Hi everyone - looking for tips and pearls of wisdom.
I have finally had an endo confirm that I don’t convert…what I always suspected and I’ve received my synthetic T3 with a view to have combination therapy alongside T4. It only took 2 years!
Anyway, I’ve started taking it today, as advised by my endo, 10micrograms of Thybon on an empty stomach in the morning only for 3 weeks, then I’ll hopefully progress to an other 10micrograms before lunch - he’s starting me low and building up. I’m taking it at the same time as 125mcg of levothyroxine.
I’m asking if there are any pearls of wisdom on taking T3? I’ve only just taken my first dose but if anyone has any tips, things to look out for, how to manage expectations, dose timing tips or words of hope for me that would be great. Alongside feeling like crap for almost 2 years and a miscarriage, I put on two and a half stone since starting levothyroxine. I’m eating well and exercising but nothing happens. Are there any success stories where people achieved weight loss alongside their old self and energy too?
Thanks very much
Written by
Needlehaystax
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
10 mcg T3 is not a low dose! It's probably too high for you to start on. You'd probably be better off starting on 5 mcg - usual starter dose - for at least two weeks.
Doubling the dose after only three weeks is not really advisable, either. Increases should only be 5 mcg every two weeks maximum. And why would you take it early morning and again before lunch? It would be more usual to take it early morning and the second dose in the afternoon or before bed.
One has to wonder if this man knows nothing about dosing T3, or if he's setting you up to fail so that he can stop prescribing it. That does happen, I'm afraid.
thanks - I am only taking the one dose of 10 in the morning. Nothing in the afternoon for 3 weeks. He was wanting to start me on 20 as he wants to get me fit for fertility as quickly as possible but I said I wanted to go slower so he suggested just 10 in the morning. What is the worst case scenario if I start too high. What can happen?
I know you're taking one dose of 10 in the morning but there's no 'only' about it. That's too high for a starter dose.
Your body has probably been starved of T3 for quite some time so suddenly hitting it with a big dose - 10 mcg - is going to come as a terrific shock. T3 is a powerful hormone. So you have to be on a lower dose for a while to allow your body to get used to it. Then increase slowly.
Your endo may well want you fit as quicklly as possible but that's not how it works. Starting too high and increasing too quickly is counter-productive and will do the opposite and at some point you would likely need to stop, come off it and start at the beginning again. You know the expression 'more haste less speed'? Never was it more true than with dosing T3. And you might even find that the result is that you can no-longer tolerate T3. Honestly this man knows nothing about dosing T3. Be careful of him or you could end up in a worse position than you are now.
ok I will speak to him I must say I felt amazing yesterday, slightly high I had so much energy but today not so much. In your opinion after only two days (I took 10again this morning as didn’t want to miss a dose) - do you think dropping down to 2.5 tomorrow will be ok ? Or should I taper down 5mcg tomorrow and the 2.5 mcg the next day? I had better get a pill cutter. I was full of hope and now I’m terrified - I hope I haven’t messed up here. And taken too much
Going down to 2.5 is a bit drastic and not really necessary. 5 mcg should do. Just continue on 5 for a couple of weeks and see how it goes. Then go up to 10 mcg.
There's no reason not to be full of hope for the future, It's just going to take longer than you thought. No, you haven't been taking it long enough to have messed things up. Given time your body will adapt to the new regime. And there's no reason to be terrified.
How come there isn’t more warning on the NICE website if it’s so serious to take 10mcg in one go?
Because the people that wrote the NICE guidelines don't know that much about thyroid, either.
It's not serious to take 10 mcg in one go, that's not what I said. I take 75 mcg in one go, and that fine. But I built up to that dose very slowly. What I said was that 10 mcg is a high starter dose. And the worst part was he was planning to double that dose in - what? One week? That would be increasing much too fast and not giving your body enough time to adapt.
With all hormones we have to start low and increase slowly, but that means different quantities with different hormones. With T4, for example, we usually start at 50 mcg and increase by 25 mcg every six to eight weeks. Other hormones need other time lines. And all that has been laid out for a reason, because that gives the best results for those hormones. But, you don't have to take my word for it, others have said much the same, given much the same advice. And in the end you have to do what you think best. But if you ask for advice on here, people are going to tell you what's best in their experience. But you don't have to listen to them - or me - anymore than you have to listen to your doctor.
just looked up on the NICE web site and it says Initially 10–20 micrograms daily in divided doses. Sso what he’s done is within those guidelines at least. How come there isn’t more warning on the NICE website if it’s so serious to take 10mcg in one go? Just curious.
Also so far - yesterday I was full of energy, almost a bit manic and today feeling much more tired but generally feeling ok, not having heart palpitations etc or is that in the post?
What would your advice be now seeing as I’ve taken 10mcg for two days? Should I take 5mcg tomorrow and the next day morning only? Then take 2.5 mcg the following day for two days morning only, then start 2.5 in the afternoon on the folliwing day, and then carry on as per your above protocol? I am Speaking to the endo too to get his supervision but the way I see it is if I taper myself down it’s not going to hurt seeing as I’m two days in, where’s as if I carry on on 10 it could do damage.. but this is all a load of guess work I’m realising.
Eating iron rich foods like liver or liver pate once a week plus other red meat, pumpkin seeds and dark chocolate, plus daily orange juice or other vitamin C rich drink can help improve iron absorption
sorry my T3 is 3.8 and the bottom of the range is 2.4…I put the bracket in the wrong place! So I think my conversion is over 4 and I’m told it should be around 3?
How are you feeling on 10mcg?
Yesterday I felt like I used to for the first time in years..loads of energy and a bit of mental clarity. Slightly manic but not in a bad way. Today I feel much more tired but feelings of contentment and calm that I have t had for years too. So who knows!?
Iron supplements: I take ferrous fumerate on an empty stomach with vitimin C every other day as was told that helps absosorbtion so it’s frustrating that they are still low as I’ve been working on it and I eat lots of red meat.
Jeez that is a big starting dose! I'm 1 week into my T3 journey and I've started on 5mcg split am/pm. Going to slowly get up to 10mcg. Good luck, hope it goes well ☺️
Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them.
Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.
Starting t3
Any tips on starting T3?
T3 only dosing & timing advice
started t3 how long does it take to feel a difference 
T3 Over Range on T3 Only Medication - Advice Needed (Please!)
