fatigue and changing amounts of levo and armour

[Vanmorrisonfan]

I had a total thyroidectomy in 2011. I have been on a combo of generic levothyroxine and armour. About a year or so ago my GP increased the armour and decreased the levo (bc my T3 was low.)

I have recently been experiencing bone crushing fatigue. I pretty much can't do much except in the morning. (I am also about 3 weeks out from having covid, then rebound covid so that is likely part of it.)

My recent blood tests are:

TSH 0.94 (0.40-4.50)

T4, FREE 0.8 (0.8-1.8 ng/dL)

T3, FREE 2.6 (2.3-4.2 pg/mL)

I currently take 25 mcg of levothyroxine and 71 mg of armour (90 mg 4 days per week and half pill -45 mg 3 days)

I have had a history of having a very low out of range TSH (like .03 TSH) and since I knew the doctor would reduce my meds, I usually skipped taking meds the day before and the morning of the test so TSH would not be so low (with the belief that the armour was suppressing it.)

This time, I did not skip the day before. Those results look to me that I am not getting enough T3 or T4. I'm thinking of requesting to go back to a more even split between levo and armour. I feel like I have a trouble keeping the T4 in my system with the armour, since its half life is much shorter. Also worry about the effects of getting too much T3 and being out of balance.

Any thoughts on this situation and on raising my levo and decreasing the armour.? Also, if I need more thyroid hormone, how to keep the TSH from going so low they decrease my meds?

Thanks!

[Insomania]

I had covid in December 2023, then rebound covid in January 2024. Horrendous!

Just wanted to say covid really knocked my blood tests, T4 and T3 were lower, CRP was high. I was titrating NDT and I continued with a 1/4 grain increase and next blood tests were back on track with T3 increasing.

One good thing came of covid, couldn't stand smell/taste of alcohol and I haven’t gone back to it 🙌

[pennyannie]

Hello VMFan :

Once taking any form of thyroid hormone replacement it is essential that you are dosed and monitored on your Free T3 and Free T4 readings and not a TSH :

How long from your last dose was the blood test ?

Taking any form of T3 - the same dose needs to be maintained every day -

So first off I'd increase the Armour - and take the same dose every day :

The ratio of T3/T4 in Armour suits very many thousands people as it stands :

If you introduced the T4 - as you found Armour a bit too strong for you - the next step would then be to adjust the T4 accordingly.

[SlowDragon Administrator]

NDT - absolutely essential to take same dose every day

Retest after 6-8 weeks

Meanwhile test vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12