T3 IS IMPROVED BUT NOW T4 IS LOW

[anajinn]

I have started taking desiccated thyroid. My T3 has improved and is now in range, as is my TSH. However, my T4 is now only 10 when, prior to using the desiccated thyroid to treat both the TSH and the low T3, it was 12. What is happening here and what should be done about it? I was taking 60 mcg desiccated thyroid, which I believe is equal to 100 mcg synthroid.

[goolarra]

I agree with annie that 3 x 30 mg ERFA plus 150 mcg Synthroid sounds like a lot.  Are we interpreting correctly?  What were you taking before the addition of the Synthroid?  I agree that I thought the doctor would keep ERFA relatively constant (maybe a very slight increase) and add a small amount of Synthroid to balance FT3/FT4 levels.

[magpieannie]

Did your doctor just decide this recently??? That is alot of Synthroid. Do you have a thyroid gland? My daughter (born without a thyroid gland) use to be on 100mcg of Synthroid with out any t3 added ( in desiccated or synthetic) Her t3 was always too low with many hypo health issues (conversion problem) She is now on 3 grains of the original Nature-Throid (65 mg taken 3 x per day for a total of 195 mg.) She is on no Synthroid. She is 9 1/2 years old and weighs 120 lbs. She has been on this for 1 year and doing great! So you are planning on taking a 150 mcg. tablet of t4 only Synthroid in the morning and then adding to it a 1/2 grain/tablet of Erfa 3x during the day? That will probably get that t4 up, however, I hope it will be enough to keep the t3 up there too. I thought you would be supplimenting the larger amount of desiccated with a smaller amount of t4 Synthroid. Instead it looks like the doctor has decided to do the opposite with supplimenting the larger amount of t4 Synthroid with a  smaller amount of desiccated? Am I correct here???

[anajinn]

I use "Thyroid" by ERFA. I discussed dosage with their doctor 3 x 30 mg of "Thyroid" - 150 mcg sythroid. It is by prescription and not over the counter.

[magpieannie]

What desiccated brand are you taking? Are you on Nature-Throid brand made by RLC labs by chance?

[goolarra]

Exactly...the diference between the two of you is that anajinn knows she's a slow converter, whereas you're on dessicated by preference and seem to convert just fine, so I wouldn't expect the addition of some T4 to raise her FT3 level all that much.  Also, she has a lot more room, as you said, in her FT3 (she's still in the middle third of the range)...yours is pretty much topped out.

[foreverlostmom]

When I increased my desiccated my T4 raised but my T3 raised to making it to high but you still have a little bit of room on your T3 so maybe you will be ok.