Re: Re: Growing more sensitive to T3

[Guest guest]

Well I sort of did know they were OK but ya know after 3.5 years and ALL

the negative stuff everywhere about supressing adrenals I di dnto know

if I dared to hope. Espevcially after my doc thinking ai was at least

partially hypopit just a few short months ago. guess that 's cleared up

now!

--

Artistic Grooming- Hurricane WV

http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/NaturalThyroidHormonesADRENALS/

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/RT3_T3/

[Guest guest]

AG-am reading your post as I prepare to go to my doc who proposes I take SRT3 rather than Cytomel. I can only take very low dose per Val because Ferritin/Cortils are still low. Now I'm SO CONFUSED! I've heard about SRT3 being "easier" but seems like if I need to switch, it will be difficult and not pleasant : ( Based on your experience, would you choose one or the other to start T3 therapy? Any thoughts/ideas would be so appreciated. Thanks, much.

Sharon

Re: Growing more sensitive to T3

Highest I brought mine was 165, but this was when my T3 wasn't

cleared. Also crashed my adrenals last year with this high a dose and

having RT3 built up. The highest this time has been 135, which I have

now settled to 107.5-110 with.

It turns out my TRT3 dose of 30 mcg when traded out was only worth 2.5

mcg!!!!

ag

Listen to 350+ music, sports, news radio stations including songs for the holidays FREE while you browse. Start Listening Now!

[Guest guest]

Wow this is so interesting. I have battled with the swelling lower legs, and pain there..fat tummy..but Ive nevr had too much cortisol. Ive had too little. For me the low t3 seems to be a problem. Also I have the low progesterone too high estrogen.For me the progesterone makes my tummy go down and ankle pain better. But I have to say, just those few days on t3, I think helped all things. Its funny its like this wheel and very hard to say which problem comes first and which corrected first. But they all do surely affect one another.

Subject: Re: Growing more sensitive to T3To: RT3_T3 Date: Saturday, December 20, 2008, 7:42 AM

I have certainly had this on and off. For me it was one of a few things- YET again! Too high HC is one. Too low T3 is another. And too high T3 with too low HC is the third. Once my T3 was right and I developed the swelling I looked at my HC levels. For me too much HC will be noticed in my stomach fat and inner thighs as well as edema in the lower leg. Plus my eyes get blurry from too high HC.

It's important to increase everything slowly. It takes time for HC to build up. I have gone from 15 mg to 20 mg and am watching my ankles carefully. When I have enough cortisol I can tolerate less sea salt. Salt will make more edema in me. Not everyone is like this as some say s salt is a great diuretic. For me it only caused issues if my HC is too high or I have OK HC and take too much salt. Ahh the fine balance of it all!

AG

Has anyone had this particular problem with ankle swelling taking quite a while to go down?

[Guest guest]

Okay, Im waiting till my guts heal totally then going to try again. Oh, by the way, I do take isocort.I was taking 6 a day..but recently before the cytomel I started taking 8 a day. Definantly better.

Subject: Re: Growing more sensitive to T3To: RT3_T3 Date: Saturday, December 20, 2008, 7:34 AM

With low cortisol and starting t3 you will continue to feel worse as your cortisol depletes over time. Many of us starting out simply don't have the adrenal reserves to take on even small doses of T3. 5 mcg is tiny small. I would suggest starting HC or isocort first and then try the cytomel again. Shredded insides is an excellent description of what I felt. My increasing HC has made all the diff. I was on 15 mg and have increased to 20.

AG

Posted by: "Leisa Forman" leisamelanie@... leisamelanie

Fri Dec 19, 2008 8:00 pm (PST)

thank you so much for this thoughtful note. I am waiting till the pain goes totally away, and then will try the t3 again. I wonder if I should try just 2 1/2 mcg? I do the feeling of worn out adrenals..yes Ive battled with it.But that would cause more stools for me not pain, like shredded guts. But I felt great energy on that 5 mcg cytomel, not tired at all. also, each day I took it, I felt worse continually. ..rather than better. I will try again in a day or so, and maybe order a different kind.confused) :

[Guest guest]

Leisa, have oyu tried taking cream wiht your Isocort and T3? The Isocort is KNOWN ot be hard on the stomach just as all adrenal meds are, in fact I can't take Isocort at all due ot projectile vomiting form it! LOL Cream taken wiht these meds coats your stomach and prevents alot of the irritation from them.

Artistic Grooming- Hurricane WV http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/ http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/NaturalThyroidHormonesADRENALS/ http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/RT3_T3/

[Guest guest]

Oh, but I ve been taking Isocort for a year with no problems..but I take it sublingually...works better. For some reason I am very wary of hydrocortisone cream. I used it for 3 yrs (before I was sick) for a skin problem. I was so mad at the dr for having me use it, even though I told her it only made my skin worse. Maybe its the same as isocort...but for some reason isocort feels more natural to me, and I like the energy it gives me....you know, I could try taking 9 or 10 of then when I do try t3 again.

Subject: Re: Re: Growing more sensitive to T3To: RT3_T3 Date: Saturday, December 20, 2008, 9:00 AM

Leisa, have oyu tried taking cream wiht your Isocort and T3? The Isocort is KNOWN ot be hard on the stomach just as all adrenal meds are, in fact I can't take Isocort at all due ot projectile vomiting form it! LOL Cream taken wiht these meds coats your stomach and prevents alot of the irritation from them.

Artistic Grooming- Hurricane WV http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/ http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/NaturalThyroidHormonesADRENALS/ http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/RT3_T3/

[Guest guest]

Leisa

I don't know what you stage is but if you are stage 7, 8 isocort will not be enough for trying t3. have also used isocort. If you are stage 7 you might go up to 12 isocort. if you are at lower stages i don't know.

if you prefer natural products you might also consider trying biomax ace or sub-adrene.I like these more than isocort.

nil

Re: Re: Growing more sensitive to T3To: RT3_T3 Date: Saturday, December 20, 2008, 9:00 AM

Leisa, have oyu tried taking cream wiht your Isocort and T3? The Isocort is KNOWN ot be hard on the stomach just as all adrenal meds are, in fact I can't take Isocort at all due ot projectile vomiting form it! LOL Cream taken wiht these meds coats your stomach and prevents alot of the irritation from them.

Artistic Grooming- Hurricane WV http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/ http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/NaturalThyroidHormonesADRENALS/ http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/RT3_T3/

[Guest guest]

Actually HC is more bioidentical than Isocort.

Artistic Grooming- Hurricane WV http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/ http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/NaturalThyroidHormonesADRENALS/ http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/RT3_T3/

[Guest guest]

Fantastic..the sub-adrenal product looks great, and I had no idea it existed. It will be tricky not knowing how much to use , but Ill call them on monday to try and figure out. Hopefully I can use isocort with it. I have been reluctant to use too much cortisol, and afraid to always need it....but for 2 yrs Ive had drs saying theres nothing wrong with me...even though I couldnt stand or lift my arms so often. Its hugely encouraging that Val seems to be going off it after using it for awahile.

Subject: Re: Re: Growing more sensitive to T3To: RT3_T3 Date: Saturday, December 20, 2008, 9:00 AM

Leisa, have oyu tried taking cream wiht your Isocort and T3? The Isocort is KNOWN ot be hard on the stomach just as all adrenal meds are, in fact I can't take Isocort at all due ot projectile vomiting form it! LOL Cream taken wiht these meds coats your stomach and prevents alot of the irritation from them.

Artistic Grooming- Hurricane WV http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/ http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/NaturalThyroidHormonesADRENALS/ http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/RT3_T3/

[Guest guest]

Im interested in you mistake of adding the t3 to the armour. Can you please explain how you went to high on the t3...and also explain how you corrected it..or better what the propper dosages and change over would have been ...thank you

Subject: Re: Growing more sensitive to T3To: RT3_T3 Date: Tuesday, December 23, 2008, 9:40 AM

..... with a high noon cortisol, have you thought about just taking HC first thing in the morning? My bet is that it would give you a needed boost. This is when we need the cortisol peak. My hemo was average.

Hate to advocate sneakiness...... but, sometimes the simplest way to lead an uneducated doc toward cytomel is to tell them you tried armour, synth, lev, etc., and you have an allergy to them..... itch like hell, whatever. And in some ways you are not far from the truth with an RT3 issue. Take a script, just don't get them filled. You gotta out fox some of them. Work them. If you are functional now, it's doubtful your next moves will render you out of commish. Adding things slowly and taking your time is the way to go. I made all the early mistakes with trading armour for T3. Had the second highest RT3 the doc said he had ever seen in all his years. Tried to keep 1 1/2 grains of armour on board as I increased T3. Whopper of a mistake. Went too high on T3 without the proper adrenal support, missing the warning signs entirely......

Yes, I am really in Atlanta. It's nice that you are so close to be able to access the docs. You might want to join the GA thyroid board. There is a list of docs and ongoing discussion concerning them. Recently I started to look for a doc here as mine for thy/adr is in Texas. He's a 'boutique' anti-aging doc. Nothing is covered by insurance so I limit my contact with him. He provides the scripts. Very cooperative. I have a great GYN here that provides testing and sex hormone scripts. And then I consult on the phone with Dr. Lowe. My family doc allows me various scripts such as script iron and testing. The big thing with finding a thy/adr doc is one who gets adrenals. There was one here in Atl. I was keeping my eye on until a prior patient of his told him to wean off his HC every 4-5 days. He went on to say that if he had followed this advice is

would have killed him. Cross that doc off the list.

You're welcome!!!

AG

Oh my, is that why I'm even more tired? I take my last dose of armour at 4 - 5 pm, then I take iron with or after dinner at 7-10 pm. I am a slow metabolizer, now I'm wondering if between the reduced dose and taking the iron is why I'm SO tired. Maybe I need to make sure I take armour by 4, then take iron right before bed. My noon cortisol reading was very high, so that is why I am tentative about starting HC. I am definitely backed into a corner, reduced armour, can't raise, hypo. My next step is probably new saliva labs, and a ferritin count to see how I'm doing. BTW, how was your hemaglobin count, mine was higher in range. A little concerned that that will go above range...I will definitely look into the Repliva. Also, have been wondering about putting what I would pay for a new doctor visit into the cytomel itself (if I can talk the current doc into scripting it). Of course, after ferritin is ok and adrenals stable (a tall order). I am worried I am in for a bumpy ride, and I have teenagers, a high schooler and college student attending college in town. And my husband has a demanding day job and works some at night. So I'm not at a place where I can be out of commission. Even though I'm not great right now, I'm functional (from noon on anyway).Are you really in Atlanta? I am in South Carolina, about 4 hours from Atlanta, and my insurance is good in Georgia. Do you have a doctor helping with this that you like?Thanks for all of your help!

[Guest guest]

See this is hard to understand because Val said that t3 does not make it hard to sleep...so it means your adrenals are reacting funny to the t3 right?

Subject: Re: Growing more sensitive to T3To: RT3_T3 Date: Tuesday, December 23, 2008, 8:12 AM

Good suggestion Dorothy, thank you. I simply can't sleep with taking T3 past 2 p.m. Have tried numerous times to take T3 at night. Simply can't. Can't take HC at night either. Gotta take the iron on an empty stomach..... etc..... because my ferritin is up now and I only need maintenance doses, I think the sporadic p.m. dose I'll survive.

AG

> ..... Last dose of T3 is at 2 p.m., iron at 10 p.m. Still>binds serum wise. After about 3 days on it my hair starts to shed>heavily as I go toward hypo. Val just said earlier today that you need more T3 at night to repairand heal. Maybe you need to take the iron in the AM and more of the T3later.Dorothy

[Guest guest]

Val...on trying to wean off isocort. I feel it would kill me, as its the only thing giving me life. It would be dangerous...since Im doing okay energy wise now with 8 isocort..maybe I should just keep that and not try to change to hc??

the only tricky part will be moving to t3 from armour..im still alittle unsure how to do...and if I will adjust the isocort during the transition.

thanks for being there.

Subject: Re: Growing more sensitive to T3To: RT3_T3 Date: Tuesday, December 23, 2008, 9:40 AM

..... with a high noon cortisol, have you thought about just taking HC first thing in the morning? My bet is that it would give you a needed boost. This is when we need the cortisol peak. My hemo was average.

Hate to advocate sneakiness...... but, sometimes the simplest way to lead an uneducated doc toward cytomel is to tell them you tried armour, synth, lev, etc., and you have an allergy to them..... itch like hell, whatever. And in some ways you are not far from the truth with an RT3 issue. Take a script, just don't get them filled. You gotta out fox some of them. Work them. If you are functional now, it's doubtful your next moves will render you out of commish. Adding things slowly and taking your time is the way to go. I made all the early mistakes with trading armour for T3. Had the second highest RT3 the doc said he had ever seen in all his years. Tried to keep 1 1/2 grains of armour on board as I increased T3. Whopper of a mistake. Went too high on T3 without the proper adrenal support, missing the warning signs entirely......

Yes, I am really in Atlanta. It's nice that you are so close to be able to access the docs. You might want to join the GA thyroid board. There is a list of docs and ongoing discussion concerning them. Recently I started to look for a doc here as mine for thy/adr is in Texas. He's a 'boutique' anti-aging doc. Nothing is covered by insurance so I limit my contact with him. He provides the scripts. Very cooperative. I have a great GYN here that provides testing and sex hormone scripts. And then I consult on the phone with Dr. Lowe. My family doc allows me various scripts such as script iron and testing. The big thing with finding a thy/adr doc is one who gets adrenals. There was one here in Atl. I was keeping my eye on until a prior patient of his told him to wean off his HC every 4-5 days. He went on to say that if he had followed this advice is

would have killed him. Cross that doc off the list.

You're welcome!!!

AG

Oh my, is that why I'm even more tired? I take my last dose of armour at 4 - 5 pm, then I take iron with or after dinner at 7-10 pm. I am a slow metabolizer, now I'm wondering if between the reduced dose and taking the iron is why I'm SO tired. Maybe I need to make sure I take armour by 4, then take iron right before bed. My noon cortisol reading was very high, so that is why I am tentative about starting HC. I am definitely backed into a corner, reduced armour, can't raise, hypo. My next step is probably new saliva labs, and a ferritin count to see how I'm doing. BTW, how was your hemaglobin count, mine was higher in range. A little concerned that that will go above range...I will definitely look into the Repliva. Also, have been wondering about putting what I would pay for a new doctor visit into the cytomel itself (if I can talk the current doc into scripting it). Of course, after ferritin is ok and adrenals stable (a tall order). I am worried I am in for a bumpy ride, and I have teenagers, a high schooler and college student attending college in town. And my husband has a demanding day job and works some at night. So I'm not at a place where I can be out of commission. Even though I'm not great right now, I'm functional (from noon on anyway).Are you really in Atlanta? I am in South Carolina, about 4 hours from Atlanta, and my insurance is good in Georgia. Do you have a doctor helping with this that you like?Thanks for all of your help!

[Guest guest]

I can tell you this I can take 50mcg T5 AT BEDTIME and sleep liek a

rock, but I usually took that with a bedtime 5mg HC. I am back adding in

some T3 to my Armour and I take ti first thing inthe Am and again at

bedtime. It is the onyl way I wake up feeling semi fgood ionthe mrnings

otherwise I feel drained and PAINFUL in the morning.

--

Artistic Grooming- Hurricane WV

http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/NaturalThyroidHormonesADRENALS/

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/RT3_T3/

[Guest guest]

If the Isocort is doing ENOUHGH to support your adrneals the switch to

T3 will NOT give you problems but the probkems you have had ALL suggest

the socort is NOT woktring for you enough,.

--

Artistic Grooming- Hurricane WV

http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/NaturalThyroidHormonesADRENALS/

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/RT3_T3/

[Guest guest]

I know thats why Im so confused this whole time ive thought I was low...and now at 8 isocort kinda feeling much better just maybe the low t3.....

but now the concern of possible high cortisol. one thing I had 2 yrs ago very bad itching on my shins...wierd, Ive been having it.

Subject: Re: Re: Growing more sensitive to T3To: RT3_T3 Date: Tuesday, December 23, 2008, 12:49 PM

If the Isocort is doing ENOUHGH to support your adrneals the switch to T3 will NOT give you problems but the probkems you have had ALL suggest the socort is NOT woktring for you enough,.-- Artistic Grooming- Hurricane WV http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/ http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/NaturalThyroidHormonesADRENALS/ http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/RT3_T3/------------------------------------

[Guest guest]

interesting...so you recently did all t3 to get rid of reverse t3. Then went back to armour, and sucessfully got off hc ..but now are going back to some t3? and adding hc.

Subject: Re: Re: Growing more sensitive to T3To: RT3_T3 Date: Tuesday, December 23, 2008, 12:47 PM

I can tell you this I can take 50mcg T5 AT BEDTIME and sleep liek a rock, but I usually took that with a bedtime 5mg HC. I am back adding in some T3 to my Armour and I take ti first thing inthe Am and again at bedtime. It is the onyl way I wake up feeling semi fgood ionthe mrnings otherwise I feel drained and PAINFUL in the morning.-- Artistic Grooming- Hurricane WV http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/ http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/NaturalThyroidHormonesADRENALS/ http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/RT3_T3/------------------------------------

[Guest guest]

>>interesting...so you recently did all t3 to get rid of reverse t3.

Then went back to armour, and sucessfully got off hc ..but now are going

back to some t3? and adding hc. <<

NO I am not adding HC back in, and I am not going back to T3. I am still

adjusting thyriod after being on all T3 and returning to Armour. The

last two weeks I call HELL weeks in my job as they are the busiest weeks

in my pet grooming work of the year. I went hypo while adjusting the

Armour dose and as I could not afford to BE hypo during these last two

weeks I needed to bring my thyroid levels up NOW not in 4 weeks so i

chose to add T3 rather than increase Armour. It is called survival

rather than doing things right.

--

Artistic Grooming- Hurricane WV

http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/NaturalThyroidHormonesADRENALS/

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/RT3_T3/

[Guest guest]

gotcha! neat business.

Subject: Re: Re: Growing more sensitive to T3To: RT3_T3 Date: Wednesday, December 24, 2008, 2:06 AM

>>interesting...so you recently did all t3 to get rid of reverse t3. Then went back to armour, and sucessfully got off hc ..but now are going back to some t3? and adding hc. <<NO I am not adding HC back in, and I am not going back to T3. I am still adjusting thyriod after being on all T3 and returning to Armour. The last two weeks I call HELL weeks in my job as they are the busiest weeks in my pet grooming work of the year. I went hypo while adjusting the Armour dose and as I could not afford to BE hypo during these last two weeks I needed to bring my thyroid levels up NOW not in 4 weeks so i chose to add T3 rather than increase Armour. It is called survival rather than doing things right.-- Artistic Grooming- Hurricane WV

http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/ http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/NaturalThyroidHormonesADRENALS/ http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/RT3_T3/------------------------------------

[Guest guest]

You would have stopped armour cold turkey? and added 25 t3...and then what?

Subject: Re: Growing more sensitive to T3To: RT3_T3 Date: Friday, December 26, 2008, 11:42 AM

I couldn't get any good from the T3 as my cortisol was too low. And I had high RT3 blocking receptors. I had reduced my armour from 6 grains as I added T3. If I were to start again I would cut the armour and add 25 mcg t3.

AG

Re: Growing more sensitive to T3

Posted by: "Leisa Forman" leisamelanie@... leisamelanie

Thu Dec 25, 2008 4:53 pm (PST)

Agclarify."t3 cleared my cortisol to quickly where I didnt get much good from the added t3"..?also, at 1 1/2 armour you were taking....how much t3 would you have started with, right when you cut out armour that day? I dont want to crach, a Ive had several of these long lasting crashes, due to under medication and stress.

[Guest guest]

why are you taking hc and isocort?how are you feeling on 120 t3? compared to the armour?

Subject: Re: Growing more sensitive to T3To: RT3_T3 Date: Friday, December 26, 2008, 11:40 AM

You too, huh? It's just that way for some of us. Doesn't seem to matter how much HC I take as it remains a reality in itself. T3 wakes me up. Stimulates me. Keeps me from getting sleepy at night too. I am going to try to make my first dose in the morning a larger one and see if this helps. Would love to be able to take it once in the morning and just deal with HC during the day. Would make life a touch easier. Last night I took 2 isocort and 2.5 hc. Horrible, short sleep with waking in the middle. Never have luck with this. It might be adrenaline. I am on 120 mcg T3. Dosed last at 2 p.m. Am going to attempt to dose in two doses in the morning when my cortisol can handle it. Will let you know how it goes.

AG

Hi AgI have the same problem. I gave a break to t3 today. it gives me terrible insomnia. last night i could not sleep till 6 am. I took some extra cortex extract but that made me even more awake.t3 is really helping me but i don't know why this occurs.it feels like adrenaline.bwnil

[Guest guest]

Okay! So, you feel that was best for you too? right.

Subject: Re: Growing more sensitive to T3To: RT3_T3 Date: Friday, December 26, 2008, 4:53 PM

There has been a lot of discussion about this in the past. Seems it is best to drop the armour cold and add back the t3 part of it. 9 mcg per grain. Then increase 2.5 to 5 mcg every 5-7 days or so. The sooner you stop making rt3 the better.

ag

Re: Growing more sensitive to T3

Posted by: "Leisa Forman" leisamelanie@... leisamelanie

Fri Dec 26, 2008 11:24 am (PST)

You would have stopped armour cold turkey? and added 25 t3...and then what?

[Guest guest]

Oh thats wonderful!! I am afraid that the dosing will be tough for me, as nothing seems easy for me when it comes to medicine. so, you plan on staying on the t3 then.

No side effects..just heart palps?But you feel more energy.

Subject: Re: Growing more sensitive to T3To: RT3_T3 Date: Friday, December 26, 2008, 4:58 PM

I took the isocort first last night just too see. Waited and it didn't lower my heart rate or pounding. THEN I went for the HC.

Honestly, I think getting T3 right is super difficult. Perhaps dividing it up into 3-4 doses and working it around eating is part of the difficulty. For me, taking it sublingually if I have eaten within an hour or so, I don't get the full dose. Others do. So I wait for an empty stomach. This takes a lot of planning. I feel free of the RT3 to be sure. No lower back pain. No brain fog. Hair is growing as are nails. No way am I going back to armour if I can avoid it. It took too long to get here.

AG

m leisamelanie

Fri Dec 26, 2008 11:26 am (PST)

why are you taking hc and isocort?how are you feeling on 120 t3? compared to the armour?

[Guest guest]

I honestkly think my SHBG went high from HC use. Before HC my free

Testosterone was ion thehigh side, but since being on HC it dropped to

WAY below range. My total testosterone has not changed much so I am

assuming this i from SHBG and using this as an indicator. But I wil nto

know if T3 actually affected it as now I am off Hc and back on Armour.

but I knwo my free Testosterone went low LONG before I went on all T3.

--

Artistic Grooming- Hurricane WV

http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/NaturalThyroidHormonesADRENALS/

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/RT3_T3/

[Guest guest]

Sorry about the long response. Sometimes I get to typing and just keep

going.

I wasn't on any thyroid meds. I personally ordered a suite of thyroid

labs and mine were all in the " normal " range, included TSH (1.54 range

..5-4.5) and free t3 and free t4, both normal. However, my rt3 while

normal was in the top 25% of the range and my average daily temps and

basal rate was low. Based on temps and rt3 lab results, I started

myself on T3. I also, before starting T3, did the four sample saliva

test at two different labs for cortisol and was low so I started HC

first for two weeks or so before starting T3. I ramped HC and T3 faster

than most folks without complications.

So, unfortunately, I cannot give a report on switching from Armour to

T3. My temps have only come up 1/2 the way on 75 mcg of T3/day and 45

mg of HC/day with 5-15 mg stress dosing (like after clearing 250 ft of

sidewalk from snow and a very very large driveway area).

While this chart is a week or two old, my T3 amounts, HC amounts, basal

temps, and average daily temps are currently on the web here:

http://www.basicmail.net/dudescholar/BasalCortisolT3.htm

I had some cold like symptoms here and there while ramping which were

real colds but I wasn't able to tell if it was the cold or T3 that was

giving me some problem so I would add, cut back, add, cut back, and make

adjustments as necessary. Lately I've been more steady ignoring daily

variations and taking T3 consistently. I'm hyper alert for any hyper

symptoms and so far have absolutely none.

My plans for another rt3 test is to wait until my average daily

temperatures and basal rate are consistently around 98.6 and 98.0

respectively. At that point, I'll either take an rt3 test OR I just

remain on the dosage of T3 I've reached for a few months before starting

the switch to Armour. Depending on how much T3 I ultimately need, I

have 6-12 months on hand. I don't want to start something I cannot finish.

I'm in a different situation than most here since the primary hypo

measurements I've dosing to are temperature, not blood work. I'm

considering making it clear when I do see a doctor that he/she is going

to have to get out his old medical manuals and manage according to

symptoms like was done before the advent of the TSH test. I won't be

taking a TSH test that is doctor ordered but I'll probably order my own.

If at the right dosage of T3 and later Armour(generic) and my TSH is

still in an acceptable range to most doctors, then I might allow them to

order the test.

I also have ANOTHER AGENDA different than any I've seen in this group.

I have high normal homocysteine when I take a lot of the right B

vitamins and methyl donors to control it, otherwise it is above the high

end of the normal range. I've also had a heart attack in the past (no

heart damage but a moderate attack) and high homocysteine is not a good

thing to have. Most doctor will not deal with this and super mega mega

mega dosing on all the right supplements doesn't have much effect in

lowering homocysteine. However, improving thyroid has a lot of medical

research available that shows a strong homocysteine lowering effect,

something I've not research or doctor taking advantage of. Based on

that, I also conclude that my thyroid is not functioning well in spite

of blood work results so when I get my temps up to the right level for

several months, I'm going to retest homocysteine. I did have a doctor

that took my research on homocysteine and thyroid and prescribe 30 mg

(1/2 grain) of Armour for a month a couple of years ago but it did

nothing. Now that I'm taking 75 mcg of T3 and ramping up to 100 mcg

with an expectation that I'll be at 125-150 mcg/day of T3 before my

temps are where they should be, I can see why 30 mg of Armour didn't

have much affect. I never could tell then that I was taking anything.

This doctor WILL WORK with me but I've yet to see him about what I've

been doing since I have to date ordered all my own lab tests and ordered

months and months of the necessary meds internationally. The doctor

isn't covered by my insurance (no out of network regular visits) but all

his lab work and prescriptions are and they do manage adrenal/thyroid

issues for real results instead of primarily by lab results.

Steve

Leisa Forman wrote:

> Steve..can you let us know how how it was for you switching from armour

> to t3...ie..did you go cold turkey, what dose t3 did you start

> with...how did you know it was time to take another rt3 test?

>

>

> > Honestly, I think getting T3 right is super difficult. Perhaps

> dividing

> > it up into 3-4 doses and working it around eating is part of the

> > difficulty. For me, taking it sublingually if I have eaten

> within an

> > hour or so, I don't get the full dose. Others do. So I wait for an

> > empty stomach. This takes a lot of planning. I feel free of the

> RT3 to

> > be sure. No lower back pain. No brain fog. Hair is growing as are

> > nails. No way am I going back to armour if I can avoid it. It

> took too

> > long to get here.

> >

> > AG

>

> 95% of T3 is absorbed regardless of if it is taken on an empty stomach

> or a full stomach. I don't work it around meals. I was doing it

> sublingually until I researched the absorption rate and decided that

> working it around meals is a complete waste of time. Also, the half

> life of T3 for a euthyroid person is about 24 hours while hyper and

> hypo

> have slight higher and slightly lower half life. So, once T3 is

> absorbed and enters the blood stream, 24 hours later the amount in the

> blood stream will still be 1/2 of what it was right after absorption.

> So, the worst case is one might have to dose twice a day. I'm

> currently

> taking T3 three times a day at 7 AM, 11 AM, and 3 PM but that's it

> which

> means for 16 hours of the day I don't take any T3. I learned that

> people were doing multi-day dosing on these thyroid lists and went with

> it but now don't think it's really necessary. I'll move to twice a day

> but after dealing with rt3 issues will switch to Armour and take that

> one once a day only.

>

> --

>

> Steve - dudescholar4@...

--

Steve - dudescholar4@...

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" If a thousand old beliefs were ruined on our march

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[Guest guest]

wrote:

>>> So, once T3 is

> absorbed and enters the blood stream, 24 hours later the amount in the

> blood stream will still be 1/2 of what it was right after absorption.

> So, the worst case is one might have to dose twice a day. <<

>

> Ya knwo I have read this too, BUT my body tells me something entirely

different. I absolutely hated T3 for many years as I was trying to take it twice

a day. I would go up and then crash in 6 hours regularly. I have read the

studies and this time I seriously believe they are flawed and many of us

metabolise it at different rates. I also believe ti si easier onthe adrenals to

take it in multi doses through the day rather than larger doses twice a day.

>

, I think the absorption of 95% and 1/2 life of 24 hours is

generally true for most people, most of the time, under most

circumstances. However, anyone looking at a bell curve and going out 2

standard deviations up and down(representing 95% of the sample

population) from the mean will find the upper and lower tail of the

distribution represents 2.5% of the sample population at either end.

That, one could extrapolate from, would indicate that 2.5% of the

population metabolize T3 very fast and 2.5% of the population metabolize

T3 very slow.

If there's anything I've learned from looking at lab reference ranges

and studying research results, it's that these variations along the bell

curve distribution are not considered well because often they don't need

to be. However, where one sits within a normal distribution for any

issues, blood work, absorption, etc., are definitely important and

should be used in diagnostic evaluation, med/supplement dosing, etc.

I think for T3, I'll ultimately be doing T3 twice a day and when I

switch to Armour, I'll most likely be on once a day dosing. Again, I

think that might work for the majority of people but not all, most

definitely not all. And as we both know, many doctors are quite

inflexible when dealing with people who's body doesn't work exactly at

the " mean " of a statistical bell curve distribution and won't even

consider treatment adjustments for those people that are within the 2

standard divination but at the margins.

--

Steve - dudescholar4@...

Take World's Smallest Political Quiz at

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" If a thousand old beliefs were ruined on our march

to truth we must still march on. " --Stopford