Transition from Thyroid s to Levo + T3

[Brightness14]

I am still trying to start my Levo + T3 after taking Thyroid s for over seven years. I have always felt well and now my new batch of Thyroid s is not working I am intending to go onto Levo + T3.

I posted last week and asked for answers, unfortunately the day I started I became ill and spent all day on the loo. I had gone from 2.25 grains which is 88mcg T4 plus 20 mcg of T3 in the NDT split in two doses.

I did try 75 mcg Levo plus 6.25 mcg of T3 at 6am last week and it made me very unwell, so I am asking again please, anyone with suggestions would be welcome. I now have no old Thyroid s left after today.

I have no thyroid so need to take something but what. Should I leave off taking the Levo for a few days for it to leave my body or was the 6.25 mcg of T3 too much to start on.

Someone stated that Levo could be taken at night. Anybody with ideas please, send them on a postcard to?

[Margo]

I hope you find some answers soon. I know what it feels like when you are used to a product and can no longer take it any more, and for the likes of us without a thyroid it is a serious issue.

I started my new Thyroid S about a fortnight ago, haven't been feeling too great, amongst other things skin break outs, the likes I haven't seen since I was a teenager if you get my drift. However, I am persevering because I don't have much choice, and don't fancy the Levo'/T3 route. Today I am feeling ok, and hoping that things will get better. So if you can find another source, hopefully you can resume your Thyroid S.

[Brightness14 in reply to Margo]

I have a good supply of Armour which I bought during covid, these never worked well for me and are expensive. I have been on Armour forums this afternoon and it appears that the pill coatings were hardened when another company bought out the old one. Many people now have to chew them before swallowing first. I will start tomorrow and see how I go.

[Joyya]

Sorry you felt so unwell. Having made a similar transition 6 weeks ago, I felt as though the T3 in NDT was absorbed more slowly than synthetic. Constipation is a common symptom of hypothyroidism, so it doesn't seem unusual that a large dose of synthetic T3 with a short half-life could cause those symptoms. If it were me, I would split he T3 dose, and take the first half with my Levo very early in the morning (an hour or two before coffee / breakfast) and take the other half 6 hours later.

[Brightness14 in reply to Joyya]

I did that last week taking my 75mcg Levo plus 6.25 mcg T3 together at 6.30am.

I have 25 mcg tablets of T3 so hard to split them into eight. Anyway, thank you for trying to help me.

How do we know that NDT contains 39 mcg of T4 and 9 mcg of T3 in each pill, perhaps that's wrong too. In fact it could be a lot less.

[Imaaan]

How about spitting up your t4 and increasing your t3????

AM : 37.5 t4 plus 6.25 t3

Noon/Evening: 6.25 t3

PM 37.5 t4 (4 hours away from food and supplements)

I took my t4(Synthroid) at night for a few yrs so that's a possible option for you to try.

[Brightness14 in reply to Imaaan]

Thank you It sounds OK I will give it a go.

[Imaaan in reply to Brightness14]

Hope you find a solution. I know a member on here that's on glandulars (porcine and bovine) and is doing well on them, so that's another avenue you could possibly explore .

[Imaaan in reply to Brightness14]

Forgot to mention to maybe keep the doses of t4 at least 12 hours apart. For me on t4 and ndt, 14 hrs has worked out. 8am and 10pm

[Joyya in reply to Imaaan]

What is the advantage of splitting the T4 dosage?

I currently take 75 mcg T4 with 5 mcg T3 at 4:30 AM, then 5 mcg T3 at noon. What would be the advantage / disadvantage of splitting both and doing half at 4:30 AM and half at 4:30 PM?

Thanks.

[Lalatoot in reply to Joyya]

splitting t4 reduces the spike as it enters the system. This makes it easier for some, rather than taking it in one. There is a thought that for some the spike of a large dose of t4 puts their body into safeguarding mode where it starts to create rt3 instead of t3 as it thinks that hormone levels are too high. A less severe spike from a split dose means that the ft4 level doesn't reach that person's 'trigger point'.

splitting a dose also means that if one day you eat or whatever close to levo , you haven't compromised the absorption of the total daily intake.

I have always split my levo so that I could tolerate increasing doses. I have split my daily dose into 3 and in 2 doses but have now settled on first thing and bedtime. Taking an afternoon dose didn't suit my routine as it compromised afternoon tea and perhaps cake. Also by dosing morning and night it leaves the whole day free to fit in supplements and other meds

[Joyya in reply to Lalatoot]

thank you, this is very helpful. I have finally figured out the eating, supplements, med timing, so I think I may simply split my T4 in two and take each half at the same time I already take my two doses of T3 (4:30 AM and 4:30 PM).

If the doctor adds another dose of T3 next week, then I will have to rethink everything.

[Imaaan in reply to Lalatoot]

Well said and much better than my brain fog brain could explain it.

[Auders in reply to Lalatoot]

nothing should get in the way of cake 🧁 🫣x

[Brightness14 in reply to Auders]

Exactly

[tattybogle in reply to Joyya]

Joyya .... re. levo splitting ... it is definitely worth a personal experiment at some point ....i take levo only , and used to split it yrs ago (half on waking /half 2 pm) ...and i thought at the time it allowed me to function better after 4 pm instead of crashing,.. but i stopped at some point once i learned the half life of levo ought to mean splitting 'couldn't make any difference', and decided i had probably just been kidding myself .... however i've started splitting levo again for this past year (half on waking / half at bedtime) .. and interestingly i have felt increasingly well this yr , much better than i have for long time .. no scientific proof how/why , but it just seemed logical to try it because the body doesn't naturally get one massive dump of T4 , it gets a trickle feed with slightly more overnight /early am ... so i though i'd try to replicate the natural workings a bit closer in case it helps somehow with the subtleties of hormone function . and since i feel pretty good at the moment i'm going to keep doing it. (obviously GP thinks i'm nut's and is just humouring me . .. but nowadays i trust my own findings more , and their opinions less)

one of the admins (slowdragon) has been trying it this yr and has also noticed several improvements i think.

[Joyya in reply to tattybogle]

I crash daily at 4 PM, so I am definitely going to try this! Thanks.

Is it possible I might be able to not have to go to sleep so early (like at 8 PM)!!

Since I am taking both Levo (AM) and Lio (AM and PM), does it make the most sense to just spit them both half and half at 4:30 AM / 4:30 PM?

And what if my doctor adds an extra dose of T3 next week after my blood tests come back? What would you recommend trying?

Thanks!

[tattybogle in reply to Joyya]

not really sure ... cos i don't take T3 . can't think of a sensible answer... brain has gone to sleep since writing the above . lol

probably just pick whatever timings are most convenient to your eating / sleeping habits and try it for a few months .

[Brightness14 in reply to tattybogle]

Thank you I have always split my Thyroid s into two does. It makes sense to split the T4 I would still have to fit in my T3. Taking a bad batch of Thyroid s for forty days has made me so ill that I don't know what to do next. I may try the Armour that I still have a supply of.

[Imaaan in reply to Joyya]

For me, lm sensetive to thyroid meds and have found that taking more than one dose reduces symptoms of chest pain and palpitations. The only way I could increase my t3 was through splitting up my t4. Some ppl benefit from one single dose whilst others benefit from a double dose. I decided to go the double dose route after reading SlowDragon's profile.

[Joyya]

Thanks!