Problems with T3 treatment: Hello I'm writing to... - Thyroid UK

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Problems with T3 treatment

Will_blue profile image
5 Replies

Hello

I'm writing to see if anyone can offer advice. I'm hashimotos hypothyroid, 5 years and have been Ok but not brilliant on levothyroxine at ~85mcg daily. My T3 has been consistently low at 3.7 while T4 has been 20-21. Not terrible symptoms but high cholesterol, some fatigue, mood often low.

Working with a private consultant I recently introduced T3. Over an 8 week period I dropped Levo slightly and worked up to 2 x 5mcg daily & felt fantastic, better mood, more energy, I was really pleased. T4 was 17, T3 @ 5.3. The 5mcg pills were Sigmapharm & quite expensive.

The consultant was happy and switched the prescription to Thybon Henning 20mcg which I have been on for a week - I am quartering them & taking 5mcg twice daily so no dose increase as yet. The recommendation was to slowly increment to 20mcg/day. These are a lot cheaper than the original 5mcg pills.

Today I have had a nasty rapid heart rate - up to 135bpm and then dropping & repeat. I spoke with my GP surgery who offered me a cancellation appointment for an ECG which was normal, blood pressure high but that could just have been the stress. I have also tried to make contact with the thyroid consultant as I'm not sure what to do next. Any advice gratefully received.

Today I have taken just 1 dose @ 5mcg of T3 and don't intend to take the second. Should I discontinue completely or just halve the dose for a few days and see if things settle.

My vitamin levels are good, I have been taking quite a high dose of magnesium so wondered if that could be contributing.

Has anyone had similar issues switching to Thybon Henning T3 from another type?

Many thanks

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Will_blue
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TiggerMe profile image
TiggerMe

Free T4 (fT4) 17 pmol/L (12 - 22) 50.0%

Free T3 (fT3) 5.3 pmol/L (3.1 - 6.8) 59.5%

I'd be inclined to think that your fT4 has gradually dropped too low due to the lowered dose and often when adding T3 this also lowers fT4... Thybon Henning is generally well received, if you have any of the 5mcg tablets left you could swap back and see if that helps?

Your fT3 isn't high assuming this result was 8-12 hours after last dose with the range 3.1-6.8 it could be your body needing a little more T3

My advice would be to put your T4 dose back to its previous level and give it time to settle and keep your T3 dose the same... T3 works fast but it actually takes the body quite some months to get used to this new influx

The guesswork is that too little or too much hormone can both lead to palpitations 😕

Will_blue profile image
Will_blue in reply to TiggerMe

Thanks for your thoughts, I'm a little nervous to go up in dosage right now. I will speak to the clinician tomorrow.

samaja profile image
samaja

5 mcg of Thybonne Henning is not necessarily the same strength as5 mcg SigmaPharm, you may feel it as lower or higher as the same dose does not sometimes equal the same amount of hormone you are getting and used to. What is really recommended is switch one dose first and see how you go assessing with vitals and symptoms and then when you know how you respond to it adjust as necessary up or down and then switch the second dose and repeat the process.

Will_blue profile image
Will_blue in reply to samaja

Thank you, I hope this is the issue. I have used all of my previous tablets so for now I have reduced to 5mcg daily of the Thybon Henning & will speak to the doctor tomorrow. Heart rate still seems a little elevated, today between 75-80bpm.

samaja profile image
samaja in reply to Will_blue

Higher heart rate can be just as well a sign of underdosing as too much. I remember people saying that they find Thybon weaker than Sigma but it really is individual. I know that it may feel strange and uncomfortable but 75-80 is actually a perfectly normal heart rate and feels normal for me now though I used to think that 60-70 was my normal but that was before T3.

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