Today is the first day to take T3 only. For the last 2-3 weeks I've reduced the thyroxine from 50 mcg to 25 mcg (took only half a pill at a time) and introduced T3 as well as 25 mcg twice a day. Now the T3 I have (made by Uni Pharma) in Greece is very weak, based on this post at Thyroid-RT3. However this is what I currently have, and while I have ordered Cytomel from the online source that gets quietly passed around between people who want to start getting T3, until the pills arrive, I'll have to take what I have.
However it's good because after reading what I now call the 'Bible of living with T3', the book by Paul Robinson called Recovering with T3, I know now that I have to first clear the synthetic T4 from my body before really working on properly dosing the T3. So the weak T3 that I'm taking now will be just enough to keep me from having heavy hypothyroidism symptoms while the T4 clears out. I love this book and it is at my bedside table, to pick up and read the relevant parts throughout my journey.
So right now the 'weak' T3 will be taken 3 times in same size dozes. I won't worry about taking too much, because, like I said, it's very weak and and this is just to keep me from becoming very hypo. I will adjust and work on finding my personalized dosage once Cytomel comes through the post (in a couple of weeks), which will give the synthetic T4 time to nicely clear (at least most of it) from my body.
I'm taking equal doses of T3 of 12.5 mcg at 8 am, 12 pm and 5 pm. Also started to take my basal temperature, and will do initially 3 times throughout the day for a particular reason. I want to make sure that I don't have adrenal problems. While I can't find in my parts of the world the 24 hrs cortisol saliva test, taking the temperature at various times of day for a few days (always at the same time) and then averaging the data will give me a glimpse into whether the adrenals function correctly or not. If there are fluctuations and the temps are not steady, then I might have a problem, and might be really worth looking into it.
Also taking the temperature has the role of checking for signs of being hypo - lower temps do have the indication of hypothyroidism (especially when I do feel cold and there is no reason to feel that way).
This morning I took my T3 at 8 am and took my temperature at 8.15. It was 36.7 C (98.06 F), which is quite ok. Will take my temps every 3 hours, 3 times a day.
However it's good because after reading what I now call the 'Bible of living with T3', the book by Paul Robinson called Recovering with T3, I know now that I have to first clear the synthetic T4 from my body before really working on properly dosing the T3. So the weak T3 that I'm taking now will be just enough to keep me from having heavy hypothyroidism symptoms while the T4 clears out. I love this book and it is at my bedside table, to pick up and read the relevant parts throughout my journey.
So right now the 'weak' T3 will be taken 3 times in same size dozes. I won't worry about taking too much, because, like I said, it's very weak and and this is just to keep me from becoming very hypo. I will adjust and work on finding my personalized dosage once Cytomel comes through the post (in a couple of weeks), which will give the synthetic T4 time to nicely clear (at least most of it) from my body.
I'm taking equal doses of T3 of 12.5 mcg at 8 am, 12 pm and 5 pm. Also started to take my basal temperature, and will do initially 3 times throughout the day for a particular reason. I want to make sure that I don't have adrenal problems. While I can't find in my parts of the world the 24 hrs cortisol saliva test, taking the temperature at various times of day for a few days (always at the same time) and then averaging the data will give me a glimpse into whether the adrenals function correctly or not. If there are fluctuations and the temps are not steady, then I might have a problem, and might be really worth looking into it.
Also taking the temperature has the role of checking for signs of being hypo - lower temps do have the indication of hypothyroidism (especially when I do feel cold and there is no reason to feel that way).
This morning I took my T3 at 8 am and took my temperature at 8.15. It was 36.7 C (98.06 F), which is quite ok. Will take my temps every 3 hours, 3 times a day.
