T3 Only Experiences

[j.]

I'd be interested in hearing experiences of people using T3 only as thyroid supplementation.

If you used T3 only for some condition or symptoms, how was your experience?

 

[Suikerbuik]

Just checked it out for being hypo. T3 only gave me the same issues as peat experienced: skipping heart beat. And overall it's not really warming for long time and even lowered heart rate sometimes (<55). Also nearly felt it immediately when I missed a day.

Now using cynoplus 2x 1/2 tablet per day (morning and evening) and occasionaly 2x 1/4 cynomel per day, just by feeling. I don't have a conversion problem and do much better on T4 included. Overall my body temprature is good now and heart rate is higher too (+-65 usually, sometimes higher). This getting more steady.

Not sure what my TSH is. I prefer going this way with T4/T3, although in the beginning T4 made me feel colder, as if I had a conversion issues. It is now solved and doing fine, think the body has to get used to. Nutrient intake must be okay, otherwise you may experience this too.

 

[j.]

Did the bad symptoms occur even with doses such as 4 mcg?

 

[Shrimp]

A few years back, I was able to slowly raise to a dose of 125mcg Cytomel. Oddly, it did pretty much nothing, and that was a HUGE dose for a tiny 90lb woman like myself. I really don't see any benefit to T3-only treatment, as the body does need some T4, and if there are any conversion issues you can simply take less T4 and more T3.

 

[Suikerbuik]

Did the bad symptoms occur even with doses such as 4 mcg?

Nope, once a day or twice a 4 mcg don't cause issues. But don't rise my body temperature over long periods of time, nor is there a rise in heart rate. Supplementing 4 mcg every 2h is a pain in the **** and still wasn't like the effect I am having now. I also came to realise also that some tissues prefer T4 uptake over T3 and convert it themselves. This makes sense when, besides passive diffusion, different families of proteins (transporters) are said to be involved in thyroid hormone transport.

As of today monocarboxylate anion transporters (MCT8) and organic anion transporting polypeptides (OATP1C1) are known as significant in transport of T3, T4, rT3, but who knows maybe there's more?

 

[j.]

Which organs benefit more from T4 and which more from T3?

I recall Peat saying that having a relatively higher ratio of T3 to T4 is important specifically for the brain.

 

[Suikerbuik]

I am not sure, read it some time ago and cannot find the paper(s) sorry. Find yourself information, G. Henneman wrote something about it somewhere. Thought heart and hair and maybe kidneys.

http://tiredthyroid.com/rt3.html may be of interest too.

 

[Vanced]

On T3 I developed some horrible symptoms such as anxiety, weight gain, ED, dry hair/skin - all hypo symptoms. I cannot tolerate it at all now, even one tiny 5mcg dose makes me feel awful.

Currently just taking T4 between 50mcg and 75mcg per day and feeling great. To think of all the years I have wasted on trying different thyroid medications when simple T4 was the answer after all.

 

[Lucas]

post 108980 On T3 I developed some horrible symptoms such as anxiety, weight gain, ED, dry hair/skin - all hypo symptoms. I cannot tolerate it at all now, even one tiny 5mcg dose makes me feel awful.

Currently just taking T4 between 50mcg and 75mcg per day and feeling great. To think of all the years I have wasted on trying different thyroid medications when simple T4 was the answer after all.

Please, don’t say that to the stopthethyroidmadness crowd!! T4 only don’t work!!

 

[Parsifal]

On T3 I developed some horrible symptoms such as anxiety, weight gain, ED, dry hair/skin - all hypo symptoms. I cannot tolerate it at all now, even one tiny 5mcg dose makes me feel awful.

Currently just taking T4 between 50mcg and 75mcg per day and feeling great. To think of all the years I have wasted on trying different thyroid medications when simple T4 was the answer after all.

Seems like you were not eating enough?

 

[Vanced]

post 108992

On T3 I developed some horrible symptoms such as anxiety, weight gain, ED, dry hair/skin - all hypo symptoms. I cannot tolerate it at all now, even one tiny 5mcg dose makes me feel awful.

Currently just taking T4 between 50mcg and 75mcg per day and feeling great. To think of all the years I have wasted on trying different thyroid medications when simple T4 was the answer after all.

Seems like you were not eating enough?

Why do you say that? Food quantity made no difference.

 

[Parsifal]

post 109360

post 108992

On T3 I developed some horrible symptoms such as anxiety, weight gain, ED, dry hair/skin - all hypo symptoms. I cannot tolerate it at all now, even one tiny 5mcg dose makes me feel awful.

Currently just taking T4 between 50mcg and 75mcg per day and feeling great. To think of all the years I have wasted on trying different thyroid medications when simple T4 was the answer after all.

Seems like you were not eating enough?

Why do you say that? Food quantity made no difference.

When you raise metabolism by taking thyroid you need to eat more or else you stress your body.

 

[newroyalty]

One thing to keep in mind and its very important is reverse t3. Taking a combo of t4/t3 like NDT, or cynoplus, your body can convert the t4 into reverse t3. The reverse t3 will block the cells from accepting any t3, and you will fell hypothyroid. The only cure for this is t3 only. The only way to find out is through bloodwork. You need to test for reverse t3 and free t3, then divide to give you a percentage. If you fall below 20%, you are making reverse t3.

It may seem complicated cause it is. This has happened to me. Dr.s didn't figure it out I did. You have to be careful because once the t4 clears the system, you will not need as much t3 as you were taking. It literally happens overnight and you get a flood of t3. My blood pressure went up along with temp and pulse. Cut my dose into a 1/3 and feel great.

One thing I think people need to keep in mind is everyone is different. Most people do horrible on t4 only, but a small % don't. Doing t3 only should be last resort after trying T4, NDT, synthetic T4/T3, then T3.

 

[Saphire]

One thing to keep in mind and its very important is reverse t3. Taking a combo of t4/t3 like NDT, or cynoplus, your body can convert the t4 into reverse t3. The reverse t3 will block the cells from accepting any t3, and you will fell hypothyroid. The only cure for this is t3 only. The only way to find out is through bloodwork. You need to test for reverse t3 and free t3, then divide to give you a percentage. If you fall below 20%, you are making reverse t3.

It may seem complicated cause it is. This has happened to me. Dr.s didn't figure it out I did. You have to be careful because once the t4 clears the system, you will not need as much t3 as you were taking. It literally happens overnight and you get a flood of t3. My blood pressure went up along with temp and pulse. Cut my dose into a 1/3 and feel great.

One thing I think people need to keep in mind is everyone is different. Most people do horrible on t4 only, but a small % don't. Doing t3 only should be last resort after trying T4, NDT, synthetic T4/T3, then T3.

I have a question on the above post. I started taking t3 only Aug 1, this year, i've increased my dosage up to 40 mcg's a day. Just 2 weeks ago i started getting hypo symptoms of anxiety, racing mind, miserably dry skin, bloated stomach. I know by now all NDT has gone out of my system. Those on a t3 forum keep saying to up my dose. When i do, skin dryness gets worse. I am wondering if i do need to add in a small dose of t4 of t3/t4 or if its a surge of t3 as stated above and i need to lower dosage of t3? What are your thoughts?

 

[thomas00]

do you take that 40mcg all at once?

btw this is Ray's experience with t3 only:

"When I used only Cytomel, any little stress would make me suddenly hypothyroid, and my heart would stop several times in a minute; when I started using some thyroid, USP, that contained both T4 and T3 it stopped happening"


Personally I can't take anything with t4 in it.

 

[Saphire]

do you take that 40mcg all at once?

btw this is Ray's experience with t3 only:

"When I used only Cytomel, any little stress would make me suddenly hypothyroid, and my heart would stop several times in a minute; when I started using some thyroid, USP, that contained both T4 and T3 it stopped happening"


Personally I can't take anything with t4 in it.

That 40 mcg is divided into 3 doses 6a, 12p, 4p. I have been keeping tabs on vitals continuously. Recently is when i experienced the dry skin and other hypo issues. I have been doing well until the last 2 weeks. I am seriously thinking about adding a very small amount of NDT or t4 back in. Just not sure where to start with that on dosage.

Besides this last 2 weeks, i had been feeling pretty good. Very clear in mind, stable energy and vitals.

 

[Herbie]

I bought cynomel and cynoplus and always got a headache with cynoplus but use cynomel to fall back asleep if I wake up too early.

 

[Sefton10]

Interesting write up on T3 mono-therapy

Thyroid therapies: What my life is like in the T3-monotherapy wheelchair

Here, I’ll use my own personal example to discuss a few dimensions of T3 monotherapy, which I envision as a “wheelchair.” I’m drawing on the fictional analogy I developed in…

thyroidpatients.ca