Just a quick question for those on T3 only out of curiosity - what is your overall dose, your split dose (if any) and how long did it take you to get there?
I know it’s different for everyone but would be interesting to see how others work their dosing ☺️
So far gradually up to 65mcg, definitely less bumpy than NDT. Still quite hypo with low temps, normal BP, lowish HR but willing to give it all the magic ingredient (time).
I currently take 100 mcg daily, split into two doses of 50 mcg each. My prescription is written for.3 doses of 50 mcg daily, but I dropped to twice daily because Cytomel is on backorder. (I can't take generic liothyronine.) I'm still hypo at 100 mcg daily, but currently recovering from a month of taking NP Thyroid, which the new doc prescribed even though she knew I don't convert T4. It took a year or more of slow increases to get to the 150 dose, and while my pulse was too fast at that dose, I felt good. Has your doctor tested your Free T3 and Reverse T3 at the same time so you can check the ratio between the two?
What do you mean when you say Cytomel is on back order? Are you talking about the t3 from Mexico? Which brand are you currently taking? Sorry to fire all these questions at you but I had to revert to another brand recently and realised yesterday that my brain is feeling a it 'muzzy'.
Are you aware that Greenstone liothyronine is the exact same formulation as Pfizer Cytomel, and made by the same company (Peptido)?
Reverse T3 is effectively never tested in the UK.
(I assume you are in the USA? Maybe add that to your profile, please.)
Thanks for your response Rileyfloof, how did you figure out your split? Did you go off how you felt or stats? Started on 40 due to doing a straight swap from NDT and it’s been relatively smooth getting up to 70 so far but I think the fine tuning will take some time.
I haven’t tested since switching as my Endo has said the tests are rather pointless on t3 only. My last rt3 was 19 (10-24) range, so I am guessing I will have to arrive at my final dose using temp, hr etc as Paul Robinson suggests. X
I’m on T3 only. I take 50mcg in 3 doses - 20mcg 6.45am, 20mg 12.00, 10mcg 5pm. I have an issue with heart arrhythmia and it it tips into atrial fibrillation, so limit by dose to 50mcg which works for me.
thank you that’s very helpful! Do you find your aFib worse when undermedicated or when t3 is higher? It’s such a fine balance! X
I’m on beta blocker (Bisoprolol 3.75mg) but if I go over 50mcg T3 I get more arrhythmias and it can tip into AFib. I’ve not tried reducing T3 below 40mcg as no energy so can’t say about AFib at too low a does really.
100 mcg, split into 4 x 25mcg.
Started on just below approximately equivalent dose to NDT that I had been taking of 75mcg. Tried a little more and blood tested etc until settled on 75mcg being good.
When added HRT had to increase dose to100mcg.
Thanks for your response Katie! Did you find blood testing ok with t3 only? My Endo has said not to bother but would be nice to roughly see a comparison to where I was at on the NDT. I did a straight switch to less t3 than the equivalent of NDT as I wasn’t sure how I would react. Now I have reached 70mcg I will likely slow down as I try to find the right dose without causing tissue over stimulation x
Yes blood testing is fine - I don't seem to be very good at picking up the signs that enough is enough and in the past have gone too high without realising so I do test.
I use Stop the Thyroid Madness as a good info source and they suggest top quarter of the range for T3 only but I have not managed to get that high, seem to be fine on current 100mcg dose bumping along just over mid range. It was them that had the info on moving from NDT dose to T3 dose too.
Hi Beau55 I worked up to 60mcg a day split in three but increased to fast and had horrible palpitations. After advice here and from a new endocrinologist I reduced and tried low and slow. That was the best advice I got. Now I'm pretty happy on 45mcg T3 plus 25mcg T4. For some weird reason I found adding some T4 reduced the peaks from T3. I take my T3 as follows 20mcg at 7.45am, 15mcg at 12.45 PM and 10mcg at 3pm - after a bit of trial and error I found that schedule saved me from a late afternoon slump and carries me through the evening. It took about a year to get here but we'll worth the journey cos seven years T4 only left me a wreck. Its all very person specific so youll need to taylor your dose and regieme to your personal response and allow time for tiny changes to settle. Good luck.
Thanks for your response Hashiboy, so glad you have found a dosing schedule that suits you. Did you bother with bloods for your dosing or did you arrive on that dose by how you felt ?
Im preparing myself that this next bit will take a lot of time and patience to find the right amount at the right time. It’s so interesting to see how much others take and the variety of splits!
Hi there, yep I do regular bloods and I have an endocrinologist who supervised and advised on doses. I was put on too much T3 by the first endo so the guy I see now got me to slowly reduce and tested as we went along. Once my TSH began to shoot up e began slow reintroduction. So I think being slow and systematic was the key.
I take 37.5 Tiromel daily - 12.5 @ 8 am, 4 pm, and 12 midnight. It works for me.
Self diagnosed. Sometimes have trouble ordering it.
My dose of T3 is 30mcg and I take it once daily when I awake with one glass of water. I wait for an hour before I eat.
I follow the advice given by Dr John Lowe who was a scientist and expert on the use of T3. He was also an Adviser to Thyroiduk.org.uk. before his early demise due to an accident.
He stated that T3 saturates all of the T3 receptor cells and 'they' send out waves throughout the day.
I wait an hour before I eat.
I am well and symptom-free.
The following is a link by Dr Lowe that may be helpful:-
Monotherapy With T3 and Shbg
How to dose daily T3 monotherapy?
T4 Monotherapy Versus T4/T3 Combination Therapy
About people sending T3 from other countries
