Illness and taking T3 - something to consider?

[Gilbo72]

just a thought I wanted to put out there and see what everyone else thinks…

I am now prescribed T4 and T3 and it has been a bit of a life changer for me. Previous to the T3 being added, I was on mono T4 for years. To get out of bed and function, I had to have my T4 over range, whilst my T3 was scrapping the bottom of the barrel.

But, this is the thing, the whole time I felt ill, as if I was about to come down with something or if I was fighting something. I would day in day out feel malaise, slight sore throat, slight ache, fatigue. But, it would never come to anything. My family would have coughs, colds, flu around me. Take to bed for a couple of days with full on fever, chills, coughs etc. I would just feel the above for weeks and weeks and weeks before it got slightly less. I used to comment that I never get ill anymore, I just feel ill all the time for the last 15 years. Nothing to show for it.

since having T3 added 18months ago. I have been proper ill at least 3 times!! I have been celebrating. Mild sore throat progresses into severe sore throat, snot, coughs, chills, body ache. Bed for a few days, start to feel better! It’s as if my immune system is working properly again. I’m not sure if I now get ‘iller’ than my family from the same virus. But it weirdly feels good.

But here’s the thing, this latest cold I have caught and recovering from. I have dutifully been taking my medication as normal. It occurred to me that I am forcing the T3 and T4 at a consistent level, but surely in a person without a thyroid illness, the body would be down regulating the thyroid hormones. I wondered if I should be doing the same whilst I actively ill in bed?

would love to know anyone’s thoughts or observations. Just an interesting thing I thought!

[humanbean]

I'm pretty sure this subject has come up in the past, and the conclusion was reached that changing things probably isn't a good idea. That was when discussing colds and flu or similar viruses.

But if there was a different conclusion when discussing major surgery or heart attacks, I can't remember.

People with heart failure can actually do better on T3 than without. And I think developing heart failure is less likely if patients have adequate T3.

Some links on heart disease and T3 :

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...

ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161...

ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161...

If someone has, say, a broken leg, then I would expect the body needs enough T3 to do the repair. Ditto with other surgery too.

I can't see how a deficiency of T3 would be of benefit to anyone when being ill. Nor can I see how an excess helps either. So I just carry on with my usual dose. (I take both T4 and T3.)

[arTistapple]

Sounds to me you should consider sticking with what you are doing. Great observation. Great outcome. When non thyroid illness strikes I would have thought the opposite more apt. Upping the T3 but since I seem to know next to nothing about thyroid medication I would certainly not take that as encouragement to do so.

[DippyDame]

As I understand it....

Serum thyroid hormone levels drop during illness.

In mild illness, this involves only a decrease in serum T3 levels.

However, as the severity and length of the illness increases, there is a drop in both serum T3 and T4

If you previously felt well on your current dose I'd stick with it....if not then test after at least 6 weeks on a steady dose and re-evaluate your dose accordingly.

It occurred to me that I am forcing the T3 and T4 at a consistent level, but surely in a person without a thyroid illness, the body would be down regulating the thyroid hormones.

Not sure I fully understand your point..... you have a thyroid illness!

I wondered if I should be doing the same whilst I actively ill in bed?

So you think reducing dose might speed up recovery?

Chopping and changing dose briefly would only upset the system!

Taking thyroid hormone isn't like taking paracetamol, for example.

I don't think there is anything to be gained by comparing our health with that of others....we are all different

I need high dose T3-only to function and maintain my usual dose when unwell.

Why?

A few years ago I fell foul of changing doses too quickly when I was unwell...so been there.

I have chronic uti and at one point felt very unwell and became convinced my T3 dose was wrong ( I self medicate) so ( briefly) I reduced it ....and felt much worse.

I was just starting to learn about my thyroid condition ( a form of Thyroid Hormone Resistance established a few years ago after 20+years of being wrongly medicated on Levo mono). I confused uti symptoms with symptoms of T3 overmedication.

I agree, it's all very interesting....but it's easy to overthink and tie ourselves in knots as I did!

Just my thoughts and experience!

You've had a difficult journey ....stay well now

[pennyannie]

Hey there again - I think ?

As I understand things - our own bodies self regulate, read, adjust and direct thyroid hormones to wherever in the body they are needed - and in times of illness the body works first on repairing and replenishing itself - metabolism will be slowed - and any excessT4 diverted by the body into Reverse T3 and excreated as necessary.

Down regulation of T4 to T3 can be compromised by non optimal levels of core strength vitamins and minerals,inflammation, antibodies, any physiological stress ( emotional or physical ) depression, dieting and ageing.

I would keep your dose of both T3 and T4 as is - and let your body contnue to rely on what it has got used to receiving and your body will moderate/adjust yor thyroid hormones as it sees fit.

[Gilbo72]

Just a side note: I have no intention to drop the T3 whilst ill. I just though it was an interesting observation that pre T3 I wasn’t getting ill but always felt ill, and with the T3 added it now feels like my immune system is now working as it should. Anyone else experienced this?

[pennyannie in reply to Gilbo72]

Oh yes, on T4 monotherapy I felt I was always with ' the flu ' heavy head, aches and pains and with varying degrees of just being ' off ' and under ' par ' :

Adding a little T3 to my T4 was that light bulb moment and all these symptoms lifted and my dyslexia is no longer the burden I'd lived with for some 70 odd years - since a child.

[DippyDame in reply to Gilbo72]

I wondered if I should be doing the same whilst I actively ill in bed?

It sounded as if you were considering a reduction...hence the reply!

And yes.....That's what the correct dose of T3 does....resolves symptoms.

Hope you are back on track now

[Gilbo72 in reply to DippyDame]

yes, I guess it does! thinking aloud! Hmm, I don't want to give up my T3 for anyone, but I guess it crossed my mind. I probably read about illness downregulating/confused with non-thyroid illness. ( I never remember detail, gets me in a lot of trouble!). I guess there is a difference between a mild virus and a full on acute/life threatening illness. Just thought it was interesting that I never got ill, but now I do, and I feel better for it. What an oxymoron!

[Katherine123]

Same here Gilbo72 just felt like I had the flu or was coming down with the flu, or I had a hangover from the night before (but I do not drink). I had to say to everyone stay away from me because a cold they would get lasting a week or 2 would take me 3 to 5 weeks to get over it. Years ago they gave me a diagnosis of ME/CFS.

Funny enough if I actually caught something my energy levels would go up for 1 or 2 days as it was coming out on me. I do wonder if low T3 lowers the immune system somehow.

I have been on T4 only for 25 years a low dose. I have only just recently started on T3 as the Endo decided finely I am a poor converter my T4 is always way over range and T3 low. I was on a 100mcg of T4.

I am starting to see tiny improvements being on T3 10mcg.

[Gilbo72 in reply to Katherine123]

Yes!I was also diagnosed with ME before I managed to get properly treated with levo. I was finally on 150mcg of levo before they finally trialled me on T3. I’m now on 75 levo and 20 T3. Hope you find your sweet spot soon. It has taken me 15 years to get here, just as I’m hitting peeimenopause which has opened up anew bunch of stuff, But I finally feel stable and normal again- just older! LOL. My only bugbear now is chronic hair shedding. Have had it on and off for years and still haven’t got to the bottom of it. My thyroid seems good, my vits seem good, I feel good, bah! Hormones eh? X