Reverse T3 and T4: Hi, I hope you are hanging on... - Thyroid UK

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Reverse T3 and T4

bubbatetley profile image
7 Replies

Hi, I hope you are hanging on in there. Any advice on the above, my Consultant told me it is not necessary to have bloods drawn for it.

Any advice gladly appreciated please.

Thank you

Keep ya peckers up!

Kind regard

Bubba

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bubbatetley profile image
bubbatetley
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greygoose profile image
greygoose

If your consultant is just dosing by the TSH, then he ought to go back to school for a refresher course! TSH isn't even a thyroid hormone. To really know your thyroid status, you need the FT4 and FT3 tested.

However, I agree with him about the rT3. Total red herring. If you test it and it's high, what are you going to do about it? The answer to that is: there's nothing much you can do, unless your FT4 is too high, and you don't need an rT3 test to see that, just an FT4. And if that is the case, you reduce your levo. And, you would probably need to add in some T3, too, because you don't convert too well.

But, there are many, many other reasons for high rT3 which have nothing to do with the thyroid, like an infection, a low-calorie diet, low ferritin, high cortisol, taking beta-blockers long-term, etc. etc. etc.

Besides, high rT3 isn't going to do you any harm. And the test is very expensive. So, why bother? :)

bubbatetley profile image
bubbatetley in reply to greygoose

Thank you Grey Goose

greygoose profile image
greygoose in reply to bubbatetley

You're welcome. :)

SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator

But it is absolutely essential to regularly retest vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12

Especially as you have crohns

Did you get vitamins tested after this post?

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

bubbatetley profile image
bubbatetley in reply to SlowDragon

Thank you SlowDragon, awaiting my blood results will let you know.

Take care

kind regards

Bubba

_maddog profile image
_maddog

You need

T4

T3

Rt3 &

Tsh in order to get the whole thyroid picture. And a competent Dr that knows what to do with those numbers 👍🏻

Roadrunnergreg profile image
Roadrunnergreg

Hiya heres some relevant info, your ideal levels...

TSH 1 or below

FT4 65%ish of the range so if the range is 12-22 your aiming for about 18.

FT3 ideally 75%ish of the range, so if its 3.0-6.8 your looking at 6.0-6.2

Sooo if your TSH and FT4 are ok ish, and your FT3 is Rock bottom you've got a conversion issue and likely high RT3 and low in either zinc or selenium needed for conversion of FT4-FT3 that's why we get em tested, they tell their own story...

Hope that helps...

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