Primal for Life - my journal page 10

[GoJenGo]

No worries! Glad you found it.

As far as diet goes, bumping up the carbs a bit is often recommended as it is said to help with conversion. I'm wondering if keeping them in for a little while longer won't make a difference in your energy overall. Are you keeping your overall calorie total the same and just adjusting your protein and fat intake?

I'm eager to see how you're feeling over the next few days after your most recent med tweak combined with the increase in carbs. Hopefully you'll be back on that bike and feeling good soon. Keep us updated!

[lucy1984]

Hm, well, I am thinking that due to the fact I no longer take any t4 at all, the conversion really isn't an issue for me anymore, as I am taking the t3 direct. So I have plenty of it. I was really expecting to have a good ride energy wise this morning, as I've been eating the carbs, and had a few days off exercising due to rain, so I thought I'd have been well stocked up on glycogen!

I've notice when I eat carbs, I always end the day +2kg, but then it is completely gone the next am. When I don't eat a lot of carbs, my weight is stable all day and night.

And yeah, I cut back fat to incorporate carbs. I wish I was one of those people that started primal and ate whatever they liked calorie and macro wise, and the weight just falls off! Generally that seems to be men though.

More interesting temp and heart rate news though. Yesterday I took 20mcg at 6am, then again at 8.30, 12midday, 3pm and 5 pm, total 100mcg, and my heart rate didn't go over about 85, and my temp didn't get to 37 til late (after 5). Actually it only got to 36.8.

Today, I took 30 at 6am, and my heart rate when too high, and my temp didn't go up, but once that settled down I took 20mcg again at 10, and my temp went up to 37, heartrate within healthy range, and both are still holding. I had planned to take another dose at 2pm, but I'll hold off because my temp is still at the right range. So maybe I do need extra in the morning to fuel my adrenals? I won't go as high tomorrow, as that obviously wasn't ideal, but I might try 25mcg.

Energy wise, as in daily functioning, I am not as sleepy and more alert.

[GoJenGo]

OOH!! More alert and less sleepy is good! That's a start for sure. I have a feeling you'll start feeling better as it has a cumulative effect and kicks in completely.

Are you worried at all about tweaking your dosages and adding more? Do you have an NP or other trained professional following you or guiding you? (Uh-oh, here comes the mom/nurse in me!) I know you saw one before, so you may have already mentioned whether or not you're under the care of someone, but my memory sucks not surprisingly (hurry up, Armour!).

By the way, check your inbox again.

[lucy1984]

OOH!! More alert and less sleepy is good! That's a start for sure. I have a feeling you'll start feeling better as it has a cumulative effect and kicks in completely.

Are you worried at all about tweaking your dosages and adding more? Do you have an NP or other trained professional following you or guiding you? (Uh-oh, here comes the mom/nurse in me!) I know you saw one before, so you may have already mentioned whether or not you're under the care of someone, but my memory sucks not surprisingly (hurry up, Armour!).

By the way, check your inbox again.

I am hoping so! And actually not as hungry this arvo, which is odd..

Um, not really. The doc basically gave me the script and said figure out what works best for you, and wants an update in a few weeks. I think treating with t3 only takes a bit to get right. And I am monitoring my temp and heart rate to make sure I don't go hyper.

[lucy1984]

Alright, actually managed to keep my temp up pretty much all day yesterday! I did have trouble sleeping though, so I may cut back on my evening dose...

Dropped back to 25mcg this morning, and my heartrate is low 80's, and temp is a good 36.8 - not quite there, but better than yesterday. I wonder if going for a ride yesterday morning had anything to do with it...may have to assess the affect exercise has on my doseage requirements.

[lucy1984]

Bugger, may have spoke too soon. Now I can't get my temps up over 36.6. Maybe I do need more in the morning, and just need a few days to get used to the bigger morning dose....
Tricky.

[lucy1984]

OK, need to rethinkg this dosing.

This morning I took 30mcg upon waking 6am, and my temp wouldn't budge above 36.5, heart rate in healthy limits. Took 20mcg two hours later 8am, and then again two hours later 10am - continually 36.5, low health heart beat.

I decided just to wait 4 hours then, since I didn't think taking another dose two hours later at 12pm was sensible (although my temp was still low etc), and all of a sudden I am 37degrees, still healthy heart rate.

I am thinking my body needs a good big early dose, and less in the arvos. Possibly reflecting my backwards cortisol.

So I am going to start the circadian method tomorrow - take 20mcg at 4.30am and see how I go (other doses then dependent on how I handle that).

[GoJenGo]

Are you following some type of guideline or suggested method by someone who has experience with this? I have to admit, I don't know much about the each of the thyroid meds and the different ways of dosing and scheduling but from what I do know, it takes a while on a particular dose to get the full effect. I'm thinking it may not be possible to truly know (and feel) the result of each change until you've maintained that for at least a week or more - and then see where you are and re-evaluate. Wait, are you still taking the same overall dose but dividing it up to take at different times? Maybe I'm misunderstanding or just plain old forgetting and need to read back!

I'd be too nervous to be messing with my dose that much over the course of a day. I also wonder if using your temp as a gauge is even reliable, to be honest - especially with the adrenal issues and that whole special set of problems. So many factors at play over the course of a day, it's hard to know what's what. It's frustrating trying to figure out what works and what doesn't, it's like aiming your arrow at a moving target. That's a big reason I've had to force myself to be patient when I make any change so that I get an accurate idea of its true effect - whether it's diet, exercise, supplementation, etc.

Did you get on your bike today? Any difference after the additional carbs over a few days now?

[lucy1984]

Yes, I have a book on it - which recommends dividing the dose, self-monitoring using heart rate, temperature etc. Also blood pressure, but I don't have a monitor. When I take the measures I make sure that I have been inactive for 20-30 mintues, haven't eaten or drinken anything etc, and take repeated measures and average them. T3 is absorbed immediately and completely used by the body within 3-4 hours. I need to divide the dose otherwise it wouldn't last all day. The temps and heart rate are required to ensure that I am a) getting enough of a dose, and b) not overdosing. It's not like t4 that takes 6-8 weeks to reach full effect.

Erm, yes and no. Yes to the bike, still zero effect of eating the extra carbs.

Today I took my first dose at 5am and that seemed to help get my temp up earlier. It's still not at 37, but it's consistently higher than yesterday, and I managed to stretch out the time between the doses (i.e. my heart rate wasn't falling, and my temp wasn't falling, as soon after the first dose as yesterday). Recovering with T3 | Resources for people recovering from hypothyroidism using T3 replacement therapy or are considering doing so has a lot about using t3 to heal adrenals, which I know for a fact I have issues with, thanks to a 24 hour saliva test I did less than a month ago. This particular approach I am going to keep the same for a week or so, as the effect on the adrenals can take a few weeks to assess. Then I can play with the timing and size.

[lucy1984]

Sorry if that came across blunt It's just I have had doctors giving me the wrong thing for over a year now, and it has taken me ages to finally get the right treatment. I feel better already, even without the perfect dosing schedule. The doc who prescribed me the t3 gave me bad advice - i.e. two take 40mcg in the am and 40mcg at lunch, which given I am getting my heart rate up with 30mcg, 40 x 2 would have sent me over the edge. So I have to instead follow what I have read, and chatting to other people in similar situations on facebook and yahoo groups