It is often suggested and argued that T3 replacement is required by at least some hypothyroid people - and that T4 alone does not work for them. Now there is some evidence that this is absolutely the case, and it even identifies a genetic polymorphism that is associated with this.
Although published in May, it seems only now to have made it into PubMed. Unfortunately, so far only the abstract appears to be available.
F1000 Med Rep. 2010 May 11;2. pii: 34.
New insights into thyroid hormone replacement therapy.
Acosta BM, Bianco AC.
Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine 1450 NW 10 Avenue #3054, Miami, FL 33136 USA.
Abstract
It is widely accepted that thyroid hormone replacement for patients with hypothyroidism can be fully accomplished with levothyroxine monotherapy, as assessed by serum thyroid function tests. However, approximately 10% of hypothyroid patients are dissatisfied with the outcome of levothyroxine monotherapy, and physicians continue to report benefits from combined levothyroxine-triidothyronine therapy for some hypothyroid patients. Recently, a large prospective study reported that the benefit of the combined levothyroxine-triidothyronine therapy is associated with the Thr92Ala polymorphism in the type 2 deiodinase gene, which is present in about 15% of the general population. If confirmed, these findings indicate that personalized medicine is rapidly catching up with modern thyroidology.
I have been taking T3 for about the last 4 months and feel so much better for it ,my endo didn't really want to give it to me but I said I had read that it can help with the fogs that i had all the time ,and I think he just gave me it because he thought it would not help ,but it really has and I told him that my fogs were so much better ,but still he gave me a look that said it all when will they listen to the people who are hypo and know there body's ,next visit I want to know about D3 and how much you need to take .Remember its our body's and we know how we feel xx
Hi nanniejan. Thank you for your post. Ive come back from seeing the geek at the hospital (endo!) after writing down all of my troublesome symptoms like dizzyness, low energy levels headaches ,muscle aches, cramps,weight gain, hair loss....oh you know generally feeling like deaths around the corner, he has sent me home to review my life at home as he thinks because I have a child with special needs this is the brunt of my health concerns. How obnoxious and unsympathetic . He told me if I need sympathy I should go to my GP. He declined to to even consider changing my levothyroxine to a diffrent brand, he was dead set against me trying T3. He decided to discharge me he already wrote the discharge form out before asking me,so im back to square one feeling like rubbish without any positivity to come home to. he also said he'd write to my gp to list some private practices that will prescribe T3, as he is not prepared to do it. Where did you get your prescription from? Would be very intrested to know. Thank you xXx
Hi Reikimaster,I'm so sorry that the doctor discharged you ,why don't they listen to us we know our bodies and how dare he say you need to reveiw your home life ,(i had the that said to me last week at the pain clinic because i got upset when told i had to wait 7 mths for a injection in my spine to relive my pain for a back problem, i said how dare you say that i have already waited 5 mths for this app why do you think im upset b@*&%$*s). Just ask your GP to send you somewhere else for another opinion im sure he cant refuse you .I go to Darenth valley in Dartford, Kent.I dont know what part of the country you are in but dont think that matters if you want to go somewhere else it your patient choice or see if your GP is willing to give you the T3 to try as i think if you dont need it your body will tell you ,I in fact take double what the endo told me to as it made me feel so much better .Good luck let me know how you get on Jan xx
Hi Jan, Thanks for that. I would like to know why this popular T3 drug is so forbidden in the UK. What gets me is all these folk have same symptoms a lack of T3 but the GP and Endos are so very reluctant to treat it. UNLESS you pay privately or you get a very understanding doc who will give it a go.....which I have not. How disgusting is our health service. What you have endured is not acceptable either. tut tut tut (hope your feeling better now, )
I am going to try and get an appointment with the GP before the week is out,and instead of him wanting me to try citralopram,(like he gave me last week) Im going to ask for a trail of T3 ,Fingers crossed .
Have you made an appointment to see your doctor yet !!!
Hi Jan, Yes I went last Wednesday, I presented him with lots of info that I printed off the net,he looked at it which was a lot more than the endo did at the hospital! The doc searched for the medication in his book,then on his computer.....he then said he could not prescribe the T3 as it needs constant monitoring, He then gave me an address for a private doctor, so I looked on the web page when I got home and discovered that the Professor who was working privately at the hospital ,the doc gave me was now working for the NHS. I called the hospital I am now waiting for the GP to refer me on. So all been well I hope to be on it. In the meantime the doc has changed my brand of Levothyroxine which was was activis 100 mg and 50mg, plus 25mg of thyroxine manufactured by wockhardt. Now I take 175mg of thyroxine manufactured by teva. But dont feel any diffrent.,maybe it wont make any diffrence at all but im willing to try....
Good luck ,hope you don't have to wait too long ,keep me updated would like to hear how you get on .
I go to see my doctor next week see what my blood test results are that i had done this week, and see if the T3 has made a difference ,I feel that it has helped me,I now want to have my D3 and B12 tested he will give me the look again I expect but hey anything is worth a try. Jan xx
Did you get your T3 private or thru NHS. Would be intresting to know for future reference. I hope my appointment comes thru soon so I can get sorted. How do they know if the T3 is working (medicated), but find it difficult to detect if its occuring naturally, Hope all goes well for you....xx keep me posted x
Call me dim, but what is the D3? tried to tag it but no luck
I got my T3 through NHS through my endo at hospital ,D3 is a vit that some of us are short of ,google it and you will find lots about it xx
Thanks chick, I hope I can get some of this when I go back to hospital. Did you have to crawl on your knees to get it or were they quite understanding ? Does it help with the weight loss and all the other nasty ailments.
Where abouts in the country are you, if you dont mind me asking.
Worth knowing cos in Sheffield where I am,Im not getting much joy.....How are you feeling yourself? xx
I said that I wanted to try it as my brain fogs were so bad I could never remember anything,even my mum who is 84 used to say I was worse than her, and she's had a stroke poor soul xx and they have really helped with that and do feel a bit better in myself .
They have not helped with my weight ,I'm so fed up with that i can't tell you I have put on 6 stone I was skinny now I'm huge ,the endo even gave me some slimming pill and they didn't do a thing ,I'm sure he thought i was not doing what he said !!he told me to have a mediterranean diet which i did still nowt ,its a wonder i don't look like bugs bunny lol .
I live in Dartford Kent ,but it shouldn't matter where you are in the country ,I'm going to see the endo on Monday and want to see his dietitian ,he will look up to the sky before he answers me and then says "not everything is to blame on your thyroid" ,yeah right ,i will let you know how i get on and my results next week .xx
By the way my doctor has ordered blood tests for my vit b12 and d3 ,will be interesting to get those results .
you poor thing, seems you've had it bad. I phoned the GP secratary up on Friday, who has not done the refferal as yet(2 weeks down the line!!!)I asked when it would be possible for her to do the referral as I feel so gammy,she said she would try for Monday! Tomorrow,(this appointment is to see the Proffessor) So hopefully I will be able to try T3.
Not as yet the endo made my last app; but forgot to put it on the screen and when I got there guess what I have no app; and the endo is on holiday grrrr ,I got really upset ,I think because I feel so rough ,anyway she made me a app; for the 8th ,I'm having such bad sweats they are getting me down and I have palpation's my heart races and my back is so bad ,I have had enough ,and he will just say oh yes results are normal ARHHHH ,I think I'm cracking up now just want to feel well and go back to work (not been at work for 6 mths) but I feel that is never going to happen now ,just feeling sorry for myself ,anyway will let you know next week .
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Some evidence to take to Gp needed please.
How is a patient’s T4 and T3 requirement calculated 
