Has anyone ever had a high Reverse T3?

[nothuman]

Symptoms if you did please? And how did you treat it?

thanks

 

[aphextwin]

I'm curious....is this why you always feel fatigued?

 

[Crazy_jay]

Have you had it tested? The body converts more t4 to rt3 when you are sick, like the flu, to slow metabolism down to force rest and recovery.

I would assume things like an over active thyroid could also induce high rt3. If the body were under metabolic stress, it should reduce tsh to produce less t4, not continue to pump out t4 and convert to rt3.

There's a theory that rt3 can occupy t3 receptors, rendering t3 ineffective and giving hypothyroidism side effects but last I knew it was not proven, only theory. So, rt3 potentially has no side effects.

I've put many hours into thyroid research but it's been a few years, my memory is getting rusty.

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

 

[Fa Seeshus]

I've had high reverse T3 (with elevated prolactin and TSH) because I am hypothyroid and being treated with T4 which my body was not converting to t3 efficiently. I think most people would not have that issue, so please don't take my case as general advice.

A switch to Armour thyroid solved all the issues. It is hard finding doctors in the US that Rx armour. Armour is made from pig thyroid and contains all the different thyroid isomers (probably the wrong term), so if your body does not convert well it is not an issue.

 

[Alexender]

Carb up.

Eat more carbs, less protein.

Sometime you gotta take a break from protein.

Thyroid need carbs to function.

Make a High carb day where you only eat carbs during the whole day.

 

[nothuman]

I'm curious....is this why you always feel fatigued?

Possibly, just trying to explore other causes since the first 20 possibilities I looked at weren't the cause. Not just tired but head is so spaced out and it's horrible.

Have you had it tested? The body converts more t4 to rt3 when you are sick, like the flu, to slow metabolism down to force rest and recovery.

I would assume things like an over active thyroid could also induce high rt3. If the body were under metabolic stress, it should reduce tsh to produce less t4, not continue to pump out t4 and convert to rt3.

There's a theory that rt3 can occupy t3 receptors, rendering t3 ineffective and giving hypothyroidism side effects but last I knew it was not proven, only theory. So, rt3 potentially has no side effects.

I've put many hours into thyroid research but it's been a few years, my memory is getting rusty.

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

My RT3 was 28 a year ago (it was 20 four years ago). I really need to get it tested again but it's not so simple in the state of NY since many doctors refuse to test. But I will find a way. Pretty safe to say it is still high though.

I've had high reverse T3 (with elevated prolactin and TSH) because I am hypothyroid and being treated with T4 which my body was not converting to t3 efficiently. I think most people would not have that issue, so please don't take my case as general advice.

A switch to Armour thyroid solved all the issues. It is hard finding doctors in the US that Rx armour. Armour is made from pig thyroid and contains all the different thyroid isomers (probably the wrong term), so if your body does not convert well it is not an issue.

My FT3 is 2.99 and my FT4 is 1.6
So if my RT3 is still high like it was a year ago (28), I might have the same problem. I do not know whether it's causing my issues or not but it is still something I should probably fix.

Were your numbers similar before you started taking T4/armour thyroid? My T4 is already on the high side so I might only need T3.

And what is your dose of Armour Thyroid?

 

[nothuman]

I just read low ferritin and long term beta blockers can raise RT3. I'm guessing one of those is the cause, (or both), with ferritin being a stronger component.

 

[Crazy_jay]

This isn't really an accepted theory, non the less has some logic to it...**broken link removed**

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[nothuman]

This isn't really an accepted theory, non the less has some logic to it...**broken link removed**

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Good article. I just ordered a thermometer to take my body temp.

I need to make an appointment with my endo badly on Monday. I'll just scream bloody murder if he fights me on getting RT3 tested. I suspect my problem might be some sort of autoimmune problem though. In any case, my thyroid isn't perfect and I probably should be on something like Armour Thyroid or T3 (since my FT4 is a tad normal-high)

 

[Black Beard]

Symptoms if you did please? And how did you treat it?

thanks

Reverse T3 is inert and does not "block the receptors" as is commonly touted on the internet. There's not a lot of information in the literature about it, but it's a rate limiting step to control T4 to T3 conversion via the Deiodinase 3 enzyme. (D2 converts T4 to T3/ D3 converts T4 to RT3). Elevated Reverse T3 is more a sign and symptom, not a cause, of disease. Reverse T3 can be elevated after injury/surgery, starvation/dieting, and autoimmune disease/states of chronic inflammation.


The other common wisdom that is false is that T4 as an inert/inactive hormone. It actually has it's own effects independent of it's conversion to T3 and some tissues are better at converting their own T3 rather than using it from the serum pool. Higher Free T4 levels have been linked to well-being. https://academic.oup.com/jcem/article/91/9/3389/2656451


Fun fact: HGH increases the conversion of T4 to T3. In hypothyroid subjects taking 100-200 mcg of T4, their Free T4 was top of the range and Free T3 at the bottom. The HGH brought Free T4 down to mid range and Free T3 to the very top. ( Free T4 from around 1.8 to 1.4 ng/dLand Free T3 from around 2 to 4 pg/mL )

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7828350

 

[Black Beard]

Have you had it tested? The body converts more t4 to rt3 when you are sick, like the flu, to slow metabolism down to force rest and recovery.

I would assume things like an over active thyroid could also induce high rt3. If the body were under metabolic stress, it should reduce tsh to produce less t4, not continue to pump out t4 and convert to rt3.

There's a theory that rt3 can occupy t3 receptors, rendering t3 ineffective and giving hypothyroidism side effects but last I knew it was not proven, only theory. So, rt3 potentially has no side effects.

I've put many hours into thyroid research but it's been a few years, my memory is getting rusty.

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

There isn't much info but i found proof that reverse T3 is inert in a very very dry physiology textbook. I'm trying to find it on the internet so i can bookmark and save it.

 

[Black Beard]

Carb up.

Eat more carbs, less protein.

Sometime you gotta take a break from protein.

Thyroid need carbs to function.

Make a High carb day where you only eat carbs during the whole day.

Exactly, there is a lot of data showing that high carbs upregulate conversion of T4 to T3 and low carb diets to the opposite.

High carb diets in some ways simulate caloric surplus even in a deficit, by upregulating leptin/T3/Etc.

 

[Fa Seeshus]

Were your numbers similar before you started taking T4/armour thyroid? My T4 is already on the high side so I might only need T3.

And what is your dose of Armour Thyroid?

I had low t4, low normal t3 and high TSH before any treatment. Had similar numbers before any PED use

Treatment with t4 only increased t4 and did not do much to help TSH or t3 levels. This was over 2 years of gradually increasing T4 with regular BW. I took GH for part of the time and it did not really help the conversion much.

Armour I started at 60mg, an currently at 120mg with normal bloods. The armour dosing conversions can be confusing... It is not in MCG, but is sometimes listed in "grains." Or just the MG like mine.

 

[aphextwin]

NH, I can’t believe you are still having this problem. This has to be unbearable. I sure hope you find of something soon.

 

[nothuman]

Reverse T3 is inert and does not "block the receptors" as is commonly touted on the internet. There's not a lot of information in the literature about it, but it's a rate limiting step to control T4 to T3 conversion via the Deiodinase 3 enzyme. (D2 converts T4 to T3/ D3 converts T4 to RT3). Elevated Reverse T3 is more a sign and symptom, not a cause, of disease. Reverse T3 can be elevated after injury/surgery, starvation/dieting, and autoimmune disease/states of chronic inflammation.


The other common wisdom that is false is that T4 as an inert/inactive hormone. It actually has it's own effects independent of it's conversion to T3 and some tissues are better at converting their own T3 rather than using it from the serum pool. Higher Free T4 levels have been linked to well-being. https://academic.oup.com/jcem/article/91/9/3389/2656451


Fun fact: HGH increases the conversion of T4 to T3. In hypothyroid subjects taking 100-200 mcg of T4, their Free T4 was top of the range and Free T3 at the bottom. The HGH brought Free T4 down to mid range and Free T3 to the very top. ( Free T4 from around 1.8 to 1.4 ng/dLand Free T3 from around 2 to 4 pg/mL )

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7828350

Exactly, there is a lot of data showing that high carbs upregulate conversion of T4 to T3 and low carb diets to the opposite.

High carb diets in some ways simulate caloric surplus even in a deficit, by upregulating leptin/T3/Etc.

My numbers are weird.
FT3: 2.9
FT4: 1.6
TSH: 1.2

When I was using iodine, my FT3 and FT4 were higher.

Interestingly, GH (2-3iu) has never really affected my numbers much.

My body temperate is always lower, which I read is linked to hypothyroidism. 97F is a common body temp.

 

[nothuman]

I had low t4, low normal t3 and high TSH before any treatment. Had similar numbers before any PED use

Treatment with t4 only increased t4 and did not do much to help TSH or t3 levels. This was over 2 years of gradually increasing T4 with regular BW. I took GH for part of the time and it did not really help the conversion much.

Armour I started at 60mg, an currently at 120mg with normal bloods. The armour dosing conversions can be confusing... It is not in MCG, but is sometimes listed in "grains." Or just the MG like mine.

I've read T4 alone is always a huge failure and any doc prescribing just that is a bad doc.

Issue is my T4 is already a little too high. I think the fact I use ashwagandha raises it, but it always raises FT3 which I want..

I wonder if I need armour thyroid. I just don't know if it will raise my T4 even more. Maybe I need T3 only.

 

[nothuman]

NH, I can’t believe you are still having this problem. This has to be unbearable. I sure hope you find of something soon.

16 months now. It's horrible. Lyme disease is still possible since I tested for several of the bands in my western blot test. But I have NO aches and pains like Lyme people usually have. I just don't get it.

 

[aphextwin]

You have health insurance, correct? I'm back dealing with vertigo on and off and it sucks....I feel like my mind is moving slow in a fog most of the day. It always begins in the morning. I'm going to see someone about it soon.

 

[Millineum Man]

Symptoms if you did please? And how did you treat it?

thanks

I'm not sure if this is the same thing, but I recently was diagnosed with Grave's disease. Basically, it's a hyperactive thyroid. I had absolutely NO energy or strength, my cardio was non existent, sweating all the time in air conditioned rooms, I lost 20-25lbs in roughly 4-6 weeks, my memory was off, and my heart was beating like crazy. I thought I had cancer! I went to my primary and he admitted me to the hospital for a few days. They ran x-rays, MRI's, etc... and that's what they found. I'm om methimazole and propanolol and am doing much better.

 

[Black Beard]

16 months now. It's horrible. Lyme disease is still possible since I tested for several of the bands in my western blot test. But I have NO aches and pains like Lyme people usually have. I just don't get it.

Are you on any thyroid hormone? The trick is to get Free T4 to top of the range if symptoms are still present, temp is low and Free T3 low, add some T3.


A healthy thyroid secretes about 100 mcg of T4 daily and 5-8 mcg of T3 daily.


The rest of the T3 comes from conversion from T4 for a total of around 32 mcg per day from conversion+direct secretion.


Keep in mind that absorption for oral T4 ranges from 60-80% for most people and that's with strict compliance on an empty stomach without food/coffee/tea. So 100 mcg tab will net you 60-80 mcg. Some people need more and some need less to get Free T4 into the optimal range.