Low t3

[ninja1]

tsh. H 5.77. 0.27-4.20

Free t4 19.7. 12-22.0

Freet3. Low 3.08. 3.1-6.8

Blue horizons.

How can I get t3 up without increasing thyroxine as if my t4 goes over 20 I get very shakey and jittery

I also had b12 folate and vit d bloods medichecks all low but doc won’t accept them says need nhs bloods and I’ve been waiting since 18 may for blood appt but can’t get them done until 1 June

How can I raise t3 I just can barely function

[pennyannie]

Hello Ninja1:

The accepted conversion ratio when on T4 Levothyroxine only is said to be 1 /3.50 - 4.50 T3/T4 with most people feeling at their best when they come in at around 4 or under.

So to find your conversion ratio you simply divide your T3 into your T4 and I'm getting yours coming in at around 6.40 - so very poor conversion of the T4 thyroid hormone medication.

No thyroid hormone replacement works well until ferritin, folate, B12 and vitamin D are up and maintained at optimal so this maybe an area to look at :

From experience I now maintain my ferritin at around 100 : folate at around 20 : active B12 at around 75 ++ and vitamin D at around 100:

Your TSH has gone further out of range since your last post some 11 days ago - have you been able to talk to your doctor as suggested then ?

There is liquid T4 - maybe this could be suggested - but I think a recommendation to endo is necessary as doctors in primary care can only prescribe T4 monotherapy which clearly, currently, isn't working for you.

[ninja1 in reply to pennyannie]

Yes medichecks bloods show b12 and vit d and folate low but ferritin 135. Doc won’t accept medichecks bloods but ordered nhs ones but have to wait until 1 June to get bloods drawn I’m on my knees

[pennyannie in reply to ninja1]

Yes, I'm afraid that happens but we need the Medichecks results to see for ourselves and thereby force NHS action through the doctor which is " back to front " thinking.

Ok - so it's now 27th so not too long, just try and rest up and don't overdo anything, not that you probably can.

Take good care:

[ninja1]

I don’t have a thyroid it was removed totally in 1995

[ninja1 in reply to ninja1]

If I increase thyroxine taking free t4 to over 20 I get shakey and my heart rate goes beserk

[pennyannie in reply to ninja1]

Well in that case you would probably fair better with a little T3 - Liothyronine as well as T4 - Levothyroxine - making a T3/T4 combo :

A fully functioning working thyroid would be supporting you on a daily basis with trace elements of T1. T2, and calcitonin + a measure of T3 at around 10 mcg + a measure of T4 at around 100 mcg.

T3 is the active hormone that the body runs on and said to be about four times more powerful than T4 which is a storage hormone and which needs to be converted by the body into T3:

Some people can get by on T4 only :

Some people find that T4 seems to stop working as well, at some point in time, and add in a little T3 making a T3/T4 combo :

Some people can't tolerate T4 at all and need to take T3 Liothyronine only :

Whilst others prefer to take Natural Desiccated Thyroid which contains all the same known hormones as that of the human gland and made from pig thyroid dried and ground down into tablets referred to as grains.

20 odd years ago all these options were at your doctors fingertips to prescribe.

Sadly we appear to be going backwards as now you need to be referred to an endocrinologist if T4 and the obligatory anti depressants that often get pulled out the NHS bag, don't work for you.

I too do not have a thyroid as I have Graves Disease and was treated with RAI thyroid ablation in 2005 - a treatment I deeply regret and now manage lingering Graves, thyroid eye disease and hypothyroidism and now self medicate with NDT and feel much better.