How long after coming off thyroid meds to take blood test?

[Tuxi1]

I have been coming off my T3 for a couple of weeks to get a base line thyroid measurement again and to start again my thyroid journey. I have found coming off very easy and think the the gastro problems I have been having, and have chatted about on here, may well be connected with taking the T3 as I have gone from chronic diarrhoea to constipation as I have come off! It may of course be connected to other supplements I have been taking but we shall see how things go.

What I need to know is now I am off the T3 how long do I have to wait before getting my bloods taken again? I have a feeling T3 leaves the system very quickly? I am not on any T4. Will I still be stabilising?

Thank you in advance

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Usual advice is 6-8 weeks

TSH is very slow to respond to changes in levels, especially if TSH was suppressed

[Tuxi1 in reply to SlowDragon]

Really? That is a long time to wait. My TSH is very very surpressed at the moment so it may take a while to come up then. Does that mean we I can't tell how I would feel without the T3 until around then? I may not last that long without the T3 if constipation continues like this - from one swing to the other!!

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Tuxi1]

I can’t see how you can manage at all on no thyroid hormones …..likely to become extremely unwell long before TSH starts to respond

You say you can’t tolerate levothyroxine

Which brand of levothyroxine tablets have you tried?

Many people find different brands are not interchangeable

Have you tried liquid levothyroxine?

Several members have had significant improvements and tolerate liquid levothyroxine well

[Tuxi1 in reply to SlowDragon]

I really wanted to check that I needed thyroid hormones any more. Liquid Lev is full of sucrose etc that my body won't tolerate and the brands of the other were Teva - Avant - Wockhardt They made all my symptoms loads worse and I couldn't function in my brain

[Tuxi1 in reply to SlowDragon]

Hi SlowDragon - I have spent a while trying to upload my details. Just trying to sort out the mess I find myself in - Maybe I shouldn't be on thyroid meds at all - It's just that I feel warmer on them and my bowels work better. i don't have other hormones to help me and cannot tolerate many things. Any case - take a look and see what you think.

[SlowDragon Administrator]

There’s no information on your profile

How long have you been hypothyroid

What were results when first diagnosed

Do you have autoimmune thyroid disease also called Hashimoto’s diagnosed by high thyroid antibodies

Assuming yes, are you on absolutely strictly gluten free diet

When were vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12 last tested

What vitamin supplements are you currently taking