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Thyroid Labs - help me understand

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Posted 6/27/2019 12:37 AM (GMT 0)
I had a bunch of labs drawn end of May and got results the other day. These are the results and ranges for the thyroid labs:

Free T3 - 2.62 (1.81 - 4.06)
Free T4 - 1.32 (.82 - 1.77)
TSH - 2.440 (.450 - 4.500)
Reverse T3 - 26.3 (high) (9.2 - 24.1)
Thyroxine (T4) - 7.6 (4.5 - 12.0)
Thyroid Peroxidase (TPO) - 7 (0 - 34)
Thyroglobulin Antibody - negative

Can some of you who are experienced with thyroid health and treatment tell me what you think of this. Reverse T3 is high. Everything else is in range. What I read about high reverse T3 said to increase zinc and selenium.

Had a phone consultation with the Lyme doctor who ordered the tests this afternoon. When I asked her what she thought of the thyroid labs, she said I could try a supplement called Thyroid-Px from Restorative Formulations.

Here’s what the manufacturer says about the product:

“Features herbs and nutrients to support thyroid function. This formula is the most potent support we offer for healthy thyroid function. Provides the thyroid with the required nutrition and substrates. Supplies the building blocks for T3/T4 hormone synthesis. Promotes the activation of thyroid hormone.

Supports Metabolism
Promotes T4-T3 Conversion
Stabilizes Thyroid Peroxidase Antibodies
Optimizes Body Temperature
High dose Iodine/Iodide”

Contains vitamins, minerals, herbs. List is here https://www.restorativeformulations.com/products/rf-thyroid-metabolism/thyroid-px/

Contains high amounts of iodine among other things. I’m allergic to shellfish. Have no idea if I am allergic to iodine or not.

I don’t think the doctor would have recommended a thyroid supplement if I hadn’t expressed concern or interest in my thyroid labs.

Looking for some educated feedback on this.

Post Edited (WalkingbyFaith) : 6/26/2019 7:26:07 PM (GMT-6)

Posted 6/27/2019 1:00 AM (GMT 0)
If I am reading your results right, then reverse T3 is the only value out of range, right? (Not free T3?)

I do not have what one might consider an educated opinion, but this article seems like a good summary of the role of reverse T3 and the possible causes of high reverse T3 (which include stress, low ferritin, aging, various medications, and your body protecting itself if you are ill in other ways). From what I can tell, this is nothing to be concerned about. https://selfhacked.com/blog/reverse-t3/

The thyroid supplement you linked to has low enough doses of most things to be considered relatively risk-free aside from the iodine. I would strive to include more of those other things in your diet and supplements, but skip the high dose of iodine. High enough doses can cause thyroid issues, including autoimmune conditions. It's usually derived from seawater, ore, and seaweed, so does not involve shellfish. If you want to supplement iodine, then I'd recommend the ionic liquid one so you can start at a very low dose and see how you respond. https://traceminerals.com/?s=iodine

I hope folks with more thyroid knowledge can weigh in and be more helpful!
Posted 6/27/2019 1:23 AM (GMT 0)

WalkingbyFaith said...
I had a bunch of labs drawn end of May and got results the other day. These are the results and ranges for the thyroid labs:

Free T3 - 2.62 (1.81 - 4.06)
Free T4 - 1.32 (.82 - 1.77)
TSH - 2.440 (.450 - 4.500)
Reverse T3 - 26.3 (high) (9.2 - 24.1)
Thyroxine (T4) - 7.6 (4.5 - 12.0)
Thyroid Peroxidase (TPO) - 7 (0 - 34)
Thyroglobulin Antibody - negative

Can some of you who are experienced with thyroid health and treatment tell me what you think of this. Free T3 is high. Everything else is in range. What I read about high free T3 said to increase zinc and selenium.

Had a phone consultation with the Lyme doctor who ordered the tests this afternoon. When I asked her what she thought of the thyroid labs, she said I could try a supplement called Thyroid-Px from Restorative Formulations.

Here’s what the manufacturer says about the product:

“Features herbs and nutrients to support thyroid function. This formula is the most potent support we offer for healthy thyroid function. Provides the thyroid with the required nutrition and substrates. Supplies the building blocks for T3/T4 hormone synthesis. Promotes the activation of thyroid hormone.

Supports Metabolism
Promotes T4-T3 Conversion
Stabilizes Thyroid Peroxidase Antibodies
Optimizes Body Temperature
High dose Iodine/Iodide”

Contains vitamins, minerals, herbs. List is here https://www.restorativeformulations.com/products/rf-thyroid-metabolism/thyroid-px/

Contains high amounts of iodine among other things. I’m allergic to shellfish. Have no idea if I am allergic to iodine or not.

I don’t think the doctor would have recommended a thyroid supplement if I hadn’t expressed concern or interest in my thyroid labs.

Looking for some educated feedback on this.

A few thyroid savvy members said that the FT3 and FT4 should be in upper end of ranges ie approximately 3/4 of top end - bother of yours’ are - if I did the math in my head right
Posted 6/27/2019 1:25 AM (GMT 0)
Your FT3 isn’t high - your RT3 is

There’s a calculation for the RT3 as well .
Posted 6/27/2019 1:27 AM (GMT 0)

saraeli said...
If I am reading your results right, then reverse T3 is the only value out of range, right? (Not free T3?)

Good catch!! Thank you. I edited my post to correct that. Also, good, sound advice as usual. Thanks.
Posted 6/27/2019 1:30 AM (GMT 0)

Girlie said...

A few thyroid savvy members said that the FT3 and FT4 should be in upper end of ranges ie approximately 3/4 of top end - bother of yours’ are - if I did the math in my head right

FT4 is, but FT3 is just a little over halfway up the range.
Posted 6/27/2019 1:39 AM (GMT 0)
Yes you are correct - so much for calculations in my head...

Have you visited the website “Stop the Thyroid Madness? “- There’s info on the RT3 I believe
Posted 6/27/2019 2:04 AM (GMT 0)
RT3 as mentioned can be heightened by stress for sure. Are you feeling symptoms of hypothyroidism?
Posted 6/27/2019 2:09 AM (GMT 0)

jb1994 said...
RT3 as mentioned can be heightened by stress for sure. Are you feeling symptoms of hypothyroidism?

I don’t think so, but I don’t really know what they are. I am having symptoms of hormone imbalance - irritable, getting hot, sweats, OCD/ADD, getting wired around bedtime (like right now).
Posted 6/27/2019 4:28 AM (GMT 0)
Does it say anything like "calculated" by the RT3 value? In the past, if not noted, it meant more math was needed to get the final RT3 value.....ya weird I know.

https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/reverse-t3/are there other reasons i could have too much rt3, even though the above are the main reasons for thyroid patients??

[" Yes, they include:

Beta-blocker long-term use such as propranolol, metoprolol, etc. See this study.
Physical injury, a common cause of increased RT3
Illnesses like the flu, a common cause of increased RT3
Starvation/severe calorie restriction is known to raise RT3. See this study.
Diabetes when poorly treated is known to increase RT3. See this study.
Lyme disease
Cirrhosis of the liver (page 38 here)
Fatty liver disease
Any other liver stress
Renal Failure (page 38 here)
A fever of unknown cause (page 38 here)
Detoxing of high heavy metals " ]

Good old lyme

Post Edited (astroman) : 6/27/2019 7:19:17 AM (GMT-6)

Posted 6/27/2019 4:34 AM (GMT 0)
"Thyroid Peroxidase (TPO) - 7 (0 - 34)"

Edit: I went brain dead while commenting on this earlier. Sorry for any confusion. (maybe bicycling depletes my brain cells?)

34 is obviously the "limit or ceiling" here, and your way under, ...GOOD.

Thyroid antibody tests use diff ranges or limits depending on the test equipment brand.

Just for the sake of having numbers was there any range for the Thyroglobulin Antibody or simply negative finding?

Post Edited (astroman) : 6/27/2019 7:18:02 AM (GMT-6)

Posted 6/27/2019 2:27 PM (GMT 0)
Astroman,

It just says “Reverse T3, Serum.”

Thyroglobulin Antibody result was<1.0. Range was 0.0 - 0.9.

The link you posted says that page does not exist.

Other than Reverse T3 being high, does everything else look okay? I’m asking because I always hear how functional and alternative doctors look at those labs differently in terms of what is “optimal” and how optimal levels have nothing to do with lab ranges. Pretty much what that website is all about.

Last year when I saw my Reverse T3 was high, I found some information called “Reverse T3 Treatment Guide & How to “Flush” It Out of Your Body & Start Feeling Better” here: https://www.restartmed.com/reverse-t3/

What I got out of that last year was that zinc and selenium were needed. Looking at it again, I see there’s far more to it than that. Dealing with the root cause is necessary and I have been failing at that for 3 years now. Chronic inflammation, gut dysfunction and dysbiosis, and chronic infections are the obvious root causes and can take years to reverse if you do it right, and obviously, I haven’t done much right.

Post Edited (WalkingbyFaith) : 6/27/2019 9:05:20 AM (GMT-6)

Posted 6/27/2019 4:13 PM (GMT 0)
https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/reverse-t3/

Your link has a lot more info than the one above that I reposted.

For someone not on thyroid med, this looks decent..
"Free T3 - 2.62 (1.81 - 4.06)
Free T4 - 1.32 (.82 - 1.77)
TSH - 2.440 (.450 - 4.500)"

If you were on thyroid med, you would maybe feel better with a little more FT3. When not on thyroid med, the body converts t4 to t3 to use as needed.

"Optimal" is for people on thy med, and diff for diff people - its trial and error. People on thyroid med generally feel better with a little higher in range hormone (t3 and t4, not tsh) than not med people.

Just remember tsh is a signal, not something your cells use, its not fuel like t3 and t4.

Ive had slightly elevate rt3 in the past ALONG with pooling (over range)Ft3. My body was not using it. It fixed itself. This was also during a thy med change from natural to both synthetics (NDT North American shortage of 2009), so my body did not yet recognize this foreign t3 in my blood (like putting new food in front of a little kid).

In the past natural-path Drs treated rt3 with t3 med alone (Cytomel) (not with t4). this supposedly forces the body to consume it.

Post Edited (astroman) : 6/27/2019 10:17:09 AM (GMT-6)

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