Rt3 results

[Jefner]

Results just through from genova. I messed up and forgot to fill the back of the form in with my personal details but they managed to find me on the system thankfully from other tests. Because i messed up i am wondering if this result is actually mine although i did write my name and dob on the vial. Bit worried now. Should i ring and double check?

Anyway result in march was 0.77 (0.14-0.54).

Result today was 0.57. Still high but is it a "troublesome" high?

Not sure why it has come down. Could it be the little bit of t3 i started on a month ago?

[radd]

Jefner,

I don't think the labs would have given you these results if they were not absolutely sure they belonged to you..

Any RT3 over range is troublesome but yours appears to be decreasing.

Adding T3 will help reduce RT3 but you also need to address the root cause.. There are numerous reasons for elevated RT3 but in a previous post you advised of high cortisol. This could be enough to inhibit T4-T3 conversion, allowing T4 to convert to RT3.

Thyroid hormones are raising and Vit B12, folate & iron looks good. What about Vit D ? ? ..

Are you addressing your elevated thyroid antibodies ? ? Antibodies cause inflammation in the body that can (indirectly) impair thyroid hormone synthesis. Anything that stops thyroid hormone from working well increases the risk of more RT3.

Supplementing antioxidants (Vit C, Milk Thistle, selenium, etc ) will help your liver to clear the RT3 from your body.

[Jefner in reply to radd]

Hi Radd

I don't supplement with selenium because my blood results were over range. Yes I am addressing the high antibodies and have been for a while now although they do continue to go up and down like a yoyo. Am working with a Functional Medicine chap in the US and am on lots of natural supplements that help with inflammation etc, a couple of them do in fact contain milk thistle

I understood that the only thing that would clear high rt3 is cutting back on my T4 and taking more t3

[radd in reply to Jefner]

Jefner,

We all need a certain amount of RT3 and when it becomes elevated it can be problematic but introducing the T3 protocol to clear RT3 is much more problematic & complicated.

It is excellent you are working with a FM chap as will be hopefully supplementing all the good stuff that helps eliminate excess RT3.

Thyroid antibodies can flutuate enormously depending on diet, environmental factors and how strong our immune system is working.

[Jefner in reply to radd]

I see you have Hashi's and now taking t3? How did you introduce yours

[radd in reply to Jefner]

Jefner,

I halved my 100mcg Levo to 50mcg which was too much as I suffered low thyroid hormone so raised it to 75mcg, then much later back to 100mcg.

I started 5mcg T3 am & after one week introduced another 5mcg in pm.

Next week another 5mcg in am and week after another 5mcg in pm.

So all in all I raised to 20mcg in one month. I medicated this for one year whilst addressing deficiencies and have now switched to NDT.

Adding T3 is good for Hashi as helps to modulate the immune system. You may find your antibodies drop when you are optimally medicated.

[Jefner in reply to radd]

why did you raise your Levo back to 100 after dropping to 75?

Why did you add so many t3 dosages without leaving for a few weeks inbetween to test your levels? (which is what I have been advised to do)

[radd in reply to Jefner]

Jefner,

I raised T4 to 100mcg because I felt under medicated during the winter months when it was cold.

You can raise T3 to your supposed amount slowly without testing in between when you are replacing like for like.

My T3 was 20mcg so I introduced in 5mcg increments slowly to acclimatise my body and tested after six weeks.

You do not have to test T3 levels after every 5 (or 6.25) mcg dose raise when first introducing, until you reach your supposed level (the amount equalling that of the T4 reduced).

Some do not reduce their T4 when introducing T3 (if their T4 levels are not high) and these people need to be mindful not to over step their sweet spot because having too much T3 thyroid hormone is horrid .

[radd in reply to radd]

Just looked at your previous post.

100mcg Levo & 10mcg T3.

Your T3 is low but slowly increasing and Clutter has already advised that you would benefit from a T3 increase to 20mcg (split into two as before).

T3 is the biological hormone so gives well being. Many find when T3 is optimal it encourages their T4 to work better.

When you are on your optimal dose you will need to test six week after to check T3 isn't over range.

[Jefner in reply to radd]

how am I going to know what my optimal dose is unless I test?

Have been on 10mcg now for about 25 days and was thinking of increasing tonight. So if I increase tonight by another 5mcg should I lower my Levo to 75?

[radd in reply to Jefner]

Jefner,

10//20 mcg T3 is a pretty standard dose of T3 to add to T4.

If you read your previous post entitled " Test Results Through " Clutter has already advised you on this.

Given your latest results are (after a month T3) :

FT4 19.38 (12-22)

FT3 4.74 (3.1 - 6.8)

I agree with Clutter that you have room for a dose increase of 10mcg T3 to be split into two doses.

T4 is good so leave at 100mcg. Introduce T3, 5mcg a week at a time.

If you start tomorrow (with no hiccups) you will need to test in 8 weeks time.

[Jefner in reply to radd]

my t4 is quite high in the range though. If I stay on 100, won't adding more t3 without reducing the levo cause problems. Won't it send me hyper