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Fi’s Story
Thyroid Treatment:
T3
I Need to Be On T3 Only Without Any T4 in Order to Feel Well and Recover from Hypothyroidism
I am on 30mcg T3 NHS prescribed only. I take it in 3 split doses about 6:30am, 1:30 pm and after 7pm still experimenting with the evening dose as sleep isn’t right yet.
In 2007 I was started straight onto 100mcg Levothyroxine, no gradual build up and felt dreadful very hyper tearful shaky etc etc. NHS then tried tweaking down. My TPO Antibodies were about 498 and TSH about 7.
I saw a private doctor in 2009 and stopped the T4 for 10 days and then gradually built up adrenal support and then added in Nutri Thyroid. This helped blood results but still wasn’t “right”. Tried T3 Cynomel up to 37.5mcg with Dr advising in 2010 and felt better but then had gall bladder issues so decide to drop back again as getting complex.
Dec 2011 after very stressful few months of bereavement and birth of first grandchild but with gall bladder managed by diet NOT surgery as NHS had wanted. I decided to try the T3 only again under my private doctor’s guidance. Felt better than in a long while so went to new GP to ask how can I progress with T3 on NHS.
He sent me to an endo who was anxious that I was very over medicated with suppressed TSH on 37.5 and wanted me to go to just T4. We agreed I would try a combination of T3 @ 20mcg /T4 @ 25mcg. After 3 weeks my husband and son were pleading with me to stop the T4 as I was back to very poor energy and total foggy brain function / processing plus the depressed mood – vision difficulties.
I stuck it out though for 10 weeks until the blood test and then dropped it and went back on T3 only.
The endo was thrilled she had cured me with the combination BUT my husband and I insisted I was very ill on this approach and would rather only have the small amount of T3 without any T4.
Again the endo said fine – we should probably have argued for an increase in the T3 but agreed to another 3 month trial on just 20mcg T3.
Result I was TIRED but not brain addled and TSH went up to 9+.
So I am now on 30mcg T3 and feel like “me” again. My next blood tests due in December.
KEY POINTS
My haemoglobin was fine but my Ferritin was down at 5 when we started with this endo – similarly my Vit D was “LOW”. My Ferritin is now in the 20’s so improving but not great on 600 Ferrous Gluconate (sulphate version just results in massive constipation issues). I am on 1000iu Vit D daily Vit C 1000 which I take in the evening with my iron.
I have asked to be tested for Vit B which they seem to have overlooked and they will add this in December tests.
I and the endo and my private doctor wonder whether I have a conversion problem in that I may convert T4 to reverse T3 which could then be blocking receptors resulting in almost poisoning of the system if I am on T4. I wonder whether If I could get my iron levels high enough this effect would be addressed BUT am quite happy to stay on T3 as long as it works for me.
Adrenal Fatigue has been a big issue as I have had kidney surgery so am now on one kidney. My doctor supported me in addressing this one with Nutri Adrenal Extra and Nutri Adrenal. I am using Nutri Adrenal as and when I feel particularly low but need to check with my doctor if he thinks this is an OK approach.
I feel so much better and am even trialling a little work again after months of unemployment – Hurrah!