help please, liothyronine, Roma brand

[Cheekycharlie1981]

please forgive how long winded this will be I’m spaced out and not with it at all.

I only posted a few months ago and my T4 results were a little on the high side. I was on 200mcg of Levo and alternate day 225mcg. I’ve reduce this down to 200mcg over 5 days and two doses of 25mcg over 2 days. Example Monday is 225mcg and Thursday is 225mcg and the other days are 200mcg.

sorry if this is confusing.

So I reduced a little to try reduce my T4 result and it’s seems to have done pretty much nothing if you look at my last post.

My TSH on the other hand has increased and is not in a range I’m normally well on.

So I’ve now obtained Roma liothyronine brand 5mcg capsule.

the capsules states it should be soluble in water, so I could take a measure of the water to make 2.5mcg.

I need to start off slow but wanted advise. I’ve only ever had tablets I cut, I don’t want to have a full 5mcg, it will have me on the floor.

I wanted to build up to 5mcg a day but split doses in morning and afternoon. Advise on times best suited and away from food? Tablets?

When to re-test, symptoms I should be aware of.

Roma brand seems low on fillers which is good. In the past I’ve reacted terribly and I’m pretty scared, but it must of been fillers?

I took Murcury pharma and sigma pharma both had me reacting.

So results are

TSH 1.41 range 0.38-5.50

T4 16.2 range 10.00-18.70

No T3 unfortunately but only done a few months ago.

Vit D 70.8, highest it’s ever been.

b12 659 range 211.00-911.00

Serum folate 21.4 range 5.40-9999

No iron level but usually low and never changes much.

I’m very tired and have a strange rash over most of my body after having scarlet fever in December. I can’t shift the rash or the cold. Gp has done white blood cells and the tests above all classed as normal.

Help on starting t3 please in capsule form. Thinking 20ml water and hoping it fully disperses so I can take out some to try and get a more accurate dose.

Advise help, please be kind.

[SlowDragon Administrator]

instead of trying to mix in water

Open capsule

Tip half the powder out

Tip into cup then add water

Save the remaining half

[TiggerMe]

As SD says, the capsules come apart quite easily and you can tip some out... of course it won't be very accurate as the amount of active compared to filler is tiny, tastes a bit talc/ cornflower like, shot glass of water and your away... I don't find Roma to have a particularly powerful kick 🤞

[Cheekycharlie1981 in reply to TiggerMe]

is it not better to fully mix in water than breaking up the powder? Isn’t this more accurate?

Any comments on my results and dosage I should aim for with liothyronine. Should I reduce my Levo to 200mcg or leave it and increase liothyronine to 5mcg daily? guess where do I stop with one and start, end up with the other.

200mcg and then two 5mcg sounds to much? Just help please.

Then after all this what will my blood results look like? My endo is clueless and very much TSH driven. I’ve had to fight to get the liothyronine.

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to Cheekycharlie1981]

You could mix with water - then use an oral syringe to dose.

But stability of the solution is uncertain. When that approach has been advised in the past, they say to throw away the unused half. I do not have evidence either way but there are many possibilities for deterioration so I would be very wary of doing this.

Absolute accuracy isn't that critical. If it was 2 one day and 3 the next, that would still only be a half a microgram under one day and over the next.

What is critical is to ensure that none of the contents is lost and, in the end, all is swallowed.

[TiggerMe in reply to Cheekycharlie1981]

Your fT4 isn't very high (71%) so I'd leave your T4 dose where it is and add in the T3, don't alter them both at the same time or you'll be totally confused

I don't know where your fT3 is at the moment?

Vit D 70.8, highest it’s ever been I'd be looking to get this above 100... grassrootshealth.net/projec...

Edit... looking back 3 months your fT3 wasn't bad?

free t3 5.9 range 3.5-6.5 so already 80% through range which suggests you convert well and adding more T3 isn't necessarily going to help?

[Cheekycharlie1981]

I was finding if I used to increase my Levo to reduce my TSH makes me feel better, well it used too. I’ve reduced my Levo as felt awful. It was suggested on here adding some t3. So I wanted to know how much to add. On here it’s said having some am and pm helps. Times please. How much?

What results should I be looking for as my endo will probably panic if my TSH goes low.

[bikebabe]

I take Roma 5mcg with 100mcg t4 at 8 am then breakfast at 9 and rest of my pills at 10am. Then have 5mcg Roma at 3pm, go and do something for 45 mins, then have cuppa tea/ snack.

[Otto11]

Hi I’m new to this as just started T3 in December but like you have been given capsules. I also wanted to start slowly with the advice from this group. So we emptied the capsules into 20ml of water in a glass. Then gave it a good mix & drew up 10ml with a small syringe to put into 2 small Tupperware pots. & put one pot in the fridge for afternoon dose. Took first half at 8am then second half at 3pm. It seems to have worked ok. I’m now in 10mcg twice a day which is a lot easier.

[Otto11]

Oh meant to say I’m now on 75mcg Thyroxine reduced slowly from 125mcg x

[Cheekycharlie1981 in reply to Otto11]

How did you reduce? That exactly what I was going to do with the solution. I was gonna take small amount first maybe less than you. Then increase to 2.5mcg up to 5mcg. Retest bloods and then go to 5mcg x2 daily.

I need to know what ideal results I’d be looking at and how liothyronine affects the TSH etc upon getting my blood results.

[Otto11 in reply to Cheekycharlie1981]

Hi My GP did my TSH which was below range so she reduced my Thyroxine to 125mcg & 100mcg alternate days. I then saw my Endocinologist in October who did more bloods & said to reduce Thyroxine to 50mcg daily & start T3 at 10mcg x 2 daily!! I said no to Thyroxine dose so agreed on 75mcg. Luckily this wonderful group said no start slowly. I started T3 at the beginning of December & Initially started on Thyroxine 100mcgs & 75mcg alternate days & T3 2.5mgs x 2 daily. After more bloods & speaking to my Endocrine nurse at the beginning of January & explaining I had started on a really low dose which she was ok about I increased T3 to 5mcg am & 2.5mcg pm. Then after another few weeks changed to 5mcgs x 2 daily. Once I was on this dose I changed Thyroxine to 75mcgs daily.

After another few weeks I changed T3 dose to 10mcgs am & 5mcgs pm. & last week started T3 10mcgs x 2 daily. Initially very tired but just started yesterday feeling a bit more human.

Hope this helps but remember we are all different. I'm due another blood test in a few weeks so will see what happens next. Good luck. x

[Cheekycharlie1981 in reply to Otto11]

What do you expect to see in your blood test?

My endo over a year ago started me on 10mcg it had me call an ambulance.

I then had other horrific reactions to liothyronine and then stopped trying. My head did feel like it had been woken up eventually when I did take it. Like the fog lifted.

I’m very unwell my immune system is broken and I’m struggling.

I take vitamins etc and do what I think is right to help me.

I want to know if I do get to taking 2.5mcg x2 daily and then upping it to 5mcg x2 daily. When do I re test my blood results? And with those results what should I be seeing.

When should I reduce my Levo?

[Cheekycharlie1981 in reply to Cheekycharlie1981]

A need a clear plan of step by step what I should be doing. My heads foggy and I’m not with it. Help.

[Cheekycharlie1981]

can someone please help me with my last questions. I need more directions on what to expect result wise when taking.

I also need to know should I reduce my Levo further once tolerating 5 daily of liothyronine? So I can increase to 10 mcg daily. Thank you.

[thyr01d in reply to Cheekycharlie1981]

Hi Cheekycharlie, I don't know if I can help because I am prescribed Liothyronine only but I will try. The Lio (T3) is likely to increase your T3 level and to lower your TSH, thyroid stimulating hormone. Since T3 is the active form and does not need to be converted into T4 (your Levo) your body will not need to stimulate the production of more thyroid hormone. Doctors worry when TSH is too low in range. However these test results are not very useful, how you feel, as in your symptoms might be a much better guide. There is a guide somewhere on a good ratio of T4 to T3, if you post again asking that question the answers might help you much more than mine.

[Cheekycharlie1981 in reply to thyr01d]

Thank you I really appreciate your reply. I do feel a little left behind and didn’t get the answers I needed so badly.

Yes it’s how we feel but I don’t want to make myself worse either.

What do you class as a balance?

I still really need to know should I decrease my Levo to get to 5mcg x2 daily and when.

It will be a slow process for me as starting out on a tiny dosage. Then to 2.5mch x2 daily, which I’ll leave my Levo at.

What brand do you take?

Thank you.

[thyr01d in reply to Cheekycharlie1981]

Hi Cheekycharlie, I hope you are feeling better than when you first posted. I don't know about balance, only that there is a ratio that others will be able to tell you about. Likewise I don't know about decreasing Levo, I stopped it completely but that was to demonstrate to my GP that it wasn't helping me (actually I was wrong, it was helping a bit!) If you post a separate post asking the question "how to decrease Levo when starting T3" you should receive answers from knowledgable people. I take whichever brand the chemist provides because I go up and down so much I can't tell what's what. I have days where I am hot and feverish and days where I can't warm up, sometimes I can't sleep, others I can't wake up and have vivid dreams. Sorry I can't help more but I am sure others will if you repost. Meanwhile, we all care, many of us have been on awful journeys so we understand what you are going through at this stage. It's worth the battle. Hugs

[Cheekycharlie1981]

SlowDragon can you help me?