Aa
Reverse T3 and Synthyroid
Will taking Synthyroid cause my Reverse T3 to go even higher inside of to the FT3 where it's needed?
I have Hashi's. The whole Reverse T3 situation confuses me.
6/5/2014
TSH 2.73 (.55-4.78) dr does believe it should be 2-2.50
Free T3 2.9 (2.3-4.2)
Free T4 1.35 (.89-1.76)
Reverse T3 24 (9.2-24.1)
TPOab 992.40 (<60)
Thanks
I have Hashi's. The whole Reverse T3 situation confuses me.
6/5/2014
TSH 2.73 (.55-4.78) dr does believe it should be 2-2.50
Free T3 2.9 (2.3-4.2)
Free T4 1.35 (.89-1.76)
Reverse T3 24 (9.2-24.1)
TPOab 992.40 (<60)
Thanks
"The thyroid autoantibodies to thyroid peroxidase (TPOAb) and thyroglobulin (TgAb) are secondary response to thyroid injury. Both are polyclonal IgG antibodies and the amount present correlate with lymphocytic infiltration of the thyroid, have completement-fixing cytotoxic activity and TPO autoantibodies correlate with thyroidal damage." - The Immunoassay Handbook by David Wild.
TPOAb correlate with thyroid damage. I lowered my TPOAb somewhat eating brazil nuts (high in selenium).
TPOAb correlate with thyroid damage. I lowered my TPOAb somewhat eating brazil nuts (high in selenium).
You're right. Those labs are in no way hyper. Both FT3 and FT4 are right on the floor of the ranges, hypo by any standards. What is interesting is that in the 2.5 years since 2/2012, your labs without meds have improved tremendously. That's very unusual when you have Hashi's.
It takes some time for T4 to build in your blood, and it's not unusual when first starting or increasing to have symptoms worsen for a while or have a few new ones pop up. You were on a very low dose, and sometimes that will actually make your FT4 go down a bit since it can lower your TSH, so your thyroid isn't stimulated to produce as much natural hormone. Intolerance to a very low dose can also be due to adrenal issues.
TPOab is considered basically either positive or negative. Some people with very high antibody counts seem to feel better than others with low ones. Also, antibody counts vary wildly, so they can swing around even intraday. There are those who will disagree with me, but I don't think it makes a whole lot of difference. As antibodies kill off the thyroid, it can "dump" hormone, i.e. the hormone from the dying cells gets dumped into the bloodstream in a pretty uncontrolled fashion. If you're fairly hypo, this can be just the pick-me-up you've been looking for. If you're not, however, it can make you temporarily hyper.
One of the "burning" questions in my mind that in all my reading I have not been able to find an answer to is how many antibodies it takes to destroy a thyroid. If TPOab is 900, is the thyroid being destroyed twice as fast as someone with a count of 450? Is a very high antibody count just overkill on the immune system's part? Is there a "magic" number, i.e. once your antibodies are over X, it doesn't matter any more if they're higher.
Antibodies can be present for years, or even decades, before they cause enough damage to produce symptoms. Sometimes it takes years to effectively "kill" the thyroid, sometimes it's just a few months. However, we have no idea how antibody levels might interact with other factors to destroy function sooner or later. For example, does a high antibody count when you still have a lot of thyroid function left affect you more than a high count when your thyroid is almost dead?
On the antibody front, there are a lot more questions than answers. Researchers are only beginning to scratch the tip of the iceberg when it comes to autoimmune diseases, and there are a lot of AIs ahead of us in line.
Do you have any other health concerns that might exacerbating the autoimmune response? Any chronic diseases, recent trauma, stress (physical or psychological), recent surgery, vitamin or mineral deficiencies, lifestyle changes, menopause, etc.?
It takes some time for T4 to build in your blood, and it's not unusual when first starting or increasing to have symptoms worsen for a while or have a few new ones pop up. You were on a very low dose, and sometimes that will actually make your FT4 go down a bit since it can lower your TSH, so your thyroid isn't stimulated to produce as much natural hormone. Intolerance to a very low dose can also be due to adrenal issues.
TPOab is considered basically either positive or negative. Some people with very high antibody counts seem to feel better than others with low ones. Also, antibody counts vary wildly, so they can swing around even intraday. There are those who will disagree with me, but I don't think it makes a whole lot of difference. As antibodies kill off the thyroid, it can "dump" hormone, i.e. the hormone from the dying cells gets dumped into the bloodstream in a pretty uncontrolled fashion. If you're fairly hypo, this can be just the pick-me-up you've been looking for. If you're not, however, it can make you temporarily hyper.
One of the "burning" questions in my mind that in all my reading I have not been able to find an answer to is how many antibodies it takes to destroy a thyroid. If TPOab is 900, is the thyroid being destroyed twice as fast as someone with a count of 450? Is a very high antibody count just overkill on the immune system's part? Is there a "magic" number, i.e. once your antibodies are over X, it doesn't matter any more if they're higher.
Antibodies can be present for years, or even decades, before they cause enough damage to produce symptoms. Sometimes it takes years to effectively "kill" the thyroid, sometimes it's just a few months. However, we have no idea how antibody levels might interact with other factors to destroy function sooner or later. For example, does a high antibody count when you still have a lot of thyroid function left affect you more than a high count when your thyroid is almost dead?
On the antibody front, there are a lot more questions than answers. Researchers are only beginning to scratch the tip of the iceberg when it comes to autoimmune diseases, and there are a lot of AIs ahead of us in line.
Do you have any other health concerns that might exacerbating the autoimmune response? Any chronic diseases, recent trauma, stress (physical or psychological), recent surgery, vitamin or mineral deficiencies, lifestyle changes, menopause, etc.?
No recent trama, no surgery, no lifestyle change, post menopause.
Am deficient in Vitamin D and mag. Am being very good about supplments.
The other stressors right now, possible folate trapping, high cholesterol, mutant gene, several other adnormal blood tests came with the same blood work. Don't appear to be related to the thyroid.
Am positive for the EPV-not active. Have been for years along with an elevated Sed Rate but it's actually lower than it has been in awhile.
Drawing blood from me is perhaps a bit of a stressor. I'm a very hard draw. This time it was 8 tubes out of the top of my feet after my normal locations failed. It hurt-lol. And I get more drawn on Tuesday. No thyroid testing.
That's the highest my FT4 and TPO has ever been.And the lowest FT3 since 2012.
The only thing I can think of over the last few months, I've been slightly concerned about for few months is my husband's company being bought by a larger corporation and what that they mean to his location,staff,etc.
Am deficient in Vitamin D and mag. Am being very good about supplments.
The other stressors right now, possible folate trapping, high cholesterol, mutant gene, several other adnormal blood tests came with the same blood work. Don't appear to be related to the thyroid.
Am positive for the EPV-not active. Have been for years along with an elevated Sed Rate but it's actually lower than it has been in awhile.
Drawing blood from me is perhaps a bit of a stressor. I'm a very hard draw. This time it was 8 tubes out of the top of my feet after my normal locations failed. It hurt-lol. And I get more drawn on Tuesday. No thyroid testing.
That's the highest my FT4 and TPO has ever been.And the lowest FT3 since 2012.
The only thing I can think of over the last few months, I've been slightly concerned about for few months is my husband's company being bought by a larger corporation and what that they mean to his location,staff,etc.
What kind of mag do you take? You want to be sure it's not mag oxide.
How off are your adrenal hormones, and are they low or high? Did you do the 24-hour saliva test?
Since your FT4 is really quite good, and it's your FT3 that's off, you might ask your doctor about taking some T3. Of course, you want your adrenals in pretty good shape before doing that. You can take either synthetic T3 (alone or along with synthetic T4) or desiccated porcine thyroid, which has both in it. I will warn you that many doctors think that T4 only works for everyone (it doesn't), and many doctors fall into the synthetic camp or the desiccated camp and never "cross the aisle" as it were.
How off are your adrenal hormones, and are they low or high? Did you do the 24-hour saliva test?
Since your FT4 is really quite good, and it's your FT3 that's off, you might ask your doctor about taking some T3. Of course, you want your adrenals in pretty good shape before doing that. You can take either synthetic T3 (alone or along with synthetic T4) or desiccated porcine thyroid, which has both in it. I will warn you that many doctors think that T4 only works for everyone (it doesn't), and many doctors fall into the synthetic camp or the desiccated camp and never "cross the aisle" as it were.
It's Mag Glycinate. 400 mg.
It was the salvia test and according to it. I'm extremely high all day.
6 am 25.4 Morning (7.0-10.0)
11:30am 24.4 Midday (3.0-7.0)
4:15 pm 12.8 Afternoon(2.0-4.0)
8:30pm 4.5 Evening (<1.5)
My wakeup time is around 4:30-5 am. Bedtime is around 9pm. She ordered thru her lab, even gave me the kit, for insomia which I don't think I have. I do drink coffee in the morning and smoke which I know can affect the results. And it was very difficult to get enough salvia without foam and bubbles. It doesn't seem to jive with how I feel. Mornings I have good energy, not hyper-energy, fade around early afternoon then I'm pretty much done by 8:30-9pm. She also didn't seem overly concerned.
Of course, it came with a list of pricy supplements that I could buy thru them. I have my doubts about the test-Did I do it right, etc.
Her supplement is thru another company with at least 10 herbs and called a Heart Calming Formula? I found 1 of them that is supposed to help the adernals. The rest are for all sorts of other things,unproven of course. I don't feel any different on them.
No signs of Cushings. And I pass all the home adernal tests.
I really like her, she is helping with other issues that I've had for years including my panic and anxiety disorder.
So I will take to her about the T3 addition. She does listen and does believe in more than the TSH belief.
I think I annoy her because I wouldn't take some of her supplements that have over 3,000 times the RDA or go gluten free but she seems to get over it pretty quick.
It was the salvia test and according to it. I'm extremely high all day.
6 am 25.4 Morning (7.0-10.0)
11:30am 24.4 Midday (3.0-7.0)
4:15 pm 12.8 Afternoon(2.0-4.0)
8:30pm 4.5 Evening (<1.5)
My wakeup time is around 4:30-5 am. Bedtime is around 9pm. She ordered thru her lab, even gave me the kit, for insomia which I don't think I have. I do drink coffee in the morning and smoke which I know can affect the results. And it was very difficult to get enough salvia without foam and bubbles. It doesn't seem to jive with how I feel. Mornings I have good energy, not hyper-energy, fade around early afternoon then I'm pretty much done by 8:30-9pm. She also didn't seem overly concerned.
Of course, it came with a list of pricy supplements that I could buy thru them. I have my doubts about the test-Did I do it right, etc.
Her supplement is thru another company with at least 10 herbs and called a Heart Calming Formula? I found 1 of them that is supposed to help the adernals. The rest are for all sorts of other things,unproven of course. I don't feel any different on them.
No signs of Cushings. And I pass all the home adernal tests.
I really like her, she is helping with other issues that I've had for years including my panic and anxiety disorder.
So I will take to her about the T3 addition. She does listen and does believe in more than the TSH belief.
I think I annoy her because I wouldn't take some of her supplements that have over 3,000 times the RDA or go gluten free but she seems to get over it pretty quick.
I know, some of these practitioners do give you a lot to swallow, both literally and figuratively! LOL More is not always better.
So, the adrenal support you are on is all herbs?
I don't know a lot about interpreting the finer points of the saliva test, but high adrenal hormones might be causing you to convert more RT3 than FT3. If your adrenals come back into line (and I think some patience will be required), your FT3 might right itself.
So, the adrenal support you are on is all herbs?
I don't know a lot about interpreting the finer points of the saliva test, but high adrenal hormones might be causing you to convert more RT3 than FT3. If your adrenals come back into line (and I think some patience will be required), your FT3 might right itself.
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