T4 Is Challenging

[ecstatichamster]

My rat can keep my temps up and slightly hyperthyroid with T3, but when I use T4 on my rat, sometimes I get an rT3 surge and its temps plunge. I would like to just not use T4 but I'm concerned that isn't healthy for my rat.

The rat is using Idealabs Tyronene and Tyromix.

 

[thomas00]

...when I use T4 on my rat, sometimes I get an rT3 surge and its temps plunge

Is that always what happens when temps drop from (excessive) thyroid use?


I never get hyperthyroid from t3. If I use too much I go horribly cold, depressed and miserable.


T4 gives me lethargy and pretty horrendous heart palpitations, even it pretty small amounts (6mcg per day with 3 mcg of t3). It seems like some of us just can't handle t4...

 

[sweetpeat]

Have you tried cycling the t4? Since it has a longer half life, you might not need to take it every day

 

[ecstatichamster]

Have you tried cycling the t4? Since it has a longer half life, you might not need to take it every day

I have not.

 

[lollipop]

Have you tried cycling the t4? Since it has a longer half life, you might not need to take it every day

Not to derail @ecstatichamster ’s thread - excuse me, but nice to see you again @sweetpeat!

 

[sweetpeat]

Not to derail @ecstatichamster ’s thread - excuse me, but nice to see you again @sweetpeat!

Thank you for saying so! I actually pop in on the forum most days but only post occasionally.

 

[lollipop]

Thank you for saying so! I actually pop in on the forum most days but only post occasionally.

 

[johnsmith]

Is there anything wrong with taking ones daily t4 dose all at once? I take my t3 doses throughout the day.

 

[ecstatichamster]

I would suggest twice a day. It has some effect I think so dosing twice might be better.

 

[johnsmith]

I would suggest twice a day. It has some effect I think so dosing twice might be better.

Thanks.

 

[Jackrabbit]

I would suggest twice a day. It has some effect I think so dosing twice might be better.

It depends on what t4 you’re using. If it’s synthesis aka levothyroxine, that’s time released so there would be no point to taking it twice a day. If your taking tyromix then you should divvy up the dose over multiple times of the day because of the addition of t3, which you shouldn’t take too much of at once.
I’m wary of taking just t3 all day unless you are so in tune with your body and have the ability to take it wherever and whenever. Levothyroxine alone was not enough for me, but now that I take t3 it’s a good combo. My TSH has gone down from over 5 to .2, and I can monitor the t3 needs based on pulse. Even if I take a lot of t3 this time of year I will be cold and I’m not taking too much. I can take a levothyroxine and be warm within less than an hour.

 

[TeaRex14]

T4 is a tricky devil, hard to get a handle on it in my experience because so many things can cause a rT3 elevation. Too much T4, selenium deficiency, glucose deficiency, and intestinal endotoxins can all cause impairment in the T4 conversion process. As well as other things probably, but these are the ones that come to mind immediately.

 

[johnsmith]

I'm guessing ecstatichamster may have been implying there are some immediate benefits (effects) of taking T4, so split the dose, to benefit more. Yes, I have been taking it as Levothyroxine. I asked this question because I was uneducated about whether or not taking ones daily T4 dose all at once might slightly increase the chances of some of the T4 converting to rT3?

 

[TeaRex14]

I'm guessing ecstatichamster may have been implying there are some immediate benefits (effects) of taking T4, so split the dose, to benefit more. Yes, I have been taking it as Levothyroxine. I asked this question because I was uneducated about whether or not taking ones daily T4 dose all at once might slightly increase the chances of some of the T4 converting to R-T3?

Probably not, as long as the dosage isn't insanely high. They say T3 is like 3 times more potent then T4, so there's approx. 50mcg of T4 and 12mcg of T3 in 1 grain of desiccated thyroid. For levothyroxine, and the conversion isn't 100% accurate, that would equal about 100mcgs of levo. Most people can take 1 grain of NDT without much issue, so that would stand to reason at least 100mcgs of T4 could be taken without much issue. But then again, I'm a laymen, and I've never taken T4 only. So take my advice with a disclaimer. Watch out for feelings of coldness in your extremities, that could be a sign of rT3 elevation. There's literally hundreds of ways to dose your thyroid meds, so some experimentation might be in order. Peat recommends only taking T4 at night, and taking T3 throughout the day.

 

[johnsmith]

T4 is a tricky devil, hard to get a handle on it in my experience because so many things can cause a rT3 elevation. Too much T4, selenium deficiency, glucose deficiency, and intestinal endotoxins can all cause impairment in the T4 conversion process. As well as other things probably, but these are the ones that come to mind immediately.

Thanks. I want to do all I can to prevent rT3 elevation. I'm going to try and get my Doctor to test my plasma selenium levels.