Dealing with Reverse T3

[katealive]

I am currently taking 2.5 grains of dessicated thyroid. My test results are TSH 0.1, FT3 3 and FT4 13. I do not feel well at this low level of FT3 and Ft4. I suspect I have Reverse T3 in my cells blocking them from the good T3. To put this right I have read that I need to drop my dessicated thryoid to !.5 grains and add cytomel to clear the Reverse T3 out of the cells. How much Cytomel should I take?

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

katealive

You can't guess that you have high reverse T3, you would need testing to know for sure. And with a low FT4 it's very unlikely you'd have high rT3.

As NDT has fixed amounts of T4 and T3, often it's not the right balance for some people. Taking Levo plus T3 gives flexibility to alter the doses to suit yourself.

[shaws Administrator]

I have just recently put a quote from a link:-

I wouldn't worry too much as you are taking NDT: The following is the quote:-

If rT3 is made in the thyroid gland, then it would also be a component of desiccated thyroid. Anyone taking desiccated thyroid is ingesting some amount of rT3, which is a normal, benign metabolite of thyroid conversion, as discussed in the rT3 section. They should not be surprised if their rT3 levels rise as their desiccated thyroid dose rises.

Please note:-

rT3 is - benign metabolite of thyroid conversion.

tiredthyroid.com/medication...

Also don't pay too much attention to blood tests when you take NDT - the reason? Is that the blood tests were introduced along with levothyroxine (T4) only. NDT contains T4, T3, T2, T1 and calcitonin.

One of our Advisers only took one initial blood test to diagnose patients. Thereafter it was a gradual increase in dose (1/4 tablet every two weeks and I am assuming the dose was 1 grain) until symptoms were relieved.

When NDT was introduced (1892) there were no blood tests whatsoever but dose was gradually increased until patient felt well. No one died a horrible death after the introduction of NDT.

[greygoose]

RT3 only stays around for a couple of hours, and is then converted to T2. It is perfectly normal to have some rT3, and it does not block 'the good' T3. But, even if you did have excess rT3, taking Cytomel is not what gets rid of it. It's lowering the FT4 level that gets rid of it - assuming that it was high FT4 that caused it. On NDT, that is highly unlikely.

Have you had your vit D, vit B12 folate and ferritin tested? If these aren't optimal, your body won't be able to cope well with NDT.

[Just-keep-going]

I had an FT4 of 17.8 and a high reverse T3. Does your doctor acknowledge the reverse T3. I have yet to find one that does. I am currently trying to get diagnosed. I have not heard of cytomel so can't comment on that.

[Just-keep-going]

Btw reverse T3 is a mirror image of T3, both converted by t4. If the reverse T3 attached itself to a cell that means that the T3 cannot. So reverse T3 does block T3 from binding with the cell and doing its job. The reverse T3 is inactive so does nothing when it binds to a cell.