Barry’s Story

A cautionary tale – negative effects of low normal FT3 can happen quickly.

I was on Synthroid for years, my FT3 crashed during the fall of 2020, to 3 pmol/L.

By early 2021 I was in the hospital with afib. With less than 2 years with low normal FT3 (FT4 still in the 18-19 range, TSH “normal”) I went from zero plaque to calcification on the aorta, coronary artery and valves, LVEF (left ventricular ejection fraction – a measure of left ventricle function), down from 65% to 59%. Primary care and cardiologist did nothing,

I had to research on my own, here, with your Thyroid Patient’s Manual book, using websites (like Thyroid Patients Canada), and looking up published research. I convinced my primary care Dr. to go with adding cytomel (I had to sign a waiver).

Over 4 months I worked up to three doses of 7.5 mcg Cytomel/day, and reduced Synthroid to 75 mcg/day from 100. Ft3 went from 3.2 at the start to 5.1 pmol/L, FT4 dropped to 14 or so.

Now I feel great, but have to deal with the damage. LVEF is already back to 61%, hopefully I can get back to better numbers there.

The other side effect of low normal FT3 disclosed in the literature is cortical thinning of the kidneys, and my latest CT scan showed that as well. All the cardiovascular symptoms and the kidney issue are predicted in research for low or low normal FT3. When I pointed this out to my cardiologist, he said he doesn’t know anything about the thyroid. Amazing, considering low/low normal FT3 and low FT3/FT4 ratios are leading risk factors for cardiovascular disease.

Bottom line: these negative effects can happen very quickly, and thus a slightly more aggressive approach could be taken to getting FT3 numbers up.

If a person is having hypo symptoms, get dealing with them ASAP, and if your Dr. won’t do an FT3 test, get a new Dr. Low normal FT3 leads to a shorter life – that’s known in the literature. I have first hand experience in how that process begins, and, if I wouldn’t have done my own research and advocated for myself, I’d be in big trouble (my FT3/FT4 ratio at its worst was .15, under .21 or so odds are good you die in a year). The medical system is generally not your friend here, so you must advocate for yourself.

Thank goodness for websites like this one, and others you reference, as it gives us the help we need in order to advocate for ourselves.

In addition to the above, after getting my FT3 numbers up, my average resting heart rate dropped by 5 beats from 70 to 65, and resting BP is in the 107/65 range.  I suspect the Cytomel is giving me more efficient contractions, and FT3 is known to improve arterial flexibility.  Exactly the opposite of the fear mongering on using Cytomel.  I still have afib, but no remodelling, and no symptoms since adding the T3.

Anything to help give encouragement to others so they don’t have to learn the hard way like I did.  I appreciate your efforts, they were of great help to me.  It’s just sad that the system seems rigged against us.