Those percentages of my FT3 and FT4 ranges kindly provided by DippyDame and Slowdragon, showing an expected poor conversion issue - is this dangerous? I ask particularly because I foresee a tussle ahead and if I need to get stroppy, I’m not really in a good place for it right now! Although the pounding has ceased.
Thank you and everyone on this site. 😘
You should see conversion improvements when all four vitamins are at GOOD levels
You are only on low dose levothyroxine at moment
How long have you been on just 75mcg Levo
It takes several months for body to adjust to each dose increase
You may see that you are ready for next increase in Levo when you get test results back
Gluten free/dairy free often improves absorption of Levo
Making low dose more effective
Different brands of Levo give different results tok
It’s better…..if possible to improve conversion rate by vitamin levels and diet and brand of Levo before considering adding T3
But many, especially with Hashimoto’s and especially post menopause need addition of SMALL doses of T3 prescribed alongside levothyroxine
Endocrinologist has to initially prescribe
And taking almost any dose of T3 almost always results in very low below range Ft4 which freaks GP out
So it’s important to have endocrinologist overseeing
That’s what I’m worried about - a zéro TSH level to freak out the GP. My current level of 1.00 has been lower than that on a couple of occasions.
I started on 50 mcgs two and a half years ago and was tweaked up to 75mcgs at first review blood test or maybe the second one. My TSH level went down fast! From 58 to 10 then down again.
I’ve had Accord for the 50 mcgs mostly but was ok on Mercury Pharma, not so on the one everyone likes? Aristo? My 25 Wockhardt hasn’t seemed to cause any problems.
I really hoped I could manage on levo alone.
I don’t there’s any scope to increase my levo.
There may be scope after next test
How old are you
Pre or post menopause
And approximately how much do you weigh in kilo
75mcg is low dose unless very petite
Sorry I thought I’d answered these. I’m 77 on Monday.
I weigh about 70 kilo.
So you are likely to need to eventually be on at least 100mcg
Poor conversion means that the body is not adequately converting the storage hormone T4 to the potentially active hormone T3
I say potentially, because the hormone T3 does not become active until it reaches the nuclei of the cells and attaches to the various thyroid hormone receptors in different parts of the body where it carries out it's function
If the system functions properly it all runs to plan, we have adequate hormones and they all fulfill their function.
Unfortunately the body doesn't always oblige and things go wrong causing problems!
If conversion is impaired by something in the system then inadequate T3 is produced from the T4 supply.
When this happens we suffer from lack of T3 (hypothyroidism) and any number of symptoms that result from that, as follows...
thyroiduk.org/signs-and-sym...
The greater the deficiency the greater the problem and the worse the health is
You ask..
poor conversion issue - is this dangerous?
It depends!
In extremis it can be dangerous but for most people ...not.
What is does do, is make us feel unwell to various degrees.
To overcome this lack of hormone we have to medicate with replacement hormone.
Replacement!....It does not top up existing levels as some think , that can mean they are undermedicated!
It's not complicated but lack of knowledge has resulted in it sounding so!
It is essential to test both FT4 and FT3....the thyroid hormones.
Testing only FT4 gives just half the story!
Testing TSH only is not a reliable marker....it is a pituitary, not a thyroid hormone, and fluctuates throughout the day. It's highest point is around 9am so we advise testing then.
High TSH suggests hypothyroidism: low TSH indicates overmedication or possibly hyperthyroidism.
TSH is a signal to the thyroid to produce more or less hormone.....providing the pituitary function is robust!
So we come back to depending on FT3 followed by FT4 and how they work in the individual's body
Poor conversion = low T3 = poor health
T3 is key but unfortunately modern medicine is very wary of T3 so medics often avoid it as unimportant with unfortunate consequences....patients are wrongly diagnosed and wrongly medicated
SlowDragon has offered good advice from a different perspective....follow it!
Medics overlook that T3 doesn't always play by the rules either, as I eventually found out and had to address after years of failing health.
One of my problems was that I had inherited two copies of DNA polymorphisms one from each parent, which resulted in very poor T4 to T3 conversion. My cellular T3 had become very low and I could barely function....it was verging on dangerous!!
Replacement T3 fixed that!!
Don't get stroppy you will lose before you begin!
I'm not entirely sure what is involved in your case (beyond a possible conversion issue) but make a list of what you want to say and one of what you want to ask then present your case calmly and but firmly.
That’s what I meant by stroppy, lol. I’m not able to fine tune with the day I’ve had.
And I always do what SlowDragon tells me!
Thank you for that comprehensive response. I’m wondering about how anything can be tested on a cellular level but I’ll leave that for another day.
Thank you.
I'm sorry if you considered my response "stroppy"!!
I understand how difficult and stressful thyroid disease can be....it took me several years to pin point the cause of years of ill health. For reference I'm aged 79
Just trying to give you some facts that might help
There are no tests to measurr cellular level T3, except post mortem!
Cellular level is assessed by symptoms, it's how those of us on higher levels T3-only monitor our dose.....the old fashioned way! Unfortunately medics often give symptoms scant recognition in favour of numbers
To quote our late much missed advisor, Dr John Midgley aka " diogenes"...
For the moment mechanical thinking has traduced medical diagnosis.
It's not difficult to establish poor T4 to T3 conversion, once you prove that, correct medication should follow...."danger" should not be a factor!
Hope you feel better soon
Dippy, in no way did I say your response was stroppy. My post said I would have to be stroppy with my gp! If you re read our posts, you will probably see why you came up with that misinterpretation. A rude response I would never give!
OK....sorry if I misunderstood you.
I'm suffering from horrible antibiotic side effects (cuti).....not an excuse just an explanation!!
Get well soon.
You too and thank you.
Proof at last for one cause of nodules and goitres.
Levothyroxine 25mcg one week now constipated. 
One for the ladies!!!! 
Question for the specialist
Just one more question about Levothyroxine 
