How low do T3 and T4 have to be before it affects the level of Cholesterol in the body?

[Glenys]

T4 = 11.5

T3 = 3.8

Cholester 8.4

[humanbean]

Before I ever got medicated for hypothyroidism my levels of FT4 and FT3 were in range but right at the bottom of the range (at the lowest my FT4 was 8% of the way through the range). My total cholesterol level was 8.1.

Under the auspices of Dr Skinner I started levo and fairly rapidly got up to 100mcg per day. My FT4 and FT3 went right to the top of the range. In just 8 or 10 weeks of being treated with levo my cholesterol dropped to 6.1.

[Glenys in reply to humanbean]

Thanks Humanbean

Do you know the actual figure of your T4 at all, please?

[humanbean in reply to Glenys]

In April 2013 (not on thyroid meds and never had been) :

Total Cholesterol = 8.1 mmol/L (0 - 5)

TSH = 5.76 mu/L (0.27 - 4.2)

FT4 = 12.8 pmol/L (12 - 22)

In May 2013 (still not on meds)

TSH = 5.49 (range as above)

FT4 = 13.4 (range as above)

FT3 = 4.2 pmol/L (3.9 - 6.7)

In November 2013 (I had been on levo for about 8 - 10 weeks following the instructions of Doctor Skinner and had got up to 100mcg per day. It had made me feel absolutely awful, like I was being poisoned, and I had stopped the levo completely 5 days before testing. My cholesterol had dropped by approx 25%.)

Total Cholesterol = 6.14 mmol/L (0 - 5.2)

TSH = 0.025 (range as above)

FT4 = 13.9 (range as above)

[Glenys]

Thanks human bean. The GP is putting me on a mild dose of a statin, and the endo told me that 11.5 on the T4 wasn't down enough to make my cholesterol rise, but it looks like it may have been (as your T4 was higher) I am glad you told me about how the Levo made you feel, as it has opened my eyes to the fact that it may not be a solution for everyone (particularly as it had been prescribed by so well known a doctor).

I am hoping to hold my GP to ransom on the Statin, as I was told my cholesterol was high because it was a hereditory strain of hypercholesterolaemia, and that my arteries would be so clogged up by now, it was important to go on them. So I am going to say "if I can have my heart and vascular health checked first to see if that is so, then I will go on them, but not until" I have read that if the T4 is low and you go on statins, the side effects are worse, i.e. muscle spasms (and as I am supposed to have fibromyalgia, I do not want that if it can be avoided)

Thanks again, as I need as much info on this as possible so I can make an informed choice

I hope you recovered somewhat from the Levo since?

[humanbean in reply to Glenys]

I think that trying levo first would have been Dr Skinner's normal practice for anyone like me who had never been treated before. It didn't suit me, and sadly I never got the chance to discuss my next steps with him. I've been going it alone ever since his death because my GP doesn't think I suffer from hypothyroidism. She has totally ignored Dr Skinner's diagnosis.

With regard to going on a statin...

Please do lots of research before you agree to this. Statins can cause irreversible damage in some people. You don't have to take any drug just because a doctor tells you to. You are entitled to refuse. Statins are more likely to cause muscle breakdown (rhabdomyolysis) in people with hypothyroidism than in other people who take it. They do not extend the lives of women at all. In fact, if you look at mortality in women from all causes, the lowest level of deaths occurs with a cholesterol level over 7.

kellybroganmd.com/article/s...

drmalcolmkendrick.org/2012/...

Read Dr Kendrick's book :

amazon.co.uk/The-Great-Chol...

You'll never worry about your cholesterol level again!

[humanbean in reply to Glenys]

I've never taken levo since November last year and I'm in no hurry to try it again soon. I tried T3 only for a while and that helped. I'm currently unmedicated again though. I'm considering trying NDT next but I'm still working on getting my iron levels up and sorting out my cortisol levels, and I don't want to hurry my attempt at NDT until I'm positive I'm ready for it.

[Glenys]

It was a shame about Dr Skinner. One of his main "opposers" was based at our hospital, and runs our endo clinics, so its quite hard here to get any of the Thyroid UK points across to them.

I am quite worried about the rhabdo side effects and am getting all my facts together as printouts to shove in my GP's mitts! These links you have put here do doubt are going to be useful - thanks muchly