reverse T3

[elwins]

looking at getting reverse T3 tested can anybody advise me who does private testing. Struggling with my thyroid, on t3 and thyroxine. Thanks

[greygoose]

Why? It's really not worth it. It's expensive and long and doesn't give you any useful information that you can't get from a normal FT4/3 blood test: if your FT4 is high, then your rT3 is going to be high, too. But if your FT4 is low to mid-range, and your rT3 is high, you will have absolutely no idea why. There can be many, many reasons that have nothing to do with thyroid. So why go to all that trouble to get it tested?

[elwins in reply to greygoose]

thanks for your detailed reply, my brother is pushing me to get it done. ESR rate high and drs say it is in normal range for my age. Trying to find out why I’am fatigued, my legs and feet ache, seems I have an infection in my body but cannot find the cause. Good information from you as always. Thanks

[greygoose in reply to elwins]

Well, I don't think rT3 has anything to do with your ESR rate. rT3 is inert, it doesn't do anything. And it only stays in the system for a couple of hours before being converted to T2.

Have you had full thyroid testing apart from that? TSH/FT3/FT4/nutrients?

[elwins in reply to greygoose]

Yes everything done recently under a certain private thyroid doctor. But Gp unable to find cause of infection. Dr testing everything asked for by my private thyroid Dr, TSH, t3, t4,thyroid antibodies, vitamins, he has put me on low dose of T 3 which is helping but not solving problem completely. But thanks again for your help.

[greygoose in reply to elwins]

You're welcome. But a high ESR rate doesn't necessarily mean there's an infection, it just means there's inflammation, which could just be caused by being hypo.

[elwins in reply to greygoose]

Thanks for help.

[DippyDame]

You posted these FT3 labs 8 months ago

Didn't notice any more recent results

Free T3. Range 3.3 - 3.1-6.8 pmol/L

If I'm unpicking the above correctly then your FT3 is 3.3 (3.1 - 6.8) which is abysmally low

rT3 isn't your problem as greygoose has clearly explained....

It's your FT3/ i.e lack of T3

If those numbers are correct then most people would be struggling badly and may have some type of inflammation which combined with low FT3 may be causing aches, pains and fatigue.

Clue - he has put me on low dose of T 3 which is helping but not solving problem completely.

How much thyroid hormone are you taking? T4/T3?

For good health every cell in the body must be flooded with T3 by way of an adequate and constant supply

Low cellular T3 = poor health

When did you last have a full thyroid test?. You know what to include.

Suggest you forget rT3 and ESR rate and look at FT3!

Edit...

PS.....just read this

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

You have already been advised that you need more T3, I don't think your medics are on the ball

[elwins in reply to DippyDame]

Thanks for reply, have zoom consultation with a well known thyroid prof recommended on this sight, drs surgery do all my tests he asks for. Due for retesting then he will review again. He advised me to start T3 and I pay privately for it as drs surgery do not subscribe it on NHS. Your help and advice is much appreciated. Think I need to try taking a dose at lunchtime as well and see if that helps. Thyroid test last done end of May. Due for another test, will deal on return from my hols. Thanks again your advice is always so good.

[SlowDragon Administrator]

taking half a tablet T3 each day split into 2 doses. Then 50 thyroxine a day

What dose T3 tablet?

20mcg ?

So only taking 10mcg in total per day as 2 x 5mcg

This is unlikely high enough dose, as shown by low Ft3

you’re also on very low dose levothyroxine

Free T4 (fT4) 13.6 pmol/L (9.1 - 17.6) 

Ft4 only 52.9% through range

Only increase Levo or T3

Retest 6 weeks time

Then likely increase the other

[elwins in reply to SlowDragon]

Thanks for reply, cut 20 mcg into 4, take 5 mcg in the morning and the same at night as advised by my thyroid specialist, cannot mention name but he was recommended on this sight. See him via zoom. He is saying when he wants retest to be done then I send results to him and he reviews before zoom meeting. Test last done end of May. Due for retest soon. Thyroid Prof is on the ball. Drs have done all the tests he has asked for including some they do not normally do. Your guidance and advice is very much appreciated.

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to elwins]

You may likely get 3rd 5mcg dose added per day after next test results

Or

Levothyroxine may need small increase after next test

Recommended that all thyroid blood tests early morning, ideally just before 9am, only drink water between waking and test and last dose levothyroxine 24 hours before test

This gives highest TSH, lowest FT4 and most consistent results. (Patient to patient tip)

T3 ….day before test take last 5mcg dose approximately 8-12 hours before test

[elwins in reply to SlowDragon]

Thanks for that thyroid testing always done as recommended by this site. Been testing that way for years. Thanks

[redhead41]

So if rT3 is high, how are you going to treat it?

[elwins in reply to redhead41]

Thanks for your reply, not sure how I would treat it, just looking for guidance at the moment.

[Poppygriff691 in reply to elwins]

hi . I also had low T3, even when I was taking it as a replacement along with T4 . I discovered my reverse t3 ratio to free T3 was very high . My functional medicine doctor has managed to reduce the reverse T3 by cutting down my levo dose yo 12.5 mcg and increasing Liothyronine to 25 mcg . ( reverse T3 is made from T4 which my body was unable to convert to t3 ) I feel much better Just wanted to explain that there is a way to lower your reverse T3.

Ultimately, I hope to reduce the t3 and increase T4 once we discover why I am not converting well. I have food to have high arsenic in a hair toxicity test so getting rid of that with liver support and correct vitamins d , B complex , selenium and zinc. Hope this helps

[elwins in reply to Poppygriff691]

Thanks for reply much appreciated

[BluePoppi in reply to Poppygriff691]

Can i pm to ask which functional doctor you are using? And who is prescribing your T3?

[DippyDame in reply to redhead41]

rT3 is not something you need to treat!

Can be caused by various things not just thyroid.

rT3 is the product of excess unconverted T4, it is the metabolically inactive form of T3, is transient and eventually is metabolised

So, don't worry about the rT3 per se.

elwins

[dunestar]

If you want to go ahead Blue Horizon do a reverse T3 test. It's not finger prick so you have to arrange a blood draw which you can get done at a private hospital nearby. It's £157 plus I think extra for the blood draw. For that you get 16 tests in total and turn round is given as 17 days but I got my results in a shorter time. I wanted to know mine because according to Dr Childs on Youtube it's very difficult if not impossible to lose weight if your ratio of T3 to reverse T3 is out of whack.

[elwins]

thanks for help I have ordered a test.