I’ve just got my thyroid test result back after being on T3 for 2 months. I’m on 75mcg Levothyroxine and 10mcg T3. I took the test 8am in the morning, fasting and no vitamins or supplements for a week prior. I took my last dose of T3 8pm to night before (so 12 hours before the test) and took my Levothyroxine 6am the day before (so 26 hours before the test.
TSH - 0.006 (0.27-4.2)
T3 - 5 (3.1-6.8)
T4 - 20.2 (12-22)
The most AMAZING news for me is I’m finally starting to feel better! I am taking 5mcg T3 on rising and then 2.5mcg 8 hours later and then another 2.5mcg just before bed. I do find it tricky to split the 20mcg tablet into 2.5mcg doses so I’m wondering if I have room to try increasing the T3 to. Perhaps 5mcg, 5mcg, 2.5mcg or even 5mcg, 5mcg, 5mcg?
Any advice greatly appreciated on these results x
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TiredMummy
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Why not just try taking your T3 twice a day? Morning and evening. 5 mcgs + 5 mcgs . Wouldn’t that be easier than trying to divide it into 3 doses. Why not try that before considering a dose change.
Thanks Joesmum and very sensible suggestion! I might try that but I’ve just been trying the three doses lately and now taking a dose last thing at night seems to be improving my sleep which is a miracle. It didn’t at first but within a few days it improved so I guess it’s whether my T3 level is optimal yet or not as dictates whether or not I have room to increase the T3. I still slump mid afternoon so might be an idea to increase that dose first to 5mcg and keep the bedtime dose at 2.5mcg….If the consensus is that my T3 level is optimal then I’ll definitely try your suggestion! Thank you! x
You have room for an increase but really it's down to symptom and not to rush adding more, I was going to suggest the same as Joesmum trying a morning and evening dose maybe to simplify things and you also might find that 7.5mcg in the morning will carry you through the afternoon better as it's more about getting it to the cells than just blood levels, then a 2.5mcg for a good nights sleep 🤞
Give that a try and if it doesn't suit try the 5mcg am and bedtime, wish I could tell you what might work best but you really need to trial the various options... I'm one that takes it all in the morning and find I sail through whereas splitting makes for ups and downs even if I take more 🤷♀️
FT3 - 5 (3.1-6.8) =51.35% through the reference range
FT4 - 20.2 (12-22) = 82% ditto
Your numbers are looking fairly good, and though you may have room to increase T3 a little first, I'm suggesting that instead of increasing your dose you move to 2x 5mcg doses.....total 10mcg T3 daily.
We are all different but splitting didn't work for me whereas a single dose did, the higher dose better helped the T3 enter the cells from the serum..and as a bonus fewer doses means less clock watching!!
I need a huge dose of T3-only to function which I take at bedtime....we are all different
Suggest you use a diary to keep a record of all readings, dose changes and symptoms.
If after 2 weeks you feel there is still room for improvement then try adding 2.5mcg in the morning
Wait 6 weeks, test again then adjust the dose if necessary
Promising start....you are improving
It takes time, patience and sometimes trial and error!!
The aim is to take the smallest effective dose of T3,. not the largest dose you can tolerate
Thank you! I will try 5mcg morning and 5mcg later like everyone is suggesting but I’ve no idea when I should take the second dose? I currently take 5mcg 6am and 2.5mcg 2pm and then 2.5mcg at bedtime….So perhaps 5mcg 6am and 5mcg 5-6pm? I guess I’ll just have to sort out which timing for the second dose suits me best and keep a diary like you say but any advice on typical twice dosing timings would be great! Thank you xxx
I would start with approx 6am and 6pm dosing...or similar, with a 12 hour gap for stable dosing.
Unfortunately there are no set guidelines because we have to find what suits us best.....but don't get freaked out by that it just takes a bit of time and patience and increasing experience. I found being patient a tad difficult at first but it pays dividends!!
You may in time be able to work towards a single dose as your cellular level builds up......different cells in the body require different T3 levels so, rushing increases can initially stimulate some cells while leaving others undertreated...the body needs time to adjust. My body has now settled with one large dose, with no obvious fluctuations, as waves of T3 are eventually released evenly throughout the day.....according to the late, Dr John Lowe, who was a T3 expert
An old medic friend of mine used to repeat, " Listen to your body, it will tell you if something is wrong"....it does!
Keeping a detailed diary helped me...after a number years, any entries have become brief!
There are all sorts of often scary stories and complicated treatments/ timings suggested on the web but I found keeping it simple works best for me. It's often just trial and error!
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