new Endo he was very very helpful and understanding which was a massive relief after the trauma with the last one. He is taking me off levothyroxine and putting me on 150 of T3 as a trial but he said he wont give up until we get it right I ended up in floods of tears I was so relieved that someone was listening at last. Can anyone please tell me anything about T3.
Many thanks and a Happy New Year to all.
Sandie x
Very pleased to see you got a listening endo.
As a rule of thumb, 1 unit of T3 is usually regarded as equivalent to 4 units of thyroxine. (That is because only around a quarter of the intake of thyroxine actually gets converted into T3.)
Therefore a dose of 150 mcg of T3 would equate to 600 mcg of thyroxine. Which seems rather huge. Or is that a typo?
(Note: This is not exact and will vary from one person to another but is widely regarded as a reasonable start point when considering changing from T4 to T3.)
Rod
Thank you for your reply, I'm taking 125mcg of thyroxine I think iwrote the amount wronxg sorry, he will be giving me t3. To the amount of 150mcg of thyroxine
Sandie.
Entirely understood - that makes much more sense.
(I just couldn't ignore it in case it was a dosing mistake.)
Many people find that they want to take T3 in divided doses - e.g. two, three or four times a day. We only get 20 mcg tablets in the UK. So you might very well want to buy a pill splitter so that you can divide it as you wish. Readily available in almost all pharmacies.
Rod
The thing is I would like to know if people have had better results with just T3, The Endo has told me to take it twice a day early morning early evening. I have felt so ill since the Rai treatment I guess I'm just nervous about it all. But to go from a size 8 to a size 16 living on 500 cals a day just isn't on 3.1/2 st heavier in 7 months so depressing, without all the other health problems that come with Graves Like a lot of people on here I just don't know who I am right now, strangers body, strangers brain it's all very scary. thank you for your helpful advice.
Sandie.
Hi Sandie,
Well the way it works is that T4 is a storage hormone and when you need some energy you convert the storage hormone into T3, which can't be stored for very long.
Where it goes wrong is that many of us can't do the conversion, so taking t3 avoids this step.
However, the next problem can be that the cells aren't able to make use of the available t3. This can be due to loads of reasons, low adrenals low ferritin, low iron, copper, zinc, low B12, low D3....... you have to work through the list, using trial error and tests until you work out which is causing the problem.
But it may be, that you won't have a problem at all and the t3 might solve it instantly.
Fingers crossed!!
Nel
That's helped thank you much clearer idea now.
Yep Fingers crossed
Sandie x
I am so glad you have a sympathetic Endo, and one that will prescribe T3 for you. I am sure you will feel so much better
The additon of T3 has made an enormous difference to me. It goes directly into the cells without the need for conversion. We may have a resistance to T4. T4 alone made me feel more ill
Whats worrying me I don't know if it's the norm to take away the T4 altogether and just take T3 which is what he is doing. Is that the norm?
Thanks for you reply.
Yes you can. I have linked to Dr John Lowes site for you information.
drlowe.com/QandA/askdrlowe/...
<b>Updated on Jan 5 2011 9:57AM:</b> Dr Lowe has hypothyroidism himself and has taken T3 only for about 27 years. He cannot function with anything else. I have seen this stated on his website.
<b>Updated on Jan 5 2011 10:57AM:</b>
This is another link 'Proper use of Thyroid Hormone' and if you go down to June 11 2001 you will see some advice on taking T3 before or after meals.
Thank you so much Shaw's for doing that for me how very kind.
Sandie
Can anyone please enlighten me isnt T3 an anabolic steroid and isnt that what body builders take? Im so upset with all this.
Sandie
Hi Sandie
T3 is not a steroid, but bodybuilders do sometimes take it to speed up their metabolism, however if your body actually needs T3 it is safe to take.
Louise
xx
Thank you Louise I did the fatal thing and read about it on the net..
Sandie x
I tried T3 only and then I have tried T3 with different thyroid mediction. T3 does absolutely nothing for me, it is as though I have swallowed a sweet. Considering they say that T3 is powerful, it isn't for me. and yet .... the small amount of T3 that is in the 1 grain of NDT that I take makes a big difference (just 9mcgs)
There are lots of people who find that just by adding 5 or 10mcgs of T3 it really makes a difference. This is what I feel you should try first of all for a few months.
If you switch to T3 only and it doesn't work then I am not sure what the Endo will suggest next?
To feel good most of us need our TSH under 1, Free T4 at the top of the range and Free T3 towards the top. We are all so differenct in what we need to take to feel good. It is great that your Endo is T3 friendly as I have seen a couple who are not, I know he is the expert but it does seem a shame that you couldn't try to just add a little T3 to your levo first of all.
<b>Updated on Jan 10 2011 12:00AM:</b> also splitting the T3 is what is usually advised, however morning and lunch-time usually as if you take it later it can be difficult to get to sleep
Sue. Just read above. Have tried all. New Endo said Back to levo and small amount T3. 100 levo, and 10 mcg T3. Go back in 4 months. Was doing well on T3 only 35mcg. increased no good decreased no good. Was feeling he had got things wrong. and waiting 4 months was a long time. Levo and N.D T did not work. Do not know, to stay as endo says or go back to t3 only. Found i needed 15mcg to get out of bed. 10mcg T3 is doing 0. Feel i am going back 13 years by being put on levo. Also to go back in 4 months seems long time.
Sorry Suze I didn't see this comment until I had asked for your advice on the other comment hope that makes sense.. Thanks you for the advice.
<b>Updated on Jan 10 2011 6:28PM:</b> Im now taking 20 mcg of T3 and 50 mcg of Levothyroxine. Im not sure how long it takes to have an affect. The T3 on it's own made me feel much worse whiten 24 hours my depression had gone full blow and I couldn't stop crying and had the worst nightmare ever very nasty. oh what a mess! wht are we to do. Seems whatever we do we cant beat this thing.
Sandie.
It took three weeks for me to feel better on T3 with T4. I'm poorly without T4 but some are fine without it.
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