6 weeks on T3

[Soaping]

Good morning lovely people, Just an update on my journey.

I have my first results on being on a trial of T3 for just over 5 weeks, bloods drawn on empty stomach as advised by private endo at 7am

Levothyroxine 75mcg taken 7am

Liothyronine 5mcg x 2 taken at 7am and 3pm.

T3 still seems a little low, T4 and TSH has gone down.

Symtoms are better with lower T4, but im still very sluggish, not much energy or enthusiasm, constipated, hair loss etc. Stomach issues etc.

My next appointment with my private endo is next week so not sure what he will suggest.

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Ideally 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

So 5mcg waking and 5mcg at around 8pm

Or 5mcg waking, 2.5mcg mid afternoon and 2.5mcg at 8pm

But your Ft3 is very low, likely to need another 5mcg per day…..so 3 x 5mcg

retest again in another 6 weeks

[Soaping in reply to SlowDragon]

Thank you Slowdragon, slowly but surely I may get there 😊 xx

[Noelnoel in reply to Soaping]

In your opening post are you saying you took your morning doses before blood draw or just that 7am is your normal time

[Soaping in reply to Noelnoel]

Hi Noelnoel, 7am is my normal time, did not take meds before blood draw. I cant understand why my T3 is not improving I was so excited to be put on trial. Now im scared if TSH goes too low my Hip replacement wont go ahead in April?

[Noelnoel in reply to Noelnoel]

I’m not qualified to make suggestions but I notice you take a PPI. Are you and your GP certain you have an over-acidic stomach. Quite often PPIs are erroneously prescribed when in fact low acid is the problem and this is because high and low acid can feel the same

It’s common for hypo sufferers to have insufficient acid and significant numbers have found to their cost that PPIs worsened the problem

Insufficient affects absorption of the nutrients in our food as well as the medication we take. If this is the case for you your Lansoprazole will further inhibit absorption

When I’m undermedicated, it decreases my acid level and I get a horrible burning sensation in the oesophageal area. It’s very unpleasant and ends up in my throat. Apple cider vinegar works for husband and me but at the moment I don’t need it as my thyroid levels are reasonable

If I’ve raised any questions for you why don’t you create a post about it asking others with a similar problem and if/how they resolved it. On the other hand, you may know for certain that you do in fact have low low acid

Good luck

[Soaping in reply to Noelnoel]

Thank you, no I do not take PPI's i have refused many times as they do not help. I sometimes take gaviscon double action 4 hours between thyroud meds. So i do not know if that could interfere?

[Noelnoel in reply to Soaping]

Apologies, your profile mentions Lansoprazole

I’ll think you’ll find there’s an interaction with Gaviscon

I do not take PPI's i have refused many times as they do not help

What’s the problem with PPIs? They ought to help if you have over acidity

[McPammy]

I’d say you could reduce your T4 slightly and add a third 5mcg dose of T3. That way your TSH shouldn’t suppress and you’ll feel more confident about your up coming hip operation. Hopefully they won’t cancel any op with a suppressed TSH. Or just stay as you are until after your hip replacement. In fact if your hip replacement is now priority I’d do no changes to your meds as you know the TSH is not suppressed. Are you taking propanol or any drugs that could reduce the uptake of the T3. You mention your stomach, could stomach issues be causing absorption issues of t3. Write these down and speak with your Endo next week maybe.