# All a bit much



## Wlorenm (Jun 27, 2014)

Guys I'm sorry this is going to sound like a bit of a moan

I just feel really overwhelmed this week. 
My weight has really started to get me down. 
I'm 20lbs heavier than this time last year. I'm so under confident and uncomfortable.

I'm on 50mcg of Levo and 30mcg of t3. The labs won't test my t3. It's only been around 5 weeks since I started t3 - no hyper side effects.

My temps have gone up significantly and blood pressure seems fairly normal from being high. 
I was never chronically fatigued but I was tired - however now i can manage a whole days activity on sleep from 1am-7:30am. No naps.

I had ridiculously low iron. I'm on supplements for this now - 610mg of ferrous fumerate daily. The figures for it are as follows:
Vitamin level 
(PRC) - normal

B12 600 ng/L (191-663)
Serum folate 12.1 ug/L (4.6-18.7)

Serum iron tests
(PRC -Low iron stores)

R serum iron LO. 4 umol/L (10-30)
Serum transferrin HI. 3.80 g/L (2.0-3.6)
Serum ferritin 5ug/L
R transferrin saturation 4%

Am I just being impatient and 5 weeks is not long enough for it to kickstart weightloss?

My doctor seems to think my adrenals are okay. I've tried a few tests from sttm they've been fine. 
I don't find it that hard getting up in the morning either.

Periods are pretty heavy but only last around 2-3 days which is an improvement. My hands aren't cold anymore. This is just the biggest bug bear for me. I'm active and ridiculously vigilant with what I eat.

I'm just so lost and I don't feel like myself anymore.


----------



## ifthespiritmovesme (Jan 8, 2014)

I can't believe the lab won't do the FT3 test! They are making me get labs every 6 weeks while I am on and adjusting my Cytomel. That's a pretty high dose you are on. I am really surprised they don't want to check it.


----------



## Wlorenm (Jun 27, 2014)

ifthespiritmovesme said:


> I can't believe the lab won't do the FT3 test! They are making me get labs every 6 weeks while I am on and adjusting my Cytomel. That's a pretty high dose you are on. I am really surprised they don't want to check it.


Are you seeing any results?


----------



## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

Good grief. Out of the gate; why did the doc start you on 30 mcgs. of T3 and what is the source of the T3? Brand name, generic or????

If your doctor won't run FREE T3, find one that will.


----------



## Wlorenm (Jun 27, 2014)

Andros said:


> Good grief. Out of the gate; why did the doc start you on 30 mcgs. of T3 and what is the source of the T3? Brand name, generic or????
> 
> If your doctor won't run FREE T3, find one that will.


He started me on 10mcg and made me increase. He wanted me at 40 but I took it slower. 
I'm on Ireland so only generic is available. He's tried to run it but the labs don't send it back


----------



## Wlorenm (Jun 27, 2014)

I should also add that I've been on Levo for just under 4 months!


----------



## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

T3 Uptake test
http://www.drstandley.com/labvalues_thyroid.shtml (high, hyper---low, hypo)
(Copy and paste into your browser)

The T3 uptake explained.
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003688.htm
(Copy and paste into your browser)

Oh, oh, oh! That paints a whole new picture. Not only the titration of your T3 dose but that you are in Ireland. Well..................since I now see the light; I expect they will not run the free T3. Don't change docs; he has constrictions and apparently is doing his best for you, his patient.

See if your doc can run the T3 Uptake. That can help in addition to the FREE T4.

Info above.


----------



## Wlorenm (Jun 27, 2014)

Andros said:


> T3 Uptake test
> http://www.drstandley.com/labvalues_thyroid.shtml (high, hyper---low, hypo)
> (Copy and paste into your browser)
> 
> ...


He's great right? His knowledge of it is weak but he's willing to do anything he can to help me out.

Any ideas on what could be going on? I'll ask about those tests.


----------



## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

It could be that your body needed the T3 so bad that it is just sucking it up and you "are" physically active; correct? If you are, tell us what you are doing re walking, swimming, Zumba.........................etc.???


----------



## Wlorenm (Jun 27, 2014)

I walk as often as I can. I do three work out classes a week too.

Les mills body attack, body pump and body conditioning most often!


----------



## Wlorenm (Jun 27, 2014)

If my body is just sucking up the t3 does that mean that it's just going to take a while longer for it to build up?


----------



## ifthespiritmovesme (Jan 8, 2014)

Wlorenm said:


> Are you seeing any results?


Oh yes! My chronic intractable pain and depression has disappeared!!

My FT3 was very low through 2 dosage increases of T3, then another increase and it went reallly high. I think my body was sucking it all up till it had it's fill. Now too high, so we are cutting back from 25 mcg to 20 mcg. Hopefully that will even things out for me.l I was beginning to think the more I got, the lower my numbers would go. I am so glad I've gotten the numbers to start moving up - even though it is high right now.


----------



## Wlorenm (Jun 27, 2014)

Maybe that's what is happening with me?! It's drinking up the t3 til IT replenishes.

Could you feel that 25 was too much? Cos I have no side effects of 30 right now


----------



## ifthespiritmovesme (Jan 8, 2014)

For me, 25 mcg is too much. I went up from 15 mcg and FT3 at 2.5 (range is 2.3-4.2). Now my FT3 is 6.0 - over range. I am hoping that 20 mcg is the right dose, but I'll wait till I see new labs at 8 weeks. It may be that I will now need less, since my body seems to have surpassed it's fill. At 25 mcg, I am feeling some slight arrythimia and palpatations. I am scared to do anything that will make my heart rate go up (it does this easily now - even walking up a slight hill).

I fought very hard to even get the T3 at all, and even harder to stay on it when my first doc retired. This medication has had a profound, positive effect on my health. I could not ever return to the level of pain and disability I had before starting it. I am so glad my new doc is working with me about the dose (he was the one who wanted me off of it altogether).

I really wish you could get your Free T3 checked there. Would be interesting to see how it is being affected. At 30 mcg, I would for sure have arrythmia problems!!


----------



## Octavia (Aug 1, 2011)

Wlorenm, by any chance, do you have ANY Free T3 results, such as before you started on the T3 medication?

I'm concerned about the amount of T3 you are on. My gut reaction earlier today was "WOW, that's a HUGE dose of T3." But then I looked around at some websites, and maybe it's not that large. But it just seems like most of us on this forum, if we take any T3 at all, we take a pretty small dose, like 5 to 20 mcg. I have no thyroid (surgically removed), and I take 5 mcg Cytomel to supplement my 137 mcg Levothyroxine. I started on 10 mcg, and within a few months, that became too high of a dose, so I've leveled off at 5 mcg.


----------



## Wlorenm (Jun 27, 2014)

Aside from energy I don't feel it at all.

How long did it take t3 to kick in for you? I can't wait to get weight shifted


----------



## Octavia (Aug 1, 2011)

I don't recall feeling suddenly different. I think it took weeks for me to feel less fatigued.

Was your Free T3 tested before starting on the T3 meds?


----------



## Wlorenm (Jun 27, 2014)

I have no free t3 results at all  the labs just send back to day they don't do it and my endo laughed at me


----------



## ifthespiritmovesme (Jan 8, 2014)

My weight just fell off when I started Levothyroxine. (Gaining a little here and there,10 of the 50 I lost) T3 hasn't affected my weight at all, just the pain and depression.


----------



## Dr. Hila Handler (Sep 22, 2014)

quick tip on iron -

your iron levels are very low, indicating, most likely, an absorption issue. Are you off gluten?

Also, ferrous aspartate is better absorbed than fumurate, if you can get it where you are. It also has much less side effects.

I only prescribe ferrous aspartate for my patients.

Re: T3 - it is risky taking it without being able to check levels. You would benefit from a complete thyroid panel including antibodies, if possible.


----------



## Wlorenm (Jun 27, 2014)

I can try and get that iron. I'll have had 3mths of it by the end. Do you think the iron is keeping me hypo and making the weight hard to shift?

I have an antibodies test! 
Anti-thyroid peroxidase ab * 220 <34 (IU/mL)


----------

