Re: What happens to our free T4 levels when we switch to T3 only?

May 17, 2010

Ugh. My doctor is such a nice doc and is better than most docs in terms of begin

willing to try NTH/desiccated thyroid, but I guess I have to push the issue here

if I want to get rid of this pain and feel better.

My fT3/rT3 ratio was about 18.4 - as Val said, not terrible, not great. Guess it

is probably a problem, but then again, since my ferritin was so low, could be

that. But then again, since the Armour only worked for about 9 months and then I

was back in pain and exhausted, could be some rT3 going on by itself. (This

stuff can make one crazy, can't it?)

So, on my own, once I get my ferritin levels up, I could start decreasig the

synthroid as I very slowly (as instructed on the rT3 site) start increasing my

T3. If this eventually gets rid of my exhaustion and pain, I guess the proof

would be in the pudding when I went back to my doc and told him what I did and

that I was feeling great, right.

Do you know how to find a good doctor in a certain area?

Thanks again Margery.

> >

> > Just curious. I want to approach my doc about T3 only treatment once I get

my ferritin higher. But, last appt. he insisted on swithing me to 75 mcg

Synthroid and 75 mcg Cytomel b/c he said my FT4 was so low and we needed to get

that up. Maybe he doesn't know about T3 oly treatment. (Was previusly on 150 mg

Erfa Thyroid, but the pain in my hands and feet was getting worse instead of

better.) Do we even need T4 in our bodies? Will our bodies make T4 if we are on

T3 only treatment? the Cytomel at 75mcg was way too high too fast. Heart palps

this weekend, trembling, etc. Cut dose in half today. Ferritin also too low -

29. Have been taking iron since labwork about 3 wks. ago. Doc has me on 15 mg

Cortef per day, but am reading this is probably making it lower instead of

higher - that I need to be on at least 20 mg per day.

> >

>

May 17, 2010

Yes, RT3 can be persistent, but with your not-horrible ratio of 18.4, you may

not have gotten there yet. You may wind up on T3-only (I did); or getting your

ferritin up to a healthy level may allow your body to stop producing too much

RT3. A good ferritin level is the place to start, in either case, as you won't

be able to successfully raise T3 without it.

I'm sorry I can't help find a good doc. You can try posting what city or

general area you're in, it's possible someone else on the group may have found

one reasonably close to you. I've never found a good doctor. And I looked and

looked. I get my T3 (cynomel) from the source list Val sent me.

> > >

> > > Just curious. I want to approach my doc about T3 only treatment once I get