Increased T3 Morning Dose

After I saw my mid January blood tests, I realized my worsening constipation was caused by having too much vitamin D in my body. (My vitamin D level was 93 with a normal range of 30-80.) So for the past 3 weeks I've taken extra magnesium (which vitamin D uses) and sometimes extra vitamin C (because I was fighting yet another cold). I also added a teaspoon of flaxmeal to my cereal. All that worked to improved regularity, but also caused extra gas, bloating and cramping pain. (Bloating often causes cramping pain for me, even without any gastro infections.)

So yesterday morning I tried adding a bit more T3 (liothyronine) to my morning dose. Yesterday I added about 2/3 of a pill, because my pill splitter doesn't evenly divide tablets. I felt a little weird, with very mild palpitations. So I took a little less than a full dose in the afternoon and slept well last night. As I expected, the extra T3 resolved my constipation. So this morning I added less than 1/2 of a T3 tablet to my morning dose for a total of about 7, rather than my usual 5 mcg. I had no cramping pain or bloating, because I didn't take extra Magnesium or vitamin C, but I had normal regularity again this morning.

I hope the vitamin D levels decrease enough within the next few weeks, because I usually don't need more than 10 mcg of T3 daily (total of morning and afternoon dose). In fact I did well (normal regularity) when I only took 7.5 mcg of T3, BEFORE my vitamin D levels got too high after taking 6000IU daily for a few months. Right now I'm abstaining from vitamin D until I notice normal regularity. I plan to just add very small amounts (1/4-1/3 of my 5mcg tablet) to my morning dose for a few days and then return to my prescribed 5mcg 2x daily T3 dose.

For anyone who reads this blog, I don't need suggestions about constipation cures. I follow all the usual anti-constipation suggestions, including lots of fiber, fluid, exercise, magnesium, vitamin C, etc., everything EXCEPT laxatives, which I will NOT use. Most laxatives contain either senna or sorbitol, which both cause painful intestinal cramps for me. Others just contain magnesium, which I already take. I prefer to use natural remedies. However, despite following all those 'regularity' rules, liothyronine (T3 thyroid hormone) is the only thing that gave me consistent normal regularity, because my problem was 'low motility' caused by hypothyroiditis, rather than lack of fiber, fluid, etc. So once my D3 levels return to normal (after a period of abstention), I should only need to take my prescribed amount of T3 (or less) to maintain normal regularity.