is T3 working?

[efm2022]

hi everyone. It’s been a while since I posted. After some great advice on here I managed to get T3 privately which I’ve been taking for 8weeks. I don’t feel much different in all honesty. I have a review with my doctor tomorrow to discuss how I’m doing and to look at my bloods. They will want to reduce my levo I’m sure. My results are:-

TSH 0.05 mU/L

Free T4 16.7 pmol/L

Free T3 4.0 pmol/L

Can you help me work out if the T3 is making a difference. I haven’t lowered my levothyroxine which the endo wanted to do based on the TSH, so I’m still on 100 daily but I’m now taking 5 of Liothyronine.

many thanks in advance

[Lalatoot]

It is not necessarily a quick fix. It took me 2 years of gradual changes till I settled on the best doses. Another 2 years on and the improvements are still slowly happening. Sorry we can't comment on your results without the ranges.

[SlowDragon Administrator]

5mcg is a tiny dose

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)

On T3 - day before test split T3 as 2 or 3 smaller doses spread through the day with last dose 8-12 hours before test

Is this how you did your test?

please add ranges on results

[greygoose]

It will only 'work' if you take enough of it. And, I would hazard a guess that you aren't. 5 mcg is only a tiny dose, and I would imagine your FT3 is rather low - too low to do any good - but impossible to say for certain without seeing the ranges.

Ranges vary from lab to lab, so we need to see those that came with your results.

[seveneleven]

5 is quite a small amount, as it's normal to start off low, so you wouldn't necessarily feel any impact yet, especially if T3 levels have been quite low. Your conversion seems somewhat poor, so if you're not feeling any negative effects from the T3 (jitters, fast heart rate, anxiety etc.), then you could probably afford to increase, maybe by 2.5, then reassess how you're feeling in a couple of weeks? Personally I would fight any suggestion of a decrease in levo again - unless the lab ranges are hugely different to the standard, you are certainly not overmedicated in terms of T4. They need to understand that T3 suppresses your TSH, so it absolutely shouldn't be used to judge increases/decreases once you're on liothyronine.

[DippyDame]

Probably having little impact....5mcg is a low dose.

It will depend on how low your FT3 is....the lower it is the more you will slowly need to raise your T3 dose

Does your GP know you are taking T3?

Dosing with T3 is a long slow journey.....I need high dose T3-only to function and after years I still occasionally tweak my dose.

Essential to optimise vit D, vit B12, folate and ferritin to support conversion/ thyroid function

BUT...did they ever suggest increasing your levo/T4 before adding T3?

That, plus optimised nutrients may have helped raise your FT3.

GP's thyroid knowledge is generally poor.

Absolutely do not reduce your levo right now....far too soon to consider that....and certainly not on the basis of TSH.

T3 can/ will lower both TSH and FT4....GP should understand that.

Low TSH will not cause symptoms...particularly when T3 is added.

We need reference ranges for your labs, they mean very little otherwise....so please update your post and we'll see what is going on

[efm2022 in reply to DippyDame]

Apologies for the late reply . My doctor is aware I’ve taken t3 meds privately but they want me to lower my dose of levo, not increase it based on my TSH. My endo says I’m hypo but I have no symptoms whatsoever.

Based on other comments on here should I be retaking my blood test and have my t3 medication during the day so it closer to the results? With it being a capsule, I cannot split it.

Many thanks

[DippyDame in reply to efm2022]

Blood test should be taken after at least 6 weeks on a steady dose, 12 hours after last T3 dose and 24hrs after last T4 dose

FT3 lab from test done 24hrs after last dose of T3 will give you a false-low FT3 result.....be aware of this

Ah! Just noticed your labs below....

Your FT3 is low as expected!

You could have taken your levo dose 24 hrs before test then the T3 dose 12 hrs before, rather than taking them both together 24hrs before. No need to split the 5mcg dose of T3.

It looks as if they are focussing on TSH which is not a reliable marker

The important question is, how do you feel on 100mcg + 5mcg T3?

[efm2022 in reply to DippyDame]

So I think I shall do another test as I need to see the accurate results. Overall I feel exactly the same as before I took T3. No change, no new symptoms.

[Hidden]

How long did you leave before between taking T3 and blood test. I suspect that if you’ve just switched from T4 only you may have left 24 hours. If you did, the FT3 result you have is a ‘false low’ and your FT3 levels will be higher than those indicated

[efm2022]

thank you everyone for your messages. I’ve finally got my result sheet from my surgery.test was done at 8.30am with no levo for 24hrs. I couldn’t split my dose of Lio as it’s a capsule so that was 24hrs before also.

Results

[arTistapple]

From my perspective (having trouble satisfactorily harnessing T3 at all) your sense of “I don’t feel much different in all honesty” sounds like heaven. So much general misunderstanding of how T3 works. Me too! I have been considering the ‘magic bullet’ reports we hear about. They are magic and I wish it was me. However it’s not me. I am having very mixed results. Maybe you are just having a lovely gradual introduction.

[efm2022 in reply to arTistapple]

Yes I fully understand. I find it to be an uphill battle as I just don’t know enough myself and my doctors/endo are useless. I was hoping t3 was my answer, maybe it will be in time. I understand it’s a slow process. I wish you luck with your journey x

[arTistapple in reply to efm2022]

You too efm2022.