Is my T3 too low : hi everyone, love this forum... - Thyroid UK

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Is my T3 too low

Kirpaa profile image
7 Replies

hi everyone, love this forum it’s so helpful. I wanted to ask if you think my T3 is low? My current results after my top up of 5 weeks on Levo at 75mg is now :

Tsh 0.40 0.27-4.20

Free Throxine 18.5 12.0-22.0

Total T3 1.9 1.3 -3.1

All my life I’ve had really bad insomnia and my food doesn’t go down, constipation. About 3 weeks ago, for 1 week when I first started on 75mg I slept all night and was going to the toilet, I was so happy but now it’s the same old thing. I have a coffee shop that I can’t open as I’m too exhausted 😔 mind is wired all night. I managed to get my mum to bring me a box of T3 Liothyronine back from India 5mg I wondering if I should take some at night and see how I feel. I’ve also ordered the DIO1 and DIO2 test as I can’t stop thinking about it so yesterday finally ordered it to see if I can’t convert. Any thoughts will be very appreciated. I’m shocked how quickly my T4 and tsh changed after just a few weeks. My T4 has always been around 12 or 13 all my life which is pretty low so I thought it should all be fixed by now. Also I have seen Gastro doctors and sleep doctors and no one can help, I’ve had all the tests under the sun and they say there’s nothing wrong with me. I used to live of adrenaline and now I’m too old for that, lack of sleep is too much. I’m 47 year old female who just met husband 3 years ago, anniversary today, and had 3 ivf attempts that failed because embryos came out no good in genetic testing. They said because of my age. Sorry for such a long message! Also the last 2 nights I took Levo before bed but no difference, thank you!

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7 Replies
SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator

welcome to the forum

Are you saying you were on 50mcg levothyroxine first

If so how long were you on that

Or did you start on 75mcg?

Standard STARTER Dose is 50mcg

Dose is increased slowly upwards, usually in 25mcg steps, but some people need to increase in smaller steps…eg going up by 12.5mcg

Testing after 5 weeks is too soon

Retest again in another 5 weeks

Which brand of levothyroxine are you taking

ESSENTIAL to test vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12 and thyroid antibodies

Have these been tested

If not test at next test

Kirpaa profile image
Kirpaa in reply to SlowDragon

Hi there, my ferritin is really high out of range as I had an infusion last year and all bloods are high in the range. I keep on top of my vitamins and have to take methylated b vits as before I had to have b12 injections but now I take liposomal b complex my levels are high in the range

I was started on 25mg June 2023 then a few months on went up to 50mg but even then my t4 was going down from 13.4 to 12 instead of going up. I then moved into 75mg about 5 weeks ago and had a test done this week and my levels are much better. My tsh always showed 2.5 or more so this is the first time it’s finally come down. I seem to feel a bit better when taking amino acids like tyrosine but still no sleep.

I’m on teva Levothyroxine. Just really need to find a way to get some sleep 🙈

SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator in reply to Kirpaa

So you may

A) find you need to split the dose Levo taking half tablet in morning and half at bedtime for a few weeks

B) try different brand of levothyroxine

Teva brand upsets many, many people

Were you taking Teva at 50mcg?

Many people find Levothyroxine brands are not interchangeable.

Most easily available (and often most easily tolerated) are Mercury Pharma or Accord

Mercury Pharma make 25mcg, 50mcg and 100mcg tablets 

Mercury Pharma also boxed as Eltroxin. Both often listed by company name on pharmacy database - Advanz

Accord only make 50mcg and 100mcg tablets. Accord is also boxed as Almus via Boots, 

Wockhardt is very well tolerated, but only available in 25mcg tablets. Some people remain on Wockhardt, taking their daily dose as a number of tablets 

July 2024

Crescent levothyroxine. Dosages: 12.5, 25, 50, 75, 100

(Not yet known if all approved dosages are or will be available).

Excipients: lactose monohydrate, maize starch, croscarmellose sodium, gelatin and magnesium stearate.

Lactose free brands - currently Teva or Vencamil only

Teva makes 25mcg, 50mcg, 75mcg and 100mcg

Many patients do NOT get on well with Teva brand of Levothyroxine.

Teva is lactose free.But Teva contains mannitol as a filler instead of lactose, which seems to be possible cause of problems. Mannitol seems to upset many people, it changes gut biome 

Teva is the only brand that makes 75mcg tablet.

So if avoiding Teva for 75mcg dose ask for 25mcg to add to 50mcg or just extra 50mcg tablets to cut in half

But for some people (usually if lactose intolerant, Teva is by far the best option)

Vencamil is lactose free and mannitol free. originally only available as 100mcg only, but 25mcg and 50mcg tablets became available Sept 2024

March 2023 - Aristo now called Vencamil

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

How to get Vencamil stocked at your local pharmacy

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Helpful post about different brands

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

List of different brands available in U.K.

thyroiduk.org/if-you-are-hy...

Posts that mention Teva

healthunlocked.com/search/p...

Teva poll

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Once you find a brand that suits you, best to make sure to only get that one at each prescription.

Watch out for brand change when dose is increased or at repeat prescription.

Government guidelines for GP in support of patients if you find it difficult/impossible to change brands

gov.uk/drug-safety-update/l...

If a patient reports persistent symptoms when switching between different levothyroxine tablet formulations, consider consistently prescribing a specific product known to be well tolerated by the patient.

If symptoms or poor control of thyroid function persist (despite adhering to a specific product), consider prescribing levothyroxine in an oral solution formulation.

academic.oup.com/jcem/artic...

Physicians should: 1) alert patients that preparations may be switched at the pharmacy; 2) encourage patients to ask to remain on the same preparation at every pharmacy refill; and 3) make sure patients understand the need to have their TSH retested and the potential for dosing readjusted every time their LT4 preparation is switched (18).

And here

pharmacymagazine.co.uk/clin...

Discussed here too

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Kirpaa profile image
Kirpaa

thank you so much. That’s so helpful, do you know by any chance of which brands people tend to say helps them sleep better?

Jaydee1507 profile image
Jaydee1507Administrator in reply to Kirpaa

That would depend on if the brand suited you and if you were taking the correct dose for you. Much of this is very individual and only learnt by trial and error.

AKatieD profile image
AKatieD

Magnesium at night helps me sleep. I take Magnesium Taurate but Magnesium Glycinate also good at night ( maybe others too but some better during the day not for sleep)

Kirpaa profile image
Kirpaa in reply to AKatieD

Hi AKatieD, thank you, I have tried every type of magnesium but it doesn’t seem to help at all. Sometimes allergy tablets would help but they would only help for one night and then not again. I really do wonder if a a bit of T3 might help the constipation and the sleep, thank you

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