A little background, I started on T3 as well as my levo in September, initially 5mcg 3 x day but because of ectopics reduced to twice a day since early November. Since adding in vit b, to my vit D and k2, plus recently magnesium of a night and mainly gluten free, my ectopics finally settled. I felt great for the last week and more my old self apart from a few meltdowns with anxiety but as husband has left a month ago now, at my request, I expected this.
Today, I went cold water swimming, only a little, then Christmas shopping and home to walk the dogs. On return I went very hot, light headed and shaky, pulse racing, few ectopics, I'm not diabetic. I've eaten but still feel rough. Could this just be because I've overdone it today and used up my T3? I also had bread for lunch as there seemed little choice gluten free in Greggs lol. I'm worried I've undone all the good work or is it normal to have blips like this? I'm just disappointed as I really thought I was nearly there. Thank you for reading and writing it down has helped me.
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I take T3 only. I don't split my dose and take it with one glass of water and wait an hour before I eat.
I follow the method by a scientist/researcher/doctor and expert in the use of T3. Dr John Lowe died through an accident but I still follow his method as it suits me. He was also an adviser to Thyroiduk.
Dr Lowe himself took T3 and he took his in the middle of the night with one glass of water when he awoke to go to the toilet. He advised one daily dose for the best results. He stated that T3 saturated all of the T3 receptor cells and it sent out 'waves' throughout the day..
He was a researcher/doctor/expert on T3. He woud only prescribe NDTs (natural dessicated thyroid hormones or T3 for patients who were 'resistant' to thyroid hormones.
25.mcg of T3 is equal - in its effect t0 100 mcg of levothyroxine.
Thank you shaws, I have heard of Dr Lowe and must read a bit more about him. I take 75mcg levo, reduced from 100 when I started T3, and was advised to split the doses as it does not last long in the body. Therefore the 10mcg equals about 40mcg levo so that puts me a little above the levo I was on. I guess what I was asking was is what I experienced today to be expected and I should pace myself more? I'm not good at slowing down unfortunately and as I felt good maybe I over did it. Next bloods due in a couple of weeks so I guess that will determine how things are. Thanks again x
Dr Lowe took T3 himself and I will look for his link.
He stated that he took his T3 in the middle of the night when he went to the toilet. He took it with one glass of water.
I trialled his suggestion:-
I took my T3 as usual a.m. with one glass of water. I took none on day two or day three. I had no symptoms but started my dose again and back to once a day. I take my dose when I awake and wait an hour before I eat.
I am well, and symptom-free on T3.
There's information in the following links - cursor down to the links:
So glad you're well, I'll see how it goes, but may try all T3 in one. Is it ok to take at the same time as levo as I separate them at the moment and wait the hour before food? I know you're T3 only though so maybe someone else can help. Everyone is helpful, I really appreciate your support, thank you.
Dr Lowe stated that T3 had to 'saturate' all of our T3 receptor cells and the effect of that one dose lasted between one to three daysby sending out 'waves''
I started with T4, then Endo added some T3. I then stopped T4 and went onto T3 only Dr Lowe would never prescribe T4 as he stated it was due to payments to Endos that T4 became the No.1 prescription. You can take T4/T3 at the same time.
Always listen to your body and always make changes very slowly.
was advised to split the doses as it does not last long in the body.
This is false - did a doctor tell you that?
T3 has a half life of about 24 hours in the blood. That means that if you took 10 mcg this morning, by tomorrow morning there will be 5 mcg left - minus what got into the cells.
What gets into the cells stays that for about three days. So, I would hardly call that 'not lasting long in the body'.
That said, some people feel better taking it all in one go, others feel best splitting it. You would have to experiment to find out which method is best for you. We're all different. I am on T3 only, and I take 75 mcg every morning, all in one go, and that's what suits me best. Maybe you do need to take it three times a day, but that makes it difficult to take well away from food/supplements/other medication. Maybe just twice a day would be just as good. But, it's always a good idea to try taking it all in one go, just so as you know.
What exactly do you mean by that? My heart doesn't react in any way when I take my dose, it doesn't start racing or anything untoward. But, as I keep saying, we're all different, and we can't know how things are going to affect us unless we try.
Oh ok. I find my heart starts beating very fast after taking T3 like Tiromel even at a relatively small dose like half a 25mcg dose. I couldn't take a lot at once. But as you say we're all different.
Maybe you are slightly nervous on taking your T3 dose. I have never had one problem on T3 but had awful experience with levothyroxine when heartbeats raced.
You may be slightly nervous without realising it taking T3 alone.
I have followed a doctor who was also an Adviser to Thyroiduk.org.uk and he took his one daily dose of T3 when he awoke to go to the toilet during the night.
Dr L stated that one daily dose of T3 saturates all of our T3 receptor cells and that its effect can last between one to three days.
I took my one daily dose, took none on day 2 or day 3 and it did last . I have always taken my T3 dose once daily with one glass of water and wait an hour before eating. With T3 I have no clinical symptoms (I don't take a high dose and we should slowly increase dose, i.e. quarter T3 and add a 1/4 over several weeks always taking not of your symptoms and are they being relieved.
On the link below click on the 'blue' links within the post for information.
Thank you shaws, there's certainly plenty to read there. I'm not consciously nervous of T3, I desperately want it to work and I do take levo too. It's just these blooming ectopics, had them all day now and tired of them. I think they make me more anxious, then I notice them more and so it goes on. It's just so frustrating as I had had a good few days without them and felt really well till yesterday afternoon. I did think of calling my g.p. but then what would they do, I've had loads ecgs and a couple of monitors on, shows ectopics but never like this at the time and no one is interested. Hope it settles soon 🤞
When doctor Lowe was young his father and his father's brothers committed suicide. That was the reason that he began to research when he was older and what would/could enable people to take their own lives and I believe that's why he began to study about the hormones that enabled our brains in particular to function.
Thank you and yes the consultant told me that! I hadn't bothered to check the half life of it I just thought it was absorbed and only available in the body for about 8 hours. Yes, I'll try all in one as it's a pain trying to fit vitamins in around it and food thank you.
All to often, a consultant is the last person to consult where thyroid is concerned! They don't seem to know anything much about it. Don't know where they get these ideas from. If it was only available for about eight hours, not very much would get into the cells because it's not instand. T3 can float around the receptors for quite a while before being taken up. Which is one of the reason we need to take a consistant daily dose, and not alternate like we can with the storage hormone, T4.
I'll see how I go with the consultant, he was suggested as he does prescribe T3 and is on the Thyroid uk list. I just take 5mcg twice a day so will await my next bloods in a couple of weeks and see from there. Can I just ask off subject, I need some more D3, I've had Dr Best 2,000 which have been great and a separate K2. Why are some brands combined when many advise to take apart due to their absorption being the same please?
Depends how they are presented. Are they in oil capsules or chalky pills? If they come with their own oil, then they will, presumably, have enough oild to both be absorbed correctly. But, if they are in pill form, then you have to take them separately so that they don't compete for the oil/fat source to be absorbed. If you see what I mean.
On levothyroxine, or especially on levothyroxine plus T3 we need to pace carefully
Combination of doing too much and eating gluten likely a double whammy
Gluten will reduce absorption and can affect uptake of levothyroxine/T3
I have been on levothyroxine plus T3 almost 6 years but still occasionally “over do it” and run out of energy …..can leave you feeling very rough …..i find it typically takes 3-5 days to recover
Thank you SlowDragon, oh dear, I thought it was my own fault, bread and overdoing it, I just feel cream crackered and exhausted. My own fault then, I thought I was superwoman today, that'll teach me. Well I can't turn the clock back so I'll have to deal with it and try to learn from my mistake. Let's hope the gluten mistake resolves a bit quicker than yours, I would never believe the difference it can make. Thanks again for replying and hope you stay well x
So curious, after years of having to pace with 'fibromyalgia' and 'chronic fatigue' one will still have to pace when taking levothyroxine + plus t3/ndt? Or get an energy deficit?
That explains a lot. I think I assumed well means 'back to before one got ill' in terms of activity. I see it's not quite like that
I thought the same too unfortunately Alanna012. Had a poor night with ectopics but hopefully will settle back soon. I guess if I had a thyroid, extra T3 would have been produced to compensate for the extra I had used but as I don't my body was depleted and decided to have pay back time on me.
I hope you feel better soon. Probably a couple days as said. I'm impressed by the cold water swimming!🌟 I had no hot water for a couple weeks in September and I found that tough🥶
Exactly, I'm scared stupid of going under ice. Probably because my late Dad said he had fallen into the canal as a child and could vividly remember looking up at the ice. Surrounded by canals in the Black Country, we could all swim by 3 years old. X
As a child, listening to your dad it has most probably caused you to mentally imagine what it would be like and it would scare you - just the thought of it alone.. Children seem to have vivid memories about something that may scare them..
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Advice needed if possible please 
About to start T4/T3 combo. 3 questions - just needing a bit of reassurance please. 
Advice if possible please
