just got my results after being on 87.5mcg levo and 5mcg of t3 twice a day for the past 6 weeks.
Well …some things have improved. Not feeling quite as tired and have not had to go to bed every afternoon, feel brighter in mood, but…I seemed to improve, then reach a plateau for a while and then slide downhill again with feeling ccold, no stamina, joint and back pain.
I was even thinking it might be time to add in another 2.5mcg of t3 today, and then i get these results which seem pretty good. I have an appt next week. The thyroid gp wanted me on 15mcg t3, but i inched up slowly and stuck at 10mcg for the past 6 weeks and then did this test.
My vitamins b12, d and folate are all ok/high. I’m on vitd and k spray 3000. My ferritin is slowly improving and has gone from 21 to 32.
tsh 0.057 (0.27-4.2)
t3 5.5 (3.1-6.8)
t4 15.5 (12-22)
results before adding t3= tsh 0.8, t3 3.9, t4 19. (same ranges)
I don’t know what’s going on. Any ideas? Is it just going to take more time?
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Thanks, TM. I did feel better when I got to 10mcg t3 with the levo - had one amazing week, then hit a plateau and then slowly slid downhill. Could that just be due to the drop in t4 ?
Yep, I'd been very happy on T3 and 4 dose for 6 months before seeing the NHS Endo and she reduced my T4 dose down by 25mcg which dropped my fT4 to 24% and I felt terrible even with the same dose of T3
I know! It's weird isn't it, we assume once we have some T3 all will be well when we'd previously felt so awful on T4 only 🤷♀️ I agreed as I thought maybe I only need the T3.... WRONG!
The gp said to get my t3 to 5.5 - 6.5, but she never mentioned the t4. I hope she agrees an increase to 100mcg. I was going to take an extra 2.5mcg t3 today, but maybe i should just leave it now til i speak to her in a week’s time.
You can have a dabble while you wait as fT3 is quick to rise and quick to fall with dose changes unlike fT4... when it comes to fine tuning it takes a bit of trial and error
Haha! Dabble while you wait! Love it 😂x Hey, one thing I did notice today which is also another improvement on the t3 …I had a really, really proper laugh at something my husband said. It felt so good!
A kingfisher! Oh how wonderful! I get emotional in a strange way recently…moved by the wonder of things in the world. Also, I’ve found that my creative brain has come back to life and I’m finding words better. Weird.
Exactly! When hypo, the body starts getting sarcastic…says “eh, say again - poem? Let me get this straight…you want to write a poem? Oh right, yeah! Sure! I mean……balls to surival…let’s all write a bloody sonnet shall we! Ya feckin’ eejit!” 😂😂
my T4 dropped loads with the addition T3.. with 87.5mcg levo only fT4 was 91% ,,, after reducing by 12.5mcg and adding 9 mcg T3 fT4 was 56%.
i felt all over the place ... kind of unstable , like i didn't have a solid base , and each T3 doses made me feel a tad hyper then crash .
I put the T4 back up to 87.5mcg , and felt a more or less instant improvement ... a bit later on i put levo up a bit more to 100 ,,, which was maybe a tad too much so now it's about 92mcg , with 8 mcg T3 ( 2 x 4mcg )
still very much a 'work in progress' , but i really did not feel right with T4 at 56%
i think i just need to give my body a long time to get used to having some ready made T3 and for my body to figure out what to do with it , and also for me to figure out my timings of activity and eating in relation to the T3 doses , almost like i need to 'feed' the T3 with enough protein so it can be used properly , and also to make sure i do enough activity at the right times to 'use' it up ... and to gradually let my fitness / stamina build up so i can actually handle being active every day ... i've spent 20 yrs on levo only , and body has got very used to zonking out for a day or so at a time ... taking T3 kind of of means i can't do that anymore , doses of T3 every day seem to mean i now need to be more consistent with activity/ nutrition
So i''d agree with others , try putting the levo back up a bit first and then see how that feels after 6 weeks+ .
Thanks for sharing that Tatty. I was diagnosed with CFS in 2018/2019 so I think I’ve been getting more and more hypo since then, up to testing myself for thyroid last year. I think it’s going to take a while to get it right. The thyroid gp said at least 6 months to get the dose right and then 6-9 months to feel better! I felt great when i got to 10mcg t3- had an amazing week, was even out in the garden digging! Now everything aches again. Went for a walk around the shops today and ran out of stem completely. Couldn’t wait to get home. Ached all over! It’s a long slog isn’t it. I do believe I’m on the right path with t4/t3. I’ll bear ll the info in mind when i see the thyroid gp. It’s good to have an idea of direction to go next and see if her plan matches! x
i feel like a car that's been mostly in the barn for a decade or so with occasional 10 mile trips down the road .. suddenly being given some rocket fuel in it's petrol ... the rocket fuel might be a great idea , and hopefully in the end the car will be able to use it and go at a steady 70mph all the way to the seaside ... but it needs new tyres , and grease in the bearings etc etc .... trying to do 70mph all day everyday straight off without gradually improving the car at the same time feels like the wheels might just fall off.
So true... pacing is still very much needed to avoid the potholes and crashes, it's taken me 18months gradually upping activity and resting to get to the point where I feel I've enough in the tank to get all the boring stuff done and allow for a little spontaneity without ending up back in the garage
It does keep getting better and you regain a little more of your old self along the way 😏
tattybogle, I have been thinking along the same lines. Had a recent blood test for GP review and T3 was slightly over and T4 had dropped to 14. I was taking 112.5mcgm Vencamil and 15mcgm T3. So I have dropped T3 to 10mcgm and will retest in 6 weeks to see how much T4 has risen and how much T3 has fallen.
If our thyroids were functioning normally and pituitary thyroid axis also normal then there would be constant adjustments during the day to our thyroid hormone production. Taking our meds at fixed times regardless of how busy or not we are must have some impact. There seem to be a few folks on here recently who have had to adjust their meds after many years on the same dose. It does get very trying having to think about dosing and testing and adjusting. At least my GP practice have left me to sort myself out. I am thankful for that.
TiggerMe . SlowDragon . Hey, I increased my levo to 100mcg after this post and today I feel really good! My pain and stiffness seems to have eased today (might just be a “good day”, but I hope not!) and I’ve been out for two walks! I’ve got my first appt since starting t 3 with thyroid gp tomorrow….do you think i should tell the gp that i upped my levo…or just keep quiet and see what they say in general? x
I know exactly what you mean about reading the room! I’ve been honest and upfront with gps before and it’s backfired on me as they try to take back control! I’m just hoping she just suggests an increase in levo anyway. I’ll just say i felt great at the start with t4 19 and added t3 and hope it all falls into place, I have a feeling that in time the t3 levels might drop again and need an increase then but not now.
SlowDragon . TiggerMe . Had my appt with thyroid gp - told her how i was feeling and she said same thing - increase to 100mcg levo, stay on 10mcg t3 for now, but may need to increase t3 again if this doesn’t work, so if upping the levo doesn't help then we’ll try increasing T3as greygoose said , depending on next bloods/symptoms. May need levels tweaking a couple more times. I increased to 100 levo a few days ago after this post and have just had two really good days, the relief from the debilitating joint and back pain has been massive! And unbelievable. I just really hope it’s the slight increase in levo that has helped and not just a fluke! Just thought i would update you. And say thanks again, x
Because i’d originally planned to increase my t3 today, I took my second 5mcg tablet at 12md. Based on my results, i’ve decide to hold off on that increase now until i see the gp next week and hopefully increase my t4 a little bit instead. Do you think it will be ok now that i had both my doses of t3 by 12md? I would usually take my second dose at about 4pm but not going to bother now. Will that be ok? TiggerMe . SlowDragon
but…I seemed to improve, then reach a plateau for a while and then slide downhill again with feeling ccold, no stamina, joint and back pain.
That is perfectly normal. That's how it works. It just means that you're ready for the next increase. Your FT3 is only about 65% through the range, so you do have room to increase. Increasing levo might help, but if it doesn't, try increasing T3.
Thanks, greygoose . Out of interest, if the levo doesn’t help, what could the t3 increase to do you think without taking it over range. Any thoughts on that please? I’m on 5mcg twice a day at the moment.
Good to know all this is normal. I was wondering if t3 just wasn’t for me.
T3 is not going to help unless you take enough of it. I would say you're not taking enough.
Levo is T4. T4 and T3 are not the same things. T3 is the active hormone needed by every single cell in your body to function correctly. So, it there's not enough, you are going to get symptoms, and those symptoms can appear anywhere and everywhere in your body.
T4 is basically a storage hormone that doesn't do much until it is converted into T3. And not everybody is very good at that. You, obviously, are a poor converter and that's why you need to take T3.
So, how much of each - T4 and T3 - we need is a very personal thing. Me, I don't need any T4 at all! I'm better off without it. But some people just need high-ish T4 to feel well. And we have to find out how much of each we need by trial and error.
Could be that if you increase your levo (T4) you might convert enough of it to increase your FT3 level and make you feel better. Or, maybe just having a higher FT4 level will do the trick. We cannnot know in advance. So, you have to try tweaking doses here and there to see what suits you best.
As for an increase in T3 taking it over-range, I somewhat doubt it. As I said, you have plenty of room for an increase. And, even if it does go slightly over-range, it's not a catastrophe. You're not going to instantly drop dead! Some people just need their FT3 slightly over range to feel well. Could be you're one of those people. Ranges are only rough guides, anyway.
I have not read your replies here but had to pipe in - we are tracking so closely, although in a different order.
I added t3 when I was only on a starter of Levo, but have now worked up to 112 Levo and still on 10 t3.
My t4 is hovering around 50% but my t3 is indeed just over range.
I have to write my next post and ask for input soon. More to come.
But it sounds like we are tracking each other and that you are right behind me. I’ll read more careful later but it sounds like you are on your way and should keep going!
Oh hiya FiR! Blimey, yes we’re tracking very closely! I have my next appt next week so will see what the thyroid gp has to say about it all. How are you feeling on 112/10?
Good to hear you’re feeling great apart from the peri…urrghhh. I’m on hrt too. I’ve been on patches for about 13 years for hot flushes and night sweats.
Do tell…! Which are you on and did you do blood tests to determine which one to get. Right now I’m going to try for bio identical micronized progesterone based on my self-analyzed blood tests + symptoms where I’m concluding estrogen dominance.
I started hrt for night sweats and horrendous hot flushes. I think my peri was early and awful because i was undiagnosed hypo and hashis at the time. I’m on evorel sequi patches. I started on femseven patches, but then there was a manufacturing issue so I tried evorel sequi, moving on to a conti patch after a year, but the conti patch gave me backache (i think i was moved too soon at the time). I then tried utrogestan tablets and oestrogen patches, but the tablets gave me massive heartburn so I went back on to the evorel sequi patch and have stayed there. I might try a conti patch again soon, but I really don’t want to rock that boat too much while I’m trying to get the thyroid hormones at leat a bit more stable. I think I may have had an fsh test at the start, but never had any other sex hormone blood tests until this year when I had them all tested. My oestrogen dose might need tweaking up slightly. My testosterone was just over top of the range! I’ll get them all tested again next year and see where we are then.
Sorry, I only just saw your comment. Yes, just symptoms. I think they did fsh at the time. I guess they may have done others but they never said. Certainly never had any tested again until this year. I tried everything I could to avoid hrt, but I was having a ridiculous amount of terrible hot flushes all through the day where I would feel like I was internally combusting! I had awful joint pains. I had night sweats about every hour throughout the night where I would be literally soaked in sweat with wet through bedding and then be absolutely freezing cold. It went on throughout the night and I couldn’t sleep. I also started on oestrogen vaginal pessaries a couple of years after starting systemic hrt. I think I was probably undiagnosed hashis at the time which made peri much worse.
After a short sweet spot with my Free Ts, then increasing fatigue… I of course am faced with the “what next “ decision.
I’ve been on the same Levo/t3 for months now. Have had some life stress (family member in hospital, daughter off to university, moved homes).
But after looking into it, I’m thinking my sore boobs, face flushing, and rosacea/skin issue flare ups… and an inkling that it gets worse after ovulation… I think HRT is my next step.
I mean we never are sure, but although I’ve been cautious to jump in I am now feeling like I should eventually give my peek/menopause support eventually and bit but now.
Well, i definitely can’t manage without hrt. I’ve tried a few of times to stop it in the past but the flushes came back after a couple of weeks. I’ve decided it’s best to let sleeping dogs lie. I feel ok using it and may even need to increase the dose eventually. Are your thyroid levels and nutrients ok?
Free Ts great - mid range on 4 and top of range on 3.
D/k supplement at optimal.
Iron three arrows optimal with ferritin improving slow and steady
magnesium supplement working.
I’m not supplementing B yet as levels are “ok” and I’m just waiting for the right time. I might squeeze it in before HRT not sure.
(Also - not to complicate the story but I’ve just learned up on the amazing and sort of hidden world of amino acids… started NAC last week based on that sinus infection post (I think it was dippy dames?)
But I think I want to jump in to HRT now. The sore boobs and skin issues… and a return of an old fatigue I haven’t felt in a while. I am going to discuss with my gyno tomorrow, get her recco (do not have high hopes… 6 months ago she told me that the idea of “bio identical” was just marketing!!!!! 🤦♀️) I’m going to tell her I want bio identical micronized progesterone- but am open to being influenced. So we will see what my options are, if I can decide myself what’s best for me, then maybe get the prescription and wait to decide when to start it.)
Maybe I will start B. My b12 is anywhere from 600-800 without supplementing. Not sure if it should be higher.
That is what I’m not entirely sure about. I’m actually 40% through ft4. My last post a couple months ago when I’d already been on the 112s for 2-3 months and I felt great for a bit.
I decided to just change nothing.
I can see myself increasing t4, and/or reducing t3.
Or adding B.
But just not sure - so feeling good enough that I think my perimenopause is the main culprit right now. I think I might want to watch symptoms for one or two more cycles to see if there’s a pattern.
It’s a lot of trial and error isn’t it. Hard to tweak it to get it just right. Now we know how Goldilocks felt! As you quite rightly said before the only way through it is through it…moving forwards, testing, increasing/decreasing to find that individual sweet-spot. I’ve seen posts saying people feel well with t3 and t4 combo balanced at anything from 60-80% through the ranges. I don’t know…I’m inching along the process. I’ve got a thyroid gp appt this week so I’ll see if their advice matches advice on here.
It wasn’t completely plain sailing for me when I first started hrt although i felt relief from my main in issues in less than a week. I also developed urogenital syndrome/atrophy, and once again, i think that maybe was also made worse by the undiagnosed hashis.
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