weird symptoms

[BethBeezle]

Hello, I wonder if anyone can help me with some odd symptoms I’m suddenly experiencing. I’ve had them before on this journey but I can never work out what they mean, and therefore the best course of action.

I have a relatively high heart rate anyway, but over the last week it has been consistently between 80-100. I can cope with this in the day, but at night I find it very uncomfortable. Also at night, I have been feeling freezing cold in bed - teeth chattering, shivering, can’t warm up no matter how many jumpers, socks, blankets I use. I also need to urinate frequently and have diarrhoea. This goes on for a while until I finally fall asleep with the help of a sleeping tablet and a brandy.

This has all happened before, and previously I have ended up in A&E in a panic. I’m less anxious about it now because I’ve been through it before, but it’s still uncomfortable and I’m not sure what’s causing it. My latest test results two weeks ago showed everything in range - high T4, mid-range T3. I have just been prescribed (this week) an extra 2.5mcg of T3 to add to the 5mcg I was taking, but that seems far too small an amount to cause such a reaction? However it does correspond directly with my symptoms, and I have not taken the extra 2.5mcg for the past few days. I have also dropped my Levothyroxine from 150mcg down to 125 mcg, as per Roseways instructions.

I suppose my question is what might be causing these symptoms, and what should I do next in terms of dosing?

Thank you very much in advance for any advice I may receive.

[SlowDragon Administrator]

What were your actual results at last blood test

Thyroid and vitamin levels

What vitamin supplements are you taking

When was ferritin last tested

Are you now always getting same brand levothyroxine at each prescription

And are you now on gluten free and/or dairy free diet

[BethBeezle in reply to SlowDragon]

Hi Slow Dragon. Thanks for replying. I take Vit D drops, Thorne basic B, Three Arrows Heme Iron, and Magnesium. I usually take Teva Levothyroxine but have received a different brand from Roseways in the last three months. I am gluten free, for the most part, but do have dairy.

Thyroid blood test results

[BethBeezle in reply to BethBeezle]

My ferritin is always frustratingly low

Ferritin result

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to BethBeezle]

Yes ferritin low

When did you last do full iron panel test

Are you eating plenty of red meat and liver or liver pate once a week

[BethBeezle in reply to SlowDragon]

These were my results in early July. And this was after supplementing with three arrows for a while. I do eat plenty of red meat and pate to be honest - I wonder if I should start supplementing more aggressively with Vit D and iron. I have been wary of overdoing it because I didn’t want to overload my body.

Is it possible that my body is struggling to utilise the T3 I’ve been prescribed because my vitamins and iron are too low?

Full iron panel results

[FallingInReverse in reply to BethBeezle]

How many three arrows were you taking at the time of this blood test.

For how long?

Do you have your last iron panel & corresponding iron supplement details for comparison?

edit: healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Safe to assume you’ve been on the same Three Arrows dose for 6 months?

How many three arrows are you taking?

[BethBeezle in reply to FallingInReverse]

Hi there. This is my iron panel from April. I started on 3 three arrows tablets a day around 8 months ago. Started taking 3 a day for a month, maybe? Then dropped to 1 a day after this because I was a bit worried that I may overload my system. Someone (maybe yourself?) had posted about going from deficient to over range working a very short time, so I have been cautious just in case, and tested again in April and July.

Full iron panel April

[FallingInReverse in reply to BethBeezle]

I love the caution!!!! Youve done great in not doing too much.

So looks like that 3 a day for a month gave you a little boost, and then continuing at one a day kind of maintained/dropped you a little.

All your results are hovering around same bottom levels and you have room to fine tune up.

By how much depends on how frequently you can test. You may remember- I am admittedly cautious. So take it for what it’s worth.

Keep this in mind: What you want is a homeostasis- where you intake just enough iron so your iron is 55-70% through range and your saturation percent at least 25% and ideally ~35-40% while steering clear of anything over that.

Your April panel was actually just getting to the starting line but was still too low. Good news is your trans sat% is right at that cut off where your body has just enough iron to make good use of your T3. But just barely.

If I were you, I would … do 3 a day again for 8 weeks even. I’d assume the results you saw from the month in March/April would replicate.

I’ve looked into how long is too long for iron measures to be high. From what I’ve read, a month is negligible, and two probably is too. Others may say a little longer. Risk is long term but accumulates. That’s why I like to test every 6-12 weeks when titrating my own iron.

It is tricky and a long game.

But I love your low & slow and just say keep it going!

[BethBeezle in reply to FallingInReverse]

Thanks very much for this info - I will take your advice I think, and go back up to 3 a day then. See where I am in 8 weeks.

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to BethBeezle]

I see FallingInReverse is on the case re iron

Vitamin D

Three drops a day at the moment - so roughly 3,000. My vit d has been low, or under range, for years now. I really struggle to get it moving upwards. I’ve taken huge doses in the past, but it immediately drops back down again once I’ve done that.

Personally I found I needed 7000iu daily to increase levels

And maintenance dose of 5000iu daily

Plus k2 and daily magnesium

[BethBeezle in reply to SlowDragon]

Thanks - I think it sounds like maybe I keep improving my vitamin d and iron, and then dropping my dose down too early and too low once I see good results. I’m a bit of a nervous Nellie really, but I’ll try to have the courage of my convictions and keep going!

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to BethBeezle]

Vitamin D is too low

How much vitamin D are you taking

Aiming for minimum 80nmol and 100-125nmol might be better

[BethBeezle in reply to SlowDragon]

Three drops a day at the moment - so roughly 3,000. My vit d has been low, or under range, for years now. I really struggle to get it moving upwards. I’ve taken huge doses in the past, but it immediately drops back down again once I’ve done that. Same with iron/ferritin. I made the biggest mistake of my life when I came of levo altogether for a few months a couple of years ago - it destroyed my ability to create stomach acid and I have to wonder if this has created a problem with absorption.

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to BethBeezle]

Yes….you look like need a bit less Levo and a bit more T3

Did issues start when you changed brand of Levo?

[BethBeezle in reply to SlowDragon]

I have dropped the levo to 125mcg now, but for the last few days I’ve left my T3 at 5mcg because I felt that I was perhaps overmedicated slightly due to my symptoms. I am waiting for my new prescription from Roseways to arrive - they advised giving slow release T3 a go because apparently that doesn’t drop the TSH so low.

I have had these symptoms before so don’t think they’re related to brand change of levo. I do wonder if I’m quite sensitive to my T4 being high, because I’ve had similar symptoms before when trying to increase T4 in the past. I’ve had to do it really slowly.

[posthinking01]

Hi there - T3 does not 'agree' with I only need a very small dose otherwise I am hyper - but the cold you are suffering from could be the dose 'might' be too high and you need adrenal support i.e. your adrenal glands are screaming. 3,000 vitamin D whilst can be good to get levels up but has to go through the kidneys and the shivering etc. could be a sign of kidneys not happy - why not try to lower it down to 1,000 iu's which is often recommended. Don't worry about stomach acid it is made my Vitamin C so you can supplement and it helps the adrenal glands as well. The adrenal glands need more vitamin C than any other part of the body to work properly. Vitamin C and iron work together - without the other it is difficult to absorb. Personally I would take a very good multi (Nature's best I recommend) which will cover all eventualities - then you can always stop everything else and add the rest later if you are really deficient and how much is contained in multi - the normal supplements you can add are B complex - C - other than that you should be careful and remember the load on your liver and kidneys - hope this helps?

[BethBeezle in reply to posthinking01]

Thanks for that - that’s really interesting. I don’t know much about adrenal stuff, so I’ll take a look into it. Taking one decent multivitamin would be a relief, to be honest, because trying to keep on top of all the individual vitamins etc., needed can be difficult and expensive!

[posthinking01 in reply to BethBeezle]

The reason I recommend Nature's Best as a company is that at one time they were for professionals only so their products are very high grade and pure as they possibly can be - and I have problems with supplements i.e. if they have a lot of rubbish in them. They do one for for women and men over over 70's - I know you are probably not that age but this product will have a good range and not too over the top in levels. I also take their Vitamin C - 500 mg - it is ascorbate calcium so you get a little of that as well. It is gentle on the tummy and shouldn't affect you but will help the stomach acid that needs C - years ago when I had tummy ache due to low stomach acid I took Vitamin C and the pain stopped - that is how I learned how it worked.

[BethBeezle in reply to posthinking01]

I will definitely give the vitamin c a go then, because my heartburn/indigestion is really debilitating. And I like the idea of the multivitamin too. Thank you for your help, I appreciate it.

[posthinking01 in reply to BethBeezle]

Pleasure to help - like we all do on here - been there with the vitamin and mineral deficiencies really dangerously low at one time so had a real learning curve with the help of others.