I'm not able to raise the levo dose,...I thought I'd try slow-release levo .

[adin]

Hello again. Now I'm on 120mcg levothyroxine in the morning and some Slow Release T3x3 doses trough the day. My values are somewhere in the middle of the range ( ft4 -16,2(12-22) ; ft3-5,3(3,2-6,8) and tsh -0,089).On this dose, I gained weight, my stomach was swollen, my wrists were stiff. My endo told me that I needed to increase the dose of levo (to150mcg) to the top value of ft4 somewhere at 18 -19.

But if i try I got angry, anxious, my vision become blurry, tunnel vision, disoriented, raising thoughts, nausea,etc. I'm somehow in the morning in hyper and in the evening in hypo. I don't know how can I fix it.

I thought I'd try slow-release levo , is a German compound pharmacy that made (T3, T4 retard).

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Bloating suggests low stomach acid

Are you on strictly gluten free diet

What are your most recent vitamin results

What vitamin supplements are you currently taking

Have you had cortisol levels tested

Feeling worse in morning and better in evening could be cortisol issue

[adin in reply to SlowDragon]

No, I'm not on a gluten-free diet but I would like to try. I tested the saliva cortisol and it's ok.

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to adin]

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

Please add most recent results and ranges and say what vitamin supplements you are currently taking

Extremely important on levothyroxine and/or T3 to have GOOD vitamin levels

Just being somewhere within range is not good enough

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to adin]

Before considering trial on gluten free diet get coeliac blood test done FIRST just to rule it out

gluten-intolerancetest

If you test positive for coeliac, will need to remain on gluten rich diet until endoscopy

If result is negative can consider trialing strictly gluten free diet for 3-6 months.

Likely to see benefits.

If no obvious improvement, reintroduce gluten see if symptoms get worse.

chriskresser.com/the-gluten...

amymyersmd.com/2018/04/3-re...

[helvella Administrator]

adin,

One of the issues with most, possibly all, slow or delayed release products is that the total absorbed might be affected.

For example, if you are taking 120 micrograms of levothyroxine at present, you might be absorbing 75% - that is, 90. But with a slow release product you might absorb less, say, 60%/72 micrograms.

Remember, T4 is primarily absorbed in the first section of the intestine - the jujenum and ileum. How effectively it can be absorbed further down, who knows?

There has been little research on slow release levothyroxine. To a large extent, I suspect many medics cannot see any point.

[adin in reply to helvella]

I take SR- T3 and I feel better than on fast/normal T3 and the value of ft3 is the same as normal T3 at the same dose. That's why I thought it would work with t4-levo as well, but as you say it could be a problem with absorption.

[helvella Administrator in reply to adin]

adin,

Awareness is everything! If you know of the possibility, you can deal with it.

[jgelliss]

I'm so sorry that your experiencing all these symptoms . What you might want to try is to split your T4 dose. You might find it much more helpful instead of dosing with the T4 all at once. So take half a dose AM and the second dose about 3 PM. Are you taking nutrients eg vitamin D/K2 B-Complex, B-12/folate, Iron? Nutrients help our thyroid meds work well for us.Hope you feel better very soon.

[adin in reply to jgelliss]

Hi, I tried to split but I feel more energetic if I take it all in the morning.