Help Interpreting Results after starting T3

[Lisaj3008]

Good Morning All,

Please see below results after eight weeks with T4 @ 100mcg and T3 @ 5mcg

I was previously on T4 only @ 112mcg per day.

Initially i felt amazing for about two weeks now i honestly feel just the same my T4 has never been so low as it is in these results and I understand the addition of T3 will supress TSH. I have B12 injections every 12 weeks, this blood test was done just six weeks after my injection and its quite low in the range. thanks in advance.

Ferritin 1.97 Range <5.0

Magnesium 0.93 Range 0.7 - 1.0 (i have stopped supplementing now)

TSH 0.01 Range 0.27 - 4.20

T4 Total 85.5 Range 66-181

Free T4 13.6 Range 12.0 - 22.0

Free T3 5.55 Range 3.1 - 6.8

Vitamin D 70 Range 50-175

Vitamin B12 248 Range 145-569

Folate 20.8 Range 8.83 - 60.8

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

Lisaj3008

I've looked at your previous post but can't see where you've told us how you came about adding T3 to your Levo. Has this been prescribed by an endo? Or are you self medicating?

If prescribed by an endo then what protocol has he suggested for increasing your T3?

In your previous post you said

Since adding a small dose of T3 three times a day I am utterly astounded at the difference it has made

Do you mean you split 5mcg T3 into 3 doses or have you been taking 5mcg 3 times a day?

Looking at your current results:

Ferritin 1.97 Range <5.0

This is not the ferritin result, this is CRP.

Ferritin will be below that result, the range will be 13-150 and if you are half way through range (around 82) it will be good.

Magnesium 0.93 Range 0.7 - 1.0 (i have stopped supplementing now)

Testing magnesium is unreliable. About 99% of magnesium is stored in bone, muscles and soft tissues, leaving about 1% in the blood. So testing what's in the blood isn't giving an accurate picture of our magnesium status.

A red cell magnesium test is the better indicator of magnesium status, not the standard serum magnesium test.

If you are supplementing with D3 the don't stop supplementing with magnesium, it's needed for the body to convert D3 it into it's usable form.

TSH 0.01 Range 0.27 - 4.20

T4 Total 85.5 Range 66-181

Free T4 13.6 Range 12.0 - 22.0 = 16% through range

Free T3 5.55 Range 3.1 - 6.8 = 66% through range

You are not optimally medicated.

When we take combination thyroid hormone replacement it's very individual where we need our FT4 and FT3 levels. Some are fine with a low FT4 like yours as long as FT3 is in the upper part of it's range. Some need them balanced in the upper part of it's range. So we have to tweak doses gradually and find what's best for us.

I'm on combination hormone replacement and I would be very unwell with your results. Your FT4 level would have me extremely fatigued.

So you have to find out what doses of Levo and T3 suit you best.

What was your FT4 level before you reduced your dose of Levo and added T3?

If those were my results (based on my experience, I am not medically qualified), I would increase Levo back to what it was to get my FT4 higher in range, this should also increase your FT3 level to some extent, depending on what natural conversion you have.

Nobody can tell you what FT4 level to aim for, that's something you have to find out for yourself. Only ever change one thing at a time, either Levo or T3 and wait 6-8 weeks then retest, see how you feel and where your levels lie before deciding what to do next.

Vitamin D 70 Range 50-175

Are you supplementing? It's recommended for Vit D to be 100-150nmol/L according to the Vit D Society and Grassroots Health.

Vitamin B12 248 Range 145-569

This is low and only half way between injections. Maybe you need your injections more frequently, or maybe you could top up with oral supplements between injections. You would get more detailed help about that from the PA forum here on Health Unlocked.

Folate 20.8 Range 8.83 - 60.8

Folate is recommended to be at least half way through range, so that would be 35+ with that range. As you are having B12 injections, are you also supplementing with a good quality, bioavailable B Complex to keep all B vitamins in balance?

[Lisaj3008 in reply to SeasideSusie]

Hi SesideSusie, thanks for the reply.

I have self sourced T3 initally i was splitting 5 mcg dose in three but after a few weeks i found it easier to do in two, i take half with my T4 in the early hours and the other half around 3pm.

Ferritin 65.8 Range 13 -150 (typo)

Noted about the magnesium, i was not aware of that. This is the first time i have had it tested.

Prior to starting the T3 my Free T4 has averaged 19 but that was on a higher dose of T4 - i take onboard what you say about upping the T4 to what it was. I was just a little unsure with the good T3 level and suppressed TSH (which i know will be caused by the addition of T3).

I do currently take Vitamin D3 and a good quality high strength B vitamin.

I have only been on this journey to attempt to sort my own health out for a short while and I know you and many others on this board have a wealth of knowledge and personal experience with combined therapy. You advice and comments is very much appreciated.

Lisa. x