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T3 meds and a pounding heart

Posted , 5 users are following.

Tutu123
Tutu123

hi,

i have recently been been going through the transition of switching from levothryoxine alone (125mg previously) to a combination of this and liothyronine. I was given too much of both at the beginning of this transition and was told to stop Levo completely and I've only been taking 10mg of liothyronine for the last 4 days. 

Im starting to feel tired and colder (as I am now under replaced), but I am still feeling a pounding in my chest.

has anyone else experienced this side effect of liothyronine and does it get better?

im desperate to stay on the T3 as it helps a lot with the tiredness and brain fog and Levo alone just doesn't work for me.

any help will be appreciated!

0 likes, 29 replies

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  • shannon93482
    shannon93482 Tutu123

    Posted

    Hello - I was on Levothyroxine for many years.  A few years ago I started having a lot of bad symptoms.  Really bad nerve pain in my feet, joint pain, vibrating nerves, restless leg syndrom, hair loss, being cold all the time.  I tried increasing and then decreasing my medication and nothing worked.  Recently, I switched over to a Nature Throid and all of my symptoms dissappeared and I was thrilled!  Especially because of the foot pain.  I could go on walks again!  The only problem was that I was experiencing a bit of exhaustion so I started reading the forums again and found out that when you switch to a natural thyroid medication your T4 hormone can be dramatically reduced once your T3 levels go up.  So I started splitting my medication and taking half in the morning and half at night.  This helped but not completely.  Then I read the findings from a recent study done on T4 only drugs vs. natural.  The findings were that people felt better on the natural but were still lacking a bit on the T4 so they recommended supplementing a small amount of T4 to make up the difference.  So, I tried it!  I am feeling better than I've felt in years!  I take 1/2 of my natural dose in the morning and 1/2 at night.  I supplement with 1/4 pill (18.75 mcg) of Levothyroxine at lunch.  I listen to my body and adjust my meds accordingly.  Lots of people warn against this because they say you need to be closely monitored by a doctor.  I disagree to some extent.  In my experience the numbers on paper don't match the symptoms.  If I'm feeling good, I'm balanced!  If my hands and feet are tingling and I have restless legs, my T4 is too high.  If my heart is racing for no reason my T3 is too high.  I make adjustments while staying pretty close to my normal doses.  I may skip the T4 only med and take it every other day.  But for the most part.  I'm feeling good and thought people should know.  It's taken me a really long time to find this balance and I know how frutrating it can be for people who are suffering with this.  It sucks!  I hope this helps.
    • Tutu123
      Tutu123 shannon93482

      Posted

      Hi shannon- thank you that is good to know. My doctor mentioned that people rarely take T3 meds alone and it is also best to have a bit of T4 in addition to this, which is what I've been trying.

      As I just commented to Barbara, they think I may have been misdiagnosed (or only needed a very small amount of thyroid medication). This was eight years ago though so the chances are my thyroid may have been damaged already and will probably need some medication anyway.

      The natural thryoid meds would be my next option if I do still need to be medicated, so that's useful to know about the t4- is this still the case with NDT? As I thought this contained both T3 and T4 hormones?

      Thanks

  • shannon93482
    shannon93482 Tutu123

    Posted

    Yes, they do contain both. They actually contain all four T hormones that your body needs.  Which is why I'm sure I feel so much better. But for some reason the T4 isn't adequate for a lot of people.  I am much happier on the NDT.  I have exchanged 10 symptoms for one that comes and goes.  Way more manageable.
    • barbara98940
      barbara98940 shannon93482

      Posted

      Shannon, are you on the porcine NDT? It has a higher ratio of T4 to T3 (4:1), than the bovine NDT (9:1) and I wondered whether that is why it is necessary to supplememt with T4. I seem to be fine without the extra T4 on the bovine NDT.
    • shannon93482
      shannon93482 barbara98940

      Posted

      Yes, I am on the porcine NDT.  I'm hoping that the lower T4 is just an initial symptom of switching over and will adjust itself over time.  I have been skipping the Levo lately, taking it every two to three days now as I'm starting to get the vibrating nerves when it gets too high.  That's a good sign that my body is adjusting.  
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