take 75mcg T3.
25mcg at 6am
25mcg at 12 noon
25mcg at 4pm
I have noticed that in the last few weeks, I am always hungry. I’m constantly thinking about food or wanting to eat. Could this be that I need a little more t3 due to the winter months
Hi Hippyhappy234
I can only tell you that I have read that your tsh can raise in the winter months (better for blood tests) so probably your system does struggle more during these colder months? Hopefully someone will be able to enlighten us both on whether this would be worth raising meds for? Although am I correct in thinking that t3 is taken up more quickly so in theory you could up your dose temporarily or if once you need it upped you generally stay on that dose even when it’s warmer?? I do hope you understand my double Dutch!!
This is interesting. I take 125 / 150 levo on alternate days but for a couple of months over winter I increase this to 150 every day.
Ive done this every year and without my GPs knowledge but I find it allows me to continue feeling ‘normal’ - my view is I know my own body and what it needs.
I’ll just add to that I have hashi’s. I don’t know if that makes a difference?
That’s good to know. Thanks. You are obviously more intune than I am yet. I have just raised to 100mcg of levo for about 4 weeks and have had some heart fluctuations. First it dipped to 45 and now it’s consistently higher than my previous average but only by about 15 beats per minute at around 67. Resting heart rate obvs lol. I haven’t had any extremes like HippyHappy.
It’s early days for me to know what I feel like whilst trying to improve my levels but I am finding it really hopeful to know that so many of you have learned to recognise all these symptoms and what you need to feel improved and that you tweak occasionally depending on how you feel. I am waiting to take private bloods in another few weeks before I do my docs bloods at the end of January. Hopefully this will give me some proper insight on what I need to do next as I will be able to compare these to earlier tests. I actually feel excited to be in the position where I will be so much more informed. Thanks so for the input.
This may help -
boostthyroid.com/blog/extre....
Yes that’s interesting. Thank you 😊 DippyDame. I understand that some alter meds when sensing flare ups but am I right in thinking that t3 has a shorter life and there more quickly adjusted than t4 do you know? Thank you.
Some people do have to adjust their dose of T3 up and down...weather being one of them....but generally a constant and adequate dose is advised.
T3 has a shorter half life (1 day) than T4 (5-7 days) but both have to be adjusted slowly to allow the body to adapt to any change.
However, an increased appetite can be a sign of overmedication... too much thyroid hormone may have you feeling hungry all of the time.
Have you lost weight?
75mcg is a large dose unless you have a type of thyroid hormone resistance (RTH) and may even be dangerous.
Why are you taking this amount?
Are you self medicating?
Has this been suggested by an endo.....
I would suggest you try reducing your T3 dose
On 75mcg your FT3 is most likely over range and your TSH suppressed FT4 may also be suppressed.
Unless you have RTH you need to keep your FT3 in range, though some people need to it very slightly higher
Do you monitor your waking temperature and heart rate?
I have a form of thyroid hormone resistance and need a high dose of T3 which I take at bedtime, in a single dose. Splitting did not work for me
If you have been taking 75mcg for some time it may have reactivated dormant T3 receptors which means you now need less hormone. I have recently lowered my dose (from 200mcg) because I suspect this has happened to me.
.
Hope this helps
Best...
DD
PS.....getting late but it just struck me, have you been tested for diabetes? There is a T3/insulin link.
diabetes.co.uk/in-depth/can...
Also, have you optimised vit D, vit B12, folate and ferritin......important for good thyroid function
How did you discover you had Thyroid hormone resistance?
DippyDame has completed her Bio with lots of detail. Clicking onto her username - and all will be revealed ....
Some background info -healthrising.org/blog/2019/...
Thank you DippYDame. You have cleared that up for me. Appreciated.
HippyHappy234 you need to read this reply. It will surely help you x.
That’s a very wintry thing to do, completely normal to crave more food, some say it has evolutionary roots, our biological changes are the same as most animals, fatten up to survive the winter! Lol
If you do suspect that you may need T3 then experiment. If you’re well established in your current dose you could add another 5mcg and see if there is any changes, is it helpful? No change? Or too much?
I have found that I do need more T3 in the winter, maybe an extra 5mcg on top of my normal 25mcg. I also take 25mcg of Levothyroxine daily
I take T3 only and my daily dose is 25mcg. I used to take a higher dose but have settled with 25mcg for a number of months now.
This is a link by a scientist/doctor/researcher who was also an expert in the use of T3 (he took it himself). He was also an Adviser to Thyroiduk before his accidental death.
I am on 75mcg t3 i take in one dose at bedtime.My hunger is driven by what i eat, i am low carb, it is the only way i can keep my weight in check without feeling hungry. If i eat high carb (pasta, potatoes, rice, bread, sweets, biscuits) i find i am constantly hungry for days, the carbs/sugar trigger cravings for me. I keep a journal of food, mood, meds, supplements, exercise, sleep etc so i can spot triggers and changes to routine. If winter is the only change to your routine and triggering your hunger then it is a serotonin/emotional response, so light therapy will probably work or a walk outside. T3 is not a weight loss drug and should not be used to reduce hunger. However a lot of people increase their meds in winter but thats due to feeling hypothyroid not hungry and of course if it is actual hunger then your body is telling you to eat. Reduced calories often makes people more hypo. x
How did you all figure out if you need more T4 or more T3? 
More T3 + T4 blood results and even more confused
Do I need T3 medication too? 
Reassurance needed on starting T3
