I wonder if anyone could tell me whether it’s possible for T3 to simply ‘not agree’ with me?
I’ve posted here before and got lots of great advice. My numbers previously showed me mid range through all the thyroid numbers but not converting well to T3. I was advised to take selenium and zinc and I have monthly B12 shots so all good there too. I’ve also had an iron infusion since then too which is great. My last blood test showed that nothing much had changed re my thyroid and after seeing an endo he told me he thought I was actually overmedicated on 125mcg daily of T4.
My issue is that despite all that I still feel rubbish, tired and gaining weight so I decided to try again to add a small amount (7.5mcg) of T3 and within 2 days my feet and ankles swell and I gain weight which I realise is probably just due to the swelling. This is my 3rd attempt at this.
Is it possible that T3 just doesn’t agree with me or should I persevere as it could just be that initial medication change that’s causing this?
Many thanks 😊
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Peril1504
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I doubt that T3 per se isn't agreeing with you but various related factors may be causing issues, for example..
The size of dose
Timing of the dose(s)
Excipients in the tablets
Poor absorption in the gut
A form of Thyroid Hormone Resistance ( my problem) causing low cellular T3.
Did you start by adding 7.5mcg ....that is not necessarily a small dose.....or did you start with 2.5mcg increasing to 5mcg after 2 weeks and so on
Taking T3 is not like taking a paracetamol for a headache and thyroid hormones are replaced not "topped up"
So, it is possible that you are feeling the consequence of a work in progress resulting in undermedication which should resolve as you reach your therapeutic dose
Or maybe....T4 has to go, to make way for T3-only.
You may find this ebook of interest
It's available on Amazon for £3.56 or free if you have Amazon Prime. It is called "Impaired Sensitivity to Thyroid Hormone (Thyroid Hormone Resistance)" by Hugh A Hamilton
I need high dose T3-only but that is the last resort. I self medicate
Low T3 slows metabolism causing weight gain which cannot be lost by diet.....only correct medication! Your feet and ankles may have fallen victim to this
For good health every cell in the body must be flooded with T3 by way of an adequate and constant supply...low (cellular) T3 = poor health!
So....some decisions to make!
Good luck!
PS....I was a Triumph GT6 girl....until Baby Bump 1 ended that love affair!! Good luck for the MX5 road trip!
Thank you so much! I was wondering whether I should cut down on T4 to see what happened. It just seems weird that the moment I try some T3 this happens. Yes I started on 7.5mcg (or thereabouts) as that’s the smallest I can manage to cut the 25mcg tablets or they just shatter. I was wondering if they weren’t genuine tablets maybe but I got my source from someone on here who admin gave the thumbs up to so I’m sure that’s not the case. I take my T3 with the T4 early morning before coffee or food. Should I take it another time? I had a gastric bypass years ago so absorption isn’t great in my case.
Thank you re the road trip, I was hoping to have lost a couple of stone in time for it but I can’t see that happening now, sadly. I hope you had as much fun in your car as I’m currently having in mine 😀
I’ve read pretty much everything there is to read about hypothyroidism and gastric bypass but every little helps. Back in 2012 I was diagnosed hyperthyroid and I lost weight at an alarming rate but I’ve now gone the other way. My antibodies show I have hashimotos so my hyperthyroidism could well have been hyper phase hashimoto’s rather than hyperthyroidism itself. All I know is that nothing I do makes any difference. My weight bears no correlation to how much I eat or exercise and I’m desperate for answers. I lost half my body weight after my gastric bypass only to find I’m almost back in the same position only this time it’s not what I eat that is to blame and it’s very frustrating.
I take adcalD3 2 tablets daily and Thorne b vitamins which I think includes folate. I don’t have my most recent blood tests to hand but I know they were very similar to earlier ones I posted on here a little while back that I could post again if needed. My GP isnt going to test my thyroid levels anymore as the endo said they were stable from the previous results and I’m just to stay on 125mcgs daily T4. They will only test once yearly now. The only real difference between them was that my ferritin was higher due to my having had an iron infusion. I got lots of wonderful advice about vitamin levels etc from some lovely people on here (B12, folate, selenium, zinc etc) and put all that advice into practice.
All I really wanted to know was if it anyone had heard of anyone being unable to tolerate T3 and if it could be the cause of my swollen ankles feet. I will try and take a smaller amount of T3 but the 25mcg tablets just seem to shatter if I try to cut them into anything less than 4 but I suppose I could try again.
If is of any help to you, I have been using Roseway Labs who compound medicines themselves. I was getting T3 in 2.5 mg capsules from them. Best wishes.
I guess after all your reading you have considered poor absorption of exogenous hormones in the gut, following surgery, so causing hypothyroidism
It sounds as if your metabolism is slow and that can be caused by low T3....as I mentioned above.
I don't mean to be rude but looking from the outside I think you're not seeing the wood for the trees!
As Jaydee says, have you optimised the core nutrients?
My antibodies show I have hashimotos so my hyperthyroidism could well have been hyper phase hashimoto’s rather than hyperthyroidism itself
If you are hypothyroid it is physically impossible to become hyperthyroid....what is possible is that with Hashi's, the dying thyroid can dump extra hormones in the blood causing raised hormone levels and symptoms of overmedication.
This rise is transitory and will eventually fall back to your normal hypothyroid state. You can stop taking hormone until symptoms of undermedication return
Suggest you need to get onto a stable dose ( not likely/necessarily your therapeutic dose) hold that without change for 6 weeks then test again.
Only with those results can we make an accurate analysis of your thyroid status....anything else is guesswork!
I was hyperthyroid first in 2012 and that changed to hypothyroid in 2022 so I had hyper phase first. I will dig out my latest results and post them here tomorrow.
I have optimised all of my nutrients after going into it all at length with grey goose about 6 months ago. I get monthly B12 shots, take adcalD3 twice daily, take good quality selenium and zinc supplements together with Thorne B supplements. I used to take Three arrows iron and folate supplements from the States until I had my iron infusion and had hyperferritinaemia for a little while. I’ll probably need an iron infusion yearly as it’s common in people who have had gastric bypass. I have a good grasp of what my numbers should be and ranges etc. I’ve worked the last 14 years in clinical haematology so get the help from my consultant haematologists regarding some of my other deficiencies too.
As in my last post, I was really only looking to find out if anyone else had found that T3 didn’t agree with them or whether this was just coincidence and I should persevere.
I’m grateful for all your help and this forum has been invaluable in the past but whether or not anyone else has suffered toxicities after taking T3 is what I’m interested in.
I'm sorry I couldn't answer your question re T3 toxicity because I cannot see how 7.5mcg T3 would cause toxicity /thyrotoxocosis.
Ingestion of small amounts of thyroid hormone produces few symptoms, if any. Symptoms of thyroid toxicity include increased heart rate, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, restlessness, and fever. The development of thyrotoxicosis with acute exposure is rare except in very large overdoses
Many with Hashi's have no symptoms at first. The condition develops gradually over several years, causing progressive damage and reducing the body’s supply of thyroid hormones.
You were likely diagnosed when you were experiencing a Hashi swing which was wrongly diagnosed at the time as hyperthyroidism ....you would fall back to a hypothyroid state once the antibodies attack on the thyroid calmed down.....and would then need replacement hormone(s)
As far as I know the only way that T3 might cause problems is if there is too much or too little...or if the excipients in the tablet (not the T3) disagree with you
You may find the latter applies to you and that it is causing cellular hypothyroidism caused by poor absorption following the gastric bypass.
only this time it’s not what I eat that is to blame and it’s very frustrating.
I think you might find it's lack of T3 causing slow metabolism, causing weight gain.
I haven’t had them tested recently and I think I’d probably need to get some private ones done as earlier this year my GP did intensive testing of everything in an attempt to find an answer. He has been awesome in his efforts to get to the bottom of things. I don’t feel as if I should ask him to test again as he really went above and beyond to help me.
I will post all my most recent results re vitamins etc tomorrow and my my most recent thyroid results too from around April time but will arrange to get some fresh private ones done too 😊
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