Moving to T3 only experience : Hi everyone... - Thyroid UK

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Moving to T3 only experience

Incoguto profile image
17 Replies

Hi everyone,

Could you please tell me how you moved to t3 only, especially if moving from NDT? How many doses are you taking? Was it easy to move or difficult? Are your symptoms much improved?

Thanks 😀

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Incoguto profile image
Incoguto
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17 Replies
greygoose profile image
greygoose

I moved from NDT to T3 only, it's all explained in my profile.

How many doses, and how much you take, depends on why you're going T3 only. :)

Incoguto profile image
Incoguto in reply to greygoose

Thanks gg, I had a read and what a journey you were on. Kinda like myself. I've done pretty well on NDT for some years and suddenly it stopped working and for the life of me i don't know why. T4 only is horrible. I do convert something. What is odd that when I remove even a bit of Armour i feel really sick. I have no problem adding t3 to it, until my ft3 goes over range i start to feel overdosed

Hello, I take 6.25 mcg of T3 every 3 hours and a dose of T3 and T4 at bedtime. The quantity of hormones is individual for each person, so you have to start with low doses and increase until you have the ideal temperature and pulse.

Incoguto profile image
Incoguto in reply to

Thank you Kris 🙏

AKatieD profile image
AKatieD

I used the info in STTM here stopthethyroidmadness.com/t...

This says 1 grain is approx equal to 25mcg T3. I worked out roughly what the equivalent dose was, rounding down a bit so as not to over do it at the start, split into 3 convenient doses (based on available tablet size) and switched to that.

Tried slightly more and less to see how it made me feel and picked the best one.

Incoguto profile image
Incoguto in reply to AKatieD

Thank you AKatieD🤗did I recall correctly, you were feeling good on Armour in general? And you did a straight swap quickly?

AKatieD profile image
AKatieD in reply to Incoguto

Yes I was fine on NDT. I had tried to save money by changing brands as Armour is so dear. But every time I changed the brand each had quality problems leaving me feeling ill, so gave up after third one and decided to go synthetic T3 and T4 to avoid these issues. I forget what I was on exactly but say it was 2.75 grains, or roughly 68.75mcg. I went straight to 62.5 as that was easy multiple of tablets I had of 25mcg and 50mcg. Tried that for week and no problems so varied it from that dose to work out right one for me. Ended up at 75mcg and that was where i stayed until HRT changed things.

I did try adding T4 too but could not detect any benefit so gave up again.

I had no after effects from the quick change but everyone is different. Great thing is, as TiggerMe said, T3 tells you quickly if it is ok or not, so you can adjust and almost instantly see the effect

Incoguto profile image
Incoguto in reply to AKatieD

Yeah I'm worried, because Armour stopped working for me after a few years. Was T4 making you feel ill?

I am moving slowly, but it's making me feel sick. I lowered 0.25 grains Armour yesterday and I feel like my mood has dipped already, I felt some water retention too. Maybe this transition won't be an easy one.

Thank you responding 🤗

AKatieD profile image
AKatieD in reply to Incoguto

I had NP thyroid, Naturethroid and WP thyroid stop working for me around 2020. But a bit of research turned up that they had the same effect for lots of people due to manufacturing problems.

It seems Armour also had some inconclusive problems - see here stopthethyroidmadness.com/2...

But not heard anything more recently.

Could it be the fillers - perhaps they have changed as feeling sick sounds like a filler thing.

T4 just seemed to do nothing for me.

Maybe you will need to add small amounts of T3 to compensate for the Armour drop rather than drop first then add

Incoguto profile image
Incoguto in reply to AKatieD

Yeah I was on Naturethroid too and it got reformulated, my ft4 plummeted on it.Thanks, I saw the STTM page on Armour, apparently working for the majority. My issue started when both ft3 ft4 went up to top range, couldn't tolerate it anymore.

Sorry by feeling sick, I mean, hypo or hyper symptoms.

Yeah I am not sure what t4 does for me, when I was just on it, it was not good. When it plummets, I feel hypo.

You might be right, I may have to add a little t3 as I drop it, it probably isn't enough

Nanny23 profile image
Nanny23 in reply to Incoguto

I was on T4 only and felt no difference. When ai got my dr. Ato add T 3 it was unbelievable how good I feel. I take synthroid 112 mcg and 37 mcg T3 in split doses and feel well

Muffy profile image
Muffy

I take mine twice a day The changeover was from Armour and- that fine for me, but I did find that I needed to take the 2nd dose either at bedtime or in the middle of the night as it helps me sleep.

Incoguto profile image
Incoguto in reply to Muffy

May I ask at what time you take your doses? What is your overall dose? How much Armour were you taking and how long did it take you to move? How is it working for you? Sorry, so many questions 😀

Muffy profile image
Muffy

I take 20mcg T3 on waking and the second 20mcg T3 either in the evening or middle of the night. Tonight I feel really tired, so won’t take my T3 now, but will save it for when I wake in the night and take it then.

Blu-cat11 profile image
Blu-cat11

Hi, I have recently swapped from armour to Liothyronine only. After a few different combinations my endocrinologist came to the conclusion that I was reacting negatively to Levothyroxine.

I started on 1/4 tablet when I wake in the night and 3pm. I felt a lift in my mood almost immediately, having been very depressed. I am now on 50 mg and have less pain, anxiety etc. I am also on HRT including testosterone.

Hope this info helps.

Incoguto profile image
Incoguto in reply to Blu-cat11

Thank you Blu-cat11 🤗 Did you stop Armour and then started t3? Or did you wean off Armour and gradually started adding t3?

Do you split 50mcg into 2 x 25 mcg doses?

Blu-cat11 profile image
Blu-cat11 in reply to Incoguto

Hi again Incognito , I went straight from Armour to T3. Only 1/4 tablet 2x a day though.

I split my dose 25mg when I wake in the night so it isn’t close to my HRT and 25mg 3pm. I do find that when I’m increasing I noticed raised anxiety and my heart rate feels more pronounced (not faster) on the pm dose. Usually after a couple of hours and it wears off. When this settles is when I increase again. I may be at the right dose now or close. I have an endocrinologist apt in a couple of weeks so will assess then. Hope that helps.

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