Hello again, please could I ask for your thoughts on my new blood test (Blue Horizon Thyroid Bronze).
6 weeks ago I started taking 5mcg T3 once a day (via Roseway Labs) alongside my usual 75mcg Levothyroxine as my FT3 was on the low side. (I’m 67, only been hypothyroid for 18 months)
Blood was taken at 8.00am, fasting, last Levothyroxine was taken 26 hours previously, and my 5mcg dose was taken 8 hours previously. I hadn’t taken a B complex vitamin for 7 days .
I wonder if I should reduce my Levothyroxine a bit? My FT3 also looks high in the range?
TSH. 0.01. (Range 0.7 - 1.0)
Free T4. 20.9. (Range 12.0 - 22.0)
Free T3. 6.3. (Range 3.1 - 6.8)
Cortisol (random). 346.0. (Range 73.8 - 507.0)
Magnesium 1.0. (Range 0.7 - 1.0)
I’m feeling well with just this small amount of T3 added, but worried that my FT4 level is too high for good health?
Would be really grateful to receive your thoughts on these new results please?
Oh, and a Cortisol test was included, never had this tested before, but does my cortisol look ok?
Thank you so much .
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personally I’d say you’re T3 is too high as you hadn’t taken any for a good few hours prior to your blood test. Why are you taking t3? Are your blood saying t3 was too low prior? As soon as you take it it’ll go over the T3 level. I’d also say T4 is too high for the same reason. Importantly how are you feeling? Your TSH is almost undetectable?
Too high to me. Not taken medication prior to test so should be lower. You never want to go over levels. A healthy persons results would never be a suppressed TSH. A TSH of 1.00 is the aim to mirror a healthy persons.
Hi McPammy, I’m feeling well, no symptoms, should I expect to feel unwell if my TSH is undetectable?
I began taking T3 because my previous blood test results showed I was a poor converter. Since starting on it my digestive problems have got better, this has always been my main symptom of hypothyroidism, along with slowed metabolism, which hasn’t improved.
But my main concern is that my levels are not detrimental to my health and bones long term, I’ve read on here that high FT4 can cause cancer etc, but I don’t know how high your levels have to be to be dangerous?
How can I be wrong. We aim to replace not over replace the hormones T4 and T3 which are lowered significantly with thyroid disease. To achieve that it’s about getting your own personal dose right. Too high or too low isn’t good. It’s a balance to not over or under replace. In this case the member has left a number of hours of not taking t4 or t3 meds before the test once taken t4 and t3 will go over levels and the TSH suppressed indicates this
TSH irrelevant when being treated. If you replace with thyroid hormones, the body does not need to try to stimulate its own production of thyroid hormones so TSH falls, it only affects this feedback loop. It is the level of active thyroid hormones that are important when treated, principally free T3 being the most active, but also free T4.
Our protocol is not to take thyroid hormones just before tests as then you don't know at what point in a rising curve you fall. Not taking the hormones just before allows the baseline hormone level at the lowest point on the curve to be assessed. T4 is longer acting so it is usual not to take your daily dose until after the test, as the OP did. T3 is shorter acting so had she been using this then the gap with the test would have been shorter.
I’ll do it my way I think. I’m symptom free and have no issues. I’m full of energy and exercise regularly. After coming from a place where I couldn’t walk for over a year while waiting for help to sort my very low t3 , I went private. Both my NHS endocrinologist and well respected private only endocrinologist are extremely pleased with my outcome and never question repeat prescriptions for T3. More importantly I feel younger each day. I don’t agree with over medication. I agree with mirroring a healthy persons results and not trying to trick Drs or myself by abstaining from medication prior to a blood test to ensure t3 repeat prescriptions.
Not trying to trick anyone or overmedicate. It is just the most reliable way to get meaningful results. I don't need to get repeat prescriptions so no need to try to influence anyone else, just aiming to get the best treatment for myself.
Its great that your levels are good and your TSH is in range but that isnt the case for many of us. I've had suppressed TSH on Levo, NDT and now T4 T3 combi. Even though when on Levo only both FT4 and FT3 were low. Some of us have a HPT axis that is sluggish, or doesnt work properly and to feel well we need higher levels of thyroid hormones, whilst still in range.
This has the result of a very low or suppressed TSH. And many on T3, even small amounts find their TSH is always suppressed. We cant really compare ourselves to healthy non hypo patients as they have a working thyroid and we dont. Ultimately how we feel is the best guide, not blood results. I think you are unusual in that T3 doesnt suppress your TSH.
Its certainly fortunate that you arent plagued by suppressed TSH, perhaps your HPT axis functions normally. At least you wont be "advised" to have dose reductions based on TSH alone. I've had very low TSH starting on 125mcg of Levo but my frees were scraping along the floor, far too low for good health. I think many of us would like to be in your shoes 😄
Hi McPammy, it’s great to hear that you’re feeling so well now after being in such a bad place, and have been able to get your medication just right. I will reduce my Levo dose a bit. Thankyou for replying to my post.
If you feel well, I would leave well alone! Tinkering can have horrible effects. You are not over range in your results. I would say hold for 6-12 months and see how things settle. You may deteriorate or stay the same. If you deteriorate you test again to see what’s changed.
You tested using the tried and tested protocol. It’s very similar to that advised by the Thyroid Patients Canada blog site.
You are lucky to feel well on so little T3 and Levo. Don’t mess with well.
it is normal to have a suppressed tsh while taking T3. You should consider only T4 & T3 that are your real thyroïde hormones levels. The main thing is to not be over the range, and your are not. As long as you feel good it seems all good.
My TSH is never suppressed and I take T3 and T4. I ensure my levels never go too high. I get my bloods done 2hrs after taking my medications so I know I don’t go over and my TSH is normal 1.09 (0.35-5.50). If you say it’s normal to be suppressed when taking T3 then it’s not being managed well. I’m symptom free.
The only time one should be aiming for a suppressed TSH is if you’ve had thyroid cancer and had your thyroid removed. This stops cancer returning. My sister had thyroid cancer and lives with a suppressed TSH. She is always having issues due to that.
Outside of cancer, If TSH is suppressed it’s not being managed properly for your own body. We are all different. I have my own way that works very well and has been now for 5 years since starting t3. I have gone over levels in my 20 year’s experience of hashimoto’s I feel much better if I’m within levels and not a suppressed TSH. The past 5 years I’ve not felt healthier or fitter than I can remember.
Have you read the different links ? You will see that is not the case for people on t3. You can have a suppressed TSH and perfect T3 & T4 that are the active hormones. A lot of people have seen their medication reduced because of the TSH suppressed on T3, that is not well known by a lots of doctors, and are miserable with T3&T4 under range now. A lot of people live well with a reduced TSH as long as their T3 & T4 are in the range. They are several studies on that.
Where as for me, no matter how much hormone I take, T3 or T4, my TSH hardly moves down at all. I feel terrible if I take too much replacement hormone but my TSH will be over 3 probably, over 2 certainly. It’s impossible to get any help from my TSH.
If I ever manage to find a dose that makes me feel properly well again, I will never mess with it. No matter what.
Must be difficult to deal with.. I guess you have to not take TSH too much in account but only your symptômes to find the good doses ?.Have you check for Thyroid Hormone Conversion Issues, gastrointestinal absorption issue, Thyroid Hormone Resistance: or Adrenal insufficiency ?
Yes to everything but resistance. I don't have that. I react to liothyronine very quickly. I feel it hitting my system and taking effect in about 20 minutes. Then it burns out quickly too. I feel more even and calmer if I use NDT. The T3 in NDT is slower and gentler.
I have the Dio2 gene defect from one parent so yes, I have conversion issues to deal with.
But although it’s normal to have suppressed TSH when taking T3, I worry that it’s detrimental to my health, bones, heart etc. Am I worrying unnecessarily do you think?
I think your FT4 is a little high especially as you left 26 hours from last dose.
FT4 - 89% through range
FT3 - 86.49%. “ “
You could reduce your Levo by a small amount by taking 62.5 mcg a couple of times a week and see what that does and retest in 6/8 weeks. That would most likely reduce your T3 a tad although that’s not a given. I wouldn’t go too mad reducing by a lot if you feel good.
Thankyou for working out my ranges! I think I’ve read on the forum that 70% through the range is a good figure for T3 and T4 when taking Liothyronine and Levo? It’s amazing how such a small dose of T3 has made so much difference to my numbers!
That’s a good idea to reduce my T4 just a little and retest. I will do that starting tonight. I really appreciate you replying to me, thankyou!
It depends on the person if I had your results I would be over the moon. My FT4 and FT3 have always got to be high for me to feel well and have been for over 9 years now.
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High TSH but FT4 and FT3 normal
Diarrhoea, high ft3 low ft4.
Now high ft3
Worse results after adding T3 ( a small amount)
T3 and T4 results
