Confused! More T3 and everything has plummeted!

[Jooju2004]

Hello 👋🏻

I would be really grateful for some more advice! Sorry for the lengthy post.

I have been pretty stable for a couple of years, but to achieve that on T4 alone my TSH would always be 0.002ish and my FT4 would be around 22. At that point I was on 175 levo.

So about a year ago I started introducing 6.25mcg of Tiromel a day.

In November 2022 I was on 150 levothyroxine and 6.25 Tiromel. My results were:

TSH 0.02 (0.27 to 4.2)

T3 4.3 (3.1 to 6.8)

FT4 19.9 (12 to 22)

A couple of months ago I decided to try to tweak these to get T3 up and FT4 down. I’m regretting my choices 🤦🏼‍♀️ I increased my T3 to 12.5 a day and reduced my levo to 125. I felt far too jittery so reduced the levo to 100 thinking that maybe I just didn’t need as much T3 because I’m a poor converter and T3 doesn’t need converting. It made sense in my head anyway😐

Bloods today, July 2023:

TSH 0.214

T3 3.1

FT4 13.7

arghhh no wonder I feel bleurgh.

so I’m guessing I have been under medicating myself. I can’t pretend to understand the logic, but if anyone could point me in the right direction to sorting this out I’d hugely appreciate it.

Thanks in advance🙏🏻

[SarahJane1471]

From my understanding ( I’m not as knowledgeable as many on here) by adding T3 your FT4 would probably have gone down anyway so I’m thinking you didn’t need to reduce the Levo quite so much. Also as I’m sure you know best to only change one thing at a time so that you know which is having the affect( good or bad).

Maybe keep the T3 at 12.5mcg and put Levo back up to 125mcgs and wait! Chopping and changing will confuse your body. I have always felt a bit jittery when upping Levo but it seems to pass after a week.

Hope that helps

[Jooju2004 in reply to SarahJane1471]

Thank you - yes I think that sounds like a plan. Wish I had never meddled with my dose now🤦🏼‍♀️

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

Jooju2004

I'm wondering why you changed your dose. In your previous post

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

you said

I think this is the first time I have posted from a position of ‘I actually feel ok’.

I take 150mcg levothyroxine and just 6.25mcg Tiromel. I tried increasing the Tiromel but felt a bit over-medicated so dropped back and haven’t really given it any thought since.

But my T3 is lower than I expected, especially as I feel well.

I do want to get my T3 up a bit - I feel really good but I do have swollen lower legs and have previously mentioned my eGFR/ kidney disease concerns, possibly being linked to low T3.

So if you were feeling good why did you want to change it, we should go by how we feel not numbers

[Jooju2004 in reply to SeasideSusie]

Hi thanks for the reply - at this point it makes no sense 😬 - but my last paragraph in my previous post was the flawed thinking behind my decision - the idea was to get the T3 up a bit to see if that helped my kidney function, whilst trying not to simultaneously increase my FT4. All that’s happened is everything went down 🤦🏼‍♀️

Surely there has to be a way to get T3 up without also increasing the FT4 (which makes my GP shout at me)?

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to Jooju2004]

Jooju2004

Surely there has to be a way to get T3 up without also increasing the FT4 (which makes my GP shout at me)?

But looking those original results, did you need to get your FT3 up, you said you felt good. Increasing your T3 dose shouldn't increase FT4 level, it usually reduces it a bit.

[Jooju2004 in reply to SeasideSusie]

When put like that I’m aware it wasn’t ‘broke’ so I shouldn’t have tried to fix 😔 - thank you - this is one mistake I will learn from!

[jgelliss in reply to SeasideSusie]

👏👏👏👏

[SlowDragon Administrator]

In November 2022 I was on 150 levothyroxine and 6.25 Tiromel. My results were:

Day before test ……Did you split the T3 taking last 3mcg approx 8-12 hours before test

I increased my T3 to 12.5 a day and reduced my levo to 125

Only ever change one thing at a time

When you increased dose T3 to 12,5mcg did you take it as 2 x 6.25mcg at least 10-12 hours apart

Increase levothyroxine back to 125mcg

Wait 6-8 weeks and retest

Meanwhile

What vitamin supplements do you take

Vitamin levels will need including at next test

[Jooju2004 in reply to SlowDragon]

Thank you I have started back on 125 levo again today.

I don’t split my T3 dose as basically I am useless and would never consistently get the second dose in, so I take both levo and T3 all in one go - but last dose is always 24 hours before I test. Do you think it would make a significant difference if I split the dose?

Thanks again!

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Jooju2004]

So no wonder

Yes most people initially always split dose as increase T3 and a high percentage of us have to continue to split dose

Like many I split as 3 x 5mcg per day

Waking, mid afternoon and bedtime

Day before test it’s essential to always split the dose ….otherwise blood test gives false Ft3 results

Ft3 is gone out of blood within 12 hours (it lasts longer in cells…..but test only looks at what’s in blood)

Last dose of T3 should be 8-12 hours before test otherwise result is false low

[Jooju2004 in reply to SlowDragon]

Ohhhhh 🤦🏼‍♀️

Right - thank you! That makes sense. I’ll try to do it right next time😔

[Gemmab1982]

Hey how are u getting results for t3 as my doctor won’t test for this on nhs. Also what are the. Benefits of taking triomel? Thanks 😊

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Gemmab1982]

Please write new post of your own with your most recent results

Thousands of U.K. members test privately

With Hashimoto’s it’s also important to test vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12

Vitamin levels need to be optimal before considering adding T3 …..and fine tune levothyroxine dose and brand

Recommended that all thyroid blood tests early morning, ideally just before 9am, only drink water between waking and test and last dose levothyroxine 24 hours before test

This gives highest TSH, lowest FT4 and most consistent results. (Patient to patient tip)

Private tests are available as NHS currently rarely tests Ft3 or all relevant vitamins

List of private testing options and money off codes

thyroiduk.org/getting-a-dia...

Medichecks Thyroid plus antibodies and vitamins

medichecks.com/products/adv...

Blue Horizon Thyroid Premium Gold includes antibodies, cortisol and vitamins

bluehorizonbloodtests.co.uk...

Only do private testing early Monday or Tuesday morning.

Tips on how to do DIY finger prick test

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Medichecks and BH also offer private blood draw at clinic near you, or private nurse to your own home…..for an extra fee

Link about thyroid blood tests

thyroiduk.org/getting-a-dia...

Link about Hashimoto’s

thyroiduk.org/hypothyroid-b...

Symptoms of hypothyroidism

thyroiduk.org/wp-content/up...