RE: T3 not increasing, but T4 is -- would I benefit from T3 medication?

[Guest guest]

Hi Jess, it could well mean that you are not converting the T4

into the active T3 - or it could mean that you are taking too much thyroxine.

Any chance you might be suffering with one of the many associated conditions

that go hand in hand with the symptoms of hypothyroidism. Check out the

attached document and go through each possibility. You may need to get a lot of

further testing done, especially adrenals and candida - which the NHS doesn't

do so you would have to get these done privately. However, your GP should test

the other vitamins and minerals mentioned in this document to see whether any

of them are low in the range, in which case, you should need to supplement with

whatever is low before the thyroid hormone can work.

Luv - Sheila

Hi all,

Just wondered if I would benefit from T3 medication... started on levothyroxine

around 2 and a half months ago and my T4 has now shot up over the reference

range but my T3 hasn't changed, and is, I think, low, even though it's in

range. Am still feeling just as ill as I was before starting medication.

Some test results:

01/03/2011:

T4 = 17.5 (12.0-22.0)

T3 = 4.9 (2.8-7.1)

06/04/2011:

T4 = 25.1

T3 = 4.7

Does this mean I'm T4 toxic and not converting properly? Will buy T3 myself to

trial if doc is unwilling.

Kind Regards,

Jess

1 of 1 File(s)

Why thyroid hormone stops working (2).doc

[Guest guest]

Hi Sheila,

Thanks for the reply. Have had all the vits and minerals tested and Vit D3 was

found to be low so am now on supplements for that. Have not tested adrenals but

I take steroids for my asthma and have heard adrenals should be fine if you're

taking steroids? I took a candida blood test which came up positive for

antibodies in the blood but the doctor said that was simply due to the oral

thrush I experience and not to worry. Think I'd like to try T3 before going on a

candida diet as I'm underweight and just can't do a restrictive diet..

Is it true then that T3 ought to increase along with T4 and not just stay at the

same value?

Jess

[Guest guest]

Can you get hold of your other mineral and vitamin tests

together with the reference range for each test done and post them here on the

forum so we can check them out. Doctors are notorious at not being able to

interpret blood test results - they see your results within the range, so tell

you that you don't have a problem. We need to know whether they are at the top,

the middle or the bottom of the range - because it matters!

Where did you have the test done to check whether you had candida

antibodies - was this a hospital blood test or a private one. I would guess

your GP doesn't know a lot about the connection between systemic candidiasis

which lines the gut and stops thyroid hormone from working and oral thrush -

but check out the Candida Questionnaire in our FILES Section under 'Candida' to

see how you score.

Whether the steroids you take for your asthma are sufficient to

help boost your adrenals I have no idea, but I doubt if you are suffering

with low adrenal reserve. Before spending money on further private adrenal testing,

check out the adrenal questionnaire in our ADRENAL folder (again in the FILES

section of this forum Home Page) and answer all the questions there and see how

you score and let us know.

What are you taking for your low Vitamin D3 and what is the

dosage you are on?

You can try T3 before treating the Candida, but until your

candida is treated, the thyroid hormone will not be getting fully utilised at

the cellular level - this really should be treated first. Go to our web site www.tpa-uk.org.uk and click on

'Hypothyroidism' and then in the drop down Menu, click on 'Associated

Conditions'. On the page that opens there, click on Candida Albicans and read

about the thyroid/candida connection so you fully understand this. The Candida

diet is not a 'restrictive' diet where it would cause you to loose weight, it

is restrictive in that it doesn't contain sugars and such that would only help

feed the candida.

If you are on the correct dose of thyroid hormone replacement,

your free T3 should be in the upper third of the reference range and your free

T4 should be there too if you are taking levothyroxine only, but probably lower

if you are taking natural thyroid extract or T3 only.

Luv - Sheila

Thanks for the reply. Have had all the vits and minerals tested and Vit D3 was

found to be low so am now on supplements for that. Have not tested adrenals but

I take steroids for my asthma and have heard adrenals should be fine if you're

taking steroids? I took a candida blood test which came up positive for

antibodies in the blood but the doctor said that was simply due to the oral

thrush I experience and not to worry. Think I'd like to try T3 before going on

a candida diet as I'm underweight and just can't do a restrictive diet..

Is it true then that T3 ought to increase along with T4 and not just stay at

the same value?

Jess