Results after T3/T4 trial...is this it?

[Klawd]

Hello,

Medicheck results after T3/T4 trial since 15/11/23, reduced levo then from 150 to 125, added 5mg T3 23/11/23, red levo to 100mg 06/12/23, added 55mg T3 12/12/23.

30/12/23 not feeling best GP closed added 12.5 levo myself as thought maybe under medicated.

Medicheck 08/02/24. T4 16.7 (12 -2-22) T3 4.9 (3.1-6.8) TSH 1.2 (0.27 - 4.2)

GP results 18/09/23 T4 21.6 (11 - 23 ) T3 3.56 (3.1 - 6.8) TSH 0.38 (0.27 - 4.5)

Still struggle bouts of fatigue, brain fog ect...... ...Am I still under medicated? Been bit down, depressed to be honest - Likely cause I built up too high expectations In my fight to get it that T3 would be the great Panacea! Im not stupid, I know (before I get a kindly.... telling off from the wise folks on here : ) it just doesn't happen overnight.......its just that I Really want it to!

Cant be doing with myself, feeling sorry for me!!!! .... have to keep telling me to 'Stop feeling sorry for yourself : ( Get a grip! - there are people much worse!

Will be gratefully for anyone's take on this? Please

[SlowDragon Administrator]

sorry it’s not clear

Are you taking 2 x 5mcg T3 per day

And 112.5mcg Levo per day since end of December

Always same brand of levothyroxine?

What vitamin supplements are you taking

Recommended that 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)

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

is this how you do your test

[Klawd in reply to SlowDragon]

Hi SlowDragon, Wow! Thanks for ultra fast response! Yes take 2 x 5mg T3 & 112.5 (since dec) Daily Bcomplex, Collagen & Hyaluronic acid, Hawthorne, Macusave & topical Magnesium. Every other day Fish oil, selenium, Milk Thistle.

before test I did not take my T4 (usual take in the wee hours along with 5mg T3 - but I did take the T3 earlier at midnight the Endo instructed I take it 2/4 before the test (but I didn't do that) did test at 8.30am. T3 are capsules so unable to split. I take the other 5mg T3 bout lunch time. I have the endo blood test next week, wanted a chance to think thru how it was going so did medicheck one. Thank you : )

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Klawd]

So last dose Levo was 36 hours before test - too long

so although Ft4 looks a bit low….if you had taken last dose 24 hours before test it would have been higher

Test correctly for Levo on endocrinologist test

As you normally take levothyroxine at bedtime/in night ...adjust timings as follows prior to blood test

If testing Monday morning, delay Saturday evening dose levothyroxine until Sunday morning. Delay Sunday evening dose levothyroxine until after blood test on Monday morning. Take Monday evening dose levothyroxine as per normal

Free T4 (fT4) 16.7 pmol/L (12 - 22) 47.0%

Free T3 (fT3) 4.9 pmol/L (3.1 - 6.8) 48.6%

So Ft3 still on low side

Like many, many members you probably need 3 x 5mcg T3 per day

Many members on Levo plus small dose T3 find they need BOTH Ft4 and Ft3 at least 70% through range. Usually TSH will be low or suppressed

A lot of people don’t get on well with Roma capsules

Perhaps request trying tablets

Much much cheaper for NHS to prescribe 20mcg tablets and cut into 1/4’s

current prices here

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

[Klawd in reply to SlowDragon]

Ah, right, so the day before my next test delay my T4 from middle of night till 8am making it 24 from then till I get the test?

Have read all this before but brain fuddled....what should my T4/T3 be... both over 50%? Do you know why my TSH so high, is that normal? Very surprised, I was worried bout that cause endo said if it drops thats it!and everything Iv read says taking T3 reduces TSH.......... Don't think ever been before.

Other than symptoms and T3 still bit low is there anything else that may help convince Endo to add 5mg T3?

Thank you : )

Shocking comparison T3 pricing....Unbelievable!!!!

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Klawd]

At Endo Consultation……say some symptoms have improved but would like to trial a further small increase to 3 x 5mcg

[Klawd in reply to SlowDragon]

Great - Thank You 👍 please know Your much appreciated 🌻 : )

[Esmielola]

hi Klawd , Sorry to hear about you’re feeling down and experiencing highs and lows of trying to stabilise your meds. Snot easy , ( sorry my phrase for when I need humour to make me laugh. Snot and crying do ya get it?) it does involve some tears. I’ve never tried T3 but my understanding of it is that it can make a difference quite quickly but only if your Levo has been stable for a while.

Others in this forum will guide you along better on what to do from now onwards. Meanwhile could you clarify your daily dosages of Levo and T3 during December? You wrote you were on 55mgs T3 in -2th December . That’s seems quite a high dose? Are you still on that daily? What is your current dose of Levo daily? How long have you been on that ?

On the plus side your blood test results for Feb 2024 look very good to me! You must be doing something right to be on those levels. ( even if not perfect) More important than tablets or results is you. So shed some tears, take it slow, and keep asking questions ,

Love from

Essiex

[Klawd in reply to Esmielola]

HI Esmieola, thanks for your reply and yes I 'Nose' snot easy! 😂 Feeling better now, it's up n down, like it takes over our life, continuous effort, questioning everything - am I doing right or wrong! but we battle on thru the lows n make progress No sorry - brain frog was on 5mg T3 now -10mg T3 & 112.5mg T4 daily. Think the THS freaked me cause i expected low (& Endo threatened me ....if TSH went low) And it was prob as high as its ever been for me! As SlowDragon said, I'd not taken T4 at a good time n guess when I do T4 will be higher n so TSH lower, Do you know, is that right?

Mid Nov I began reducing my T4 in rediment of introducing T3. My first endo blood tests of the 3 month trial next week 😬 On the whole I am gratefull iv had no adverse reaction to T3 n it's early days .........just need to work on the patience side of things....don't have much of that. 🤪

[Esmielola in reply to Klawd]

Hi Klawd I’m glad to hear you’re doing ok-ish. Thanks for extending the snot joke. 😻 love it! I nose so much better now.

The advise about managing your results is so important because it gives you the tools to calibrate your own results and gives you a baseline to work from. ( rather than getting lost in randomly ill tuned results which only tell you if you’re ‘ in the normal range’! The importance is also it gives you , in the long run, some sense of consistency. And also can help to begin to align the meds with your ( hopefully please God) improved healthy feelings ( or the ‘sweet spot’ as it is called. ). So your next T4 will be higher , and TSH lower. This is your baseline reading. The next result after that will tell you MORE and so on , if you look up test results linked to ‘ diurnal rhythm’ graph results ‘( Canada does the best ones I’ve seen, but . there are others. This will show you the huge variation of ‘ normal’ results over 24 hours in a graph format. Not essential to know but I found it helpful,

btw talk with Slow Dragon about your doc ‘s attitude towards the ‘possible’ low tsh results. The last I heard about this was a controversial viewpoint, and you may need new research back up if your results go lower again.

All for now. Hope this helps rather than hinders!

Love

Essie

[Klawd in reply to Esmielola]

HI Essie,

Yes seen a lot of usefully stuff on Thyroid Patients Canada 👍 Not worried bout the TSH being low now - just really expected a low results!

Its a hard journey were on, when we've finally got to the stage to want to have a say in & be responsible for our own health & try to do something bout it (rather than just blindly leaving it to doctors - even when they are well meaning)

I'm sure I'm not alone at times when I just want to throw my arms in the air n give up (much easier than spending days, hours trolling info that may help us be better - Oh & then theres remember of it ....not muddling it all up! with the ol' Brain 🐸).... maybe easier Just to take the statins/beta blockers, get your head checked etc, etc & stop being such a pain in their prosterier 🤕... problem patient!

What I luv on here, as well as all the Good hearts who give their own time to pass on knowledge & good advice is the Strenght & Inspiration given - Not to quit - to carry on Even when its hard, especially thoes times when feeling not so much 'in right mind' 😵‍💫 and feel lost & Not so strong.

You have been there for me, stopped me feeling alone, bucked me up. 💪

Thank you All for helping me carry on. 🤗