Why You Might Feel Worse When Taking T3 Thyroid Medication

Feeling Heart Flutters, Jittery, or Anxious When Adding T3 for Your Hashimoto’s or Hypothyroidism? Here are Some Reasons Why You Might Feel Worse When Taking T3 Thyroid Medication:

According to Hashimoto’s and hypothyroid patient experiences, if we encounter symptoms similar to hyperthyroidism after taking medication containing T3 for thyroid, such as natural desiccated thyroid / NDT, T4/T3, or T3-only, it could indicate cortisol dysregulation (aka adrenal fatigue).

This is because the T3 may not be reaching the cells properly due to the cortisol problem, causing the T3 levels in the blood to rise too high.

*Looking for more info on Hashimoto’s thyroiditis? Check out this free resource page here.

Symptoms You Might Experience

If when trying to add or raise medication that contains the thyroid hormone T3 you notice scary symptoms like:

*Anxiety

*Heart palpitations / high heart rate

*Shaking / trembling

*Racing thoughts

*Insomnia

*Feeling overstimulated

…these symptoms might be hinting that you are having problems with the T3 getting into your cells.

BUT this doesn’t mean that we should never include T3 in our treatment!

In fact, for the majority of Hashi’s and hypo patients, T3 hormone supplementation has proved to be a VITAL addition to their long-term treatment plan to thrive with thyroid disease and reverse symptoms like weight gain, hair loss, and fatigue.

T3 replacement can be a VITAL addition to a patient’s hypothyroidism treatment plan.

So where do we go from here when we aren’t tolerating T3 replacement, though?

STEP 1: Most patients will first lower their T3 dose to an amount that wasn’t causing them the reaction.

STEP 2: Then they will work on correcting the cortisol imbalance in the background.

Accurate adrenal testing makes all the difference

Testing with a 24-hr saliva cortisol/adrenal panel is so important here so that you know which points of the day to address with supplementation (adaptogens or adrenal cortex) or cortisol replacement medication.

A very important note (not medical advice): Per patient experiences, before starting supplements for adrenals, we’ve needed to first take a 24 -hour saliva cortisol panel so that way we know at what times we need to take cortisol-adding supplement or medication (i.e. adrenal cortex or hydrocortisone) and at what times we need to take cortisol-lowering supplements (i.e. phosphatidyl serene, licorice, or rhodiola).

I highly suggest reading the most recent version of this book (avoid buying a used, less up to date version). Particularly chapter 6 contains info to share with your doc about adrenals and testing and supplementing. The last thing patients have said they want to do is take the wrong type of supplement at the wrong time of day, which can worsen their adrenals.

Also, this support group and their archives has been essential to understanding my adrenals!

Working with a functional practitioner for this step will save you so much grief and years of your life (been there done that myself!).  

Find the root cause of the adrenal dysfunction

It’s imperative to find the root cause of the cortisol imbalance and really dig away at it, not just supplement/take meds and relieve emotional stress.

Root causes of adrenal fatigue can include (but are not limited to) and are usually a combination of:

Stealth infections (Epstein-Barr Virus, CMV, HSV6, Lyme, etc)

Parasites

Low Iron

Chronic inflammation

Chronic exposure to stress

Unresolved past or ongoing trauma

Vagus nerve dysfunction

Sex hormone imbalance

Over-exercising

Fasting / Undereating

Nutrient deficiencies

Microbiome imbalance

Circadian rhythm imbalance

Genetic mutations (like MTHFR)

Check your thyroid levels regularly while adjusting your medication

Be sure to test your FT3, FT4, and TPO every 3 to 4 months, and even more often (ie, every 6 weeks) when you are trying to increase/optimize your thyroid medication dose.

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In Conclusion: Why You Might Feel Worse When Taking T3 Thyroid Medication

Cortisol dysregulation may be to blame if we encounter concerning problems like heart palpitations, trembling, and insomnia when trying to increase or add T3 thyroid medication to our hypothyroid or Hashimoto’s treatment plan. Instead of dismissing this vital therapy altogether, it’s vital to get to the root of potential adrenal fatigue.

Many patients find success by first reducing their T3 to a tolerable dose while addressing the underlying causes of the cortisol imbalance with a functional practitioner. Test thyroid levels regularly and work with a thyroid-literate integrative doctor while tinkering with thyroid medication dosing to ensure you get the best and safest treatment possible.

Looking for more thyroid support?

1) Download your free Thyroid Checklist here (no signup required)

2) Sign up to receive your free Quantum Thyroid Bundle.

3) Measure and analyze your functional thyroid levels (beyond TSH) at home.

*Not medical advice. Always talk to your competent doctor first.

Sources:

https://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/ndt-doesnt-work-for-me/

https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/adrenal-wisdom/

https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/adrenal-info/

https://www.womenshealthnetwork.com/adrenal-fatigue-and-stress/#symptoms

https://alignedmodernhealth.com/functional-medicine-guide-adrenal-fatigue/

https://drwillcole.com/energy/facts-about-adrenal-fatigue