T3.... if only!

[DippyDame]

modernthyroidclinic.com/blo...

It's a US site but the facts are universal.

Hopefully T3 will one day become accepted for what it is.....essential to life!!

The current fear of T3 must cease

The article referred to above says...

"But here's the thing: when used properly, T3 medications are extremely safe and effective. "

I've lost count of the times I've written similar words on this forum , over the years.

We must educate ourselves, speak up, refer to the science which verifies this..... and challenge the status quo. Be brave!

Don't accept what are little more than established beliefs, insist on the scientifically proven facts

Ask why.

To quote old Ovid...

"Dripping water hollows out stone, not through force, but through persistence"

Things must change for suffering thyroid patients...

We must persist.

T3 is key!!

Rant over!

Take care everyone.

[destiny234]

sadly T3 isn’t working for me yet, new results today ahead of my next (third) private doc appointment are

T3 7.4 (3.1-6.8)

T4. 22.3 (12-22)

TSH the usual 0.01

That was monitor my health nhs test

I started on T3 beg dec (and a reduction in T4) under guidance of private doctor who aims for levels of

T3 between 5.3-6-5 and

T4 Between 17-19

So she will be reducing both at my next appointment and I’ve barely lost 2 pounds since the start . And a few hundred pounds out of pocket

[DippyDame in reply to destiny234]

Your FT3 is too high unless you have a form of thyroid hormone resistance and need a supraphysiological dose....as I do.....but which I doubt.

Your FT4 is teetering on being too high if it gets too high excess will just become rT3

How much T4 and T3 are you taking?

It looks as if both T4 and T3 doses are high

T3 reduces both TSH and FT4

We are all different and if thyroid function is impaired in any way we are unlikely to conform to set levels as is suggested by your doctor.

Unlike machines off a production line we cannot be calibrated to set numbers.

First question should always be, " How do you feel?"

As T3 dose rises we need to adjust the dose according to how we feel. i.e using symptoms.

We need more info to be able to make any meaningful comment

eg. doses, symptoms, how you take the hormones, time of testing

Good luck!

[destiny234 in reply to DippyDame]

I am taking 125 T4 and 25 T3 split into 3 doses

I don’t feel any different than before I started T3 (except I’m not as cold ) which was lethargic, hair loss

The testing was done at 8am before any meds.

The private doc is very knowledgeable, she will be very surprised at these latest results at my next appointment mid April and will be reducing doses accordingly. This will be my third appointment with her (video) and third dose adjustment.

I will mention the thyroid resistance to her

[DippyDame in reply to destiny234]

I doubt you have RTH as I said above, that was just for reference

Dose -

I am taking 125 T4 and 25 T3 split into 3 doses

Results -

Free T4 = 19.5 range 12.0 - 22.0.

That is 75% through the ref range....bearing in mind that T3 lowers FT4....so without T3, even higher!

Free T3 = 4.5 range 3.1-6.8

That is 37.84% through the ref range....far too low

EDIT.....please see my next response for corrections!!

Providing all testing was done correctly.....

Was test done close to 9am?

Was the test done with an empty stomach?

How long before the test was your last dose?

On T4/levo the gap between dose and test should be 24 hrs, otherwise you risk a false high result

The gap for T3 between dose and test is 12 hrs so these gaps must be factored into testing

I'd suggest for a start you need less T4......not T3.

I would also stop splitting the dose and work towards a single dose. The bigger single dose may help "push" the hormone into the cells

It doesn't absolutely matter how much T3 you have in the serum because it is still inactive there....to become active it must reach the nuclei of the millions of cells in the body and attach to the various T3 receptors there . It can then get to work throughout the body

Have you optimised the essential nutrients we advised previously?

Just a few thoughts .....

I hope this endo helps you.

Good luck

[destiny234 in reply to DippyDame]

I`m confused as the results you have put are not the ones I put?

results were

T3 7.4 (3.1-6.8)

T4. 22.3 (12-22)

Test done at 8am on empty stomach and last dose was 3 pm day before and that was 5mg T3

The last T4dose was 24 hours before

Yes my nutrients are all good apart from slightly low DHEA which I am now supplementing.

I will certainly take your advice and do one dose of T3

She is not an endo by the way

Thank you for your time Dippy x

[DippyDame in reply to destiny234]

Oh, very sorry my mistake....

Been having a bad sinus day and probably shouldn't have replied when I did

You didn't need me confusing the issue.....apologies

Those were your original diagnostic labs which I looked back to check.

Currently, both your doses and your labs are on the high side and suggest you need to reduce.

We are all different so we all need different hormone doses.....it would be easier if we could take the hormones like paracetamol but we cannot!

....so an element of trial and error enters the decision

First try reducing T3 by 5mcg and see how that feels......better, worse or the same

Then think about reducing T4 to 100mcg

It may not feel great but test results and symptoms on that dose may give you a better base to work from

At any time were you on a dose where you felt better?

I hope this doctor is as knowledgeable as you consider her to be. Why will she be surprised at these results?

Good luck

[destiny234 in reply to DippyDame]

She will be surprised because they have gone up more than I think she expected.

I’ve never felt bad to be honest in 25 years apart from last autumn but I think my iron problem made it worse then. Yes my hair is thin and yes I’m overweight but I don’t feel ill as such

By the way my original results were far worse , I think my T3 was about 3.2.

I can’t really adjust the dosage until I e seen her again 16 April, if I cancel my appointments there I do t think I’d be able to get my prescriptions for T 3 anymore

[DippyDame in reply to destiny234]

Well it's important to hold onto your T3...hopefully the rest will sort out.

A reduction should help

It hasn't been my most useful day has it!!

[Insomania in reply to destiny234]

I’m on Armour which contains T3.

My FT3 went over range in December and I felt rough as anything, fatigue was off the scale, honestly was questioning what I was doing.

Dropped the dose back a small fraction and felt fabulous. Finally understood what ‘optimum’ means! That all important “I feel myself again.”

So drop back a little because you’ve gone over range and see how you feel.

[Insomania]

T3 is the magic stuff. Extremely sensitive too, go slowly slowly with it. You need a Dr who knows what they’re doing.

Last summer my FT3 was at 70% of range and poor iron sent it down to 40% in weeks (on the same dose of Armour). I had a dose increase by 1/4 grain and an iron infusion and it was up to 105% of range and I felt ‘overcooked’. A tiny tweak backwards, with iron, D and B12 tip top and I am feeling good.