Need to lower elevated T3 on natural thyriod meds

• By theresat858
• Reply 3708118
• January 15, 2013 at 2:11 pm
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Why don't you try T4 and T3 separately - Synthroid plus Cytomel? Then you could take them in a much closer ratio to what your body used to make than that contained in Armour.

• By BeeBee01
• Reply 3708550
• January 15, 2013 at 4:37 pm
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I use Armour Monday to Friday and T4 Saturday and Sunday. This works well for me. I had the same issues as you. T3 was high and T4 low. My range is now near perfect. I have no hyper symptoms doing it this way. Try it for a month to see how your level changes. I can't find anyone to prescribe T3 here, so I have had to experiment on myself to find what works.

I hope you are soon regulated and feeling much better!

• By BiomedEE
• Reply 3708575
• January 15, 2013 at 4:47 pm
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I've never been able to get my free t3 too high, but I do the tirosint version of T4 and cytomel 25 mcg (which is lots!). Some good suggestions made. What are your numebrs? You aren't getting tested right after taking pills right?

• By ljay51
• Reply 3709655
• January 15, 2013 at 11:10 pm
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First of all I did try Synthroid and Cytomel after final surgery (it was Feb. 2012) and didn't feel well at all for quite some time. No one ever checked my T3 the whole time I was on it. Rather than ask for anti-depression drugs I tried natural but weaned off Synthroid very slowly while natural dose went up until it's all I took. The depression went away quickly and felt almost like my old self. Synthroid often cause my heart to beat irregularly and I don't have any heart problems.

I had labs done well after taking my meds this time and two months ago when my TSH was <0.01 but T4 was done at the same time and it was 17 and no T3 was done. It was scary how hyper I was. My last test done this time was T3 - over 9, he said, (normal is 3.5 - 6.5 pmol/L) T4 - was around 15, he said, (normal is 10 - 23 pmol/L) It has been around 17 and not higher even when on Synthroid/Cytomel. I meant to ask for the lab copy but haven't slept a good night sleep for some time now so forget a lot of things.

Good suggestion BeeBee01. What dosage are you taking of both? My dosage of Thyroid ERFA is 97.50 mgs. So I asked the Dr. today for Synthroid combo and he suggested I stay on same ERFA dose (that's currently making me hyper) and add 25mcg's of Synthroid daily. Sounds like a lot to me. I had asked my Dr. about any new T4 or thyroxine drugs and he read them off and didn't mention Tirosint so don't know if it's in BC yet. Thanks for your replies. Any input is appreciated.

• By mazbarth
• Reply 3710558
• January 16, 2013 at 10:08 am
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I would check with the natural thyroid yahoo group. They are the real experts on this all! :)

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NaturalThyroidHormones/

Post all these details and you will surely get some help from those that know.

good luck!
Michele

• By ljay51
• Reply 3711063
• January 16, 2013 at 12:50 pm
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Thanks mazbarth, did that this morning. Didn't know about that group until you told me.

• By BeeBee01
• Reply 3711846
• January 16, 2013 at 5:22 pm
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Hi. I am a member of the yahoo group. They are super!

I am on 2 grains daily of Armour and at weekends intakes take 150 mcg daily of T4. If I feel too awful by Sunday I will split 100 mcg of T4 in the am and 1 grain of Armour in the pm.

I find that if I can take my last Armour just before sleep i feel better in the morning. Not so foggy headed.

It has taken a lot of experimenting to get to this stage. My levels are higher on T3 but within range. Doctor is very happy with my levels.

• By BiomedEE
• Reply 3711970
• January 16, 2013 at 6:03 pm
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FYI
One grain of Armour or Naturethroid has 38 mcg of T4, and 9 mcg of T3, in case anyone wondered. I don't know the original posters med.

9 mcg of T3 is roughly the TSH effect of 36 mcg of T4 so official docs say (some people might be less). So 1 grain of armour is like taking 74 mcg of pure T4 (38 actual T4, plus 36 equal) on the TSH scale only.

So if one used to take 150 mcg T4 med and wanted to convert to armour or naturethroid, that would be about 2 grains.

• By ljay51
• Reply 3712222
• January 16, 2013 at 7:41 pm
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Below is a portion of an email received from a user of Thyroid ERFA from a Dr. for ERFA Canada. Now I'm beginning to understand why I'm so hyper. I was never on so much Synthroid an am assuming Levo and Synthroid are dosed the same. I should probably be on a lower dose of natural thyroid. What he recommended for an equivalent dose to levo (137mcg.) is what I'm on now plus another 1/4 tab or 7.5 mg more. I really don't ever see my doctor refer to a conversion table when he changes the dose or adds to it. Beginning to think I might have to change my GP.


..........................................................................
Our Thyroid medication has been approved in Canada for more then 30 years now. Thousands of patients are on it. There is a conversion table that your doctor will use in order to be able to convert from levothyroxine to desiccated thyroid. In your case 137 mcg of Levothyroxine is the equivalent of 89mg of Thyroid. Thyroid comes in 30, 60 and 125mg dosage. Therefore you would have to take 1 tablet of 30mg and 1 of 60mg once a day.........................
............................................
Henri Knafo, MD, MSc, BSc
Medical Director
Erfa Canada Inc

• By mazbarth
• Reply 3712342
• January 16, 2013 at 8:21 pm
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I take 3 grains of ERFA and have no hyper feelings even though my T3 does run a little high. I think that is quite normal for those of us using NDT.

The web site <www.stopthethyroidmadness.com>
has a lot more on this also.

• By ljay51
• Reply 3712536
• January 16, 2013 at 9:15 pm
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Three grains would be 180 mgs.? That seems like a high dose. I wonder sometimes how or why it seems to absorb more in some than in others. Are you taking anything like Sellenium or Vit. C, because I take that with each dose daily and it's supposed to help with absorption, I read. Just started that in the last little while so maybe it's causing me to go higher on the T3. I also have celiac and don't eat grains much, all gluten-free and mostly ground seeds like flax, quinoa. (I know...chirp...chirp) Maybe the lack of grains is contributing to better absorption. Just thinking out loud here as I ponder over the difference. So I'll fly off and wait for more input. Thanks for the replies to all.

• By mazbarth
• Reply 3713068
• January 17, 2013 at 1:36 am
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I have hypoparathyroidism and I believe having to take lots of calcium makes my absorption of thyroid less efficient. I have high levels but NO hyper symptoms. Every time I try to lower the dose I have lots of nasty hypo symptoms set in. I've even tried adding Synthroid and dropping off some of the ERFA but felt pretty crummy.

I may look into the Tirosint to see if that makes a difference at some point...
Best wishes! Michele