New thyroid med with T3/T4 -- now I'm a potassium hog

[picante]

I've recently added in riboflavin-5'-phosphate and am tolerating 10 mg/day (divided into 2 doses). I had to back down drastically on MeB12 (1 itty bitty drop transdermally) and AdB12 (1500 mcg every 4 days or so). But I'm just grateful that I found a form of riboflavin I can actually tolerate (the sublingual FMN was hell).

This was my new equilibrium ... until I switched thyroid meds. I was on Mexican Cynomel (T3), and it's no longer available, so I'm now trying T3/T4 compounded in *olive oil*. My ND agreed to this at my request, so that I can tweak the dose. (He doesn't want me to get hyperthyroid. I agree.) I'm taking it sublingually.

I started it Thursday, and my main potassium-deficiency symptom kicked right in: neck spasms. My total K consumption was 1200 mg (potassium gluconate) on both Thursday & Friday. Then yesterday evening I took my AdB12 dose (it had been 5 days).

I woke up with the stiffest #%@! neck I've had in years. All day I've been shoveling in potassium (and thiamine, since taking K depletes that). It's bedtime, and I've taken 2250 mg. And the consarned neck spasm is still plaguing me.

I expect I'll be shoveling in potassium all night. I plan to cut out AdB12 until I can get stabilized on the new thyroid med.

Any suggestions, dear friends? Would it be worthwhile to try potassium chloride?

Any hypotheses about how the change in thyroid med (and the addition of riboflavin) might have influenced my methylation status? I've had NO T4 in my body for several years. (I was not converting it well.)

 

[picante]

Update:
I guess the AdB12 was the main culprit driving the potassium crisis. My need for potassium has come down, although Zinc is still see-sawing (my usual is 5 drops/day, which is 7.5 mg, in one dose). I dose by symptoms:

Saturday 2250 mg of K (in 7 doses) --- 13 drops of Zn (in 2 doses) --- 750 mg B1 (in 6 doses)
Sunday 1200 mg of K (in 4 doses) --- 9 drops of Zn (in 2 doses) --- 400 mg B1 (in 3 doses)
Monday 1000 mg of K (in 4 doses) --- 16 drops of Zn (in 4 doses) --- 500 mg B1 (in 4 doses)

 

[Gondwanaland]

Dealing with low FT4 here on top of everything

 

[picante]

It's in your thyroid med, right, Izzy? Are you saying it's low on your lab test?

 

[Gondwanaland]

It's in your thyroid med, right, Izzy? Are you saying it's low on your lab test?

Yes, below range
I am preparing a post and will tag you shortly

 

[Tristen]

Apologies for being a bit off topic. Hopefully this won't hijack your thread. I hope you find the answers your seeking.

I noticed that your using natural thyroid supplements and since you are a PwME, thought possibly you could relate. I've had to use the Armour thyroid because the synthetic Synthroid causes chest pain, immediately. The natural will too, but not if I ramp to the dose needed slowly. Even though this symptom is regarded a red flag for cardiac problems, I have none, and that has been tested to the hilt. I'm presenting this question here because my doc believes the symptom may be along the lines of Dr Cheney's ideas on cardiac abnormalities in me/cfs. She believes this because she only sees this symptom in her me/cfs patients. I don't think I have any of Cheneys stuff. I stopped following him years ago when he started the cardiac tangent. But I am perplexed and just wondering if you can relate in any way.

Anyhow, I'm just curious if you can relate to any of this. My metabolism shifted to high T3 and low T4 after a while on the natural, and I know that typical for us, but there is nothing I can do about that because I can't take synthroid anyhow. I may start the Nature-throid.

 

[picante]

since you are a PwME, thought possibly you could relate. I've had to use the Armour thyroid

I've had zero effect from using natural dessicated pig thyroid. I tried Nature-throid twice. The first time I took it for months, not realizing that if it was doing what it was supposed to do, my symptoms would decrease.

Synthroid causes chest pain, immediately

Yikes, that sounds alarming! I've never tried straight T4. Did you have any palpitations?

Sometimes T3 gives me a loud, pounding heart (palpitations). I finally learned when I started the methylation protocol last fall that pounding heart is one symptom of potassium deficiency.

My metabolism shifted to high T3 and low T4 after a while

I'm not sure what you mean. Your blood tests or your metabolism? Those are very different things.

 

[Gondwanaland]

My metabolism shifted to high T3 and low T4 after a while on the natural

I think it was Rudy Dragone who spoke about that on the Thyroid Summit. I must look into it.

 

[Tristen]

I've had zero effect from using natural dessicated pig thyroid. I tried Nature-throid twice. The first time I took it for months, not realizing that if it was doing what it was supposed to do, my symptoms would decrease.


Yikes, that sounds alarming! I've never tried straight T4. Did you have any palpitations?

Sometimes T3 gives me a loud, pounding heart (palpitations). I finally learned when I started the methylation protocol last fall that pounding heart is one symptom of potassium deficiency.


I'm not sure what you mean. Your blood tests or your metabolism? Those are very different things.

The Armour works very well bringing my TSH down and balancing the free T4

 

[Tristen]

I've had zero effect from using natural dessicated pig thyroid. I tried Nature-throid twice. The first time I took it for months, not realizing that if it was doing what it was supposed to do, my symptoms would decrease.


Yikes, that sounds alarming! I've never tried straight T4. Did you have any palpitations?

Sometimes T3 gives me a loud, pounding heart (palpitations). I finally learned when I started the methylation protocol last fall that pounding heart is one symptom of potassium deficiency.


I'm not sure what you mean. Your blood tests or your metabolism? Those are very different things.

Yea, I thought it was alarming too...but yet to discover the cause. Apparently the reaction is more with the synthetic thyroid. No, no palpitations....just sharp pains in the chest.

 

[Tristen]

I've had zero effect from using natural dessicated pig thyroid. I tried Nature-throid twice. The first time I took it for months, not realizing that if it was doing what it was supposed to do, my symptoms would decrease.


Yikes, that sounds alarming! I've never tried straight T4. Did you have any palpitations?

Sometimes T3 gives me a loud, pounding heart (palpitations). I finally learned when I started the methylation protocol last fall that pounding heart is one symptom of potassium deficiency.


I'm not sure what you mean. Your blood tests or your metabolism? Those are very different things.

Sorry, worded that wrong. I wasn't metabolizing the T3 normally. So I would get a very high T3 and low T4.

 

[picante]

The Armour works very well bringing my TSH down and balancing the free T4

It sounds to me like you're mainly aiming for the "right" lab results. Sorry to seem dense, but how do you actually feel when you're on Armour? Do your symptoms improve? Do you acquire any new symptoms?

I felt nothing. It was no different than taking nothing for my hypothyroidism.

 

[pela]

Hi Picante, can I butt in here and relay my own experience with T3, T4 and B12? Here's the short version:

When I found Freddd's active B12 protocol I was on Mexican cynomel and could not tolerate any T4. After about a year and a half of Mb12, ADB12 and folate I tried some Naturethroid that I had stashed in the freezer. It worked and I felt great, better then in years. I haven't taken cynomel since. I am still taking natural desiccated t4/t3. Between the B12 and the right dose and kind of thyroid hormone I am doing pretty well. All those years the thyroid groups were saying I needed iron. Well, guess what, it was B12 I really needed.

Are you aware that you can't convert T4 to t3 without adequate selenium? Selenium deficiency can occur due to poor digestion, or due to eating food grown on selenium depleted soil. A lesser known cause is taking statin drugs, which destroy selenium pathways and induce hypothyroidism since t4 can no longer be converted to T3.

 

[picante]

This is great to know, @pela!

Yes, I'm taking selenium. Hey, do you have autoimmune hypothyroidism?