I’ve just spoken to my endocrinologist about my latest blood results,
TSH 0.05
T4 -23 ( 9.23)
T3 - 6.4 ( 3.5-6.5 )
I’m on 100mcg thyroxine & 06.25 T3 ( both same brands )
Bloods done as per protocol thyroxine 24 hours and T3 12 hours before blood draw at 9am.
I’m really shocked at the results on such a small amount of T3 I’m taking. He has suggested I reduce my Thyroxine to 75mcg a day and stay on the same dose T3 and retest in 6 weeks , alarm bells ringing as he said he wants to try to get my TSH a bit higher ?
My results in Oct 2020 on 100mcg thyroxine and 12.5mcg T3 were TSH 0.05 T4 20 & T3 6.6 ( same ranges as above) I reduced my T3 after the last bloods. If anyone could offer advice if this is the right thing as I’m beginning to wonder if T3 is for me ?and maybe go back to just thyroxine as I’m not feeling great on whatever dose I’m on ?
Thank you
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Simplyred57
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It’s great that you have someone who’ll prescribe t3 but yes I wonder why you’re on it when it looks like you may do ok on just t4. But your choice really whether you want to reduce your t4 by 25 or 12.5 say or your t3 by a wee bit.
Of course, you’re not wildly over range - if you feel good just take your t3 down to 5?
I think your results are perfect but the $24,000 dollar question is "how do you feel".
Because you are taking two thyroid hormone replacements your results wont correlate so it depends upon how 'you feel" on your dose. If well that should be your dose. If some symptoms begin to return, you probably need a small increase in your dose.
Blood tests were introduced along with levothyroxine. Before this we were given NDT (natural dessicated thyroid hormones). This was slowly adjusted until patient was symptom free.
Thank you shaws , I’ve been so unwell with shoulder/ arm pain since March last year I’m worn out with it , I had an MRI scan last week on my neck and upper back but it feels so deep in my body don’t know what it is , not sure whether to stop T3 for a few weeks or do as my Endo suggests he mentioned trying to get my TSH a bit higher so alarm bells ringing ?
To have your sore shoulder for about one year, I think you should have been seen by an expert in muscles/joints 'at the very least' . Have you had an X-ray.
Yes X-rays done at the beginning of lockdown and nothing showed , physio diagnosed 2 frozen shoulders but adamant the burning pain & soreness nothing to do with that , I’ve had inflammation tests all clear , full bloods all clear , ANA test back negative , just waiting for MRI results hopefully this week , just have a feeling it’s T3 related What do you think ?
I am not medically qualified as you are aware but I wouldn't be surprised if it is due to not having sufficient T3 in your body.
I doubt any doctor in Britain have the experience and treating of patients who've got a dysfunctional thyroid gland, except to give levo and it doesn't work for a section of society. The medical professionals will not rule this. Have your had both Free T4 and Free T3 tested - just on the off-chance that they could be low.
Hi shaws I’ve just checked the paper copy my endocrinologist sent me and free T3 ( serum ) and free T4 ( serum) are the results he gave me is there a different test ?
Simplyred57 what kind of shoulder pain? I ask because before and for a while after I started T3 (along with levo initially), I had all the aymrokms of a frozen shoulder though I never went to the doc about it. I also suffered from achey hips, knees and a sore middle joint on my hand that I was convinced was the beginnings of arthritis.
When I started on T3 I immediately felt better and hoped it would cure all my aches! It didn’t! I wen through the process of increasing T3 and decreasing T4 as my symptoms returned as described so often on here. My aching joints got better but not completely but the shoulder pain never shifted.
When I got to the point that I was barely taking any levo I decided to try without it. It was so low I figured it wouldn’t make much odds. Within a week my shoulder pain was gone and I felt much better. This has been the case ever since EXCEPT if I have tried to reinstate levo.
I have since found that, if, for any reason I’m not absorbing my thyroid hormone properly (I’ve had this recently with dodgy hormone fluctuations, a whole other story!) then my frozen shoulder returns.
I haven’t heard of anyone else who has found this to be the case but I mention it as your bloods look like mine did when I was still on levo. My endo (at that time the eminent prof Toft, couldn’t work out why I felt as I did when my bloods looked ok) I describe it as the thyroid hormone I’m not using “blocking” the rest from doing it’s work. Not wholly scientific but I’m sure I’m kind of on the right lines.
So I’d say bear this in mind. Although on paper levo was doing what it was supposed to for me, it wasn’t. Only once i worked up my T3 dose and dropped the levo did it become clear.
You’re probably a way off this, and convincing your endo this is the case might be tricky but I would definitely bear it in mind going forward.
I should say before I trialled T3 we increased my levo to well above any dose I had previously taken. My bloods looked good though the T4 was a bit above range but my symptoms remained. Adding T3 helped but it took the above journey to find the correct thing for me 😉
Hi, a private physio diagnosed 2 frozen shoulders which are now easing I could barely lift my arms for months as we had just gone into lockdown it was hard to see my GP but he was amazing doing bloods and steroid injections (twice in the left shoulder ) , but I’ve got burning pain that is in my upper arms , sometimes across my upper chest and across my upper back , which is why they finally agreed to an MRI as blood tests were inconclusive. Ironically I had a swollen middle finger joint diagnosed as arthritis and had a knuckle replacement Oct 2019 ( horrible operation by the way never even go there ) I’ve like you had more aches and pains and feel like a 90 year old some days ( I’m 61) and used to be able to run 3 times a week , I started T3 in June 2019 and I have to say mentally I am better , but physically not , I will do as my Endocrinologist says for now to see if there is any improvement, and speak to him if there isn’t x
That's really interesting. So you've stayed on just T3 and you feel good?
How much do you take and how do you split it (if at all)?
I keep trialling various mixes of t4 and T3 and see some improvements but am always left with something - right now awful pain in both feet under ankle bone, on outside of foot. And one of my knuckles hurts on one hand. But neck and shoulders good and neuropathy fine. I just don't understand the science!
Yes, I’m still on T3, currently 60mcg split twice daily. This works for me but it’s taken two years and much trialling for her to this point, and I still haven’t completely sussed it!There was a definite shift change for me when I dropped levo - people warned me I’d feel better initially but it wouldn’t last however it did for me. As I think I said before, it felt almost as though the Lego was blocking out the T3 and the extra hormone floating around caused issues... I don’t know but this is how it felt.
What I have found with T3 is there is no room for fluctuations. It took me a year to get to a dose that made me feel completely well, and this further year to trial other things and what effect they have on my “levels” as I call them.
I have found I can’t diet (levels drop too quickly), I need progesterone supplementation (otherwise levels drop), I can’t use pregnenolone (too much estrogen, levels drop).
Now that I’ve found all this out (and each mistake has taken 6-10 weeks to level out again) I know what works for me. So T3 only isn’t an easy option, but it’s very effective.
Now I just need to work out how I keep my progesterone levels up all through my cycle and I’ll be sorted!! 😳
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