To use T3 meds or not

[liya8]

First was told I have myxedema and now I have just been diagnosed with Hashimoto's been Hypothyroid for nearly 30 years of my life.

I have always been slim my whole thyroid living life.

Now find that I feel cold often, my legs are ice cold at times as well as my hands and have a lot of edema and am gaining weight.

The Endo I have does not believe in any T3 medication and increased my thyroxin and removed the Cytomel totally.

Has anyone else had this exprience.

Will I lose the edema this way.

Thanks

[laura1967]

Find a new endo quickly in my opinion!!  That is insane that he doesn't believe in T3 meds.....there are people with conversion problems! I am one of them.
Did he even bother to run the Free T3 with your Free T4 test?
Did a different dr put you on Cytomel to begin with? Do you have any test results you can post?
Edema is from being hypo. How long have you been off the cytomel and did symptoms start after going off?

[liya8]

In Hong Kong they do not believe in Free T 3 Tests or giving T3 meds.

I ended up in hospital and the endo there dealt with me - the private dr I had gave me 100mcg of Thyroxin and 125mcg of Armour thyroid - it caused havoc - loads of weight loss then cut the thyroxin to 50mcg and the Armour to 30mcg and a month later removed Armour and put me on 20mcg of Cytomel.

Hospital tests indicate T3 toxicisity and Small hypodense foci at right basal ganglia probably due to infact or ischemic changes. also indicates autoimune thyroiditis.  Now Cytomel is removed and given 75mcg of Thyroxin one day and to alternate the next with 100mcg of Thyroxin.  My neck is stiff and hurts a lot over the shoulder and neck area on the left, I have one eye looking a bit larger (right eye)  than the other and at times it hurts

TSH at <0.01
FT4 11.5 (7.7 -16.2)
FT3 T/F
ATg/ ATm T/F
Cortisol 153
LDSST done results T/F
Anti acetylcholine receptor ab T/F

not sure what all of this means.

[stella5349]

I don't believe removing you off the Cytomel was the right decision.

[troojyan]

Hi liya8,

I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's just short of three years ago though I had symptoms quite some time before.   I spent the first two years on T4 meds alone.   My symptoms improved but I never felt right.  One symptom that remained constant for me was weight gain.  My Dr. who is a great doc for listening to how I feel and not just going on blood test results, would increase my T4 to try and help me lose weight.   This would send me into overdrive (I would be nervous, tearful, shaky etc) but I would still gain weight.   We noticed this a year ago and I started on a T3/T4 combination.  I felt better within days. Better than I had felt in three years.    And for the first time, I can slowly work on weight loss.

My recommendation is that you go on how you feel.  If you have T3 toxicity perhaps your doc wants to temporarily take you off to try stabilize your T3 level.  But long term, I would recommend you try and have your Dr treat your symptoms and how you feel.  I have met far more people who praise combination meds than praise T4 alone.  I have met few people who have felt worse on T3 /T4 combination.  The trick is also getting the amount of T3 right.  It is much more potent than T4.  

And if your Endo will not work with you, then if you can, change Endo.

Good luck!

[liya8]

Thanks sooo much.

I am feeling much better - no T3 usage at all and just T4 - 100mcg on even days and 75 mcg on uneven days and supplement these with 2 amplues of Thyreoidea composition a week together with Ovarium Compositiona both thyroid stimulating hormones and  a Heel product and  this is the treatment I had before relocating to Hong Kong.

Slowly am feeling my old self again - the edema is going and my weight is back to 48 kilograms.  The body aches are gone and I am able to sleep much better too.  Do find my eyes still a bit dry but am way better.

I am not sure that I would want to make use of Cytomel or any T3 again to be honest.  I know most will disagree but will rather stick to the Heel products - they work better for me.

Best wishes to all.