ilovethesea
Member
- Joined
- Feb 9, 2013
- Messages
- 1,115
I'm trying to figure out how I should change my thyroid dosage and could use some help.
Background if you haven't read my other threads: I only have 1/2 a thyroid (cancer) so have been taking meds for 5 yrs now. I believe I am hypo (cold hands and feet all the time among other symptoms) and was so even before I got thyroid cancer. In the past couple years I mega dosed iodine which caused me have to lower my dosage, but I've stopped that now so I'll definitely need to increase/change my dosage.
I read this quote from Peat about how he suggests supplementing:
Currently I take the natural dessicated thyroid from Erfa plus some Synthroid.
Erfa has 18 mcg T4 and 4 mcg T3.
My Synthroid is 50 mcg.
So all up I am getting 68 mcg of T4 and 4 mcg of T3 daily.
So that's WAY off the 4:1 ratio that it sounds like Peat is suggesting. It's 17:1!
Problem is, whenever I've tried to lower the T4 by cutting the Synthroid dose in half I've not felt as good and had terrible breakouts. But according to my bloodwork, my ranges are fine with either 50 or 25 mcg of Synthroid... not that that proves anything.
What I'm thinking of doing is doubling my Erfa (so that would mean 36 mcg T4 and 8 mcg T3) and reducing my Synthroid in half (25 mcg) for a total of 61 mcg T4 and 8 mcg T3. This would be an 8:1 ratio though, so not sure if that is too dramatic of a change from 17:1.
If anyone has any thoughts on what may be happening with me and ideas on what I should do now, I would be very grateful. Why do I seem to need so much T4 and have an adverse reaction when I lower it? What would be the best way to change my meds to fix this hypo situation?
Background if you haven't read my other threads: I only have 1/2 a thyroid (cancer) so have been taking meds for 5 yrs now. I believe I am hypo (cold hands and feet all the time among other symptoms) and was so even before I got thyroid cancer. In the past couple years I mega dosed iodine which caused me have to lower my dosage, but I've stopped that now so I'll definitely need to increase/change my dosage.
I read this quote from Peat about how he suggests supplementing:
An effective way to use supplements is to take a combination T4-T3 dose, e.g., 40 mcg of T4 and 10 mcg of T3 once a day, and to use a few mcg of T3 at other times in the day. Keeping a 14-day chart of pulse rate and temperature allows you to see whether the dose is producing the desired response. If the figures aren't increasing at all after a few days, the dose can be increased, until a gradual daily increment can be seen, moving toward the goal at the rate of about 1/14 per day
Currently I take the natural dessicated thyroid from Erfa plus some Synthroid.
Erfa has 18 mcg T4 and 4 mcg T3.
My Synthroid is 50 mcg.
So all up I am getting 68 mcg of T4 and 4 mcg of T3 daily.
So that's WAY off the 4:1 ratio that it sounds like Peat is suggesting. It's 17:1!
Problem is, whenever I've tried to lower the T4 by cutting the Synthroid dose in half I've not felt as good and had terrible breakouts. But according to my bloodwork, my ranges are fine with either 50 or 25 mcg of Synthroid... not that that proves anything.
What I'm thinking of doing is doubling my Erfa (so that would mean 36 mcg T4 and 8 mcg T3) and reducing my Synthroid in half (25 mcg) for a total of 61 mcg T4 and 8 mcg T3. This would be an 8:1 ratio though, so not sure if that is too dramatic of a change from 17:1.
If anyone has any thoughts on what may be happening with me and ideas on what I should do now, I would be very grateful. Why do I seem to need so much T4 and have an adverse reaction when I lower it? What would be the best way to change my meds to fix this hypo situation?