T3 increasing cortisol

[Jefner]

OK, so I did the comparable blood test with BH and MMH (NHS) lab due to my suspicions of possible inaccuracies due to an old NHS panel showing my T3 levels in a good range and yet all with BH at low levels. Anyway, results back and pretty much same readings. Results INCLUDE my small 2.5mcg T3 increase nearly 2 weeks ago which I slot in around bedtime around 2am which is usually around the time I had a tiny bit the night before testing anyway. The other two doses I have 5mcg 3pm and 5mcg 7pm

BH Results

TSH 0.27 (0.27 - 4.20 mIU/L)

* Free T4 17.0 (12.0 - 22.0 pmol/L

* Free T3 4.6 ( 3.1 - 6.8 pmol/L)

* Cortisol (Random) H 590.0 (73.8 - 507.0 nmol/L)

MMH Results

TSH 0.28 (0.27 - 4.2 mU/L)

FT4 16.8 ( 12 - 22 pmol/L

FT3 4.3 (3.1 - 6.8 pmol/L))

That put my mind at rest but NOW I am panicking over seeing my high cortisol result which may explain why my morning anxiety seems to have got worse the last few weeks and still having tremors and all that goes with anxiety which is one the reasons (after trialing), that I decided to start my first dose in the afternoons. I have concerns over my cortisol levels now which sticks out like a sore thumb on the latest labs. Because I am a late riser I have to set my alarm for 9am to do my testing so all my results are from me literally waking and jumping out of bed to test.

All the tests below were my still on 10mcg T3 BUT splitting into 3 doses the day before testing. Usually I have 5mcg 3pm, 5mcg 7pm but on the day before I split into 3, 5mcg 3pm, 2.5mcg 7pm, 2.5 2am then test around 9am.

22nd April - Cortisol (Random) 443.0 (73.8 - 507.0 nmol/L)

29th May Cortisol (Random) 233.0

19th July Cortisol (Random) 264.0

3rd Sept Cortisol 9 am - 191.0

25th Sept Cortisol 9 am 314.0

I did some reading up and it appears that T3 is more likely to stimulate cortisol production. "T3 helps to keep cortisol levels up as it stimulates the hypothalamic-pituitary system more than T4. Research is saying that high cortisol levels actually prevent some level of T3 transport into the cells and that low levels of cortisol do not do this"

Could be a one off with my levels all over the place but a bit coincidental that my cortisol should shoot up that high when I upped my T3 a little and added it to bedtime. When I started with the small increase I noted my BP, HR and temp for around 3 days as well which were all normal except waking HR which was a little high obviously from the anxiety but settled down a few hours later. Usually my anxiety lowers quite a bit the later in the day I go and by evening I feel better and have sometimes noticed around 2am I feel really well with clarity, energy and motivation but not the last couple of weeks which coincides with my increase and maybe my cortisol levels being affected. Anxious, nauseous, fatigued in the evenings of late and don't have much energy for my evening walks which are so important to me because I just sit around all day on the computer as I have little energy to do anything else.

So what do I do now? Would moving that bedtime dose and adding it to one of my 5mcg doses during the day be better?

As I said I have only been on my tiny increase around 2 weeks so obviously need it to stabilise and retest. With my low levels it's likely that I will need a further increase but if it's going to keep raising my cortisol levels even more and not alleviating this constant anxiety, then it's just not going to work for me because I just can't deal with any more, I really can't,

I just don't have any brainpower to start reading up on T3 and adrenals and the more I read just makes me more paranoid anyway. To think I used to be a strong woman with my own business,I had a life and friends. 2015 changed everything for me, ended up with all this crap to deal with, lots of personal losses and despite all the work I have put into improving, nothing has changed for me, I am just a shell of my former self and like a scared rabbit now