Hypothyroidism and Hyperthyroidism

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Anyone on multiple meds for hypo?

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Phatgurl83704
Phatgurl83704 Posts: 2
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Hi all..

I'm just wondering if anyone is on multiple medications for hypo? I was diagnosed with hypo when I was 12 but just got the official Hashimoto's diagnosis two years ago. Until recently it was controlled with 200mcg Levothyroxine.

A couple of months ago my levels were off (TSH 8.5) so I'm my doctor added .025mcg of Levothyroxine and 5mcg of Liothyronine. Now I'm taking three separate pills and I'm getting discouraged. Anyone else taking multiple meds? I've never heard of other people w/ hypo having to do this. Do I have any hope of going back to one pill?

I know in the grand scheme of things, worrying about taking three tiny pills instead of one is rather superficial. But I'm a creature of habit, and I miss my ONE pill. :)

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  • dq_diva
    dq_diva Posts: 66
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    Yes, I take synthroid and liothyronine....the latter is a T3 supplement. You could ask about Armour Thyroid which is the natural thyroid replacement and has both T4 and T3. (I used it for a long time, then the lab stopped making it for a long time which is when I back to the synthetic combo, but it is back in production.) Many doctors are reluctant to prescribe it mainly because the synthetic replacement is more consistent from batch to batch. Just make sure when they test your #'s they look at both free T3's and free T4's.....not just TSH.
    Good luck :)
  • islandmonkey
    islandmonkey Posts: 546 Member
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    Hi all..

    I'm just wondering if anyone is on multiple medications for hypo? I was diagnosed with hypo when I was 12 but just got the official Hashimoto's diagnosis two years ago. Until recently it was controlled with 200mcg Levothyroxine.

    A couple of months ago my levels were off (TSH 8.5) so I'm my doctor added .025mcg of Levothyroxine and 5mcg of Liothyronine. Now I'm taking three separate pills and I'm getting discouraged. Anyone else taking multiple meds? I've never heard of other people w/ hypo having to do this. Do I have any hope of going back to one pill?

    I know in the grand scheme of things, worrying about taking three tiny pills instead of one is rather superficial. But I'm a creature of habit, and I miss my ONE pill. :)


    It looks like your doctor is only testing your pituitary gland hormone (TSH) and not your actual thyroid hormones (T3 and T4). When you're taking thyroid meds the feedback loop between your thyroid and your pituitary is broken, so TSH becomes even less important for diagnosis and treatment. I would STRONGLY urge you to ensure your doctor tests your free T3 and free T4 levels and bases your dose on that.

    You're currently on a synthetic T4, and they've added in the synthetic T3. Most people feel MUCH better when taking a natural/dessicated thyroid med like Armour or Nature Thyroid, as they not only contain both T3 and T4, but the T4 is bioidentical to your body's T4 and is therefore easier to convert into T3. Not only would you likely feel much better, you'd be taking only 1 pill again!
  • Phatgurl83704
    Phatgurl83704 Posts: 2
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    Hi all..

    I'm just wondering if anyone is on multiple medications for hypo? I was diagnosed with hypo when I was 12 but just got the official Hashimoto's diagnosis two years ago. Until recently it was controlled with 200mcg Levothyroxine.

    A couple of months ago my levels were off (TSH 8.5) so I'm my doctor added .025mcg of Levothyroxine and 5mcg of Liothyronine. Now I'm taking three separate pills and I'm getting discouraged. Anyone else taking multiple meds? I've never heard of other people w/ hypo having to do this. Do I have any hope of going back to one pill?

    I know in the grand scheme of things, worrying about taking three tiny pills instead of one is rather superficial. But I'm a creature of habit, and I miss my ONE pill. :)


    It looks like your doctor is only testing your pituitary gland hormone (TSH) and not your actual thyroid hormones (T3 and T4). When you're taking thyroid meds the feedback loop between your thyroid and your pituitary is broken, so TSH becomes even less important for diagnosis and treatment. I would STRONGLY urge you to ensure your doctor tests your free T3 and free T4 levels and bases your dose on that.

    You're currently on a synthetic T4, and they've added in the synthetic T3. Most people feel MUCH better when taking a natural/dessicated thyroid med like Armour or Nature Thyroid, as they not only contain both T3 and T4, but the T4 is bioidentical to your body's T4 and is therefore easier to convert into T3. Not only would you likely feel much better, you'd be taking only 1 pill again!

    Thanks all!

    My primary physician was only testing TSH. She then referred me to an endo, who just did a complete thyroid panel yesterday. I will get the results when I have my endo appt next week. I'll talk to her about the possibility of taking a natural med.

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