once you start any meds w t3 you, it naturally suppresses the tsh, you dont take meds b4 blood test, always fast and take blood test first thing in the morning, and dr looks at free t3 and free t4...if they are above range=then you overmedicated...if not ...you are fine
Good to hear you're feeling well. I've been on 88mcg for 10 years with poor T3 levels but only figured it out last year. It puts my T4 towards the higher end. Is 88mcg your original dose to start with and did you have very poor T3 levels? I'm at 12.5 mcg of T3 but thinking I might need some more.
I had been on Naturethroid! After it was recalled, I was placed on 112 mcg Synthroid. I asked for T3 & started slowly along w 112 mcg Levothyroxine ( did not like Synthroid).It was a bit high... T4 was 184... so I was reduced to 88mcg 6 weeks ago & I kept increasing T3 to 20... ( 10 & 10).
I tried natural desiccated this year and after all the recalls I gave up on it. I didn't want to put all the time and effort into finding a dose only to have it recalled again or disappear altogether. I tried Synthroid about three years ago and it was extremely less potent than the generic I was on. My old generic also disappeared once I gave up on natural desiccated so now I'm on Levoxyl, which I like and I don't have any bad side effects from it. I take the Sigmapharma generic T3. When I was on Levothyroxine only my T4 was flagged high for several years but my T3 was low so my TSH was 1.5 to 1.88. When I was on 90mg of Natural desiccated it was 0.94 and on 120mg it was .05. I haven't had an updated test yet but I know it will most likely be very suppressed. I tried to reduce my Levothyroxine to 75mcg plus T3 but I couldn't get out of bed so I know I'd need a lot more T3 to compensate. I've only been back on 88mcg for 8 days so I'm hesitant to increase the T3 beyond 12.5 mcg at this time because I could be severely overdose in 4-6 weeks.
My TSH is .09... Primary care doctor is perturbed. I get my Cytomel 20 mcg prescription from a naturalpath doctor, so it's always irritating to be confronted by doctors who don't "get it." I only take T3, nothing else, and I feel great! I think they are concerned with bone loss over the long term because of the low TSH.
My tsh was 0.01 before introducing t3 and now is almost as low with t3 (0.02) it’s a shame I can’t add a picture on here as the graph showing the tsh over time is quite interesting
In essence the study shows that a suppressed TSH gives an increased risk of 1.6 of developing dysrhthmias and 2.0 increased risk of fracture (osteoporosis)
I feel the benefit of feeling well and being able to garden and go for long walks outweighs the increased risk of developing these other conditions down the line.
The main trouble with studies that look only at TSH is that they don't differentiate between low TSH with high thyroid hormones and low TSH with in range thyroid hormones.
True, but this study only included those being treated with thyroxine not the general population. You would think those with suppressed TSH would have had their FT4 checked to see if in range.
The good news is there is no risk for TSH 0.04 or higher though mine is immeasurable.
I know how you feel my Tsh has been suppressed ever since I started Naturethroid 3yrs ago.Stays around 0.02 I was concerned but from what I have read it is T3 levels that are most important a d mine are within range.
If I try to lower the dose I start all the grotty hypo symptoms.
Mine is 0.1 too and I keep putting off having bloods taken as I know mine will be reduced. I. Not on T3 but feel the best I have in over 10 years and do not want my levo changed!
If your endo objects then next time you have blood taken, don't take any meds for two days before.You said it yourself, you feel great.
If your FT4 is really 134 depending on the unit of measure and the range, very high T4 is associated in one study with heart issues and in a recent Cardiff study with conception and miscarriage issues. If you're not trying to have a baby and your T4 range is different, all you need to know is that you feel great and you want to stay there so my advice would be hold off on all supplements for 2 days before blood test,
Hi,My TSH is 0.004 and doesn't change, it is well and truly supressed!
I am on 20mcg T3 and 75mcg T4 and have been on this dose for 20 years since my thyroid was removed. I didn't get on well with T4 alone having no thyroid, and at that time there was no problem getting prescribed T3 as it wasn't so expensive.
A couple of years ago when all this blew up about the cost and they were trying to get people off T3, I agreed with my Doctor to do a trial of T4 only for a few months, on the agreement that if it didn't work I could go back on T3. Well I had been on the same dose for so long that my body just couldn't tolerate more than 75mcg T4, and that wasn't enough dose alone without the T3, so she put me back on it thankfully.
When they took the blood test without the T3, the TSH was still supressed anyway, probably because it had been that way for so long.
They tried to tell me it would cause osteoporosis and heart disease, but my family have osteoporosis anyway and do not have thyroid problems.
And when I tried a higher dose of T4 my heart was beating madly and I had palpitations and sky high blood pressure, so that was no good for my heart!
Thank you! Have you had any issues in the 20 years? With doctors retiring... the young replacements only want to do T4. Many lived into their nineties on Armour or a combo w T3without issues from thei thyroid meds.
Hi,Up until a couple of years ago when the issue about the cost of T3 blew up, they left me alone.
The Endo I originally saw has long since retired, and I saw a new Endo before I did the trial of T4 only. I must say she wasn't as knowledgeable as the old Endo!
I did ask about Armour at the time, but the old Endo said it was difficult to get the dose right and was unregulated.
It's no good talking to your Doctor about it, they know very little, in fact I know more about it than my Doctor, luckily she listens to me, unlike some doctors who think they know best even if they don't.
I have been o.k. over the last 20 years ,have been through the menopause, went on HRT. Was o.k. when I was taking it but had to stop when I had a scare with my mammogram.
Since I have been off it I get sweats and can't seem to get past that. The Doctor tried to say it was the T3 causing the sweats, but I said I was fine when I was on HRT.
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