iron and vit d within range. didn't take any meds 24hours leading up to it.
second test in a row with these TSH results, t3 and t4 have remained stable both times. my only symptom is tiredness and hunger, no weight gain or heart palpitations. my doctor has told me to stop taking liothyronine but continue levothyroxine.
I'm going to try it as I don't know what else to do but would love some more insights. he has had a few patients that he did this with, with positive results.
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Abirose97
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I used to live in england where I saw a private endo courtesy of my generous parents and he has been very happy with my TSH remaining at >0.01 but now I live in Canada and they are for some reason refusing to refer me to an endo
We can't interpret your FT4 and FT3 without the reference ranges, can you add them please so that we can comment.
iron and vit d within range.
Just being "in range" doesn't mean that the levels are optimal. What are the results/reference ranges for these, and were B12 and folate tested?
didn't take any meds 24hours leading up to it.
Time gap for Levo - last dose 24 hours before test.
Time gap for Liothyronine - last dose 8-12 hours before test, splitting dose into 2 or 3 the day before and adjusting time if necessary.
So by leaving 24 hours between last dose of Liothyronine and test your FT3 result is a false low, your normal amount of circulating hormone will be higher if tested with recommended time gap.
my doctor has told me to stop taking liothyronine but continue levothyroxine.
I’m guessing they want to stop your T3 because your TSH is suppressed. It will be suppressed on T3. I already knew that but my endo in my last letter stated it as well. (Probably more for info for my gp than me!)
Have you looked at Thyroid Patients Canada website? Tania Sona Smith is a great patient advocate and has written many articles about T3 (she's on it herself) educating both the public and doctors. She is a stickler for science as well so an excellent source of info for (often ignorant) medical professionals.
As to your results - when you are on T3 your TSH will be supressed as everyone said and it's really individual how much. Most people split taking T3 into at least two doses, often 3 and how much of a gap you need before your next blood draw is hugely individual but if you dont's want to frighten your doctor with you FT3 result you generally need from 12 (bare minimum when you are on a small dose) to 17-19 hours when on a decent replacement dose.
In practice, when you are on T3 you are mainly informed by your signs (vitals like temps, blood pressure and heart rate taken at least 3-4 times a day usually before and after your T3 doses) and symptoms not blood tests so I wouldn't get too attached to them 8-).
Your tiredness and hunger might be related to your cortisol more than T3. Have you had it checked, ideally both as morning blood cortisol and 4 point saliva test? NO thyroid medication works well without good cortisol so it should have been tested right at the start of both levo and T3.
If you really want to learn more about being on T3 you should read Paul Robinson's 'Thyroid Patient's Manual' and 'Recovering on T3' books.
I think this is a fairly common response from GP re liothyronine. They seem to be obsessed with a suppressed TSH, but if you're on T3 it will be suppressed, yet GPs don't seem to have a clue about this. I see your T3 prescripition was recommended by a private endocrinologist. My T3 was started through this route also otherwise I wouldn't have been given it. My NHS endo. is also exhibiting a panic approach to suppressed TSH and dropped mine to 15 mcg from 20mcg via a letter at xmas. It must be a cost-related phobia they all seem to exhibit! It's so hard to be confident when in that position, but personally I would emphasise the private endocrinologists recommendations to your doctor and ask to keep the T3. It's hard enough coping with the various symptoms without feeling that you're not being understood. There's a lot of good advice on this forum though, so hopefully this will help you to be more informed and strong.
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