RE: T3 and dosage level relative to mental activity

[Guest guest]

Hello TC - your wife could be suffering with low adrenal reserve

and this could be the reason why she runs out of mental and physical energy. If

she has low adrenal reserve, systemic candidiasis, mercury poisoning due to

amalgam fillings, low levels of ferritin, vitamin B12, vitamin D3, magnesium,

folate, copper or zinc, her thyroid hormone replacement is probably not being

fully absorbed at the cellular level. Ask her GP to test the last 5 blood tests

and get all the results, together with the reference range for each test done

and post them on the forum. I say this because doctors will tell you that all

your results are " normal " if they appear ANYWHERE within the

reference range, and we need to know whether they are at the bottom, the middle

or the top of the range. It really DOES matter.

She can get a 24 hour salivary adrenal profile done via Genova Diagnostics,

who will also test to see whether she has candida antibodies.

It might be that she is not taking a sufficiently high enough

dose of T3, or she might be better on T3 alone. She might even be better taking

the natural thyroid extract as this contains T4, T3, T2, T1 and calcitonin.

T3 has a short half life of 2 days in the human body. It peaks

in the blood a couple of hours or so after taking it, the good effect starts to

fade in 6 to 8 hours. This is why we recommend splitting the dose and keeping

the engine topped up so that a 'slump' in energy is avoided.

Luv - Sheila

I suppose what I am saying is that our experience suggests that T3 depletion

seems to be linked with the level of mental activity being undertaken on any

given day. Does this mirror anyone else's experience? Does any one know of any

research being done in this area?

TC

[Guest guest]

Hi SheilaThanks for your very prompt reply - I don't know how you find time! This site is certainly a godsend for people with thyroid problems.Here are my wife's blood tests. The first one was done before the operation. Since the last one below, she has had another one done through her GP. It was supposed to be T3, T4, TSH and antibodies (as requested by the GP) but the labs only came back with T4 (10.1) and TSH (0.03) even though the GP had marked up the form to indicate her level of T3. It appears that the tail is wagging the dog as far as lab tests go. My wife is seeing Dr P and will be sending him her first 6 week diary back soon. Any comments on the blood test results would be very welcome, especially if anything sticks out like a sore thumb.The main reason for posting was to see if anyone knew of any research on whether the rate of T3 depletion is dependent on the level of mental activity. It certainly seems to be the case for my wife.TC Date of Test FT4 FT4 Ref range TSH TSH Ref range T3 T3 Ref range Antibodies TPO A/B Ref range Cortisol Cortisol Ref range Medication 08-Sep-09 12.7 11.5 - 22.7 2.4 0.4-4 - 105 < 60 NONE 25-Nov-09 13.6 11.5 - 22.7 7.9 0.4-4 - - NONE 22-Mar-10 12.7 10.0 - 20.0 7.7 0.2-6.0 - - T4-25 21-Jun-10 20.8 10.0 - 20.0 0.2 0.2-6.0 - - T4-75 17-Sep-10 19 10.0 - 20.0 0.03 0.2-6.0 - - T4-100 04-Oct-10 18 10.0 - 20.0 0.03 0.2-6.0 5.66 3.5 to 7.0 - 03-Nov-10 20.1 10.0 - 20.0 0.03 0.2-6.0 4.46 3.5 to 7.0 1233.3 < 60 215.2 Random 85-450 04-Jan-11 16.1 10.0 - 20.0 0.03 0.2-6.0 7 3.5 to 7.0 T4-75 T3-20 09-Feb-11 16.1 10.0 - 20.0 0.03 0.2-6.0 9.18 3.5 to 7.0 T4-75 T3-20 >> Hello TC - <SNIP> get all the results, together with the reference> range for each test done and post them on the forum.

[Guest guest]

Hello TC, you can most definitely see an improvement in the

thyroid blood test results once she started taking thyroxine. I wouldn't worry

too much about the pathology lab. not doing her free T3. It's how your wife

feels that matters and as she is now taking T3 her fT3 will be high and her TSH

will be completely suppressed. Looking at her previous free T3 results, am I right

in saying that your wife took her thyroid medication on the morning she had her

blood drawn. I say this because T3 has a very short half life and it peaks in

the blood between 2 to 4 hours after taking it so this could be why her results

look so high. If this was the case, tell her that whenever she has any future

thyroid function tests done, she should not take any T4 or T3 in the morning

the TFT's are done, but to take them straight afterwards.

I

am just amazed that she was not put on any thyroid hormone replacement until

March 2010, when it had been shown that in November 2009, her TSH was 7.9

and that in September 2009, she had tested positive for antibodies. Does your

wife eat a gluten free diet, if not, this could be something she might want to

try, because antibodies thrive on gluten and multiply. Is she taking

200mcgs Selenium, 15mgs zinc and at least 1000 mgs vitamin C daily? If she has

not had her vitamins and mineral levels tested, she should ask her GP to test

her levels of ferritin, vitamin B12, vitamin D3, magnesium, folate, copper and

zinc.

Hope

the consultation with Dr Peatfield goes well - you will thoroughly enjoy the

experience.

Luv

- Sheila

Date of Test

FT4

FT4

Ref range

TSH

TSH

Ref range

T3

T3

Ref range

Antibodies

TPO A/B

Ref range

Cortisol

Cortisol

Ref range

Medication

08-Sep-09

12.7

11.5 - 22.7

2.4

0.4-4

-

105

< 60

NONE

25-Nov-09

13.6

11.5 - 22.7

7.9

0.4-4

-

-

NONE

22-Mar-10

12.7

10.0 - 20.0

7.7

0.2-6.0

-

-

T4-25

21-Jun-10

20.8

10.0 - 20.0

0.2

0.2-6.0

-

-

T4-75

17-Sep-10

19

10.0 - 20.0

0.03

0.2-6.0

-

-

T4-100

04-Oct-10

18

10.0 - 20.0

0.03

0.2-6.0

5.66

3.5 to 7.0

-

03-Nov-10

20.1

10.0 - 20.0

0.03

0.2-6.0

4.46

3.5 to 7.0

1233.3

< 60

215.2

Random 85-450

04-Jan-11

16.1

10.0 - 20.0

0.03

0.2-6.0

7

3.5 to 7.0

T4-75 T3-20

09-Feb-11

16.1

10.0 - 20.0

0.03

0.2-6.0

9.18

3.5 to 7.0

T4-75 T3-20

[Guest guest]

Thanks for your comments Sheila.

ST: am I right in saying that your wife took her thyroid medication on the

morning she had her blood drawn. I say this because T3 has a very short half

life ....

TC: yes, you're right. We've since become savvy to this through reading TPA

postings.

ST: I am just amazed that she was not put on any thyroid hormone replacement

until March 2010

TC: Actually she went on to T4 in Feb 2010 but that was still about 3 months

after the op. The consultant/surgeon told us there was a good chance that her

residual thyroid would make enough thyroid hormone. He did say she might not but

he thought it was worth trying to see if she could avoid having to take

medication. One friend, now pension age, had a partial thyroidectomy when she

was in her 20s, went on to thyroid medication for a few months, then no longer

needed it and has never had to have any since. Someone else we know of had the

full operation a few years ago while in her early 30s, then went to straight on

to 150mcg levothryoxine and has felt fine ever since. We do wonder whether it's

an age related thing. In other words, the younger you are when you have a

partial or full thryoidectomy, the more likely it is that you'll get away

without problems. Likewise, we're wondering whether older people are more likely

to need something other than T4 only treatment when they still have an intact

thyroid but suffer from hypothyroidism.

ST: Does your wife eat a gluten free diet, if not, this could be something she

might want to try, because antibodies thrive on gluten and multiply.

TC: No, she's not on a gluten free diet. That's something to think about.

ST: Is she taking 200mcgs Selenium, 15mgs zinc and at least 1000 mgs vitamin C

daily?

TC: Yes to vit C and zinc. No to selenium - again something to think about. She

also takes 2400IU of D3 daily.

ST: If she has not had her vitamins and mineral levels tested, she should ask

her GP to test her levels of ferritin, vitamin B12, vitamin D3, magnesium,

folate, copper and zinc.

TC: Of these, she had vit B12 and folate tested on one of the blood tests I

posted recently. The B12 was 354 (range 180 to 910) and the folate was > 24.0

(only range min specified, i.e. 5.4). The folate result was flagged up as an

abnormal level but the GP didn't seem to be concerned about it.

Her optimum medication seems to be 50T4 and 30T3. She tried changing this to

25T4 and 40T3 but didn't feel as well so reverted to 50T4 and 30T3. I don't know

how the Royal College of Physicians can say that T4 is the only treatment. From

our experience, it just isn't true. You have to wonder what their agenda is.

TC

[Guest guest]

ST:

Does your wife eat a gluten free diet, if not, this could be something she

might want to try, because antibodies thrive on gluten and multiply.

TC: No, she's not on a gluten free diet. That's something to think about.

You should buy the book " Why Do I Still have Symptoms When

my Blood Tests are Normal " by Dr Datis Kharrazian. You can buy it through

the TPA Link http://www.tpa-uk.org.uk/books.php

.. The link takes you to Amazon UK and you can buy this book for £7.80.

ST:

Is she taking 200mcgs Selenium, 15mgs zinc and at least 1000 mgs vitamin C

daily?

TC: Yes to vit C and zinc. No to selenium - again something to think about. She

also takes 2400IU of D3 daily.

Selenium is vital.

TC: Of these, she had vit B12 and folate tested on one of the blood tests I

posted recently. The B12 was 354 (range 180 to 910) and the folate was >

24.0 (only range min specified, i.e. 5.4). The folate result was flagged up as

an abnormal level but the GP didn't seem to be concerned about it.

Her B12 is too low, it should be at the top of the reference

range. She could be suffering from pernicious anaemia and her doctor should be

concerned about this. Pernicious anemia could be the cause of her high serum folate

levels, due to impaired utilization of folate. According to a 2006 article by

Florence Aslinia, M.D., and colleagues, published in the journal " Clinical

Medicine & Research, " if you are a person with a vitamin B12

deficiency caused by pernicious anemia, your serum folate levels will tend to

be increased, presumably because the methionine synthase pathway -- methionine

synthase is an enzyme in humans responsible for the production of methionine,

an amino acid -- is impaired, allowing methyltetrahydrofolate, or the most

common form of folate, to accumulate in your blood. The National Heart Lung and

Blood Institute states that if you have pernicious anemia, you are unable to

absorb sufficient amounts of vitamin B12 from food, due to lack of intrinsic

factor -- a protein made in your stomach. Common signs and symptoms associated

with pernicious anemia include increased serum folate, fatigue, shortness of

breath, dizziness, headache and chest pain. You wife needs to talk to her GP

about this, Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/284723-what-causes-high-folate-serum-levels/#ixzz1O6KwVifK

Her

optimum medication seems to be 50T4 and 30T3. She tried changing this to 25T4

and 40T3 but didn't feel as well so reverted to 50T4 and 30T3.

When she sees her GP she should insist that he ALSO tests her

levels of ferritin and magnesium. Her thyroid hormone replacement cannot be

fully utilised at the cellular level unless all these vitamins/minerals are low

in the reference range.

I

don't know how the Royal College of Physicians can say that T4 is the only

treatment. From our experience, it just isn't true. You have to wonder what

their agenda is.

I don't wonder. I know. They have their pockets lined by Big

Pharma. You should read 's book called 'Dirty Medicine'. You will

find the answers in there.

Luv - Sheila

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