T3 treatment for hypothyroidism

If the effects were substantial on a population level basis, I would think one of the countless post-Covid studies looking at this would have picked up a clear signal? It's very possible they are missing some important nuances but then the same will likely apply to all anecdotal stories.

 

A little update.

I saw a private endocrinologist this passed Monday. It was money very well spentt. I didn't even need to get to the point of bringing up my topics and questions. The endocrinologist combed through my test results and a year's of test history and saw the issue.

As I have dysautonomia as well, he has prescribed a trial of t3 at the lowest dose for four weeks. If that goes fine, I can increase to two lowest doses per day. We are starting low to see if my tachycardia from dysautonomia can tolerate t3. He even said in many cases people see an improvement or reduction in their dysautonomia symptoms as well, but that a small number can't tolerate adding t3.

I have received my prescription and will start it Sunday so I can give full attention to how the first dose makes me feel.

I feeling both nervous and excited at the same time, also a bit trying to prepare my mind for if this doesn't work for me. It feels like a last ditch effort to feel some bit of me to be better.

My follow up appointment is in May to discuss how it went. I have contact info if needed before then.

 

I got some bloods taken recently and had the same problem, so no folate reading. I don't know much about hemolyzed samples.

 

I can share my personal experience here

I've had Hashimoto's since I was a teenager, runs in the family. Was on levothyroxine only for several years. Developed ME/CFS later in college and all my doctors were convinced that my symptoms were due to thyroid hormone levels, even though nothing was out of normal range. Got put on higher T4 doses, added T3, tried pork thyroid...lots of experimentation by my doctors for over a year until I finally pushed my PCP to consider that it's not a thyroid issue. None of the hormone changes ever helped with ME/CFS symptoms.

Myself and my mother (also has hashimoto's) have also had consistently low ferritin. Iron supplementation never helped address that, even trying different formulations.

Funny enough, there was one instance where a nurse practioner accidentally did the conversions wrong when she was switching me from artificial T4+ T3 to pork thyroid. Ended up on half the dosage of pork thyroid I was supposed to take for a few weeks. When I went for the next appointment, she noticed this and apologized profusely, saying "oh gosh I must have made you so much more exhausted!" She didn't believe me when I said I didn't even notice a difference in my symptoms.

 

I have been on my very small dose of T3 for two weeks now. It's been a challenge for my dysautonomia so far. I am supposed to introduce a second daily dose at 4 weeks but I don't think I will. I think I need to go slower than most with this. I know my T3 level is lower than ideal but I think it will be hard getting it up.

Symptoms wise, excluding the ones aggravating dysautonomia some, I've not felt any change whatsoever. No impact on my fatigue. I know it will have a positive effect internally but it's disappointing to not also feel hhe amazing burst of energy other thyroid patients get.

 

Just out of curiosity, what is the lowest dose of T3 that doctors prescribe?

I take T3 and have found that too little T3 and too much T3 will both trigger tachycardia for me.

 

@PrairieLights Would you mind sharing if your ME/CFS symptoms started due to a viral infection or not? Feel free to ignore if you do not feel comfortable. I am just asking because as far as I know, my ME/CFS had nothing to do with a viral infection--it was mostly stress related.

I'm interested in figuring out if something about Hashimoto's can predispose someone to develop ME/CFS without a viral trigger and if our ME/CFS tends to respond differently to certain treatments/supplements than other folks.

 

My endocrinologist said normally the lowest dose is 10 but mine is 5 due to dysautonomia.

 

I am actually not sure. My timeline isn't usual according to my GP. I had been tested several months earlier for thyroid when I had a mix of symptoms including what, looking back was like very mild PEM. I had no thyroid issues so they agree to start me on hrt. I'd say the fatigue was still there and at the end of my work day I felt done.

In June 2023 I did have a covid feeling virus but tested negative. From then onwards everything got worse and worse until I didn't get out of bed for 6 weeks. I was tested in September 2023 and diagnosed hypothyroid then after tested for hashimoto's.

Starting thyroxine and later increases only ever took off an edge. I would definitely say I had PEM from that summer since.

April 2024 I got a sinus infection and a few months later was diagnosed with dysautonomia. Newer been rhe same since, my base never got back to anything before that April.

 

I only know two other people with hypothyroidism in person. Neither of them ended up so fatigued they couldn't get out of bed. One of them has hashimoto's one doesn't.

 

My mother and grandmother also have hasimoto's, though I'm the only one that ended up with ME/CFS. My mother caught COVID recently but never developed Long COVID or ME/CFS from it.

If there is a link between hashimoto's and ME/CFS, I suspect that developing ME/CFS is the result of a "perfect storm" of triggers and hashimoto's is only playing one part.

 

I think all three of my issues must be linked somehow but I haven't proof... either that or I am weirdly unlucky.