T3 for one month! and I'm a new person! WOW

[jeyss]

Just to make my story short, I came to this forum a month ago concerned because my for the past two years I have seen my test results going from bad to WORST and my endocrinologist didn't want to do anything.

in 2015 my

TSH was 3.4 and my colesterol was high (total and LDL). I read online that 3.4 TSH was high for the new ranges. Went back to him and he said I was fine.

in 2016 my results were bad! I had to order the things I wanted to check my self, after doing investigations..about Reverse T3, and T3.

My free testosterone came low, and my CHOLESTEROL was so HIGH that he prescribed statins.. my TSH was 5.8 (but he said that was fine).. my FT3 was low (he also said that was fine)

Results:

Lipid Panel

Total Cholesterol - 334 mg/dL ---High 100-199

Triglycerides - 59 mg/dL 0-149

HDL - 84 mg/dL >39

VLDL - 12 mg/dL 5-40

LDL - 238 mg/dL 0-99

Thyroid

Free T4 1.25 ng/dL 0.82 - 1.77

TSH 5.8 uIU/mL 0.45 - 4.5

Reverse T3 20.2 ng/dL 9.2 - 24.1

Free T3 1.5 pg/mL LOW 2.0 - 4.4

SHBG 55.9 nmol/L 16.5 - 55.9

Free Testosterone (Direct) 5.3 pg/mL LOW 9.3 - 26.5

Total Testosterone 471 ng/dL 348 - 1197

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I then came to this forum, and everyone recommended to look for another doctor which I did.. let me tell you the search was not easy..next doctor told me he only treated TSH above 10.. and reverse t3 is nonsense..and he only looked at FT4.

After I finally found a doctor.. and got Cytomel.. first week 25mcg.. second week 50mcg..

after a month, I went back for blood work.. and all my lipid panel is NORMAL.. my TSH is suppresed and t4 (which I expected to see since my body is not doing it because of the T3).

I read that I should push FT4 to mid levels..maybe reducing Cytomel and adding NTD. Not sure.. Im so happy! I dont even need a Pre workout for the gym.

Attached are my recent results.. if anyone has any recommendations regarding my FT4 let me know..

I will also go back to check my free testosterone too..probably that is higher thanks to the T3.

[radd]

jeyss

If you are medicating T3, T4 levels are often low and as the pituitary gland senses thyroid hormone in the blood, it produces much less TSH. Although TSH drives conversion of T4 to T3, the amount we medicate more than makes up for this short fall. Therefore, many members experience low T4 & TSH levels when medicating T3.

Re …. [ …I’m just concerned that I lose muscle since T3 is catabolic .. ] … You won’t if you eat enough protein. I eat protein at every meal.

T3 burns fat cells and increases the BMR in nearly every cell, but especially the muscles by causing the fat cells to release free fatty acids into the bloodstream where they are taken up by the tissues. Here they are burned by mitochondria to make ATP that drives muscle contractions.

Remember exercise stimulates protein synthesis and when greater than the amount of protein broken down, results in muscle growth. As both are controlled by complimentary cellular mechanisms, ONLY an UNbalance of thyroid hormones (required for muscle growth) results in muscle reduction .

Another benefit is that although T3 increases the level of free fatty acids in the blood, it lowers cholesterol and triglyceride levels.

Test results are only as good as you feel.

[jeyss in reply to radd]

Thank you very much for the response. So you don't think I need to take T4 and reduce T3 medication.

[radd in reply to jeyss]

jeyss

I don't know as was explaining your low T4 levels and how T3 is good for muscle growth.

I am not a huge advocate of T3 alone because of the huge implications an elevated level can cause ....... and I have managed to get well on NDT.

BUT ... it is true that some need to medicate "T3 alone" to achieve wellbeing. I think you just need to be aware of the possible down falls..... see links below..

You may benefit from reading "recovering With T3' by Paul Robinson. I also think it would be a good idea to get all sex hormones tested.

.

T4's role in the body

tiredthyroid.com/rt3-6.html

.

T4 & T3's role in the brain.

tiredthyroid.com/rt3-7.html

.

T3's possible negative effects

tiredthyroid.com/rt3-2.html

[Hidden]

Hi Jeyss, what a fabulous post to read. I'm so pleased you are feeling better and in a relatively short space of time. I've recently started on NDT but struggling to get to an optimum dose because of other issues which I'm addressing along the way.

I'm sure others will ask but who was the doctor you saw who you had the breakthrough with? I've seen a private doctor this year who initially I thought was brilliant but subsequent emails from him have made me feel differently (he uses the TSH test alone to guage responses)

Wonder if you could PM me the doctor and where he was?