Reverse t3 . Depression . Liothyronine what to do ? Psychoneuroendocrineology

after thyroid cancer i suspect just t3 is the whole answer for you

or maybe NDT plus t3 my husband and daughter were on 120mcg t3 without overactive symptoms but they suffered horrendous joint pains just the same as on levo

yet both are fine on NDT

I agree with reallyedup123, I did just great on the T3 only they gave me for 2-3 months after a total thyroidectomy. I was lucky to get a good brand after that but after 5 years they discontinued that brand. I never did find another brand of Levo that suited me so I changed to NDT (Armour).

If you have a high rT3 you are probably overmedicated. My dose on Levo was 137mcg and my present dose on NDT is 1 1/4 grains.

I think I would try T3 only for a while until your rT3 has dropped. The key is to alter your dose and keep taking blood tests until you get it right. That's a bit expensive at first but after you have got it sorted out you only need a blood test every year.

T3 only seems like a better option, then there'll be nothing to convert to rT3.

Last year I had the same op for the same reason as you. I was on Levo for 5 months and feet really bad pain and was getting worse each month so I put myself onto NDT and now I feel OK. When I was on 3 grains per day my FT3 was over the limit. I reduced to 2.5 grains per day and that is working. I am feel more like my old self again. It's a huge shock to the body and it takes time to sort out. Good Luck

I have read about RT3 on the following link and I think you will be reassured. Go to the date March 24, 1999 on the following link.

web.archive.org/web/2010103...

There is a book called Recovering with T3 that explains why for some people they need to be on T3 only with no T4

Look on amazon

Hi Mikepassword, Are you being prescribed this dose by a psychiatrist? Did they have anything to say about this issue? Also I'm curious as this seems a very high dose. I also have no thyroid, and have been offered 60mcg as a complete replacement. Whatever you do is taper up slowly.

I'm not sure anyone has really addressed your question. I don't know much about psychiatric use of T3, but I'd share your concern about it stimulating rT3.

The obvious suggestion is to switch your usual thyroid treatment over to T3. You don't say whether you otherwise feel fine on this current dose? But I suspect that this depression is about undermedication or imperfect medication. Although a lot of people are said to do well on Levothyroxine, actually as a population they do poorly on measures of well-being and depression.

So if you switch over to T3 you may find that the symptoms reduce anyway, without needing the extra 60mcg boost. And you'll still have the option to add that in on top. Downside is that this would take several weeks or even months to switch. Do you have the support of this psychiatrist, or will they be expecting you to come in and show progress very shortly?

Thankyou. And yes it is from the psychiatrist but they don't know about my reverse t3 problem at 175 levothyroxine.

Mike,

While getting your thyroid hormone dosage right is extremely important, it's critical to look elsewhere in solving treatment resistant depression.

One of the best books on finding solutions for depression is "New Optimum Nutrition for the Mind" by Patrick Holford. It is easy to read, is well organised, and has good diagrams. Understanding what's in it is the key to beating depression.

Key areas that may be contributing to your depression for you to investigate are:

- diet - low carb, high healthy fat, nutrient dense Paleo Diet

- gut health - intestinal malabsorption, food intolerances/allergies (especially gluten and milk) candida, parasites

- methylation nutrient deficiencies - B12, folate, magnesium, B2, B6, B3

- fatty acid deficiencies - fish oil, evening primrose oil, flax seeds, coconut oil

- zinc/copper imbalance

- need for amino acids like tyrosine, tryptophan, methionine, cysteine, glycine, etc.

The above can make a profound difference in how you feel, even with serious psychiatric issues.

Don't go off any prescription abruptly, but work the issues above, and then it's possible to get off psychiatric meds, all if which can compromise long term health.

Hope you find some good answers soon.

Mikepassword,

Your dose of medication is very high and its the most likely cause of your high RT3. I agree with SilverAvocado that taking T3-only for few months in order to clear RT3 from your system might be the best idea. People from the recoveringwithT3 facebook group may be able to support you: recoveringwitht3.com/ go to "contact us" and "RWT3 on facebook".

Once you feel a bit better you could then decide whether you stay on T3-only or whether you want to try T3/T4 combo (most likely at lower dose).

I don't think there is anything special about the use of T3 in psychiatric care. All of us here would be in the depths of depression and anxiety if we stopped our thyroid meds. Nutrients, vitamins etc are also very important but you need to get your thyroid medication sorted first.

Do you have a good endocrinologist in your area who would be competent in the use of T3-only or T3/T4 combination? I'm sure your psychiatrist would be happy to refer you to somebody who has more experience in the use of thyroid meds and is T3-friendly (many endos aren't).

Take care x