Tapering off T3

[Faith442024]

Dear all 👋

I’d be very grateful for any kind advice regarding my current thyroid situation, as I have a private thyroid appointment coming up on 3rd April and would truly value any insights or shared experiences before I speak with the specialist.

Background:

I transitioned from Graves’ disease to Hashimoto’s and began T3 (liothyronine) therapy 4 months ago. I take 10 mcg daily (5 mcg in the morning, 5 mcg in the afternoon) alongside levothyroxine 125 mcg.

I took 15 mcg of liothyronine for a week but quickly regretted it and went back to 10 mcg, hence the slight difference in T3 shown below.

Additional context:

I’m taking the same brand of levothyroxine, and the test was done on an empty stomach — 24 hours after levothyroxine and 12 hours after T3.

Since starting T3, I’ve developed lower back pain and a strange, unusual tiredness that reminds me of when my TSH was high at 12. I’m guessing I introduced T3 too early, before fully recovering from overly stressed adrenals.

Although my overall urine cortisol came back normal, I will be doing a 4-point saliva cortisol test to get a clearer picture, as I wake up extremely tired — I can barely open my eyes. In most evenings, I seem to be buzzing with energy.

Symptoms:

– No noticeable improvement in energy, clarity, or metabolism since starting T3. Overall feel tired with energy spills in the evenings but not every evening. For example today Im utterly exausted and could just sleep and sleep. Most days, I need to drink black tea in order to function properly. Surprisingly, it may work one day, but the next, it does nothing — which suggests my body might still be under some form of stress. It could even be past traumas that are still trapped inside, silently driving my stress levels up.

Just to add — I’m currently doing psychotherapy, which some of you might know is not a rosy journey, but rather a rollercoaster of emotions. So it’s possible that adding T3 on top isn’t doing me much good right now.

– Hair thinning and dryness has become very noticeable since 2 months — it's one of the reasons I'm considering stopping T3 entirely, but maybe I shouldnt ,I dont know ,hence this post .

Im aware that it could be due to low Iron which im trying to incerase ,like most of you here.

– No weight loss; after gaining 3 stone, I still haven’t been able to shed a pound. This may suggest my body is still under stress from Graves’ and needs a more gentle, slower approach without added stress and that perhaps could trigger some changes for my body, that perhaps is resisting any change due to stress.....?

– I still have limited knowledge, but I'm trying to listen to my body.

– Emotionally stable, kid of, no tremmours , no shakiness but with daily heart palpitations since approx 2 months and nervousness spells, which is not like me.

Current Lab Results (Medichecks):

– TSH: 0.047 mIU/L (very suppressed)

– Free T3: 5.5 pmol/L (mid-range)

– Free T4: 14.7 pmol/L (low-mid range)

Previous Lab Results (22 Oct 2024):

– TSH: 0.94 mIU/L

– Free T3: 4.8 pmol/L

– Free T4: 19.6 pmol/L

Iron Status (Oct 2024):

– Ferritin: 26.9 µg/L

– CRP HS: 1.83 mg/L

Latest Iron Panel (March 2025):

– Ferritin: 36 µg/L (Improved but still low)

– Iron: 17.1 µmol/L

– Transferrin Saturation: 30%

– CRP HS: 2.29 mg/L

What I’m Considering:

Since T3 hasn’t helped much and my TSH is overly suppressed, I’m planning to gently taper off T3 and possibly ask my doctor about increasing levothyroxine slightly — to support Free T4, which is dropping down since Ive started T3 and possibly contributing to hair loss.

My Goals:

– Let TSH begin to rise closer to normal

– Restore stability and reduce overstimulation

– Support my ferritin and hair health

– Lower immune activity by completely cutting gluten and optimising vitamin levels.

My Questions:

– Has anyone here stopped T3 after no benefit? How did your body respond?

– Did you notice hair loss slowing, or TSH normalising after stopping T3?

I’ve introduced red meat (lean steaks) three times a week, along with vitamin C to support better absorption. Someone suggested eating red meat daily — is that advisable, considering the saturated fat content?

I’d be so grateful for any insights or stories. I deeply appreciate this space to think out loud with others who understand.

With thanks,

Faith

[dealsgap]

How is your gut? Do you have any bowl issues?

[Faith442024 in reply to dealsgap]

Hi dealgap

No stomach issues as such, apart from constipation, which may be due to a sudden increase in iron. This might actually explain my lower back pain

[jgelliss]

Interesting that you mention that T3 makes you tired. I know that many get more energy from T3 dosing. I experience the same when I dosed with T3 daytime. I switched to dose with my T3 and T4 bad time. It works well for me. I have deep sleep now. Taking Iron is very important if you test low. Test your Iron/Ferritin , vitamin D, B-12/Folate.Sometimes small tweaks can make huge difference

Best wishes.

[Faith442024 in reply to jgelliss]

Interesting,.... perhaps this could become my new routine and would help me with my sleep problems!

But first, as you suggested, I’ll go over all my vitamins again — it’s possible I might be overdosing on something, though as I’ve been taking everything religiously.

Thank you for your insight — it’s truly appreciated.

[Lolota]

You don't have to taper off t3, you can just stop.