Transitioning from NDT to T3 (slowly) - anyone done this? Or combines NDT with t3?

[Incoguto]

Hello there,

After many years unsuccessfully on Levo, then NDT, NDT+T4, I'm trying NDT and T3...and it's tricky.

My timing might be incorrect, I take now 3 daily doses and I'm feeling overmedicated in the afternoon (tight chest, dizzy, weird energy, hunger, sweaty feet, blurry vision etc.).

I take 2.25 grains of Armour + 5 t3 in the morning, and then 2.5 t3 between 12:30-2 pm depending when exactly I feel the need and 2.5 t3 around 5-6 pm.

I find synthetic t3 really stimulating on the nervous system.

How do you take your NDT and t3 or t3 only doses? I am trying to figure out what should be next (dropping Armour or dropping t3 to see how it pans out).

My vits are all optimal as recommended on here including midrange ferritin (after iron IV).

My cortisol in saliva is low normal on 2 out of 5 points a day, while my blood serum cortisol is high in range.

My ft4 is 33%, ft3 83%, tsh suppressed, but I know ranges are irrelevant when going towards t3 only as they are based on Levo therapy or balanced combo of Levo and t3 (and even that's questionable then).

Any advice would be really appreciated, thank you 😊

Ps. My endo wants me on more t3, but zero guidance as to how to get there safely, I also have an app with Dr Melnick from NYC, maybe he will shed some light. Also spoke with Paul R on this, but I don't want to do a quick swap to T3 from NDT as my body reacts a lot to small changes.

[Incoguto]

Thanks Fruitless, my cortisol isn't over range and saliva is low normal.I can't get back to where I was as I'm not tolerating Armour on its own or T4.

Frees are in range, but when you take predominantly T3 and no or much less T4, ranges become obsolete, they are based on healthy cohorts of people.

Meaning, if someone is on t3 only, they have zero ft4, but their ft3 can be quite high and that is normal to compensate for the lack of t4.

So what happened when you were moving to t3 from NDT?

I take 30 mcg t3 and 85 T4. Not sure that is a lot, I think we are all different. People on here take various amounts and definitely more T4 than I do (but I don't convert well).

My endo wants me predominantly on t3, but is not giving a lot of guidance as to how to safely achieve it.

[Incoguto]

I was looking for your own experiences and advice, not for judging who's correct and who isn't.

"How do you take your NDT and t3 or t3 only doses? I am trying to figure out what should be next (dropping Armour or dropping t3 to see how it pans out)." - this is what I was looking for.

I am not sure why you have responded just to point out that what I do is wrong, and that I'm incorrect, but offered no advice apart from going back to previous dose, which I was not well on.

[Incoguto]

Thank you Fruitless 🤗

Is the fatigue the only symptom you were hoping to improve or are there more?

I have a whole bucket of symptoms unfortunately.

Are you splitting your NDT dose?

I'm just feeling strange. Since I dropped NDT and increased t3 my face went puffy and feels like I retain more water. I am still tired, maybe a bit less.

My BP is okay, my pulse is fine, my temps are low normal, but that blood cortisol is strange - it was lower on less t3 and slightly more Armour. Salivary cortisol wasn't high few months ago, so I am testing salivary cortisol again next week.

I have consulted two endos, one wants me on more t3 less Armour, while the other wants me just on Armour, but split into two doses and a higher amount.

So basically I don't know if the issue is t4 or t3, cortisol or me not splitting doses or not splitting enough.

[Incoguto]

Oh....another AI disease? I'm so sorry to hear it 😞

Yes, absolutely. Most measure blood cortisol, which is total, and then some salivary cortisol, which is free. Did you have blood and salivary both high?

I had blood over range and salivary low. I have consulted Paul R on this. He thinks I have low cortisol and need more t3.

I do have a bloat around my waist, but no insomnia or being wired tired. Just calm, tired now. And cold in fact.

I think you are right, I'd better wait and see what my salivary cortisol comes back with first.

I am very frustrated because I had to stop working since last April, I'm 39 yrs old and can't even go grocery shopping at the moment.

[Incoguto]

Thank you Fruitless ❤️ I hope we will get there.Oh wow okay, so high cortisol on both. I don't know why mine is low on saliva and high with blood.

Oh my goodness, I am very sorry to hear about RA my mum has it and I test regurarly for it too as I'm predisposed. Are you taking any meds for it? Oh yes, pain would raise cortisol 😞 that makes sense. What about ashwagandha? My cortisol lowered a lot on it.

I had high cortisol before on 3 grains of NDT, it was hell unleashed.

Thank you, definitely salivary tests hopefully it will arrive in the next couple of days! I was prescribed hydrocortisone by two endos...but I'm hesitant I want to see my results first..

Yes, I agree, the main theme is low cortisol and t3 only, so I want to be careful as I might not fit that picture!

My ft4 keeps going up as I increase t3 and lower Armour, perhaps haven't lowered Armour enough.

You too, please take care and chat to you on here 😊

[Incoguto]

Hey Fruitless, how are you? Things are not going well lol I don't know if an increase of 7.5 t3 is a lot, but the last three evenings I broke into panic. Never happened to me before. At first light-headedness, feeling very cold, then adrenaline and bam, I'm out. My glucose in the morning is 107 (range up to 99), which I'm not liking since I eat healthy and exercise when I can. BP 122/80, which for me is a bit high I think. Pulse hovers around 80s, temps okay. I'm doing salivary cortisol tomorrow, hopefully this will shed the light. It seems I have some issue with cortisol transporters potentially, my blood cortisol is either in range or a bit over, while my free saliva is low.