FT3 results following introducing T3

[PinkSkittles]

Following on from a couple of people's suggestions from a previous post I have tested my thyroid hormone levels sooner than planned as I did a fast T3 protocol.

I am on 50 mcg of T4 and 31.25 mcg of T3.

I have been on 31.25 mcg for 3 weeks.

I take T3 x3 per day (12.5mcg, 12.5mcg, 6.25mcg).

Here are my results taken under these conditions:

- at 9am,

-before food,

-last dose of T3 about 18 hours before,

For context I followed my private Dr's protocol which consisted of starting on 6.25 mcg of T3 increasing every 5-7 days until I reached 31.25 mcg, then hold for 2-3 months and review with him.

As some members of this forum were concerned that this speed was too fast they said to retest now.

I don't feel any better yet, I still feel dreadful, but I guess 3 weeks is too soon for some people.

I don't have any heart symptoms or sweatiness caused by being on T3.

[Brightness14]

It looks as though you could do with extra levo to balance out the FT3 and FT4 levels.

[PinkSkittles in reply to Brightness14]

Okay and what is your reason for suggesting that?

There is disagreement as to whether ft4 needs to be optimal when ft3 is already optimal. Most people say it doesnt. A few people say that until their ft4 was optimal plus their ft3 they didnt feel better.

[Brightness14 in reply to PinkSkittles]

You sound very angry what a pity.

[PinkSkittles in reply to Brightness14]

Ah no that wasn't an angry comment.I'm just trying to learn. So trying to understand the reason why someone suggests something, then I can make an informed decision as to whether I should try it or not. Rather than blindly following advice.

Also it is very frustrating when people don't agree on how to treat the thyroid. There is such a discrepancy between opinions and advice. If everyone was saying the same thing it would be clear cut.

So Im interested to know how/why you arrived at your suggestion?

[Forestgarden]

Hi there, have you always been on 50mcg levo? Did you try increasing your levo to raise your t3?

[PinkSkittles in reply to Forestgarden]

Hi- always been on 50 mcg yes. My thyroid dr ( a private gp who specialises in thyroid hormones) added in t3 after being on 50 mcg for 6 weeks as he said it looked like I had a conversion issue.Ive already had the discussion with several members on here that it might have been best to increase t4 first but I followed my Dr's instructions. Anyway, its done now and have to work with what Im doing now.

[Forestgarden in reply to PinkSkittles]

I'm not sure what to say then but try and stick with it for now. It can take a couple of months for the body systems to settle down after a change in hormone levels. If after a couple of months you're still not feeling great, perhaps try decreasing your lio slightly and/or increasing your levo. You do have to go slowly and give your body time to adjust

[PinkSkittles in reply to Forestgarden]

Okay thank you. Did you feel better when you ft4 was optimal plus your ft3 then? As normally ft4 doesnt need to be optimal when on t3. However ive spoken to a few people who need optimal ft4 plus optimal ft3.

[Forestgarden in reply to PinkSkittles]

I'm still gradually increasing my t3. I'm on 100mcg levo plus 10mcg lio (split in 2 doses). I'm feeling much improved especially in the mornings, but think another 5mcg lio is needed as I still struggle afternoons/evenings. Finding the best timings to take my lio is ongoing. Might need to decrease my levo a bit if I increase lio. I know that when my levo is too high I start to get anxiety etc. Before taking lio, I upped my levo to 112.5mcg for a few months, but my ft3 barely moved at all - and I got some hyper symptoms due to the high ft4, and some hypo symptoms due to low ft3! I started taking lio about 5 weeks ago, so will retest in 2-3 weeks time. Progress is slow but steady!

[PinkSkittles in reply to Forestgarden]

Ah okay so Im not quite following why you think i might need to increase t4 and reduce t3 at a later date?

[Forestgarden in reply to PinkSkittles]

As your ft3 is right at the top of the range I would be inclined to reduce that slightly first and see how you feel. And then if you're still not feeling right increase your t4 slightly as its currently fairly low. Obviously you would prefer not to come off the t3 completely

[Forestgarden in reply to Forestgarden]

Sorry can't seem to edit last post. What I was going to say was.....Obviously you don't want to come off t3 completely, but you might find increasing your levo might help to bring your t3 levels up naturally

[Sparklingsunshine in reply to PinkSkittles]

It could be your FT3 is too high, you say you tested after last dose of T3 18 hours before. That is too long, normally we recommend last dose of T3 between 8-10 hours before testing. Your FT3 is at the top of the range and could well be higher than that if forum testing protocols were followed.

T3 has a relatively short life of around 8-10 hours but obviously some will remain in the body after that, unlike Levo which has a long half life. I wonder if you are overmedicated on T3 and that is what is making you feel ill.

I used to be on NDT and was taking too much, my FT3 was 18, way too high. I felt very unwell, shaky legs, just horrible. Hyper and hypo symptoms can be hard to tell apart.

[PinkSkittles in reply to Sparklingsunshine]

Okay I dont feel shakey.

[Sparklingsunshine in reply to PinkSkittles]

No but you keep saying you feel dreadful but not elaborating in which way. Clearly your protocol isnt working for you as you dont feel well on it. Your FT3, if you followed forum protocols, is likely over range. That can cause you to feel unwell.

[PinkSkittles in reply to Sparklingsunshine]

Ah okay. I wasnt sure if 3 weeks was too soon to feel better. Also it might be that my thyroid isn't causing my symptoms. However obviously I won't know until I try out different thyroid hormones and play around with doses etc.

[Sparklingsunshine in reply to PinkSkittles]

No I completely understand, we are all impatient to feel well 😁, and as you say its a good idea to be mindful of the fact it might not be thyroid related. Thyroid disorders can mimic other conditions as the symptoms are often vague. I hope you find some answers 👍

[PinkSkittles in reply to Sparklingsunshine]

Thank you. I find that every symptom can be related to a multitude of causes. So basically I'm going through each potential cause- getting everything optimal.

[Sparklingsunshine in reply to PinkSkittles]

I have Ehlers Danlos, Fibro and Pernicious Anemia as well as hypo so yes the symptoms all overlap and its often impossible to tell which one is the culprit. The problem is hypo symptoms can be a bit vague and can apply to so many other issues.

Fatigue can be one of the most common and yet it can also be a symptom of anything from cancer down to iron deficiency. Or even peri menopause.

[PinkSkittles in reply to Sparklingsunshine]

It's so overwhelming!

[PinkSkittles in reply to Sparklingsunshine]

The reason why I did 18 hours was because my private thyroid dr said minimum 15 hours. So I just took my 2nd T3 at the usual time and didnt take my 3rd one.

[sparkly in reply to PinkSkittles]

Hi Pinkskittles, Glad you tested earlier and not waited another 4 weeks.Sorry if I've got this wrong but had you only been on thyroxine 6 weeks before your private specialist starting you on T3 and at speed too?

I've never heard of fast T3 protocol before.

[PinkSkittles in reply to sparkly]

Fast t3 protocol isn't a type of protocol.I'm just saying that I increased t3 faster than is recommended here.

It was the private thyroid dr who suggested that I take 50 mcg of t4. I took it for 6 weeks before starting t3.

[sparkly in reply to PinkSkittles]

I know your not going to want to hear this if this was me I'd stop all thyroid medication and go down the route of being perimenopause.

[PinkSkittles in reply to sparkly]

Ah no I wouldn't stop thyroid medication as my FT3 and FT4 weren't optimal before I started them. So they need to be optimal regardless of whether they make me feel better- just as a foundation to better health and metabolism. There are things that rely on an optimally functioning thyroid like opening bowels daily and not feeling cold. I'm sure there are more but can't think of any right now.

Secondly I've had these symptoms since I was 30, I'm now 39.. I had some of them before then in my 20s, but much more mildly.

I'm going to take progesterone as well and work more on trying to get my estrogen dominance down.

[sparkly in reply to PinkSkittles]

I wish you good luck at finding your balance

[PinkSkittles in reply to sparkly]

Thank you!