Re: On T4, feeling lobotomised, visiting dr's. Please help!

[Guest guest]

,

Your GP could take a short course in prescribing thyroid medication... at Pulse

magazine..... Most of the docs respect this magazine and they can gain a

continuing professional development unit.

The article is an interview with Prof Toft and he says that adding T3

is not unreasonable. To find a copy of the whole article look in the files

and scroll down until you find Pulse .

thyroid treatment/files/

I actually started t3 years ago and it helped. I bought it from the internet

and when it had nearly run out, I told my doc what I had been doing.... he was

horrified and wrote me a prescription. Not the conventional way to try a new

medicine, but it worked for me..

Look your doc in the eye and ask for a trial of t3, if he mumbles some rubbish

about t4 working, just smile and say it isn't working for you and what is he

going to do about it.

>

> I suppose I'm wondering what tack to take with my GP, which tests to demand or

I can expect? I'd really like to experiment with synthetic T3 or go on NDT.

>

> I've researched a number of articles (BTA committee statement and the rebuttal

by Dr Lowe in particular).

>

> Can anyone help?!?

>

> Thanks,

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hello and welcome to our Forum where I hope you will

receive all the help and support you so obviously need. The road you want to go

down is a difficult one to follow when dealing with mainstream NHS doctors - so

be warned and be prepared. First, NHS doctors are taught very well by the Royal

College of Physicians and the British Thyroid Association that if your TSH is

within their reference range of 0.5 to 10.0 (the widest in the whole world)

then you don't have a thyroid problem and if you have been diagnosed, being

treated with levothyroxine, have so called 'normal' thyroid function tests,

then they declare you are suffering from a 'functional somatoform disorder' -

meaning, it's all in your head.

However, to the nitty gritty. The BTA wrote two statements way

back and both are on their web site about T3/T4 combination v T4 alone and Armour

Thyroid v T4 alone, both of which give misleading and in parts totally

incorrect information. I wrote a rebuttal to each one citing over 140

references each paper to show they were giving incorrect information and asked

them to amend these statements. They didn't even have the courtesy to

acknowledge my rebuttals, never mind amending any of their statements. You can

read these here http://www.tpa-uk.org.uk/tpa_responds1.php

I am mentioning this because when you approach your GP with a

request for a trial of either T3 with your T4, T3 alone, or natural thyroid

extract, s/he is likely to quote the BTA Statements to you so if you read them

before you go (copy them out if you wish and take her/him a copy), s/he will

know they can't pull the wool over your eyes and get away with it.

What I personally would do is to write a letter to your GP -

they ALWAYS read the letter and pay much more attention to the written word

than they do to a face to face consultation with you, where, when the

conversation has finished, they see you out of the door, pull in the next

patient, and completely forget what conversation they had with you.

First, list all of the symptoms and signs you have right now.

Check these against those in our web site www.tpa-uk.org.uk

under 'Hypothyroidism'. Check out the 'signs' particularly because these are

things that your doctor should be noticing.

Next, take your temperature before getting out of bed in a

morning and before having a drink for 4 or 5 days and list these too. Normal

temperature is 98.6. If y ours are 97.8 or much less, this is an indication the

level of levothyroxine you are taking is insufficient to bring your metabolism

up to optimal.

Next, list the blood tests you would like done which should

include a full thyroid panel of TSH, free T4 free T3 and tests to see whether

you have thyroid antibodies. Ask also for the following blood levels to be

checked: ferritin, vitamin B12,k vitamin D3, folate, magnesium, copper and

zinc. You can tell your GP that you are asking for these to be checked

specifically because it is well known that if any of these are low in the

reference range, no amount of thyroid hormone is able to be fully absorbed at

cellular level. Check out the attached document which shows you other problems

you might be suffering that is stopping your thyroxine from working as it

should.

Next, ask for a trial of either T3 adding too your T4, T3 alone,

or natural thyroid extract and if this is refused, because your GP is not a

specialist in thyroid disorders, ask for a referral to an endocrinologist of

your choice (I will send you my list of doctors recommended by our members

privately). Don't allow your GP to refer you to an endocrinologist at your

local hospital because 99% of endocrinologists do NOT have a specialty in

thyroid disease - you will find they are specialists in diabetes and know

little about thyroid problems.

Next, ask for your letter of requests to be placed into your

medical records and it would be a good idea to send a copy also to the Head of

Practice and remember to keep a copy yourself, in case yours goes 'accidentally'

AWOL!

Good luck, but remember to hold your head up high and be as

assertive as possible. Doctors try to lord it over you thinking that they can

get away with murder as they have no idea that some of us out here, actually do

have a brain in our skull and are fully capable of doing the research that they

are failing to do.

Oh, and another thing , if you mention the Internet, and

your doctor tut tuts, telling you that there is a lot of rubbish there, quietly

tell the doctor that you are extremely surprised to hear this, as all the most

recent science is published in the top medical journals which are all available

on the Internet, and that this is where you get your information. I think I

would also ask her/him whether they would like me to send them some links so

they can read this themselves ;o).

Hope it all goes well and let us know how you get on.

Luv - Sheila

Hi

I've just joined the group and I apologise if my request has been made before

(I suspect it has).

My history: I'm 43 and male. I was diagnosed with over-active thyroid some

years ago. This was " cured " with radioactive iodine, leaving me

under-active. My levels were stabilised over time on 100mcg Levothyroxine. I

was subsequently (year or so later) off work with depression, treated with

anti-depressants.

I started a new job in January after 4 months without work and struggle

everyday to do it. As a computer programmer it requires all day thinking of

weird and wonderful issues. I feel I am barely hanging on by my fingernails and

that I will be found out anyday (they do, however, like me). I spend 4 hours

commuting by rail and underground everyday.

In hindsight I also struggled in my previous role, as a contractor in Canary

Wharf for an investment bank. I put this down to working in a huge, lifeless

corporate in an industry I pretty much despise. In hindsight however...

I'd say my symptoms are pretty compelling that something is wrong; depression,

moody, tiredness, memory and concentration, slow heart-rate, lack of interest,

life's a drag, etc...

I am visiting my GP tomorrow (Friday) and want to make some changes. I have

been reading " Stop the Thyroid Madness " , Dr J C. Lowes articles, etc

and feel T3 or NDT are the way to go. However, I'm anxious my GP will tell me

to go away; " your levels are normal " , etc, etc.

I don't want to go back on anti-depressants (even though they sort of worked).

I suppose I'm wondering what tack to take with my GP, which tests to demand or

I can expect? I'd really like to experiment with synthetic T3 or go on NDT.

I've researched a number of articles (BTA committee statement and the rebuttal

by Dr Lowe in particular).

Can anyone help?!?

Thanks,

1 of 1 File(s)

Why thyroid hormone stops working (2).doc

[Guest guest]

Hi

My husband has been suffering like you although slightly differently....he

suffers from underactive thyroid and has been on levothyroxine for the last 10

years or so

He has also got problems with irritable bowel, pancreas problems, and reactive

hypoglycemia and is of course very low and " depressed " but we have so far stayed

of any anti- depressants

He is 45 and was always so lively and busy, first worked as a youth worker and

then was a self employed builder/garden contractor.He used to work all day every

day 7 days a week and never run out of energy. For the last 5 years he has

barely worked.

He has however been fortunate to see a great endocrinologist at our local

hospital who has given him a trial of T3 .....he seems to be getting some

benefit from this and it is possible to get it on the nhs

I hope you find a good specialist near you. Keep positive and keep researching

yourself as doctors absolutely do not understand thyroid related issues.....if

you do not feel well but you results are normal[ in their eyes}then you are

within your rights to request alternative treatment as what you are getting now

is not working

Take care

Ruth

[Guest guest]

>>>>>He has also got problems with irritable bowel,<<<<<<Hi Ruth,I had irritable bowel syndrome symptoms when I was on thyroxine alone.    As soon as I started T3 it got better.     When I stopped T3 it came back and now I am back on it, it has stopped.    This proves to me that in my case it was the lack of T3 which was causing it.

I hope your husband finds that his problems will improve with the T3.Lilian

[Guest guest]

Hi All!

First off, I'd like to thank everyone for their helpful comments, it's nice and

reassuring to not be on my own! The " Stop the Thyroid Madness " site got me

started again but is US centric.

Frustratingly, I felt quite good and normal yesterday; I had gone to bed early.

I felt a fraud going but I remember the months of feeling awful.

Well, I visited my GP lastnight, and chuntered on and on about my researches

until he said " ok, what do you want? " = result! He has dealt with my thyroid and

depression over the years (irregular) so knows me a bit, and I like him, though

he's very world weary (or so it seems).

He has prescribed me liothyronine (T3), BUT at 20mcg/day - the only size that

came up on his system. Based on the studies. He's also changed the thyroxine

(T4) to 50mcg. This gives a T4/T3 ratio of 2.5:1. I am concerned as this ratio

is way higher than the studies have used (4:1, 5:1 and 10:1). I am currently on

100mcg T4.

Should I be worried about the high ratio or just go for it? He wants to see me

again in 6 weeks so we can review.

Interestingly, he doesn't think he could continue to prescribe T3 in the long

term without a consultant endocrinologists approval - he talked about the cost

of T3 being prohibitive at £34 for a months supply. Bu & & er that, I've been

paying taxes non-stop for 20+ years!

Sheila, would you email me the list of good endocrinologists so I can be

prepared? I have BUPA which should make things quicker.

It appears I've not had any labs done in a year, so I have that to do on Monday.

He has ticked; Renal, Liver, TSH, FBC and ESR and also requested Free T3 and

Free T4 in " Other Tests " . I shan't start on the T3 until I've had the tests.

He said the other recommended labs (thyroid antibodies, ferritin, vitamins b12,

D3, folate, magnesium, copper, zinc, cortisol, etc) would be done by a

consultant. Fair enough from a GP?

Many thanks again for your support and advice!

[Guest guest]

Hi Ruth, has your husband considered that he may have other

associated conditions going along with his symptoms of hypothyroidism that is

stopping the thyroid hormone from doing the job that it should. This happens to

many of us. Have a look at the attached document (If you can't receive

attachments because you opted to receive a Daily Digest or you read directly

from the forum web site, here it is below:

I hope this helps.

Luv - Sheila

WHY THYROID HORMONE REPLACEMENT MAY NOT BE WORKING FOR YOU

There are MANY

reasons and many medical conditions associated with thyroid disease that stop

thyroid hormone from getting into the cells, where it does its work. I mention

these over and over and over again - ad nauseum - people must be bored with the

same old, same old but as each new member joins us, they need to know.

The main condition

responsible for stopping thyroid hormone from working, is, quite simply, a

patients thyroxine dose is too low because the doctor or consultant refuses to

increase it, because the serum thyroid function test results appear OK.

Sometimes, the thyroxine dose is too high, yet patients still don't feel well.

They continue to suffer. Some reasons for this:

They may be suffering

with low adrenal reserve. The production of T4, its conversion to T3, and the

receptor uptake requires a normal amount of adrenal hormones, notably, of

course, cortisone. (Excess cortisone can shut production down, however.) This

is what happens if the adrenals are not responding properly, and provision of

cortisone usually switches it on again. But sometimes it doesn’t.

If the illness has been going on for a long time, the enzyme seems to

fail. This conversion failure (inexplicably denied by many

endocrinologists) means the thyroxine builds up, unconverted. So it

doesn’t work, and T4 toxicosis results. This makes the patient feel quite

unwell, toxic, often with palpitations and chest pain. If provision of adrenal

support doesn’t remedy the situation, the final solution is the use of

the active thyroid hormone, already converted, T3 - either synthetic or

natural.

Then, we have systemic

candidiasis. This is where candida albicans, a yeast, which causes skin

infections almost anywhere in the body, invades the lining of the lower part of

the small intestine and the large intestine. Here, the candida sets up

residence in the warmth and the dark, and demands to be fed. Loving

sugars and starches, candida can make you suffer terrible sweet cravings.

Candida can produce toxins which can cause very many symptoms of exhaustion,

headache, general illness, and which interfere with the uptake of thyroid and

adrenal treatment. Sometimes the levels - which we usually test for - can

be very high, and make successful treatment difficult to achieve until

adequately treated.

Then there is

receptor resistance which could be a culprit. Being hypothyroid for some

considerable time may mean the biochemical mechanisms which permit the binding

of T3 to the receptors, is downgraded - so the T3 won’t go in. With

slow build up of T3, with full adrenal support and adequate vitamins and minerals,

the receptors do come on line again. But this can be quite a slow

process, and care has to be taken to build the dose up gradually.

And then there are

Food allergies. The most common food allergy is allergy to gluten, the protein

fraction of wheat. The antibody generated by the body, by a process of

molecular mimicry, cross reacts with the thyroperoxidase enzyme, (which makes

thyroxine) and shuts it down. So allergy to bread can make you

hypothyroid. There may be other food allergies with this kind of effect, but

information on these is scanty. Certainly allergic response to certain

foods can affect adrenal function and imperil thyroid production and uptake.

Then we have hormone

imbalances. The whole of the endocrine system is linked; each part of it needs

the other parts to be operating normally to work properly. An example of

this we have seen already, with cortisone. But another example is the

operation of sex hormones. The imbalance that occurs at the menopause

with progesterone running down, and a relative dominance of oestrogen is a

further case in point – oestrogen dominance downgrades production,

transportation and uptake of thyroid hormones. This is why hypothyroidism

may first appear at the menopause; the symptoms ascribed to this alone, which

is then treated – often with extra oestrogen, making the whole thing

worse. Deficiency in progesterone most especially needs to be dealt with,

since it reverses oestrogen dominance, improves many menopausal symptoms like

sweats and mood swings, and reverses osteoporosis. Happily natural

progesterone cream is easily obtained: when used it has the added benefit of

helping to stabilise adrenal function.

Then, we must never

forget the possibility of mercury poisoning (through amalgam fillings) - low

levels of ferritin, vitamin B12, vitamin D3, magnesium, folate, copper and zinc

- all of which, if low, stop the thyroid hormone from being utilised by the

cells - these have to be treated.

As Dr Peatfield says

" When you have been quite unwell for a long time, all these problems have

to be dealt with; and since each may affect the other, it all has to be done

rather carefully.

Contrary

to cherished beliefs by much of the medical establishment, the correction of a

thyroid deficiency state has a number of complexities and variables, which make

the treatment usually quite specific for each person. The balancing of

these variables is as much up to you as to me – which is why a check of

morning, day and evening temperatures and pulse rates, together with symptoms, good

and bad, can be so helpful.

Many

of you have been ill for a long time, either because you have not been

diagnosed, or the treatment leaves you still quite unwell. Those of you

who have relatively mild hypothyroidism, and have been diagnosed relatively

quickly, may well respond to synthetic thyroxine, the standard treatment.

I am therefore unlikely to see you; since if the thyroxine proves satisfactory

in use, it is merely a question of dosage.

For

many of you, the outstanding problem is not that the diagnosis has not been

made – although, extraordinarily, this is disgracefully common –

but that is has, and the thyroxine treatment doesn’t work. The dose

has been altered up and down, and clinical improvement is variable and

doesn’t last, in spite of blood tests, which say you are perfectly all

right (and therefore you are actually depressed and need this fine

antidepressant).

The

above problems must be eliminated if thyroid hormone isn't working for you.

From: thyroid treatment

[mailto:thyroid treatment ] On Behalf Of ruthsinhal

Sent: 10 March 2011 18:35

thyroid treatment

Subject: Re: On T4, feeling lobotomised,

visiting dr's. Please help!

Hi

My husband has been suffering like you although slightly differently....he

suffers from underactive thyroid and has been on levothyroxine for the last 10

years or so

He has also got problems with irritable bowel, pancreas problems, and reactive

hypoglycemia and is of course very low and " depressed " but we have so

far stayed of any anti- depressants

He is 45 and was always so lively and busy, first worked as a youth worker and

then was a self employed builder/garden contractor.He used to work all day

every day 7 days a week and never run out of energy. For the last 5 years he

has barely worked.

He has however been fortunate to see a great endocrinologist at our local

hospital who has given him a trial of T3 .....he seems to be getting some

benefit from this and it is possible to get it on the nhs

I hope you find a good specialist near you. Keep positive and keep researching

yourself as doctors absolutely do not understand thyroid related issues.....if

you do not feel well but you results are normal[ in their eyes}then you are

within your rights to request alternative treatment as what you are getting now

is not working

Take care

Ruth

1 of 1 File(s)

Why thyroid hormone stops working (2).doc

[Guest guest]

Hi

Sorry to be a pain, but can anyone advise me on my latest prescription as

detailed last week after my dr's visit.

In summary I am currently on 100mcg/day Levothyroxine.

My GP could only prescribe 20mcg T3 tablets (Liothyronine), which with an

associated Levothyroxine dose of 50mcg, gives me a T4:T3 RATIO of 2.5:1, which

is MUCH HIGHER dose of T3 than the studies have tested with (4:1 and 5:1).

I am anxious that I don't take a dangerous dose of T3.

Thanks!

> Well, I visited my GP lastnight, and chuntered on and on about my researches

until he said " ok, what do you want? " = result! He has dealt with my thyroid and

depression over the years (irregular) so knows me a bit, and I like him, though

he's very world weary (or so it seems).

>

> He has prescribed me liothyronine (T3), BUT at 20mcg/day - the only size that

came up on his system. Based on the studies. He's also changed the thyroxine

(T4) to 50mcg. This gives a T4/T3 ratio of 2.5:1. I am concerned as this ratio

is way higher than the studies have used (4:1, 5:1 and 10:1). I am currently on

100mcg T4.

>

> Should I be worried about the high ratio or just go for it? He wants to see me

again in 6 weeks so we can review.

>

>

[Guest guest]

Buy a pill cutter and cut them into halves or quarters?

That's what I do - I take a quarter of a 20mcg tablet three times a day. Keeps

the level constant.

D

>

> Hi

>

> Sorry to be a pain, but can anyone advise me on my latest prescription as

detailed last week after my dr's visit.

>

> In summary I am currently on 100mcg/day Levothyroxine.

>

> My GP could only prescribe 20mcg T3 tablets (Liothyronine), which with an

associated Levothyroxine dose of 50mcg, gives me a T4:T3 RATIO of 2.5:1, which

is MUCH HIGHER dose of T3 than the studies have tested with (4:1 and 5:1).

>

[Guest guest]

,

You'll know if you've taken too much t3, or if you can't cope with it, and if

that happens you don't take as much the next day. It's highly unlikely that

you'll take it and drop dead of an instant heart attack.... more likely to have

heart problems if you're left under treated.

100 mcg of T4 isn't really a full replacement dose, so if you take 20 of T3,

(which is equivalent supposedly to 80mcg of T4) and 50 of T4 giving you a total

equivalent of 130 mcg t4 you'll probably notice a slight improvement, not a

massive rush as it's very much hyped up to be..

I used to take 50 t4 and 20 t3 and my free t3 result was around 4.2, I doubled

the t3 to 40 to see what would happen and the free T3 went up to 5. (range

goes up to about 6.5),

If you do get any heart thumping then it may be taxing your adrenals, also,

best to split the dose into at least 2. The scary thing about t3, which

freaks the doctors out, is that our system is used to a drip feed of it, not a

big rush and taking the t3 in tablet form gives too much in one dose, so

splitting it is a bit of a fath but better apparantly...

Despite all the talk, you won't suddenly start leaping around - promise.

x

> My GP could only prescribe 20mcg T3 tablets (Liothyronine), which with an

associated Levothyroxine dose of 50mcg, gives me a T4:T3 RATIO of 2.5:1, which

is MUCH HIGHER dose of T3 than the studies have tested with (4:1 and 5:1).

>

> I am anxious that I don't take a dangerous dose of T3.

>

[Guest guest]

Hi - when starting to take the active thyroid hormone

triiodothyronine (T3) you should start to feel a massive difference. Thyroxine

(T4) is a mainly inactive thyroid hormone that must convert to the active T3.

There is a large minority of us who are unable to convert (conversion takes

place mainly in the liver, kidneys and brain but there are many thyroid hormone

receptors throughout the body) for many and varied reasons. It is T3 our body

requires, not T4 in order to make it function properly.

You should never take your thyroid hormone replacement anywhere

near to taking calcium or iron, take at least four hours away. Take T3 always

in a split dose, half in the morning and the other half around the middle of

the afternoon. This is because T3 has a very short half life and it peaks in

the blood between 2 to 4 hours after taking it and you start to feel the effect

of it leaving your body after 6 to 8 hours, but taking it in a split dose will

keep your body up and running fine. You should increase your 20mcgs every 2 to

3 weeks by 10mcgs, but reality is such that your doctor will only test your

blood again after 8 to 12 weeks, and will titrate according to your results -

which he should not do, he should increase or decrease according to your

symptoms.

Never take your thyroid hormone replacement on the morning you

have your blood tested, otherwise, the results will be flawed, the doctor

panicking if your free T3 is high in the range, not understanding how or why it

peaks in the blood. Often they tell their patients to decrease their dose or to

stop it completely and the patient immediately starts to get back all the

symptoms of hypothyroidism again.

The dose of thyroid hormone replacement your GP has prescribed

for you is a very low dose and if you are a large man, will most definitely

need increasing.

Just ensure that your adrenals are properly supported so that

you are able to cope with thyroid hormone replacement, that you don't have

systemic candidiasis, don't have mercury poisoning caused through amalgam

fillings and that your levels of ferritin, B12, vitamin D3, magnesium, folate,

copper and zinc are well within the reference range. If not, no amount of

thyroid hormone replacement can get into the cells in your body and brain to

enable them to function.

Hope this helps.

Luv - Sheila

> My GP could only prescribe 20mcg T3 tablets (Liothyronine), which with an

associated Levothyroxine dose of 50mcg, gives me a T4:T3 RATIO of 2.5:1, which

is MUCH HIGHER dose of T3 than the studies have tested with (4:1 and 5:1).

>

> I am anxious that I don't take a dangerous dose of T3.

>

[Guest guest]

Hi , Sheila and everyone,

Thanks for the reassurance about the dosing!

" Despite all the talk, you won't suddenly start leaping around - promise. "

-- that's a shame, that's exactly what I'm hoping for; the vitality boost and a

return of my brain from its long sabbattical

I'm a 6' normal build chap with only a slight tummy. About 13st (last time I

weighed myself).

I took the 1st T3 about an hour ago, fingers crossed...

I will try 20mcg (as prescribed) for 2 weeks, then up it to 40mcg for next 2

weeks before return visit to GP.

Can someone recommend a good specialist that I can see near Chingford, N.E.

London? I have BUPA if that helps.

Thanks again, and I shall be certain to keep you updated (I have started a log).

Do pharmacists stock pill cutters?

[Guest guest]

I think this message has done the rounds before, but I may be

wrong.

That was the problem with the studies you mention , they

failed to show that T4/T3 combination worked better than T4 because the amount

of T3 prescribed was too small a dose so it was shown adding T3 to T4 didn't

work. Most people are started on 20mcgs T3, which is increased in 3 to 4 weeks

if there is no adverse reaction. This is increased by 10mcgs and T3 should be increased

in this way according to symptoms and until the symptoms start to go away. You

may do fine on only 20mcgs and 50mcgs T4, but I very much doubt it as this is a

'starter' dose Believe me, if you are not converting the mainly inactive T4

into T3, 20mcgs is not a 'dangerous dose'. Some of our members are taking 80 to

100 mcgs (and some more) of T3.

Luv - Sheila

Sorry to be a pain, but can anyone advise me on my latest prescription as

detailed last week after my dr's visit.

In summary I am currently on 100mcg/day Levothyroxine.

My GP could only prescribe 20mcg T3 tablets (Liothyronine), which with an

associated Levothyroxine dose of 50mcg, gives me a T4:T3 RATIO of 2.5:1, which

is MUCH HIGHER dose of T3 than the studies have tested with (4:1 and 5:1).

I am anxious that I don't take a dangerous dose of T3.

___

[Guest guest]

NO, NO, NO! That is

not the way to increase your T3 . That could be far too much and far too

quickly. Remember, you are now taking the ACTIVE thyroid hormone. It peaks in

the blood a couple to four hours after taking it and has a very short half life

of around 2 days in humans. You increase by 10mcgs ONLY. If, at any time, you

start to get palpitations, feeling dizzy or spaced out, get agitated and

generally feelings of hyPERthyroidism, do NOT take any more T3 that day, and

the following day, cut back on your dose by 10mcgs. You need to ensure that you

are not suffering with low adrenal reserve, suffering with systemic candidiasis

or mercury poisoning, have good levels of ferritin, vitamin B12, vitamin D3,

magnesium, folate copper and zinc to ensure that the thyroid hormone will be

properly utilised at cellular level. Do not be tempted to rush this because the

consequences of your actions could really set you back.

Luv - Sheila

I will try 20mcg (as prescribed) for 2 weeks, then up it to 40mcg for next 2

weeks before return visit to GP.

Can someone recommend a good specialist that I can see near Chingford, N.E.

London? I have BUPA if that helps.

Thanks again, and I shall be certain to keep you updated (I have started a

log).

Do pharmacists stock pill cutters?

[Guest guest]

Hi Sheila,

Thanks again for all your advice; you are clearly a tireless activist on this

subject. Bravo!

I took my 1st 20mcg this afternoon and my afternoon was fine. My 1.5h commute

home seemed easier (zoned out nicely) and swam with my family (and veritably

zoomed along - nice!).

Of course, that is most likely placebo effect, but I am SO HOPEFUL! I must be

careful.

I am now feeling pooped and back to previous levels - this would concur with

your sentence about it all being gone in 8 hours.

Tomorrow morning I'll take 10mcg, then another 10mcg mid-afternoon. I bought a

pill cutter today.

I'll do this for a week (if I can hold out that long) and then experiment on

20mcg twice daily.

Thanks again

>

> Hi - when starting to take the active thyroid hormone triiodothyronine

> (T3) you should start to feel a massive difference. Thyroxine (T4) is a

> mainly inactive thyroid hormone that must convert to the active T3.

[Ed]

[Guest guest]

,

20 mcg twice a day is not a good idea, better keeping it to 10 or 5 mcg per

dose, So 40 mcg would be at least 4 doses.

If I was you though, I would stick to the 20 recommended by your doctor, at

least until you go back to see him for the next test. T3 supresses your tsh

and this freaks the docs out..... And also, you need to see what your free t3

is on 20mcg so you know where you are with it all.

When I doubled up my dose from 20 to 40 I'd already been on 20mcg t3 for about 5

years...... don't rush it - perhaps 5 years is a bit long to wait to increase,

but if you just rush in like a bull at a gate, you may well stress your

adrenals......

.

>

>

> I took my 1st 20mcg this afternoon and my afternoon was fine. My 1.5h commute

home seemed easier (zoned out nicely) and swam with my

>

> I'll do this for a week (if I can hold out that long) and then experiment on

20mcg twice daily.

>

> Thanks again

>

[Guest guest]

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Hi ,

Thanks for your feedback.

I took 10mcg this am, and will take a further 10mcg at 2pm. I feel ok now,

having been stuck in a meeting all morning. So, that's good.

How long before T3 should be stabilised after a dose? Same day, a few days,

weeks? I thought T3 was fast acting. Apologies if this is ABC; I'm still new to

this whole area.

Also, I had a blood test before introducing T3, should I get another before my

next GP appt (in 4-6 weeks)?

Thanks,

>

> ,

>

> 20 mcg twice a day is not a good idea, better keeping it to 10 or 5 mcg per

dose, So 40 mcg would be at least 4 doses.

>

> If I was you though, I would stick to the 20 recommended by your doctor,

>

> .

>

>

>

>