I’ve been taking 120mcg T3 per day (split into three doses) for around 3 weeks now. I know some of here have expressed shock at such a high dose, however I recently had a very high rT3 result and haven’t responded at all to T4 and T3 combination treatment. I’ve been on some for of treatment since about May last year, and have never really felt the benefit.
Anyway, in the last few days I’ve started to notice certain things. My resting heart rate, which has usually been around 45-50 bpm is now consistently around 70 bpm (I don’t know if that would count as over-medication). Likewise, I appear to have lost a couple of pounds this last week, something that has seldom happened of late.
That said, I’m still struggling in other areas. I’m still constipated as hell, and I’m still absolutely exhausted. I had a solid 9 hours sleep last night but it still felt as if I’d had none.
Is it normal / expected that symptoms would resolve at different times?
Thanks
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JonnyA
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Jonny Taking thyroid hormones - whatever you take - is not like taking aspirin for a headache or penicillin for a sore throat where the illness is cured and the symptoms go away.When we have thyroid problems our whole system gets out of balance. The body and brain have to adjust and adapt to running on as few hormones as the hypo person has. It shuts down unnecessary functions and rewires systems in order to survive hence the dry skin, brain fog, hair loss etc.
When the system is rebooted as it were with the addition of extra hormones the body and brain and all the the endocrine system affects have to again adjust and adapt. So symptoms will change, new ones might appear as the system re-balances. And some symptoms may never fully resolve. We have to learn to function the best we can on the optimum dose we can find and it is slow going.
BUT folks do become able to function again so there is hope there.
Jonny, there's nothing 'normal' about being hypo. It's a whole new you! And we have to learn to live by different rules because the old ones don't work anymore. And probably never will.
Symptoms very unlikely to resolve in 3 weeks and they won't all resolve at the same time.In your shoes I would stick with the 120mcg dose and monitor progress for at least another month.
Do you keep a diary/ spreadsheet to monitor changes?
You are clearly now responding to the T3...weight loss, increased HR.
Resting heart rate varies person to person
A normal resting heart rate is 60 - 100 bpm ( British Heart Foundation)
Thyroid hormones help control heart rate.
In people with clinical hypothyroidism, the heart rate is often 10–20 bpm slower than usual.
You could conclude that your heart rate has now improved.
Be patient your body needs time to recover
I'm ancient but it took me ( from introducing T3) about 2 years to reach improvement and almost 5 years on I still occasionally tweak my dose by a few mcgs!
The bottom line is that, you are in charge and it can be a long hard slog of trial and error but it looks as if you could be on the right track!
Watch out for raised resting heart rate, rapid weight loss and hand tremors....red flags for overmedication.
Listen to your body it will tell you if something is wrong.
Members will support you along the way if you wish.
Maybe take the advice of Dr John Lowe who was a scientist/researcher/doctor who himself took a once daily dose of 144mcg of T3 - (in the middle of the night) and was also Adviser to Thyroiduk.:-
Unfortunately he died due to a bad fall that caused a bleed in his brain but he continued to do his work up till his last day.
I have given you the link to his archived website and it is due to Helvella that this has been saved and hope you find it useful. I believe Dr. Lowe stated that some people were 'resistant' to thyroid hormones.
He resigned is Licence when he began to be pursued for not following the recommendations/rules in the USA and so that he could restore people's health if they had dysfunctional thyroid glands.
He saved thousands of lives of those who couldn't restore their health on levothyroxine. He only prescribed NDTs (natural dessicated thyroid hormones - the very original replacements from 1892 or T3 to patients who were 'resistant'. .
Dr John Lowe, was a doctor, researcher, and an expert in the use of T3. He himself took (I believe) 250mcg of T3 once daily - in the middle of the night so that nothing interfered with its uptake). He stated that T3 has to saturate all of our T3 receptor cells,
I followed Dr Lowe's advice and have recovered my health and I do not take a large dose of T3.
You’re taking 120mcg T3 every day and you have a high heart rate? This is a very strong sign you’re taking far too much surely? Forget the constipation (yes I know it’s annoying) - your heart is telling you it’s too much I think. Others I see don’t agree but Id be reducing the T3 a lot. And didn’t you say you’ve got high rt3 - isn’t that cos the T3 just isn’t brig used? Someone will correct me here. You’ve obviously had a journey to get where you’re taking 120t3 so please take my comments with a pinch of salt , I’m no doctor! I thought most people on T3 only were on 40-75 T3? Id halve your dose and see how you go. My opinion only!
I agree with your caution re. getting to such a large dose so quickly , and listening to what the heart is doing in response. But on the technical point ..... T3 can't actually be turned into rT3 (if that's what you meant ?)only T4 can be turned into T3 and rT3. (by de-iodination of 1 iodine atom, taken from a different place to get either T3 ,or reverse T3)
T3 is then turned into 2 (or 3?) different forms of T2 .
Which are then turned into T1, then T0.
And the iodine that has been removed is recycled in the body.
The T3 that isn't transported from the serum to the nuclei of the cells (where it becomes active) remains in the serum (where it is still inactive) until it is broken down ( metabolised) and eventually eliminated from the body by bladder and bowel.
I’m on nowhere near your dose and for the first few weeks I noticed an increased heart rate and lost several pounds over the 8wks, the last thing with me to improve was the constipation.
The heart rate settled eventually.
My endocrinologist said early days after 2 months on T3 regarding in seeing benefits, although maybe I am already showing improvement but I’m holding off until I see more improvement as it’s muscular problems I’m really needing to resolve, it’s better but could be coincidence.
I’m a poor converter T4-T3.
My endocrinologist still wants to see me to check heart rate, I saw him initially but mostly been remote consultation as he’s not in my area.
I’m not getting palpitations or thumping heart I only noticed the rise via my fit bit stats which did eventually even out.
I mentioned all this to endocrinologist as he’d asked about heart, he said he still needed to see me to get a proper reading of my heart as these gadgets aren’t accurate, he cannot diagnosis by them has to check out for himself.
I think it does state on leaflet in my medication which is Morningside
under,
Warning & Precautions.
Talk to your doctor if
You suffer from increased heart rate, sleeplessness, watery stools - suggesting increase in metabolism on initiation of treatment. In this case dose reduction would be required.
It mentions also under same heading,
Increased blood pressure.
Under
Possible side effects on same leaflet it mentions
Irregular, thumping or fast heart beats
Loss of weight
If you get any side effects talk to your doctor it says.
Just picking out what you have mentioned in your post as there are many more.
I assume get this checked out would be safest option.
I had similar experience, I was on 150 for a time (I was huge!) as long as you feel ok with heart rate keep going! Mine is still in the 70/80 after 4 years. I take mine approx 4:30 am ish read Dr Lowe and Paul Robinson, I owe them my life!, Take a probiotic (I take Bio-Kult) for your constipation-sorted mine after a lifetime of suffering (take mine last thing at night), for fatigue a good B complex, I also take extra B1-recommended by Rachel Weiss-I don’t have Hashi but read her for research .Read everthing you can, I have learned all I know from starting reading this forum, I thank everyone here for their support and care❣️ I take other supplements too, questioned by some but I’m feeling good🤗 Stick with it, you will improve and will probably have to tweak your dose as you do!😊
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