Increasing Thyroxine and chronic headaches

[LynLyn]

Hello Members.

I’d very much appreciate your advice on the chronic headaches I am getting. I’m wondering if it could be to do with the recent increase in thyroxine? I do have a very stressful job which I know does not help at all. I try to keep my workload organised and manageable however the last three weeks have been difficult.

My results on 12.5mcg of thyroxine and 30mcg of T3:

TSH 1.89 (0.27-4.2)

Free T4 3.86 (12-22)

Free T3 6.01 (2.8-7.1)

Ferritin 76.94 (13-150)

B12 796.3 (197-866)

Vit D 68.43 (31-100 normal)

Folate 27.87 (>12.19 normal)

I eat 100g of chicken liver every week and use the vitamin d protocol from Facebook.

I’ve recently given up caffeine (max 2 cups of white tea a day) and this has had no effect on my headaches.

I am shattered from work so I have started using an adrenal cocktail at 10am and 2pm.

Many years ago (2006) I was treated by Dr P who told me I was nearly in adrenal failure - he brought me back to life! At this time I was on 50mcg of thyroxine. I moved to 1.5 grains of NDT.

I moved to T3 only in 2018 as once again I was feeling poorly. This improved my health greatly however I could only take 30mcg - anymore and cortisol became too high however I was under medicated on this amount. Hence I’m now adding in T4.

Thank you to anyone who is able to offer any advice or support as to why I’m getting more headaches than usual.

[SlowDragon Administrator]

I could only take 30mcg - anymore and cortisol became too high however I was under medicated on this amount

How do you take the T3

As single dose or split as 3 x 10mcg doses at roughly equal 8 hour intervals?

[LynLyn in reply to SlowDragon]

Yes, in 3x10mcg intervals roughly 8 hour intervals and starting at 8am so not to put cortisol high.

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to LynLyn]

Are you on strictly gluten free diet or dairy free diet

Which brand T3 ?

High cortisol suggests under medicated

Tried increasing T3 slowly upwards in 5mcg steps

[LynLyn in reply to SlowDragon]

Yes gluten and dairy free. Stopped my two cups of white tea a day last week but it’s made no difference.

I take Thybon Henning T3 and Merck Euthyrox T4. In my last prescription I was given Synthroid. I could start this?

I’ve tried increasing T3 5mcg doses but I wasn’t well. I tried this three times over the period of one year. Also the endocrinologist wasn’t really happy prescribing any more than 30mcg although he did let me try to increase.

This is my second try at adding in T4. I did it under the endocrinologist last year and by June I was in in bed.

I have blood test results from June 50mcg T4 and 20mcg T3. TSH 0.32 (0.27-4.2) FT4 10.65 (12-22) FT3 4.68 (2.8-7.1) He upped my dose to 75mcg and I couldn’t get out of bed with fatigue and also a terrible headache. I went back to 30 mcg of T3.

These are my results from October back on 30mcg of T3. TSH 2.10 (0.27-4.2) FT4 1.98 (12-22) FT3 5.4 (2.8-7.1)

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to LynLyn]

on 30mcg of T3. TSH 2.10 (0.27-4.2) FT4 1.98 (12-22) FT3 5.4 (2.8-7.1

Was test done as early as possible in morning before eating or drinking anything other than water and last 10mcg T3 dose approx 12 hours before test?

Well if on just T3 most people need more than 30mcg daily ....more likely 40-60mcg. Sometimes higher

If you are dairy free you will need lactose free levothyroxine

Ask Endocrinologist to trial liquid levothyroxine

Many people who can’t tolerate levothyroxine tablets can tolerate liquid levothyroxine

You could try Thybon Henning levothyroxine. That’s lactose free

thyroiduk.org/if-you-are-hy...

Merck Euthyrox this contains mannitol and mannitol upsets gut biome in many people

[LynLyn in reply to SlowDragon]

Thank you so much for your thorough reply.

I had hoped that T3 only would be the answer but unfortunately it wasn’t. I did try 3 times to increase over the period of one year.

Yes, the tests were all done as per the advice on this forum. I have learnt so much from here.

I will ask about getting the other types of thyroxine and in the meantime I will move into the synthroid thyroxine and see if that helps.

Thank you so much for your time.

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to LynLyn]

Does synthroid contain lactose?

[LynLyn in reply to SlowDragon]

Yes, it unfortunately does. I’ll try it to see if it makes any difference until I’m due to see the endocrinologist again.

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to LynLyn]

Merck links re mannitol

bmj.com/content/360/bmj.k714

bmj.com/content/360/bmj.k71...

Teva also contains mannitol and is thought to be the reason many people can’t tolerate Teva

Aristo is lactose free and mannitol free

[LynLyn in reply to SlowDragon]

Thank you for this