Poll - what is your optimal T4/T3 combo? - Thyroid UK

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Poll - what is your optimal T4/T3 combo?

ak_83 profile image
17 Replies

I know everyone's different, but I would be curious to hear from people who feel consistently well (for months) and are using T4/T3 combo once a day in the morning.

Particularly looking for those with adrenal issues and close to male, 40 years old, 70 kgs, but any data point would be of interest, of course!

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ak_83 profile image
ak_83
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17 Replies
Meanbeannyc profile image
Meanbeannyc

The ones that make us feel well.

Stop trying to rush it and maybe you’ll feel better quicker!

This takes years of trial and error. BE PATIENT!

Lalatoot profile image
Lalatoot in reply to Meanbeannyc

Agree Meanbeannyc - it does take years. Nearly 18 months for me of fine tuning so far. And then you have to let the body have time to heal....

Meanbeannyc profile image
Meanbeannyc in reply to Lalatoot

18 months?! YOU LUCKY LADY YOU! 😜

Lalatoot profile image
Lalatoot in reply to Meanbeannyc

14 years of being ill with the thyroid tho. 8 years hyper and carbimazole. RAI. 4 years poorly on levo only. And now just under 2 years tweaking combo doses.

Meanbeannyc profile image
Meanbeannyc in reply to Lalatoot

Similar story Lalatoot . 15 years Graves’ disease with thyroid eye disease. Got VERY ill from carb after 15 years. Thyroidectomy 2019. Now starting to add in lio since labs are wack always.

I’m right there with you. ☹️

greygoose profile image
greygoose in reply to Meanbeannyc

Took me over ten years to find I needed 75 mcg T3 and zero T4.

ak_83 profile image
ak_83 in reply to greygoose

Thanks, greygoose

ak_83 profile image
ak_83 in reply to Meanbeannyc

So what's your optimal combo (as that's what I asked)?

Meanbeannyc profile image
Meanbeannyc in reply to ak_83

I HAVE NO DAMN IDEA OR ELSE I WOULDNT BE ON THIS BOARD! LOL. Currently I’m on 112/5. Not optimal.

But I’m a smaller lady than you.

I’m 52kilos, 5’4, 36 YO Female.

I’m

Only 2 years out from

Total thyroidectomy. Still struggling

ak_83 profile image
ak_83 in reply to Meanbeannyc

Sure, thanks.

FYI I've had advice from a few people on here who are now sorted.

Meanbeannyc profile image
Meanbeannyc in reply to ak_83

I don’t think anyone is ever “sorted”.

fuchsia-pink profile image
fuchsia-pink

Reading between the lines, you are 40 and 70 kg and not feeling tip-top.

Do you have any recent blood tests to share? How long have you been on your current meds? How much T4 and T3 are you taking? Is there any reason why you take your T3 meds in one go rather than splitting the dose?

FWIW I feel great on my combo and take my meds in one go in the morning - but I'm not close to male (!) and older and lighter than you, with no adrenal issues and the gut of a rhino - so I was perfectly happy taking 40 mcg of lio a day in a standing start (which was halved 6 weeks later when I went back tot he endo and he realised he'd got the dosage wrong) - so I'm not the ideal comparator for you ;)

ak_83 profile image
ak_83 in reply to fuchsia-pink

So what's your T4/T3 split then?

fuchsia-pink profile image
fuchsia-pink in reply to ak_83

Happy on 50 mcg of levo and 20 mcg of lio - but I'm not sure this info will be helpful to you ...

ak_83 profile image
ak_83

Same - 14 years ....

JAmanda profile image
JAmanda

I like your question - it would be good if you got a lot of simple answers then we could perhaps see there's no one perfect way or even spot a trend - but people here don't seem to like the question as they just think we're al different.

Anyway I'm on 112.5 Levo and 15 lio. I'm a heavy woman - about 90 kg.

People and Nice says aim for 1.6mcg Levo per kg body weight. So I'm taking a bit more than that with lio equivalence - I'd say might be looking for a small increase after tests on Monday.

But really what people do here is suggest you take a dose for 6 weeks, test, then increase til your symptoms improve and your T3 and t4 are not over range. That's what I'm doing.

Wired123 profile image
Wired123

Let’s not forget things like diet and how much thyroid gland you have left if autoimmune will also play a part.

I think a lot of doctors forget that as a patient loses their thyroid gland due to autoimmune attack, the patient will have less ability to convert T4 to T3.

Diet plays a part and of course the level of physical activity and stress from work. I always feel physically great when I’m not working for a month or two (when between jobs) as I can have a schedule that is dependent on how I’m feeling each day and also get enough sleep.

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