HC lowers fT3/4?

[TiggerMe]

Hidden

I read a comment you made last night on another thread and now can't find the discussion 🙄it was to do with uptake

Intrigued to know your findings... did it also raise TSH?

[Hidden]

👋 🙂 the only comment I made last night was about rT3 being an issue… I think(!) but are you asking how HC affects thyroid bloods? X

[TiggerMe in reply to Hidden]

I thought it read something like... you have noticed a greater uptake of T3 which has shown as a dip in free levels in your blood test since adding in HC?

Ah yes that's where it could have been rT3 rings a bell.. I'll go have a rummage 🤗

Yes, does it have any effect on bloods?

Of course it might have just been a dream 🤣 I really shouldn't look at the forum before bed!!

[Hidden in reply to TiggerMe]

😂 I know the feeling!

Yes a while back I was discussing with someone in here the phenomenon where FT3 levels can drop when we take HC, the argument is this happens because we are finally metabolizing the T3 properly and therefore free levels in the blood drop. It can mean we need to take more T3, because HC helps us to “tolerate”/metabolise T3, so demand increases. At the moment I am not near my books and sources to give direct quotes, which I like to do when claiming such things, so I’ll come back to it later with something better than just my word!

Edit - Interestingly, many people in the adrenal insufficiency forums that I am in have said that only when they started steroids for their adrenal condition did their bloods then “reveal” a thyroid issue.

[TiggerMe in reply to Hidden]

Yes this was it!! That's why I couldn't find it then I'd obviously stumbled across an old discussion... It made so much sense I thought I might retest after 6 weeks of HC to see what's what 🤗

[Hidden in reply to TiggerMe]

Yes, if that's the only variable you've changed then that will be very interesting!

[TiggerMe in reply to Hidden]

Well, other than summer has decided to start and I'm doing a who lot more these days... moving target isn't it 🤷‍♀️🙃

[humanbean]

I've read that when someone has reducing levels of thyroid hormones their adrenals start pumping out more cortisol as a substitute. It isn't a good substitute but it will help to keep people alive.

But when someone starts to replace their missing thyroid hormones it can take quite a long time for their cortisol levels to go back to "normal". So the patient has better levels of thyroid hormones via treatment PLUS what is now excess cortisol.

My personal opinion is that cortisol levels being too high could be one cause of intolerance to thyroid hormones. I would guess that having too low a level of cortisol long term will cause lots of problems too.

I had saliva cortisol levels that were over the range when I first tested. It took a long time, but I finally found something that seems to reduce cortisol for me, although I'm forced to go by symptoms because I don't produce enough saliva available to test with any more. My tolerance of Levo has improved over the years. I couldn't tolerate it at all when I first started treatment.

Some links on the thyroid/adrenal relationship :

ibrainandbody.com/the-stres...

hypothyroidmom.com/cortisol...

link.springer.com/article/1...

[TiggerMe in reply to humanbean]

It does seem to be a rather important factor in the balancing act we are all trying to perfect

Thanks for the links 🤗

I shall be intrigued to see if my TSH has budged at all

[TiggerMe in reply to humanbean]

Snippit from the first link... very interesting I'm going to get my daughter to test her cortisol levels as her TSH is higher than I would like and I don't know how /what to recommend above the usual thyroid supplements and don't want to freak her out either... perhaps looking into and bumping up her adrenal support is the next thing

[TiggerMe in reply to TiggerMe]

 Citrinesun bit of reading for you from HB really interesting stuff 🤗

Only part way through the first one and it's a really good read

[TiggerMe in reply to TiggerMe]

Citrinesun

[Citrinesun in reply to TiggerMe]

Ah yes, that snippet, this is what I was saying last night I think, about how im symptomatic again, weight gain etc , & T3/T4 both low in range. Adding the t3 just isn't doing anything much like it was last September for eg. as It just can't be utilised fully,

until my wonky adrenals get sorted ☹️ but I still need it to get through a day. I'll have to explain to Endo which I'm sure will be fun 😊

[Citrinesun in reply to TiggerMe]

Thank you so my Eeyore 🤗 you are a gem,

I will have a read tomorrow.

I don't know why I didn't see that you tagged me hours ago,

brain has melted I think 🥵