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Adding T4 (tirosint) to my Naturethroid. . .good idea??
Hello, I have Hashimoto's and I was taking Naturethroid since Feb . . . now after this set up labs my doc suggested adding 13mg of tirosint (T4) to help me have more energy . . .my free T4 levels are in the dumps . . . now I'm wondering if this was a good idea. As you can see my Ferritin is really low. Anyone here having good success with adding T4 to their NDT?
Here are my labs fasting and now NDT in the morning:
I'm gluten and mostly sugar/dairy free. I take my supplements daily four hours after NDT. (Multi-vit, selenium, buffalo liver, iron, vit-c, fish oil, and benfothiamine.)
TSH 1.3 (0.40-4.5)
Free T4 0.9 (0.8-1.8)
Free T3 2.7 (2.3-4.2)
Thyroid Perooxidase Antibodies 822
Cortisol free 0.76 (0.07-0.93) Taken at 7:15am
Pregnenalone 90 (7-188)
Ferritin 29 (10-154) highest it's ever been was 17 last time
ACTH 13 (6-50)
Here are my labs fasting and now NDT in the morning:
I'm gluten and mostly sugar/dairy free. I take my supplements daily four hours after NDT. (Multi-vit, selenium, buffalo liver, iron, vit-c, fish oil, and benfothiamine.)
TSH 1.3 (0.40-4.5)
Free T4 0.9 (0.8-1.8)
Free T3 2.7 (2.3-4.2)
Thyroid Perooxidase Antibodies 822
Cortisol free 0.76 (0.07-0.93) Taken at 7:15am
Pregnenalone 90 (7-188)
Ferritin 29 (10-154) highest it's ever been was 17 last time
ACTH 13 (6-50)
COMMUNITY LEADER
Sorry, I missed these latest posts, but it also struck me that you said earlier "At the time of this blood draw I did not take my 1 3/4 dose of naturethroid. (actually in summer decreased to 1 1/2 every other day) I did take my supplements the day before."
At the time of which blood draw were you only taking your med every other day? Any med with a T3 component needs to be taken daily, since the T3 is so short lived; it does not good to only take it every other day.
When you say "supplement", is that the NatureThroid you're referring to? That's actually a medication.
Have you ever been on a T4 only med? It's possible that would be best for you, but both your FT4 and FT3 are so low, I'd have my doubts. It looks like you need to increase your NatureThroid to get your FT3 into the upper half of its range, then you could add a small amount of T4 to bring your FT4 up to mid range...
At the time of which blood draw were you only taking your med every other day? Any med with a T3 component needs to be taken daily, since the T3 is so short lived; it does not good to only take it every other day.
When you say "supplement", is that the NatureThroid you're referring to? That's actually a medication.
Have you ever been on a T4 only med? It's possible that would be best for you, but both your FT4 and FT3 are so low, I'd have my doubts. It looks like you need to increase your NatureThroid to get your FT3 into the upper half of its range, then you could add a small amount of T4 to bring your FT4 up to mid range...
1 Comments
I assume that you were taking 2 grains NDT ( equivalent to 76 mcg T4 + 18 T3) for your April tests. Your lab results were higher than usual for this lowish dose.
I assume your were alternating 1.75 and 1.5 grains NDT (equivalent to 61.75 T4 + 14.6 mcg T3) for your September labs. Your low fT4 lab and lowish fT3 would be typical for your lowish dose.
I assume now your doctor has added 13 mcg Tirosint (T4) to your 1.75 grains of NDT, so now you are getting a total of 79.5 mcg T4 and 15.75 mcg T3 daily. This is still not a particularly high dose, so if anything what you are feeling is likely hypo rather than hyper. I would carry on with it to see what the next labs show, but I have a hunch that your labs would still be on the slightly low side.
For your info, when I took 73 T4 + 17 T3 via NDT, my labs were definitely low and I felt hypo. I moved up to 94 T4 + 15 T3 via synthetic and my labs are good. So you can see that it does not take a lot to move your labs and I would advise you adjust your meds slowly.
While waiting for your next thyroid labs, have a look at your vitamin D level. Do some research and you will find that most people are deficient. Also do some research to find the latest on Vitamin K2 and you will find again that everyone is deficient. Doctors at the forefront of research on these vitamins say that the old standards are far too low. Both are very important and will require supplements beyond your typical multivitamin.
I assume your were alternating 1.75 and 1.5 grains NDT (equivalent to 61.75 T4 + 14.6 mcg T3) for your September labs. Your low fT4 lab and lowish fT3 would be typical for your lowish dose.
I assume now your doctor has added 13 mcg Tirosint (T4) to your 1.75 grains of NDT, so now you are getting a total of 79.5 mcg T4 and 15.75 mcg T3 daily. This is still not a particularly high dose, so if anything what you are feeling is likely hypo rather than hyper. I would carry on with it to see what the next labs show, but I have a hunch that your labs would still be on the slightly low side.
For your info, when I took 73 T4 + 17 T3 via NDT, my labs were definitely low and I felt hypo. I moved up to 94 T4 + 15 T3 via synthetic and my labs are good. So you can see that it does not take a lot to move your labs and I would advise you adjust your meds slowly.
While waiting for your next thyroid labs, have a look at your vitamin D level. Do some research and you will find that most people are deficient. Also do some research to find the latest on Vitamin K2 and you will find again that everyone is deficient. Doctors at the forefront of research on these vitamins say that the old standards are far too low. Both are very important and will require supplements beyond your typical multivitamin.
COMMUNITY LEADER
When you had your labs in April, did you take your medication prior to the blood draw? If yous, you would have gotten false highs on your results...
Most of us taking meds with T3, find that it works best to split our daily dosage into more than one, taking half first thing in the morning and the other half about noon or early afternoon. The reason for this is that T3 is very fast acting, so it gets into your system quickly, but it peaks and is gone within a few hours. By splitting the dose, you keep your Free T3 more level over the course, of the day, which helps eliminate the hyper like symptoms.
It's important to note that some symptoms can "cross over" and apply to both hyper and hypo. That includes chest pains, shortness of breath, rapid heart rate, pounding heart, etc. I had all of those when I was very hypo.
Most of us taking meds with T3, find that it works best to split our daily dosage into more than one, taking half first thing in the morning and the other half about noon or early afternoon. The reason for this is that T3 is very fast acting, so it gets into your system quickly, but it peaks and is gone within a few hours. By splitting the dose, you keep your Free T3 more level over the course, of the day, which helps eliminate the hyper like symptoms.
It's important to note that some symptoms can "cross over" and apply to both hyper and hypo. That includes chest pains, shortness of breath, rapid heart rate, pounding heart, etc. I had all of those when I was very hypo.
2 Comments
No I did not take my meds before blood draw. I always fast and don't take meds till afterwards . So it's weird. Do you think from my recent labs that adding t4 is a good idea? Then once that's stable add some more Naturethroid maybe back to two grains.
Also I do split my NDT in into 2 doses 4 hours between supplements sublingual and at least two hours no food.
Ok just typed long reply and it went into cyber space. . ..here I'll try again.
Thank you for your time!!
At the time of this blood draw I did not take my 1 3/4 dose of naturethroid. (actually in summer decreased to 1 1/2 every other day) I did take my supplements the day before.
I had been taking 2 grains of NDT but in April my doc said to lower and then I lowered again slightly when summer came because I wasn't feeling right and I thought I was going hyper.
When I went to see her last week she said I think we need to add some T4 to your NDT but I"m feeling worse and I' don't know if it's just my body adjusting . . I felt terrible when starting NDT too. But better after a few months.
I don't think my heart likes too much T3. I was having some chest pain and symptoms of something touching my heart back in April.
Here are my labs from April 2016
TSH 0.01 (0.40-4.5)
Free T4 1.7 (0.8- 1.8)
Free T3 5.2 (2.3-4.2)
T3 reverse 26 (8-15)
Cortisol 9.1 (4.6-20.6)
Thank you for your time!!
At the time of this blood draw I did not take my 1 3/4 dose of naturethroid. (actually in summer decreased to 1 1/2 every other day) I did take my supplements the day before.
I had been taking 2 grains of NDT but in April my doc said to lower and then I lowered again slightly when summer came because I wasn't feeling right and I thought I was going hyper.
When I went to see her last week she said I think we need to add some T4 to your NDT but I"m feeling worse and I' don't know if it's just my body adjusting . . I felt terrible when starting NDT too. But better after a few months.
I don't think my heart likes too much T3. I was having some chest pain and symptoms of something touching my heart back in April.
Here are my labs from April 2016
TSH 0.01 (0.40-4.5)
Free T4 1.7 (0.8- 1.8)
Free T3 5.2 (2.3-4.2)
T3 reverse 26 (8-15)
Cortisol 9.1 (4.6-20.6)
COMMUNITY LEADER
Many people have to add a separate source of T4 to the desiccated dosage and you may have to do that, at some point, but for right now, it looks like the main thing you need it an increase in your desiccated to start with. Not only is your Free T4 in the toilet, so is your Free T3.
If your dosage was close to adequate your Free T3 would be in the upper half to upper third of its range. Your FT3 is only at 21% of its range... What is the dosage of desiccated hormones that you're on? Is this the dosage you started on and are you taking it all at once or splitting it into more than one dosage throughout the day? When were these labs drawn and had you taken your medication prior to the blood draw that morning?
Yes, your ferritin is way too low, also... Had you already been taking the supplements prior to the blood draw or did you start them after the blood draw?
If your dosage was close to adequate your Free T3 would be in the upper half to upper third of its range. Your FT3 is only at 21% of its range... What is the dosage of desiccated hormones that you're on? Is this the dosage you started on and are you taking it all at once or splitting it into more than one dosage throughout the day? When were these labs drawn and had you taken your medication prior to the blood draw that morning?
Yes, your ferritin is way too low, also... Had you already been taking the supplements prior to the blood draw or did you start them after the blood draw?
1 Comments
Ok just typed long reply and it went into cyber space. . ..here I'll try again.
Thank you for your time!!
At the time of this blood draw I did not take my 1 3/4 dose of naturethroid. (actually in summer decreased to 1 1/2 every other day) I did take my supplements the day before.
I had been taking 2 grains of NDT but in April my doc said to lower and then I lowered again slightly when summer came because I wasn't feeling right and I thought I was going hyper.
When I went to see her last week she said I think we need to add some T4 to your NDT but I"m feeling worse and I' don't know if it's just my body adjusting . . I felt terrible when starting NDT too. But better after a few months.
I don't think my heart likes too much T3. I was having some chest pain and symptoms of something touching my heart back in April.
Here are my labs from April 2016
TSH 0.01 (0.40-4.5)
Free T4 1.7 (0.8- 1.8)
Free T3 5.2 (2.3-4.2)
T3 reverse 26 (8-15)
Cortisol 9.1 (4.6-20.6)
Thank you for your time!!
At the time of this blood draw I did not take my 1 3/4 dose of naturethroid. (actually in summer decreased to 1 1/2 every other day) I did take my supplements the day before.
I had been taking 2 grains of NDT but in April my doc said to lower and then I lowered again slightly when summer came because I wasn't feeling right and I thought I was going hyper.
When I went to see her last week she said I think we need to add some T4 to your NDT but I"m feeling worse and I' don't know if it's just my body adjusting . . I felt terrible when starting NDT too. But better after a few months.
I don't think my heart likes too much T3. I was having some chest pain and symptoms of something touching my heart back in April.
Here are my labs from April 2016
TSH 0.01 (0.40-4.5)
Free T4 1.7 (0.8- 1.8)
Free T3 5.2 (2.3-4.2)
T3 reverse 26 (8-15)
Cortisol 9.1 (4.6-20.6)
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