Results 6 weeks after starting T3: Hi everyone, I... - Thyroid UK

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Results 6 weeks after starting T3

Laiah profile image
9 Replies

Hi everyone,

I started tiromel T3 6 weeks ago. I've had some major improvements, the most notable being my muscle and joints pains have completely gone, which is a relief. Still feeling pretty tired though, some days are better than others. Im taking 75mcg Levo a day and 12.5 tiromel split into 2 doses. Can I ask what you think of these results, and whether I should change anything? I did a home test from monitor my health. Test done in the morning, 24 hours after last levo dose and 10 hours after last t3.

TSH 0.08 (0.27-4.2)

FT4 14.8 (12-22)

FT3 5.3 (3.1-6.8)

Previous results on 100mcg a day levo only were

TSH 1.8 (0.35-4.94)

T4 18.6 (12-22)

T3 4.07 (3.1-6.8)

Obviously my TSH has dropped and is now below the reference range. Although from reading on here I don't think that's too much of a problem? T3 level is looking much better, but T4 has gone lower. My only symptom left is the tiredness,some days are better than others, but I really could just go to bed and sleep right now. Im trying to work out whether I should hold this dose for a little longer, and see how things go over the next few weeks, or whether to increase my levo a little bit, and see if that helps? Any thoughts or advice appreciated. Thank you!

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Laiah
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SeasideSusie profile image
SeasideSusieRemembering

Laiah

but T4 has gone lower

This is because you have reduced your Levo dose, and adding T3 also tends to lower FT4.

With your original results, I wouldn't have reduced Levo, I'd have added T3 then retested and see what had happened to my FT4 and gone from there.

When we take a combination of Levo and T3, some of us are fine with a low FT4, some of us need a higher FT4 to go with our higher FT3. I personally need both FT4 and FT3 in the upper part of the ranges, more or less balanced at around 60-70% through range.

If those were my results I would increase Levo, maybe just 12.5mcg to start with, retest in 6-8 weeks and decide where to go from there.

Laiah profile image
Laiah in reply to SeasideSusie

Thank you for your reply. When I started taking the T3 I had seen an endo who said to drop levo to 50mcg and start t3 at 2 x 5cg a day. I didn't think I needed to drop the levo so I kept it at 100 and took the t3 as he suggested. But I ended up really shaky and having to go to bed. Thats when I posted on here and everyone said to only start with a quarter of a tablet a day and then add in another quarter if all goes well. So I dropped T4 to 75mcg and did that. So I messed up a bit at the beginning as I didn't really know what I was doing (still don't 😂) But I can definitely add another 12.5 Levo and see how that goes. Thank you.

SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator

I agree with SeasideSusie , perhaps tweak levothyroxine up by 12.5mcg daily

What are your vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12 levels like

Laiah profile image
Laiah in reply to SlowDragon

Hi, thank you for your reply. My results from January were

Folate 8.9 (3.1-20.5)

B12 603 (187-883)

Ferritin 67.8 (10-204)

These were from my GP and they didn't do the vit D even though I asked. These were all alot lower over a year before, ferritin was shocking at 6! B12 was around 300 and folate was 5. I've been taking supplements to improve them and next time I do a thyroid test im planning on getting the medichecks one that checks all the vitamins aswell.

SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator in reply to Laiah

NHS hate testing vitamin D

Suggest you test privately here

NHS easy postal kit vitamin D test £29 via

vitamindtest.org.uk

Ferritin definitely improved a lot then. Keep going a little bit more.

Folate not brilliant. Are you normally taking vitamin B complex? Which one?

Laiah profile image
Laiah in reply to SlowDragon

I've just been taking a B12 supplement from Holland and Barrett. Is it better to take vitamin B complex? I'm still going with the iron tablets, just one a day now though. And folate too. So hopefully they will be improving further.

SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator in reply to Laiah

Rather than just taking folate, you may find vitamin B complex is better

A good quality daily vitamin B complex, one with folate in (not folic acid) may be beneficial.

This can help keep all B vitamins in balance and will help maintain B12 levels too

Difference between folate and folic acid

chriskresser.com/folate-vs-...

Many Hashimoto’s patients have MTHFR gene variation and can have trouble processing folic acid.

thyroidpharmacist.com/artic...

B vitamins best taken after breakfast

Igennus Super B is good quality and cheap vitamin B complex. Contains folate. Full dose is two tablets per day. Many/most people may only need one tablet per day. Certainly only start on one per day (or even half tablet per day for first couple of weeks)

Or Thorne Basic B is another option that contain folate, but is large capsule

IMPORTANT If you are taking vitamin B complex, or any supplements containing biotin, remember to stop these 7 days before ALL BLOOD TESTS , as biotin can falsely affect test results

endo.confex.com/endo/2016en...

endocrinenews.endocrine.org...

Lotika profile image
Lotika

This is interesting! Was also on 100 mcg levo and now an NHS trial first at 50 mcg levo and 2 x 5 mcg T3 and now @ 75 mcg levo and 2 x 5 mcg T3... and have also lost most of the aches and pains but could also happily go to bed right now! (I had to drive an hr each way to the hospital to pick up a new T3 prescription and was surprised to find myself fighting to stay awake.) My working theory - at least as far as I concerned, everyone is different I guess - is that T3 gets rid of the pain and T4 gives me some energy. We shall see. I test privately next week and with the NHS a couple of weeks later. Again, I am more tired some days than others. Fingers crossed that a tiny increase in levo is the sweet spot for you!

Laiah profile image
Laiah in reply to Lotika

Hi Lotika, yes we seem to be on a similar journey here! Be interesting to see what your next set of results are like. Im really hoping that the extra levo will get me where I need to be. I feel like I'm so close now 🤞

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