thyroid blood results following almost 3 months on T3

[Essexlil]

hi everyone,

I’ve been on 10 mcg T3 and 50 mcg T4 for almost three months. I asked my GP for a blood test after 9 weeks (just thyroid as I’m taking vitamins and these were ok at last test 9 weeks earlier) I’m hoping you can advise me as I’m wondering if my levothyroxine needs increasing. I would point out that my endo took me off levo for three months prior to this, which proved to him that I have an underactive thyroid and that I would benefit from T3 so my body is also recovering from this:

TSH 0.70 miu/L (0.27-4.2)

Free T4 10,8 pmol/L (12.0-22.0)

Free T3 5 pmol/L (3.1-6.8)

My T3 has been stuck at 3.9 whether on or off levo.

I couldn’t do an early morning fasting test this time as the phlebotomist was off and I had to go to the hospital and accept 1.30 in the afternoon for my test.

I’m also still having my local health authority refusing to give me T3 on the NHS so I’ll have to pay for it again, even though I think how much better I feel and my bloods prove that I medically need it. I’ve been lead to believe by my GP surgery it’s because I saw the Endo privately, even though he’s an NHS endo it doesn’t follow guidelines!

Thank you for any advice - in speaking to my GP on Tuesday and would like to know if I need a levo increase.

[greygoose]

Maybe, maybe not. Not everyone needs their FT4 high in-range - or even in-range - when they're taking T3. The most important thing is: how do you feel? You said you feel so much better, but do you still have symptoms? No-one but you can answer that question.

[Essexlil in reply to greygoose]

Hi Greygoose,

It’s been hard to judge how much better I feel as my 91 year old dad has been unwell his year and it’s been very stressful. Also I have Sjögren’s and sometimes it’s hard to know which sympton is caused by what! Overall in the past couple of weeks I’ve begun to feel as if I’m better on T3 than off it, I suppose my body had to recover from 3 months of being very underactive thyroid. Thank you I’ll have a think about it, as you say only I can tell. I think I’ll do what SlowDragon has suggested and trial a T4 increase.

[greygoose in reply to Essexlil]

Probably the best thing to do, yes.

[SlowDragon Administrator]

I would say yes you need to at least trial increasing levothyroxine by 25mcg

Many (most?) people on levothyroxine plus small doses of T3 find they need BOTH Ft4 and Ft3 at least 50% through range

How much levothyroxine were you taking before endo stopped it?

[Essexlil in reply to SlowDragon]

Hi SlowDragon,

I was taking 100 mcg of Levo before it was stopped. I think I’ll do what you suggest and ask for an increase in T4 of 25 mcg. Thank you for your help

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Essexlil]

Retest again 6-12 weeks after increasing

You may end up back at 100mcg eventually…..or perhaps 87.5mcg

[Essexlil in reply to SlowDragon]

Ok thanks SlowDragon I’ll remember to ask for a retest - my GP usually says 8 weeks is ok.