Hi. Does anyone know if there is a lab in the UK that tests for thyroid resistance please. I've been struggling for years to find answers to my issues and been around the bush a thousand times trying everything.
I know they test for thyroid resistance in the USA but not sure if this is a possibility in the UK.
This US article might answer your question. It states that "Diagnosis of the syndromes of thyroid hormone resistance relies mainly on thyroid function tests and in most cases, confirmation with genetic testing".
endocrinologyadvisor.com/en...
Thanks so much for the link Maisie. It looks as though it is genetic from my understanding (bad foggy brain though).
As I used to convert T4 well for a few years, I am assuming that I do not have the genetic issues that could cause my problem for me then.
I have tried so many routes as to why my thyroid labs are never correct (can't convert well the T4 and can't tolerate T3). Thought resistance might be the problem but probably not.
I'm so confused. I do have lyme disease which makes everything more complicated for me and am crippled from an accident as well as lyme but would love to find some improvements in my thyroid health.
I've tried NDT, T3 synthetics, on levo as usual as can't find anything that works so just stick with the levo. Tried different brands. Tried supporting adrenals, take supplements etc.
I've only been trying to figure out and fix since flippin 2011.
I'm bed bound and crippled. Nothing left of me. Emaciated and yet T3 is always low in range.
Like you I count convert T4 to T3 and after awhile could not. I have been struggling with this for about 4 years until recently. It appears the reason why conversion stops is because the body has used up materials required in the conversion. I supplemented with selenium and zinc for a few months and vitamin cofactors which didn’t seem to make a difference. I also tried Iodine cautiously incrementing drops because I was low in Iodine. Still no big improvement. It wasn’t until I started drinking an adrenal cocktail with potassium that made the difference. It turns out you need enough potassium (cream of tartar) and the right balance of sodium (sea salt) to help drive the thyroid hormones (I. E. Levothyroxine) into the cells.
The recipe I use
4oz water
1/4 tsp of good sea salt
1/4 tsp of organic cream of tartar
250-500mg of natural vitamin C (not ascorbic acid). I use 1-2 tsp of Healthforce Superfoods Truly Natural Vitamin C.
A slash of orange juice for taste.
Drink between meals.
I recommend you find out your mineral status for all minerals and some toxic metals through HTMA (hair testing mineral analysis). You will need to have your results read by a practitioner expert in doing HTMA. This is how I found out about my low mineral status and how it was effecting my thyroid.
Hope this helps you as well.
Hi Annkapp
This is really interesting what you say and thank you so much for sharing. I too tried the selenium and other supplements to no avail. However, I do have lyme which makes things far more complicated. Anyhow, I recently found out that I am low in potassium so this could be an issue for me too. I am definitely going to try your recipe and once again, thanks for this. I have also found out that I have heavy metal and mercury toxicity so sure this doesn't help. I do have a practitioner.
Can you tell me where you purchase your healthforce and organic cream of tartar from please?
Thanks again and hope this may be a piece of my puzzle.
I purchase my products locally but you can find everything for the adrenal cocktail online. I have links below but do not know if they ship to the UK but at least you will know what to look for.
Recommended salts:
Redmond “Real Salt”
Celtic Sea Salt
Himalayan Salt
I rotate the type of salt because each has different trace minerals. Try to get the fine grind instead of the course because it is easier to dissolve.
vitacost.com/productResults... sea salt
Cream of Tartar
Look in the baking section of your grocery store where spices are sold. You can also buy online (link below). You want to get organic if you can find it.
vitacost.com/spicely-organi...
Healthforce Superfood Truly Natural Vitamin C can be found on their website and many others (I have links below). It is probably sold on amazon as well.
vitacost.com/healthforce-su...
Truly Natural™ Vitamin C by HealthForce SuperFoods. (there is a code on their website for 15% discount)
HealthForce Superfoods, Truly Natural Vitamin C, 9.52 oz (270 g) - iHerb.com
healthforcesuperfoods.com/t...
Things to know:
Vitamin C and sea salt nourishes the adrenal glands. Normally if you have a problem with your thyroid you also have problems with the adrenals. In a way they work together (if one is underperforming the other tries to pick up the slack.
Vitamin C also helps to gently detox the body of heavy metals such as mercury. One caution: If you feel bad after taking the adrenal cocktail it probably means you need to cut back on the amount of vitamin C in it. You may be detoxing more than your body can handle at one time.
Genetics:
Your 23andme can tell you more about your body’s ability to detox, process B12, what your gluten tolerance is, possible genetic weakness in your thyroid genes (CTLA4, FOXE1), immune function, mitochondrial function, etc. You will need to have your results interpreted by a practitioner experienced in genetics to fully understand what it means for you. You may also reply back to me with questions. I have learned quite a bit from a genetic expert in my area and can share some of what I know.
Resending links
Truly Natural™ Vitamin C by HealthForce SuperFoods
HealthForce Superfoods, Truly Natural Vitamin C, 9.52 oz (270 g) - iHerb.com
Resending links
I Forgot to mention you will probably need to get the 270 Gram jar of vitamin C.
Take the drink twice a day around 10am and 2 pm. (Between meals) if you can. If not at least try to do once a day. Do this for about 2-3 months and hopefully you will not be resistant or will at least feel things are shifting for the better. I think I felt something was changing in the first month but was not sure until the second month.
Thanks so much for all of those links Annkapp. That is so helpful. I've ordered the vit c although organic cream of tartar out of stock so will use the regular stuff until Vitacost have it back in. I already have the celtic and pink salts so that's good.
I'll start at a lower dose of vit c and build up as my guts are quite sensitive.
Maybe this will help me with fingers crossed. I'm become so very complicated now with all my diseases but surely know that if I can get my thyroid labs improved, things would be easier to manage.
I'm truly grateful for your time and support - thank you
I had both hypo and hyper symptoms whenever I tried thyroid medications. I tried T4, T4/ T3 combo and NDT. For instance, I could only tolerate a very small dose of thyroid medicine (even T4). Too much and I would get hyperthyroid type side effects like sweating, increased thirst, headaches (forehead between eyes), eyes straining (dry and hard to focus) and hands trembling, etc. However, I still had hot/ cold intolerance, lost head hair/ eyebrows, had muscle weakness, constipation, dizzy, extreme fatigue. Whenever I tried to up my thyroid meds I felt for sure that I was becoming more and more hyper but the blood tests would always come back as hypo.
This has been going on for about 5 years until recently I had hair testing mineral analysis (HTMA using Trace Elements Kit) done. The results showed that I was low in many minerals but quite low in potassium which the practitioner said is needed to effectively get the thyroid med into the cells. Actually potassium is critical for normal nutrient transport into the cells so it would effect more than just thyroid hormones (ie. vitamins, minerals, etc). Since I have been drinking the adrenal cocktail (about 2 months) I have been able to double my dosage of T4 and have stopped taking the T3. My last blood tests showed I am within “normal range” for TSH, T4 and T3 but not optimal yet. I plan on trying to up my dosage a little more to see if I can get to an optimum level. The HTMA also revealed that I am a fast oxidizer which means that I tend to waste minerals (and probably vitamins too). So that is why the need to keep taking vitamins and minerals for now. Basically I am not optimally utilizing what I put into my body and a lot of it gets excreted rather than absorbed. In theory rebalancing the mineral status will slowly allow for the change from fast oxidizer to normal. The whole process takes about a year depending on the individual (quarterly hair re-analysis).
Also, my mom is hypo and was taking T4 medication. She did not have any side effects but was not responding to the T4 medication. Her blood tests reflected hypothyroid and she had hypo symptoms (hot/ cold intolerance, weight issues, fatigue, hair loss, constipation, etc) even though she was taking medication. She said she felt no different when she took the medication than when she did not. She also had HTMA testing done recently and was found to be low in potassium as well.
I think everyone may have different symptoms but as long as you feel or blood results indicate you are hypothyroid while on thyroid medication (T4) then low potassium status may be a problem. I just want to stress that balancing minerals is tricky and it is important to go to someone knowledgable to assist in understanding the HTMA test results. For instance, I don’t think you can just take a lot of potassium without balancing it out with sodium.
Once you start chipping away at your deficiencies your body starts to work better and better. Your body will then be able to begin healing itself like nature intended. Your
body will be able to detox better on its own from heavy metals and also be better able to reverse all kinds of CHRONIC conditions. It is not a quick process unfortunately but kind of like a snowball effect which keeps gaining momentum. I have personally felt this through addressing B9/B12 deficiencies,then magnesium deficiency, then zinc, then selenium, and iodine and now potassium. I used to have two pages worth of symptoms when I first started and now I have a lot less. The thing with CHRONIC conditions is that there is not one thing that is causing the problems, it is because there are multiple deficiencies which makes it more difficult to figure out.
If you have not already, I would also suggest getting tested for hidden food allergies too. This was one of the sources of my problems in which I did not have a clue. They call them hidden allergies because the reactions are not typical and generally do not occur until 2 hours to 2 days after ingestion. So something that you eat everyday (such as milk and eggs in my case) would never be apparent as a problem. These allergies were just one of the sources of my issues with fatigue (and inflammation). And if the body is constantly fighting off inflammation you have less energy for other functions.
Thanks so much for taking the time to explain all of this. It is very interesting and I'm sure that this is definitely part of my problem. Having lyme disease and disabled from an accident makes it far more complicated unfortunately as so many body systems and structural structure is affected.
I need further testing by the looks of it. I've had so many tests and spent thousands to date but still fighting for my life with these diseases.
A recent test did show low potassium though so the adrenal cocktail should help.
I will pursue further and thank you again for all of this info. xxx
You mentioned something about gut sensitivity. Can you expand on that? I too have gut issues and sensitivities (to foods, supplements, etc) and wonder if there are any similarities there.
I have SIBO and taking herbs for this. My guts are a wreck now after having been diseased for so long and I also feel that some drugs I took to strengthen bone damaged my guts but no proof of this. I do have private tests results for the sibo and practitioner reckons leaky gut from symptoms.
I could do with finding out what I am sensitive too. I have not had an appetite for years and have to force food down me and eat sufficient and yet I'm still emaciated.
I have had periods of severe diarrhoea over the years too and NHS diagnosed colitis. They prescribed steriods which made me worse but these herbs seem to help a little. I just don't think I absorb well at all.
There are some common threads here. I was made worse by steroids (used asthma inhalers for years and treated for poison ivy several times), have leaky gut and lost a considerable amount of weight. About two years ago I kept losing weight (slowly over the year) and muscle even though I was eating 3 meals a day plus snacks. A gastroenterologist did imaging tests and a scope and found nothing wrong so no explanation or help. About this time last year I felt like I was dying because I was so underweight and was concerned the heart pain I felt was heart muscle being lost.
Through testing a functional doc identified a problem I had digesting fats. I started on ox bile and Lypase for fat digestion. It helped some. I then added in Betain HCL and pepsin (stomach acids) which also helped as well as other enzymes. I have not been able to gain any weight back but am very thankful that I am not losing anymore.
It sounds to me like digestive aids would be helpful for you as well. You need good (adequate) stomach acid to kill off bad microbes (ie. bacteria) that you may ingest with food. So increasing your stomach acid (HCL / hydrochloric acid) may help with your SIBO. There are many functions of stomach acid. You can read about it here
drjockers.com/10-ways-impro.... and here jonbarron.org/article/stoma...
By the way, you need vitamins and minerals for your body to make stomach acid so once you become deficient it has a snowball effect in the wrong direction. And did you know it takes a lot of energy to digest food. If you have suboptimal digestion then more energy is being directed from other bodily functions for digestion.
If you are thinking you don't absorb very well you are probably right. Go with what your gut is telling you (no pun intended).
You talked about taking a drug to strengthen your bones. Something to be aware of is that drugs serve a great purpose when used for acute conditions but usually are not beneficial for chronic conditions. The reason is that drugs only treat the symptoms and not the cause and because they are not "natural" for the body. Over time drugs deplete vitamins, minerals, coenzymes or hormones. Different nutrients get depleted depending upon the drug. I took low dose birth control for years (to replace hormones after going through menopause) not knowing that they were causing depletion of many of the B vitamins. Also I did not understand that these were not actual hormones but that is another topic. You are better off trying to determine the nutrients (via food or supplements) needed to fix the cause of your weak bones. Did you know that Vitamin C is required for strong bones? This is something that I learned recently. The book, Death by Calcium, by Thomas Levy explains all about bones and what things effect the recycling bone process.
You also mentioned an accident and mobility issues. How extensive are your mobility issues? Your body detoxes through respiration, perspiration, elimination (feces and urine) and through exercise / movement. If you are not moving than it is impacting how well your body detoxes. Through exercise your body makes glutathione, the master
antioxidant. You can read about it here thehealthyhomeeconomist.com... (just a site that came up when I googled it). If you cannot exercise than you may want to try supplementing with glutathione or NAC (a precursor). Even stretching or tensing the muscles is beneficial because it moves the lymphatic system (drainage system). Also, I have heard that infra-red (light) saunas are good for detoxification for those that have problems detoxifying.
I do not have any certification but have learned a lot through my healing journey from doctors, naturopaths, nutritionist, listening to podcasts, reading and self experience. I have helped heal my father from the ravages of rheumatoid arthritis. He was seriously ill back in 2014 and in a matter of about 4-6 months he had become a walking skeleton. It has been 5 years now and he is not symptomatic and has regained most of his weight. Unfortunately my own problems are more complex so my journey is much longer.
I hope that I have not confused you but have given you more possibilities to think about and hope for your journey to wellness. 
P.S. B9 deficiency is tied to colitis. Were you able to get to your genetic results?
Thanks so much for your time and all of that information. You have been most kind and thoughtful to give such informative explanations.
I do know some of what you say. Like, I know that I need to detox more especially by moving, bathing, saunas etc and yet, I am so crippled and bed bound that this is virtually impossible. I do try and move but each and every movement is so very painful and there is nothing left of me. The surgeons who secured my broken hip with a dynamic hip screw unfortunately could not align the hip and it left me not only with a leg length discrepancy (which could have been helped with shoe inserts or shoe builds(, also left me at a twist meaning I could never walk in a straight line after coming off crutches, being thrown off at angles, losing balance, being thrown off into the wall, not being able to turn corners etc.normally or naturally without stressing my joints and limbs. Over time, forcing my limbs and joints unnaturally has caused pain and damage. Add the lyme arthritis and damage plus the hypo, gut and the long list of symptoms that go with that and I have become very crippled. It makes me cry trying to improve when all that happens, is that I feel more pain on movement. My feet and neck are the worst but I actually hurt all over. Feet feel smashed to bits inside and I yell even standing for a few seconds. All dismissed and abandoned by NHS saying I have aches and pains because of depression. It has floored me truly as I know that I would feel so much better physically and mentally if I could move without so much pain and detox, exercise etc. Add the fatigue, lack of sleep, abnormal sleep patterns, digestive issues, body full of toxins, metals, mercury, lyme, etc and I have gone from someone who hiked, danced, worked full time, etc to this old disabled person.
However, I am still trying my best to work on how to get some improvements even though I continue to deteriorate. It's hard as I cvannot even get into the bath or shower which is not good. The pain is intolerable and my movements restricted.
I'm taking some detox herbs and try to drink as much as I can for detox.
I have tried betaine hcl but can't say I noticed any difference but then my symptoms are so severe in so many respects that it is hard to tell.
Would it be too cheeky to ask which practioner you used to find out about your gut issues. I'm not sure if I can afford it now because I have lost most of my life savings with this lyme thryoid and a zillion tests over the years.
I do have private tests that show sibo, nhs colitis and leaky gut from a practitioner. I do my best with diet and avoid allergen foods. I wish my doctor would oblige and help me out with vit and mineral status but he refuses - I have been left basically to just get on with it.
I feel that stress is playing a bit part cus of the pain and the hardship and it is hard to control when in a lot of pain. Painkillers just upset my system and make me worse.
I feel that my 'wonky' body as I call it is forever holding me back but there must be a way to improve as I even feel pain in the hands and arms and that cannot be the misalignment I do not think. It gets confusing for me.
You're right; I can feel that I do not have sufficient energy to digest food.
Yes; I did get my genetic testing done. I took some supplements as advised by a practitioner in USA but to be honest, I felt no different and it was hugely costly so I stopped. I do not have the MTHFR direct gene (C677 is it) but I do have some in the category of MTH's - forget now as it is complicated. He told me not to take glutathione as it would not suit me otherwise I would have tried it.
Sorry, I have said a lot here. I'm taking the adrenals cocktails now. I managed to buy some food based vit c made from the same ingredients you mentioned - forget the name now.
Thanks so much again and I apologise if I rant on a little. Guess I get so frustrated. Good to hear that your Dad is so much better
I am so sorry to hear about your current condition. I can only imagine how hard it must be for you.
The thing that comes to mind now is that you may have some bad inflammation genetics (not sure if the doc had looked at this for you). There are some inflammatory snips that can turn on (ie. from your injuries or Lyme) that may cause pain. I know inflammation can effect things like depression, anxiety and pain.
Some of these snips (or switches) are hard to turn off on their own. The on snips to look for are C3, **IL5, CD14, RAG1. There are also off switches (to inflammation) which are IL13,ILR4, *STAT4, *TNF, **CTLA4. (* means it has a major effect, ** means it has the most / worst effect).
The things that help turn off the switches (reduce inflammation) and the categories are:
Opiate Receptor: Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN)
Cannabinoid Receptor: Hemp / CBD oil
Steroids: Progesterone and Testosterone
Fish Oil Receptor: Fish oil, MCT oil, coconut oil
The fish oil Receptor category is probably the not the strongest but are the easiest to acquire.
You can listen to a podcast called coffee with Dr. Stewart on Inflammation: What is it and how does it affect our health.
podbean.com/media/share/pb-...
The only other thing I am wondering about is the hip screw you mentioned. There is a remote possibility that you are having a reaction to the type of material that was used. Do you know what kind of material was used? It might be another explanation why the pain seems to be all over. However, that would be the last thing I would consider looking into but nonetheless something to keep in mind after you have exhausted other avenues.
On Digestion and Leaky Gut:
I really can't tell that the Betain HCL is doing anything except it helps with my fatigue. If I eat and don't take it I get tired for an hour or two after eating depending on the size of the meal and what I eat. Then my energy comes back after I have digested my food. I don't feel anything happening or not happening in my gut.
To be specific about allergen foods. Have you eliminated dairy, wheat, corn, soy and sugar? These are the most common allergy or offensive foods.
I know what you mean about the expense. I too have gone through a lot of money trying to find answers and real help. I think the most cost effective think you can do is the HTMA (hair mineral analysis). It only cost me $43 to have the test done (which you need to do quarterly for about a year so about $175 for the year). It cost me $150 to have it interpreted by someone certified with a lesser cost for the next 3 sessions. Then there is the cost of whatever the practitioner recommends (like the adrenal cocktail and various vitamins / minerals). It is truly a CUSTOMIZED program and I would recommend over spending money on someone to tell you that you have gut issues or what kind of gut issues you have. I say that because you are spending money to find what you should be doing and taking rather than spending money on trying to find out what problem you have. In my case I know I have trouble digesting fats but the practitioner could only suggest what might help me. I had to figure out what really made me feel better (digest better). And it is only a temporary solution because I do not want to go through life taking digestive aids at every meal. Not only is it a bother but it costs a lot of money. I believe balancing minerals is the real solution. That in getting my minerals optimized I will be able to digest without the help digestive aids. As I mentioned before I am only into the program 2-3 months. I still cannot digest without aids but I have noticed a change. Prior to starting the HTMA I would have an awful reaction every time I ate. Thirty minutes to 1 hour after eating I could feel the wave come over me. I would start to get really hot and anxious and see all my veins swell (huge) and could actually feel the blood pumping through my veins which you should never feel. It is such an unnatural, creepy feeling. There are not even words I can come up with to describe it except that is not painful but very uncomfortable to say the least. Now when I feel it coming on it is less intense and a lot shorter in duration. So that is why I believe in what I am doing with mineral balancing is working to help fix things.
By the way, am very sensitive to many things. I cannot tolerate supplements that have a combination of ingredients because I usually have a problem with something in it. So also unfortunately I cannot take the things normally used to heal a leaky (like L-glutamine). Instead I am currently drinking a lot of organic bone broth or gelatin (Great Lakes unflavored gelatin) to heal my leaky gut as suggested by my HTMA practitioner.
I know I have probably gone into too much detail about myself but hopefully it helps with the understanding of the topic.
Thanks so much for all the info and support. I'll have to have a look and see if my genetics report includes any of those snips. However, I do take clean fish oil daily (not the strongest I know). I also take curcumin with pepper for inflammation. I know I have inflammation as can see it in my knees, feet and can feel it everywhere too. I did try LDN but couldn't find improvements and it did not seem to suit me. Made my sleep even worse than it is no matter what time of day I took it. It is also a huge task trying to get through the prescription process.
I have often wondered if the metal in my hip screw and plate is a problem as never felt anywhere near this bad until after my accident even though I didn't feel right. It might not be the metal though cus lyme can floor people. This is my confusion along with thyroid, guts etc. Plus I have such a wonky skeletal frame now that stress joints. Horrible not being able to figure and docs are not interested.
I did do a hair mineral analysis at one point and have lost the results now but I remember taking the minerals suggested and never felt any different at all. I also didn't trust the practitioner, she did not have a very supported manner at all so lost faith. If I get the ability to find another practitioner and go through even washing and cutting hair, then I;ll try again. It is hard to get out of bed and even sitting here in bed gives me huge pain.
I have eliminated allergens from my foods so don't think it is that. Grr, I get so frustrated. My docs \are rubbish and just push everything off onto mental stuff even though I can hardly get to the toilet. Think they think I'm simply fatigued from depression and do not realise the physical pain and damage. I can't even get to hospital even if they agreed to refer me now.
I could try cbd again and hope that it might bring some relief.
I did try a betain with pepsin and got more throaty sensations on the evening so not sure if that suited me.
If I could make bone broth I would. I do buy it sometimes already made on -line source which I know isn't as good but I'm too disabled to make it - shame.
I coufld buy some bioidentical progesterone cream. Do you think that would be a problem for me. I;m 64 and testing showed that I am low in sex hormones - below the usual level for my age and am short on estrogen but tried to supplement with that for just a couple of weeks and got sore nipples. Maybe the progesterone on it's own could help. I don't know. I get scared now after trying so many things.
Thanks so much for your help. You have been thoughtful and kind and sorry by the way that you have had to go through the journey of finding answers to your unpleasant and distressing symptoms.
I meant to ask you what your symptoms were when you were not able to convert the T4 well. I ask because I am trying to figure the root cause of my wide range of symptoms due to all my disease states and also because of an accident that I had that has caused mobility issues too. It is so hard for me to figure out the causes so good to compare.
Also, do you just take the levo now or do you have to add T3 now that your adrenals are improved. I can't tolerate the T3 and hoping it will improve with the cocktail. Thanks again
How did you discover there were issues in conversion?
My FT4 is near the top of the range and yet my FT3 is below the bottom of the range. I can't tolerate T3 meds either and tried so many routes. I can't think of any way of identifying non-conversion apart from the T$ meds not converting to sufficient amounts of T3.
Thanks, seems common sense now you explain it! This doesn’t apply to me but grateful to be able to rule something else out.
It looks like poor conversion...may be lack of nutrients (see below) or as in my case a genetic fault. A DIO2 gene polymorphism indicates poor conversion.
Inactive T3 receptors in the cells can also, in relatively rare cases, be a problem....causing low cellular T3. This doesn't show up in blood serum tests. This is thyroid hormone resistance which requires one single daily high dose of T3.
You may need to try several makes of T3, sometimes the excipients in the tablets are the problem.
It is also very important to start with a very low dose 5mcg/ 6.25mcg depending on strength of tablet (I.e a quarter tablet) and wait for 4 to 6 weeks before adding a little more. You also need to monitor daily your heart rate and temp to ensure neither are too high which would indicate overdosing
Low and slow is the way to go. There is no quick fix solution (as in headache/paracetamol)
Thanks v much for the advice. I do convert very poorly. However, I have tried T3 only in the past and failed miserably. I don't know why as I tried all the 'ducks in a row' so to speak too. I even tried HC before I realised I had lyme and got worse from it.
I'm hoping that my GP will test some vits and minerals for me but he often refuses and last time I ask he just prescribed a multi vitamin. My GP and past endo do not seem to know anything about any of this thyroid business.
Feel so stuck. I know the lyme disease is major issue for me too so it is hard to know what symptoms belong to what as everything merges and all of my disease states can produce such similar symptoms.
Thanks again. I seem to be a hopeless case as have tried to fix this over a period of many years now.
Oh, I rmember that I do not have the D102 faulty gene from my genetic testing.
It is liothyronine/T3 that enters the cells via T3 receptors. Levothyroxine /T4 has to be converted to T3 before it can enter the cells....it doesn't enter the cells as T4
Unconverted T4 remains in the blood until it is excreted/recycled.
T4 to T3 conversion is supported by optimal levels of VitB12, vit D, folate and Ferritin.
Thanks for the info. That helps to know that excess T4 is cleared. I have often wondered if the unused T4 was making me sick.
My doc is supposed to be coming around tomorrow so I'll ask him if he will do these. He most often refuses me but I'll ask anyhow.
Yes you are correct. I guess you are explaining because of a comment in my fist response where I mentioned thyroid hormone (I.e. Levothyroxine) being driven into the cells. What I meant was Levo after being converted to T3 would be.driven into the cells. I should have but didn’t since I had just written about it earlier in my text and assumed the reader would know what I meant.
Thanks for your suggestions. I'm already in quite a few lyme groups and tried the magnesium protocol. I'll get back to the mag site and have another read.
You might find this e-book helpful
Impaired Sensitivity to Thyroid Hormone (Thyroid Hormone Resistance)" by Hugh A Hamilton
It's an Amazon download costing about £3 ,or free if you have Amazon Prime
Thanks for the link and the book recommendation. I can't read books any longer. I can only sit up and focus for a short while. I can't retain information or very little. I am physically uncomfortable and hands can hardly hold a book for long. Hard to explain. Wish I could. I have lots of books that I have abandoned. I have to make a note after I read and can only refer to a few notes. I'm ranting sorry cus I'm angry at the nhs for not listening to me for years.
I've spent time being angry about NHS treatment but anger is a waste of energy. I can remember trying to read and by the time I was half way down the page I had forgotten what was at the top....it is really tough but keep going.
I sometimes thought I'd never improve but I did.
How much T3 are you taking?
Do you split the doses?
I can oly tolerate 2 x 2.5 mcg of T3 and I also take 75 mcg of T4 daily. My labs usually read around 17/18 for FT4 (12-22), 3.1-3.7 FT3 (4-6.5) and TSH fluctuates and falls just above the range, sometimes, middle and sometimes a bit low if I try and increase T4 slightly.
I'm obviously hypo but can't seem to increase T3 and have tried many types and doses.
Thyroid hormone resistance 
Thyroiditis, insulin resistant PCOS, menopause, High BP
