Making the switch Ndt to T3 only

[Tbird0063]

33yrs without a thyroid. Today I'm making the switch. Should I taper off Ndt. Do I need to wait for t4 to clear(6to8weeks) or can I start dosing right away ? Thanks for any input.

[RedApple Administrator]

Tbird0063, So that members can make useful suggestions, please say how much NDT you're currently taking and how much T3 you're switching to.

[Tbird0063 in reply to RedApple]

Hello RedApple, I am on 2 1/4 grain. Noticed a t3 withdrawal. I also took 1/2 grain at 3:30am totaling 2 3/4 grain. This morning at 3:30am I took 10mcg of cytomel and 25mcg at 8:30. The lights came back on somewhat.

[Tbird0063 in reply to Tbird0063]

I am basically winging it and afraid to wean off t4 before taking higher doses of t3

[Bertwills]

What dose of T3 are you aiming for? Why are you moving over to T3 only? You should taper off the NDT whilst slowly increasing T3.

Generally I think the advice is to spend at least six weeks transitioning, ie go slow. The dose of T3 you took was maybe a bit high if that’s your first. 35mcg of T3? The 10mcg dose would have been enough, 5 mcg better. Don’t rush it.

I take 40mcg of T3 in total daily. What are your blood test results from when you were only on NDT? Funnily enough I’m thinking of going the other way, swopping T3 only for NDT! So I’m interested in your motivation.

[Tbird0063 in reply to Bertwills]

Hello there Bertwills, after 28yrs on T4 only, I was placed on Ndt in 2020 and have struggled to get optimal, although I was looking and feeling better. For the last 8 mths with my Ndt that after about 4hrs I could feel the withdrawal from the t3. I didn't realize it was the t3. Yesterday was my 1st trial with t3 only and I felt alive. My muscles and my brain are waking up. I couldn't get off the couch before and the brain fog(slow thinking). I can see now how much my muscles need more t3 than I've been getting with Ndt. Long term tsh suppression with t4 was the wrong treatment for me. Btw.. Thanks for your input. This is my bloodwork on 2 1/2 grain ..I tried increasing to 2 3/4 after and just kept feeling sicker. I can feel the t3 leaving my system. Crazy huh?Tsh 0.01

Ft4 1.0

Ft3 3.6

T3 reverse 10

[Bertwills in reply to Tbird0063]

T3 surpresses TSH faster than T4 but if your doctor isn’t worried that’s fine. If you feel desperate to move to T3 then just do it but don’t raise your dose too fast. You might over do it. Maybe keep a note of how you feel & your heart rate. Easy with a smart watch. I find my digestion speeds up & I quickly know if I’ve taken too much T3. Urgent trips to the bathroom!

[AKatieD]

Afraid I just used the approximate conversion of NDT to T3 from STTM, rounded it down a bit and went for it straight away ( maybe over a few days). No problems whatsoever. But we are all different so slow would be the safer option.

[greygoose in reply to AKatieD]

I did much the same, but I did my own calculations because I don't trust STTM. So, one night before bed I took my 6 grains of NDT (high dose, I know, but there was a reason for that), the next night I took all my T3 (can't remember how much, it was years ago). And everything was fine. But, I always say I'm a bit of a rhinoceros, in that I'm not in the least bit 'sensitive' to any sort of 'meds'.

[Tbird0063 in reply to greygoose]

Thanks greygoose, Funny how all of sudden I realized that when the t3 in the Ndt was depleted after 4hrs or so, I would feel so sick...constant muscle fatigue, pruned fingers and a terrible looking facial expression (couldn'tleave the house). No chance for an optimal level on Ndt. The more I took, the worst the crash. And the hairless for mths. I truly hope T3 only is my answer. How long have you been on T3 only

[greygoose in reply to Tbird0063]

But T3 doesn't become depleted after four hours. The half-life of T3 is about 24 hours. That means that if you took 10 mcg this morning, by tomorrow morning there would be about 5 mcg left. But that's in the blood. And it doesn't do anything in the blood. It only becomes active when it gets into the cells. And the T3 that gets into the cells stays there for about 3 days. So, if you are taking your T3 every day, without fail, there's always T3 in the system.

I've been on T3 only for so long, I can't remember how long, but over ten years. My problem was that it wasn't getting into the cells, so I needed a dose of T3 to saturate the receptors. I wasn't getting enough T3 in NDT without getting too much T4, which makes me ill. And I certainly wasn't getting enough from T4 mono-therapy. So T3 only was the only way to go. I don't need/want any T4 at all.

[Tbird0063 in reply to greygoose]

Okay, I'm understanding it better. I'm right where you were when you started 10yrs ago. However, I have yet to find the right doctor for this. Did you use Paul Robinson's method? Do you use the Ct3m? Is it okay if I use you as my go to for information? My GP is easy going and allowing me to explore this. Thanks a lot Greygoose

[greygoose in reply to Tbird0063]

No, I didn't use Paul Robinson's method, that would be zero use for me. As I said, I need to saturate the receptors to get any T3 into the cells, which means taking high doses of T3 in one go. So, I take my 75 mcg all in one go when I get up in the morning. So, I'm not sure I have a lot of information that would be of use to you.

[Sunflower64 in reply to Tbird0063]

Paul Robinson’s method is about treating low adrenal by taking T3 a couple of hours or so before you normally wake up, it does not requiring you to take T3 only.

[Tbird0063 in reply to Sunflower64]

I am aware of that. I am dealing with a hypothalamus/pituitary dysfunction and have been using the ct3m for awhile with Ndt. Day 3 of t3 only and already feel better.

[tattybogle in reply to greygoose]

rhinoc-o-goose

[greygoose in reply to tattybogle]

Nah, doen't have that ring to it, does it. The Goose with the Rhino Skin. Goosocorus?

[tattybogle in reply to greygoose]

yea, that's better

[greygoose in reply to tattybogle]

[Tbird0063 in reply to AKatieD]

Thank you for for sharing that. Yeah, for me so far I have no problem taking my current dose even though it's higher than the t3 in my Ndt. My muscles are alive again. Woohoo