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[warwick01]

Hi

GP Sec just rang to say my T3 is too high. Had blood test Tue and already take Thyroxine.

Any advice to what this means??

Wx

[countrybumpkin]

Used to be an advisor for a thyroid charity.  Basically you are taking too much thyroxine as your body converts thyroxine medication into T3 to be used by the body.  Usually the blood tests would be TSH and Free T4 levels and sometimes the do T3 as well.

I would expect your TSH to be low if you are taking too much thyroxine and your free T4 to be high and your T3 to be high.

I am guessing the first action is to reduce your medication dose for a few weeks and then retest.  HIgh T3 can cause heart damage if left long term so they will want to reduce it for your health.

I would be interested to know what happens next for you.

[babyjane]

My T3 is always around 4.4 - 5 and I take a T3 suppplement with my thyroxine because I do not convert.  I am told that this level is a good level to have.

[warwick01]

Thanks Ladies

The GP is calling me tomorrow. I am confused as the Sec only said T3 was high so not sure what is going on.

Will let you know tomorrow what she says. Not felt well for ages and always put it down to menopause???

I was told GP doesn't request T3 bloods so want to find out if labs picked it up.....

Wx

[Katejo]

My T3 is always around 4.4 - 5 and I take a T3 suppplement with my thyroxine because I do not convert.  I am told that this level is a good level to have.

How did you find out that you didn't convert?  I have a thyroid outpatient appointment soon as i am not convinced that my thyroxine level is right. My blood tests in the past have never tested T3 as far as I know.

[babyjane]

 a GP request will only test TSH, a T3 test can only be requested by a consultant as far as I know.

I was referred to an endocrinologist many years ago as my thyroid levels were just not stabilising on thyroxine alone. I needed a higher and higher dose and I was still symptomatic.  I read about T3 and not converting on the Thyroid UK website and discussed this with the endo who put me on combination T4/T3 replacement and I soon stabilised.  My particular endocrinologist is at the top of his field and has written papers about the T4/T3 question and failure to convert and I trust him totally.  I still see him twice a year and have my levels monitored and the dose of thyroxine tweaked if necessary

[warwick01]

Hi

GP just rang to say my TSH is 12 and I need to increase my Leveroxine from 100mc to 125mc. I told her the sec who rang yesterday told me my T3 was high and she told me it is TSH. Not sure I'm happy about increasing

Any advice please

Wx

[babyjane]

oh that explains it and yes, 12 is too high for a TSH which ought to be between 0.5 and 4.5. A 25mcg increase is not a lot warwick otherwise you will start to get hypothyroid symptoms.  I feel cold, sluggish and constipated if my TSH goes over 3. 125mcg is a very acceptable dose. I am on the equivalent of 150mcg a day and my mother took 150mcg thyroxine a day for many years.

[warwick01]

Hi Babyjane

Thanks for your reply.

This time last year I was told to reduce my medication as I was over medicating. I always worry about increasing my Leveroxine. Stared on 25 around 18 years ago. If I go on 125 will I need to increase again in the future??

Funny thing the last few days I feel foggy head, cold (have my heating on) and want to sleep all afternoon. Do you use HRT??

Going to increase tomorrow

Wx

[babyjane]

 If I go on 125 will I need to increase again in the future??

Funny thing the last few days I feel foggy head, cold (have my heating on) and want to sleep all afternoon. Do you use HRT??

Maybe and maybe not. I was warned years ago that when I hit the menopause my levels could fluctuate and they did but since I am post meno they are more stable again.

Those symptoms show that you need more thyroxine and you should increase as you have been advised by your doctor.  Don't be scared of it, thyroxine is not a drug, just an essential hormone replacement

I only use topical Vagifem for vaginal atrophy, I never used full HRT because I wanted to avoid too much instability in my thyroid hormones and I never felt I needed it.

[Hurdity]

oh that explains it and yes, 12 is too high for a TSH which ought to be between 0.5 and 4.5. A 25mcg increase is not a lot warwick otherwise you will start to get hypothyroid symptoms.  I feel cold, sluggish and constipated if my TSH goes over 3. 125mcg is a very acceptable dose. I am on the equivalent of 150mcg a day and my mother took 150mcg thyroxine a day for many years.

This is the problem with thyroid health! The ref range is up to 4.5 but those who are being treated are being told they should aim for a lower level and also feel rough at levels being left untreated in others.

I am convinced the difference in how I feel, tiredness etc is due to increasingly underactive thyroid - but only mildly - but enough to notice. Mine was 2.98 at last measurement and doc says it has shown a small but steady rise over the years it has been measured - but they do nothing - as expected on NHS. However as with oestrogen levels different women will be affected differently at different TSH/T3 levels - some feeling well or ill at the same level!

It is such an under-recognised area and probably not  so well known about especially at subacute levels or whatever the term is for those whose (TSH) levels are higher than ideal but not treatable.

Hurdity x

[Katejo]

oh that explains it and yes, 12 is too high for a TSH which ought to be between 0.5 and 4.5. A 25mcg increase is not a lot warwick otherwise you will start to get hypothyroid symptoms.  I feel cold, sluggish and constipated if my TSH goes over 3. 125mcg is a very acceptable dose. I am on the equivalent of 150mcg a day and my mother took 150mcg thyroxine a day for many years.

This is the problem with thyroid health! The ref range is up to 4.5 but those who are being treated are being told they should aim for a lower level and also feel rough at levels being left untreated in others.

I am convinced the difference in how I feel, tiredness etc is due to increasingly underactive thyroid - but only mildly - but enough to notice. Mine was 2.98 at last measurement and doc says it has shown a small but steady rise over the years it has been measured - but they do nothing - as expected on NHS. However as with oestrogen levels different women will be affected differently at different TSH/T3 levels - some feeling well or ill at the same level!

It is such an under-recognised area and probably not  so well known about especially at subacute levels or whatever the term is for those whose (TSH) levels are higher than ideal but not treatable.

Hurdity x

Do any of you have the problem of aching calves and feet? I have had this since peri menopause and it got worse as I progressed towards menopause. A GP suggested reducing my thyroxine so we tried 150mcg instead of 200mcg (which I have been taking for a very long time). I tried reducing it for a few weeks but it didn't help and possibly made it worse so I went back to the original dose until I see a consultant. My last readings were T4 20.8 and TSH 1.51 (I was then on 200mcg).

[imgeha]

MY daughter's T3 is also high and my thyroid doc said this could be due to low iron or low vitamin D which could cause the T3 to pool in the blood and not be used by the body. Did you have these tested aswell?

[countrybumpkin]

From what I am reading it appears that the receptionist at the surgery gave you the wrong information as your T3 had not been tested and it was your TSH that was high at 12?

You really do need to increase your thyroxine with a TSH of 12. The reference range for my lab is 0.3 -5.6 but all labs have slightly different ranges.  One thyroid specialist recommends we keep our TSH no higher than 1.5 for max benefit but thats just one opinion.

I am now 4 years post meno and not on hrt but when I was on the cusp of post meno I had about 3 years of yoyoing thyroid results and had to constantly change my dose of med until it settled down past 2 years.  This is normal with hormonal upheaval and best thing is closer monitering. I ended up having bloods done every 3 months for a few years.

[babyjane]

I totally agree with countrybumpkin.  My levels were never the same twice running over the meno years but in the past 18 months and three checks they have remained stable.