Still feeling Awful, but results are improving

[Flippasmile]

Hi All!

**I have edited this to add my other bloods which came in today. I am VERY disappointed that my B12 has dropped so much considering I had an injection, albeit two months ago now. I have very slowly cut a tiny bit off my t3 and felt much better for a week, but now I am in the slow decline again.

I will give myself another injection and supplement as well on all but the D vits.

Another blood test....I have been feeling absolutely AWFUL for the last 5 weeks.

These are this weeks blood tests:

TSH 0.01 mIU/L (0.27 - 4.2) -6.6%

Free T4 (fT4) 16.1 pmol/L (12 - 22) 41.0%

Free T3 (fT3) 8.8 pmol/L (3.1 - 6.8) 154.1%

T4:T3 Ratio 1.830 

Folate - Serum 7.6 ug/L (4 - 25) 17.1%

Vitamin B12 52 nmol/L (40 - 210) 7.1%

Vitamin D 114 nmol/L (50 - 180) 49.2%

Ferritin 117 ug/L (10 - 410) 26.8%

HB 144  (126 - 270) 12.5%

TSAT 25  (15 - 50) 28.6%

I split my t3 into 3 and waited 24hrs after taking my t4 as advised previously.

I am on 50mcg Liothyronine, and 100mcg Levothyroxine.

I did do my vitamins but unfortunately there was an error so I have to do them again. I am however too high now in Vit D so I will stop supplementing.

I have been monitoring my supplements and so I believe that they will all be nearing an optimum level by now.

Obviously I need to decrease my t3, but I still feel I need more t4, if that makes sense.

What would you do?

[Jaydee1507 Administrator]

If you only started treatment in October and added T3 in December you've got to a high dose very quickly.

How long were you on this dose of 100mcg levo & 50mcgs T3 before the test?

Recommended increments are Levo/T4 25mcgs every 6-8 weeks, test and adjust dose by small amount. T3 should be adjusted in 5mcg increments maximum every 2 weeks.

Previous results:

TSH 0.1 mIU/L (0.27 - 4.2) -4.3%

Free T4 (fT4) 10.3 pmol/L (12 - 22) -17.0%

Free T3 (fT3) 4.9 pmol/L (3.1 - 6.8) 48.6

So what dose were you on for the previous results and for how long?

Unfortunately arriving at the correct dose of thyroid replacement is a very slow process and cannot be rushed. The body takes a long time to recover from being hypo.

Only adjust one thing at a time, so currently I would recommend reducing T3 by 5mcg and retesting in 6-8 weeks.

[Flippasmile in reply to Jaydee1507]

Same dose for the others, since January I have been on that dose.

[Jaydee1507 Administrator in reply to Flippasmile]

Thats strange as there is a large difference in the blood results, but anyway, would recommend reducing T3 by 5mcgs for 2 weeks, then a further 5mcg reduction and retest 6-8 weeks after that.

[Flippasmile in reply to Jaydee1507]

I think it's because I was almost deficient in Folate and previously other B vits which is an long and on going issue. I decided that the final option to stop this anaemia would be injections. I also split my t3 dose the day before of into 3 which I didn't do last time.

[Jaydee1507 Administrator in reply to Flippasmile]

Vitamin deficiencies/anaemia wouldn't cause a big change in your thyroid levels.

Splitting the dose before the test does give a more accurate result with stable blood levels.

[Flippasmile in reply to Jaydee1507]

Hi, I have just had a thought, and I think I know what might have caused a spike in things. So I have been supplementing progesterone for 12 days a month for a couple of years now due to severe eostrogen dominance. I have been very stressed lately and I think my cortisol levels hence my eostogen levels have risen (high for 20 days a month as indicated by symptoms). This is the first time my bloods have coincided with taking progestrone. I am sorry it just didn't occur to me until now. When do you think I should take my next test? Should I take it pre or during progesterone supplementation? FYI I usually feel extremely unwell just before ovulation which will also impact upon results I suppose.

[Jaydee1507 Administrator in reply to Flippasmile]

I'm not that well up on sex hormones, perhaps SlowDragon can help with that question.

Would still recommend a slow, gradual reduction of T3.

[Flippasmile in reply to Jaydee1507]

yes, I am doing that I feel better already just knocking a little quarter off.

[SlowDragon Administrator]

How high was vitamin D and how much were you taking

Perhaps stop vitamin D for 4-6 weeks then resume at a lower dose

Ft3 is very high

We normally say reduce by 5mcg and wait 6 weeks to retest

Perhaps reduce by further 5mcg after 3-4 weeks after initial reduction and then wait 6 week to retest

Typical daily dose T3 when taken alongside levothyroxine is

2 x 5mcg

or

3 x 5mcg

or

2 x 10mcg

[Flippasmile in reply to SlowDragon]

I have traditionally always been deficient (apart from my last test where I was replete) so it was quite the surprise! I am at 114 nmol/L, so not astronomically over. I was taking a 4000iu D3 Cholecalciferol Supplement., which I will now stop for a bit. I could reduce t3 to an eventual 2 x12.5 for now but I can't get any smaller ones at the moment ....I feel that would be about the right dose anyways.

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Flippasmile]

You obviously need to reduce dose T3 SLOWLY …..

You can cut 25mcg tablets into 1/4’s - 6.25mcg

[sweetczz]

I had all kinds of issues not getting my levels up for 2.4 years. I started taking berberine supplements and my levels including tsh leveled out in 1-2 months.

You have to experiment with berberine mg. I went from 20 mg methimazole to 10 mg by taking 1600 mg berberine with 200 mg cinnamon daily.

Now I take 1200 mg berberine and 66.66 mg cinnamon daily. I get my levels checked in a month to see if I need to bring down berberine or methimazole again. I'm amazed how well and how fast it worked