Results after 8 months of T3/T4 tablets

[Nellups]

I am now 8 months in taking 20 mg Liothyronine and 100m 4 days a week and 125 m 3 days a week. I still have a few palpitations and sometimes breathing problems. Have had chest x ray all good.

Just had new bloods done and my vitamin B12 has now dropped down was 917 ng today 724 ng. Ferritin has also dropped it was over the normal levels. Of course TSH has dropped right down due to taking T3.

These are my results, vit D and Folate I am supplementing for, I know are still low.

What I would like to know is are these figures any good or am I taking too little or too much of any of my meds?

I have an appointment with the Endocrinologist on Tuesday, would like to be armed with info before I attend. I know they will fight me regarding the TSH as it’s happened before.

Thank you

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Looking through previous posts, couldn’t see wether you have Hashimoto’s

Nothing on your profile

Are you now in U.K. or France

How do you normally take your T3?

As 3 smaller doses through the day at roughly 8 hour intervals, or 2 doses at 12 hour intervals?

Do you always get same brand levothyroxine and same brand T3

Which brands?

Was this test done as early as possible in morning before eating or drinking anything other than water and last dose levothyroxine 24 hours before test and last 1/3rd of daily dose T3 roughly 8-12 hours before test

What vitamin supplements are you currently taking

Are you on strictly gluten free diet

Vitamin D is on low side. Needs improving to at least around 80nmol

[Nellups in reply to SlowDragon]

Sorry I thought my info was still on my account?

I have no thyroid, it was removed over 10 years ago due to very large multiple cysts that were getting bigger, not cancer. I now live in UK , Northern Ireland since 2018.

Was put on trial T3 last year by Endo, just at the end of lockdown. I take 20 mg split over 3, first with Levo at 7:30 am. 2 nd at 14:30 pm. And final just before bed around 22:00 pm.

Bloods taken at 8:30 am no food, drink or medication before hand last T3 at 10 night before, as I always do.

I take better you Vit D with K spray, as get bad stomachs with tablets, plus Zinc and folate (lamberts) my vit D is better then it has been, dropped right down to 0.09 four years ago, had got up to 53 last year, am aiming to get it to at least 100, better if 120 but need to find pills that don’t upset my stomach.

So far managed to keep to mercury pharma for Meds ( or though just been told boots are changing to a cheaper brand 😞)

I am part gluten-free and meat free during the week, have both at weekends.

Thank you

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Nellups]

Your T3 regime is identical to mine

Yes vitamin D spray frequently works better than tablets

Gluten free diet only works if you are absolutely strictly gluten free. It takes weeks/months to recover from eating any gluten

Small independent pharmacies are often more helpful re getting same brand at each prescription

Important to regularly retest folate, ferritin and B12.....especially if not eating red meat very often

[Lotika]

How are you feeling in yourself? Does it feel like the right dose to you? Palpitations and breathing problems doesn’t sound great. Is there anything else you are experiencing, good or bad?

I look at the results and can only compare them to how I think I would like mine to be as another thyroid patient on T4 and T3... but that only tells us about me and not about you! (My working theory for me - and I may change my mind at some point because I’m thinking of a promised land I haven’t yet reached, so I can’t be sure! - is that T3 takes away my pain and T4 wakes me up and gives me energy.)

[Nellups in reply to Lotika]

Hi

Still not feeling 100%, some days worse then others tried, struggle to even get up, but other things are better like sleep now get up to 7 hours most nights, where before was lucky to get 5.

[Lotika in reply to Nellups]

That is good. I am sleeping better since T3 too.

If those were my results, I think I would maybe want to drop T3 a tiny tiny bit because of the palpitations and maybe then add a fraction more T4. But this is because I think I am better with fT4 higher through range than you have - it is the energy one for me.

I have made the mistake of reading 1.5 books on thyroid the last couple of days. (When I say “reading” I am skimming my eyes over them mainly because of brain fog, so o can’t remember much.) They both mention adrenal issues as a by-product of thyroid ones. I suppose the palpitations made me think of that. There are cortisol saliva tests for that sort of thing, so maybe it is that and not the T3 with the palpitations... just a thought.

Hopefully smarter people will be along to help you out a bit more as we are rapidly moving beyond my usefulness

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Nellups]

If you cut gluten absolutely this might help

Test B12 and ferritin see if these need improvement

[Nellups in reply to SlowDragon]

B12 and ferritin are on there? Do you think I should be changing any of my medication ? Higher Levo lower T3 ?

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Nellups]

Sorry, forgot they were on photo

Are these naturally this high....or are you supplementing

[Nellups in reply to SlowDragon]

Lowest they have been where higher then this and no I am not supplementing them

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Nellups]

You might experiment with reducing T3 by 5mcg and increasing levothyroxine slightly to 125mcg daily

But ....it’s very tricky to cut T3 into 1/4s accurately

And 5mcg tablets are much more expensive

28 tablets 20mcg T3 is £136

So is £136 per 28 days

28 tablets 5mcg T3 is £98

So is £294 per 28 days!!

[Nellups in reply to SlowDragon]

Ridiculous amounts of money 😞