Hope for "poor" T4 to T3 converters who can’t tolerate T3 or NDT

[Juliet_22]

Hi All,

I wanted to share that I’ve finally reached great T3 level after years of struggle.

Before my late 30s, I was on levo for a very long time. I felt great, was very psysically active and athletic, went through a smooth and active pregnancy. I basically stayed on the same dose of levo with T3 in the 60-90% of the range. I never went on any thyroid forums, never had the need (I have Hashi too).

I started to struggle a lot in my late 30s and early 40s – hello perimenopause!

My T3 dropped to 25% of the range and I could not increase levo without side effects. I tried synthetic T3 – fast release, slow release, branded, compounded and it never worked for me. Felt absolutely awful on it.

I tried Erfa and Armor NDT, Erfa worked to start with for a few weeks, my thyroid blood tests looked perfect, but I got so poorly on it – heart pals, HBP, terrible hair loss like I’ve never known before, terrible anxiety, my neck started to get this swelling feel, my anti-bodies went up. I will not go back to NDT again.

I supplement with all the key supplements and follow a great whole food anti inflammatory diet, I meditate, sleep well, move my body, and do all the right things, but no matter what I did my T3 would not rise.

I went through a massive health crisis and health crash, lost a six figure job because of it, and even went through a period where I could not even drive. I did every test under the sun, worked with the best practioners I could find (traditional, alternative, etc.) and NOTHING worked.

I needed to increase my thyroxine as my TSH was high, but my body would not take it. No matter what I would try. So I was totally stuck – can’t remain in my current levo, can’t increase it either (my T4 was close to the upper range, but T3 was only 25% of the range), can’t take T3/NDT to raise my levels. I ended up in A&E about 8 times with heart pals, HBP and high pulse (each time everything would look normal on their tests.)

I struggle in UK when it gets cold, so we go away to warm places for the cold months. We had to re-arrange our life, our income and everything basically (but it’s been a blessing in many ways!)

Anyway, through combination of getting away to sunny places during the cold months of the year, consistent supplementation and monitoring, alternative therapies (Ozone, red light), trauma mind-body work and lowering my stress levels – basically working on every single possible level – I have been able to finally see results.

On levo T4 alone (I can’t tolerate anything else and my TSH was close to 3 a few months ago back in UK, way too high for me), my latest blood test showed supressed TSH, T4 58% of the range and T3 60% of the range!

I never gave up, I continued looking for ways and means to find solutions, I have a family, they need me and my wellbeing is so important.

I went through years of lower T3 without being able to raise it, everyone started to say I’m a poor converter, and there you go, I'm converting well again.

So there’s hope!

[arTistapple]

This is a fabulous recounting of how complicated our issues can become. As many of us continue to ask the question, “Why do we have to continue to do this all on our own?” and just why is the endocrinology service so very poor?

[Juliet_22 in reply to arTistapple]

How deep down the rabbit hole can we go with this. It's because of the system that doesn't want you to be healthy, free, free thinking, seeking solutions outside the box, etc.

But the fact remains - those who cannot find answers within the conventional system will have to go outside of it, find ways to make more income to be able to invest into our health - and this search might take a while, many years for many of us, and then all the different stages we go through - pregnancy, peri-, menopause, etc. So don't give up!

[jgelliss in reply to arTistapple]

Your so right. I ask the same Question. That's why I'm so Grateful that we have such a Wonderful Forum and Great Informative Caring Members who share their wonderful Experiences and make us feel that We Are Not Alone in this Journey. 🙏🙏🙏🙏

[FancyPants54]

I desperately need more T3 to function. But I can't seem to raise it. If I try to raise NDT I feel worse quickly. If I add Levo to NDT I feel bad. I've not tried adding T3 to it, but I don't hold out much hope. I've lost the last 10 years of my life to menopause, that brought hypo with it. I am at the end of my rope right now. I feel utterly awful today. Like I might just collapse. Yet yesterday I felt quite good and was able to go for a drive and a wander around the local garden centre.