T3 no longer working

[Rac73]

Hello,

I have been on T3 for several years now. I started on T4 but it made my hypo symptom worse, I had a few months of success with NDT but again it ended up making me more hypo. I was seeing Dr Peatfield at the time (so sad to hear of his passing, he was a wonderful gentleman and doctor) he recommended switching to just T3 . Unfortunately it was just before he retired so I wasn't able to follow up with any further appointments so just carried on taking it.

I'm very hypo at present and also in the Perimenopause which seems to of made things a whole lot worse.

I have visited a private Endo who has suggested I take 25mg of Wockhardt Thyroxine and 12.5mg of T3.

At present I am on 50mg of T3 split throughout out the day.

Has anyone had any experience of going from T3 to T3 and T4 combo?

If I'm not converting T4 to T3 or RT3 is the issue, is there anyway to overcome it?

My recent blood test in June was

FT4 5.5 (9.1 - 17.6)

FT3 3.7 (2.4 - 6.0) It has been as high as 8 not that I have ever felt over dosed.

TSH 0.14 (0.35 - 4.9)

Any advice greatly appreciated .

[GlowCoach Administrator]

When was your last dose of T3 before this test?

Do you always test under the same conditions - fasting and at the same time of day with same dose timing pre test?

To see stable levels of T3 its recommended to allow 8-12 hours between last T3 dose & blood test. If taking one dose then the day before split into 3 or 4 doses and take the last one with the correct timing.

How are your vitamins looking?

Your TSH is currently too high and FT3 too low.

[Rac73 in reply to GlowCoach]

I normally take my last does at around 3pm and then have a blood test the following morning before my first dose of the day.

My ferritin is the lower side of normal. I inject b12 and magnesium.I take lots of supplements and adrenal glandular and 50000 d3 weekly.

I think the high t3 may of been when they tested me just after having an afternoon dose.

[GlowCoach Administrator in reply to Rac73]

So the FT3 is a bit of a false low result but your TSH is far too high.

Timing of your blood test is important. Always try to standardise them by timing last dose of T3 & time of day for blood test, keep them the same each time etc

You have room for an increase of T3 if you wanted to.

If your ferritin is low then it would be worth while working on that depending exactly how low it was? What was the number for it?

Iron is a cofactor for B12, also needed for best use of thyroid hormone.

[greygoose in reply to GlowCoach]

Her TSH is below range.

[GlowCoach Administrator in reply to greygoose]

Only just…

[greygoose in reply to GlowCoach]

Is that a joke? I'm sorry, I don't understand. How can 'only just' under range be 'far too high'? What do you think it ought to be? Not that it matters, anyway. That low in someone taking T3, it's totally irrelevant.

[humanbean]

I have visited a private Endo who has suggested I take 25mg of Wockhardt Thyroxine and 12.5mg of T3.

At present I am on 50mg of T3 split throughout out the day

.

Is your private Endo suggesting that you are dramatically overdosed with your 50mcg T3?

Because the dose of T4 and T3 he is suggesting is a massive reduction. I wouldn't agree to it!

[greygoose]

I doubt the T3 has stopped working - it's a hormone, not a drug. Hormones don't just stop working. If your last dose of T3 was the recommended 8-12 before the blood draw, it looks more to me like you've stopped absorbing it. Do you always take it on an empty stomach and wait at least an hour before eating or drinking anything other than water? At least two hours away from other medication/supplements?

I have visited a private Endo who has suggested I take 25mg of Wockhardt Thyroxine and 12.5mg of T3.

And you paid good money for that suggestion? That's a tiny dose - especially compared to what you're taking at the moment. I really cannot see how that would help anything - and would probably make things a lot worse. I wouldn't do that if I were you.

I can't tolerate T4, either. I take 75 mcg T3. From time to time, I experiment with adding in some T4, but I still can't tolerate it, and have decided that I will never try again. But, if I were to try again, I would not drop my T3 by such a massive amount. That would just make me ill.

[SlowDragon Administrator]

why not try increasing T3

But first test thyroid levels and vitamin levels

Do you have Hashimoto’s?

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

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.

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...

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

[Hidden]

I am a bit surprised you still have measurable FT4 levels after years on T3 only. I have read that they are most often undetectable when you take T3 only. Could your own thyroid gland be producing some hormones on its own?

The endo you saw seems absolutely clueless. Is sh/e a diabetes specialist? If you were really overmedicated on T3 (which does not seem to be the case) and reduced it so drastically, you would need a lot more T4 instead, not just 25 mcg.

[Rac73]

Thank you all for your comments, I must admit I feel like I'm right back at the start again.

I'm going to have a go at increasing my T3 dose as I have recently changed brand so it may be less well absorbed.

It's been quite a while since I paid any real attention to my thyroid as Ive been concentrating on other areas of my health.

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Rac73]

Which brand were you taking before

Which brand are you taking now

Roma capsules seem to not suit many people

[Rac73]

I was taking Cynomel but have now transferred fully to tiromel. I take 25mg at 7am 12.5mg at 11am and 12.5 at 3pm.

[Bertwills in reply to Rac73]

Hi, I take 60mcg of T3 only a day. I’m surprised by your dosing timetable. I spread mine out more dosing at 6am, 2pm & then before bed usually at about 9pm. If you research you’ll find that T3 doesn’t stay long in the blood. So your doses are too close together leaving you low in the evening & particularly overnight. I think I’m right in saying that naturally T3 peaks at night.

Also be aware that high T3 can cause high blood sugar especially first thing in the morning. By concentrating your dose early in the day you maybe causing less than ideal higher blood sugar levels.

I think your thyroid must be producing enough T4 to keep you going when your T3 tablet dose has worn off. Personally, I couldn’t manage at all with your dosing timetable. Maybe try spreading your doses more evenly through the day. You may well feel better.