Asthma and T3: Hubby has had Asthma since young... - Thyroid UK

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Asthma and T3

Coastwalker profile image
17 Replies

Hubby has had Asthma since young, having had several bad attacks in the past, mostly due to infections on his chest starting the attacks off. I dread him having a chest infection so he is now highly dosed in vitamins and minerals to keep them at bay.

He has used nebulizers that have sometimes not helped and has so far been lucky that paramedics on several occasions have arrived in good time and given Hubby their own super strength asthma medication.

Hubby's FT4 was found to be low, (within range low,) around a year ago due to his over tiredness, weakened muscles and sometimes feeling cold, (though the Rheumatologist said nothing was wrong with his muscles,) recently Hubby has been taking a small dose of T3 for a few weeks, then slightly increased it.

Hubby is now saying he no longer needs to take his Asthma inhaler as a preventative medication, I am slightly concerned as he has needed to take it everyday since a young boy and asthma can come on frighteningly quick.

I decided to google Asthma and T3 as It dawned on me their might just be a connection.

T3 I know is needed in every cell of your body, so I am assuming that includes the lungs also.?

I was wondering if anyone else out there has found the same connection with Asthma and T3 ?

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Coastwalker profile image
Coastwalker
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17 Replies
shaws profile image
shawsAdministrator

Your husband is right as are you, T3 is required by the billions of cells in our body and each and every one needs sufficient for us to have normal metabolism. Studies have been done:

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/726...

Coastwalker profile image
Coastwalker in reply to shaws

Thank you Shaws, I am so amazed at reading about the T3 and Asthma connection, but annoyed I did not twig on quicker, ;) I have not even had chance to mention it to Hubby yet.

shaws profile image
shawsAdministrator in reply to Coastwalker

Your and your husbands instinct was right. I just don't know why the BTA et al insist that only T4 is the prescription. There have been so many recalls on it but I assume that's only after there are sufficient complaints by the sick patients, if eventually they twig it might be the medication which is giving them more symptoms rather than eliminating them.

Thousands and thousands of people worldwide remain undiagnosed due to the guidelines that TSH is the only way to diagnose and levothyroxine is the only medication which should be prescribed but give medication for the clinical symptoms. Instead of the 'powers that be' realising that the TSH is so variable and shouldn't be relied upon and doctors and endocrinologists having the freedom to prescribe what he/she thinks is suitable for the patient and permitting us to trial whatever we wish - we are banned.

An excerpt from Dr Lowe and on this link it is mainly about the low doses one gets nowadays:-

The studies he critiques show that two studied types of replacement therapies were ineffective for many patients. Other studies, which Dr. Lowe cites, also show that patients using T4-replacement have an increased incidence of other diseases associated with hypothyroidism, and increased chronic use of drugs to control the symptoms of persisting hypothyroidism and those of other diseases.

web.archive.org/web/2010073...

Why is it that studies that support the usefulness of T3/NDT are ignored and that people remain unwell, maybe for years and die of another disease due to mistreatment/ignorance of of the thyroid gland?

Coastwalker profile image
Coastwalker in reply to shaws

Hubby's TSH was normal and he was actually taking Dr. Lowe's Thyroid Gold, but probably not enough, said he felt better than before though, only when on T3 did he seem to mention about not needing his inhaler so much and has been leaving it off, though still takes it with him, just incase.

Thank you for your links shaws.

It took me a long time to twig on about T3, even though I understood the NDT straight away, so maybe only Doctor's who have a good understanding of T3/NDT rather than the T4 on it's own are those who have a thyroid problem themselves and have also had to sort it out themselves.

The only way I started to understand my Thyroid problems was by looking at my blood chart printouts and how my FT4 and TSH were responding to my medication and to how I was feeling as my symptoms got better.

Without all those things happening to myself I certainly would not have understood it so well.

I can well understand how Doctor's miss the point of it all, they need to really feel the illness to understand it and only then would they really understand the difference of the T3/NDT/T4 treatments.

Marz profile image
Marz

Yep - there is a connection :-) Asthma can be caused by dryness in the lungs - and the thyroid is instrumental in orchestrating fluid levels in the body - either too much or too little. Have no idea where I read this - but it is in the memory from somewhere :-)

My word Coastwalker - you have been on one helluva learning curve over the last year - I take my hat off to you :-)

M x

Coastwalker profile image
Coastwalker

Thank You too Marz, it is all coming together, bit by bit, mainly from the help I have received from members on TUK and not forgetting the internet, without that help I would be none the wiser.

Now 'fluid levels' you mentioned has set me off again on another few thoughts and links.

X

HIFL profile image
HIFL

Yes, asthma improves if thyroid levels improve. It may have to do with the correlation with cortisol, which is the body's natural anti-inflammatory. If thyroid is low, cortisol is low, and asthma is worse. tiredthyroid.com/asthma.html

Coastwalker profile image
Coastwalker

Thank you HIFL, it all makes sense, low thyroid low everything else. ;) :)

Jackie profile image
Jackie

Hi It is possible but I need my inhaler too. Fluid can cause asthma like symptoms so could be that and now improved.He should really continue treatment unless a Lab test has now proved he is OK.Asthma may be oK for months , then suddenly flair up.

Jackie

Coastwalker profile image
Coastwalker in reply to Jackie

The older inhaler Hubby had before was causing more him more attacks, the newer one prescribed several years ago by the hospital he normally uses daily and has been kinder to him, unless he gets a chest infection.

It just seems a coincident about taking T3 and feeling he doesn't need his daily puffs as much as he did before, he will still carry it with him as like you say Jackie and from our own experiences Asthma flairs up so quick.

Jackie profile image
Jackie in reply to Coastwalker

Hi It would be worth asking for the asthma Lab tests again.

Jackie

Coastwalker profile image
Coastwalker in reply to Jackie

Hubby sees the Asthma nurse and has to blow into I what I think it is called a peak flow (gadget), and often the result is only 300, but I have never heard of an asthma Lab test, can you tell me more please Jackie.

Jackie profile image
Jackie in reply to Coastwalker

Hi There are specialized tests in the respiratory dept. I think the gP can probably refer him ,although my consultant did. it is the definitive test.

Jackie

Coastwalker profile image
Coastwalker in reply to Jackie

Thank you Jackie, wondering if he might have had one of those specialized tests just before he was put onto a more expensive inhaler at the hospital ?, I will keep that one in mind.

Jackie profile image
Jackie in reply to Coastwalker

Hi he would know it is in a special room etc.

Jackie

Coastwalker profile image
Coastwalker in reply to Jackie

I Will ask him. :)

Coastwalker profile image
Coastwalker

Thank you for that info Sandy12, getting more of an overall picture on it all. :)

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