Guest guest Posted February 23, 2010 Report Share Posted February 23, 2010 Hi Angie. Welcome to the group! I'm sure Val or Nick will chime in and give you some good answers, but I did want to share my thoughts. From what I've read, your FT4 should be around the middle of the range and your FT3 near or above the top. The FT4 will drop and the FT3 increase dramatically once you start on T3-only treatment. You need to have your doc measure your Reverse T3 (RT3) before you can determine your RT3 ratio and see how bad it is. Re getting the hysterectomy, I see that as similar to cutting off a finger to heal a paper cut. (a gory analogy, I know, but fitting.) Heavy periods are a symptom of hypothyroidism. Yes, you can stop the bleeding and therefore improve your ferritin levels by having a hysterectomy, but why not just fix the thyroid and keep your body intact? Some doctors believe that a hysterectomy causes even more problems than it corrects (some patients too, I'm sure.) Check out the "handouts" on the Holtorf Medical site, and you may find something addressing this: http://www.holtorfmed.com/ I had the same problem with awful periods for a long long time. That's probably why my ferritin is at 8 when it should be at 80. But since I started treating my thyroid problems, and specifically since starting T3 treatment, my periods have gotten much better. You can also help your iron levels by taking your iron supplements with something acidic like orange juice and by taking a vitamin C supplement with each meal. Subject: New Member - A.KeelTo: RT3_T3 Date: Tuesday, February 23, 2010, 5:43 PM Hello all. First of all, I want to thank for her email. That is definitely going in my pile for my endocrinologist to see. I have suffered a lot from hypo symptoms for at least two years, and from reading here and other places, decided to quit taking Synthroid and now only take the T3. I do have Hashi's, plus a large goiter, but I am not clear whether the Hashi's is really involved in my RT3 problem. I have extremely heavy menses (have complained for many years too!) and now I have a ferritin of 20. I have ended up anemic at least 3 times in my life, and want to try to get this problem resolved. I am working on building my iron stores back up using Poly-Iron 150 twice daily. It's the only iron I can tolerate, but will address this problem with my endo next week as the constipation is unbearable. Here are my numbers from 2/3/2010Female5'-4" Wt. 140> Leptin, serum 6.0 1.1 - 27.5> Free T4 - 1.30 .82 - 1.77> Free T3 - 2.5 2.0 - 4.4> > Ferritin, serum 20 10 - 291> glucose, plasma 79 65 - 99> Insulin 3.0 0.0 - 24.9> > Chol,, total 222 100 - 199> TG 73 0 - 149> HDL 74 over 39> LDL calc 134 0 - 99> VLDL Calc 15 5 - 40Any advice on my numbers and what I should present to my doctor would be greatly appreciated. Please also tell me about my RT3 problem (how it's calculated.) Also, I am wondering if a hysterectomy would correct the iron situation and therefore correct the underlying problem with the RT3? I have a hard time believing you can cure RT3 once (thru 's protocol) and then not have the problem recur. I also wonder if this is related to the Hashi's, and what I can do about it. I eat a modified South Beach plan (includes some saturated fats) but no grains or sugar ever and get around 1700 calories daily. I exercise moderately - about 4 times weekly - doing interval training and strength training. I would like to lose 6 - 8 pounds, but am not wanting to make my RT3 problem worse going very low carb or low cal or by overtraining. I lose about .3 pounds per week on this plan. I was a fitness trainer also for 22 years but have been retired for a decade now. My lipids were a lot better before the hypo symptoms started two years ago. It got so bad before the endo gave me T3 with the hair loss that I blew up our central vac in our house! I have taken the temps as well and will be glad to post if it will help. Basal always in the 96's and I never reach 98. Did it for 5 days. I enjoy reading all the posts here. Great people and great information and I feel lucky to have found such a place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 23, 2010 Report Share Posted February 23, 2010 Can't believe I left out that my RT3 was 269. I crrected that and reposted. Thanks for your reply Sunshine! > > > > Subject: New Member - A.Keel > To: RT3_T3 > Date: Tuesday, February 23, 2010, 5:43 PM > > > Â > > > > Hello all. First of all, I want to thank for her email. That is definitely going in my pile for my endocrinologist to see. I have suffered a lot from hypo symptoms for at least two years, and from reading here and other places, decided to quit taking Synthroid and now only take the T3. I do have Hashi's, plus a large goiter, but I am not clear whether the Hashi's is really involved in my RT3 problem. I have extremely heavy menses (have complained for many years too!) and now I have a ferritin of 20. I have ended up anemic at least 3 times in my life, and want to try to get this problem resolved. I am working on building my iron stores back up using Poly-Iron 150 twice daily. It's the only iron I can tolerate, but will address this problem with my endo next week as the constipation is unbearable. > > Here are my numbers from 2/3/2010 > > Female > 5'-4 " > Wt. 140 > > > Leptin, serum 6.0 1.1 - 27.5 > > Free T4 - 1.30 .82 - 1.77 > > Free T3 - 2.5 2.0 - 4.4 > > > > Ferritin, serum 20 10 - 291 > > glucose, plasma 79 65 - 99 > > Insulin 3.0 0.0 - 24.9 > > > > Chol,, total 222 100 - 199 > > TG 73 0 - 149 > > HDL 74 over 39 > > LDL calc 134 0 - 99 > > VLDL Calc 15 5 - 40 > > Any advice on my numbers and what I should present to my doctor would be greatly appreciated. Please also tell me about my RT3 problem (how it's calculated.) Also, I am wondering if a hysterectomy would correct the iron situation and therefore correct the underlying problem with the RT3? I have a hard time believing you can cure RT3 once (thru 's protocol) and then not have the problem recur. I also wonder if this is related to the Hashi's, and what I can do about it. > > I eat a modified South Beach plan (includes some saturated fats) but no grains or sugar ever and get around 1700 calories daily. I exercise moderately - about 4 times weekly - doing interval training and strength training. I would like to lose 6 - 8 pounds, but am not wanting to make my RT3 problem worse going very low carb or low cal or by overtraining. I lose about .3 pounds per week on this plan. I was a fitness trainer also for 22 years but have been retired for a decade now. > > My lipids were a lot better before the hypo symptoms started two years ago. It got so bad before the endo gave me T3 with the hair loss that I blew up our central vac in our house! I have taken the temps as well and will be glad to post if it will help. Basal always in the 96's and I never reach 98. Did it for 5 days. > > I enjoy reading all the posts here. Great people and great information and I feel lucky to have found such a place. > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 24, 2010 Report Share Posted February 24, 2010 Hello and welcome >> Leptin, serum 6.0 1.1 - 27.5 That's good, above 10 or so can indicate Leptin resistance but yours is good. >> Free T4 - 1.30 .82 - 1.77 >> Free T3 - 2.5 2.0 - 4.4 That Free T3 is horribly hypo, most people feel best at the top of the range on T4/T3 and over range on T3 only. Ratio is horrible 2500 / 269 = 9.39. This should be greater than 20 to feel best. >> Ferritin, serum 20 10 - 291 Horrible, you won't be able to tolerate enough T3 to get the ratio up until this is higher >> glucose, plasma 79 65 - 99 >> Insulin 3.0 0.0 - 24.9 >> >> Chol,, total 222 100 - 199 >> TG 73 0 - 149 >> HDL 74 over 39 >> LDL calc 134 0 - 99 >> VLDL Calc 15 5 - 40 Not my area of expertise, Val might have comments. >Also, I am wondering if a hysterectomy would correct the iron situation and therefore correct the underlying problem with the RT3? I have a hard time believing you can cure RT3 once (thru 's protocol) and then not have the problem recur. I also wonder if this is related to the Hashi's, and what I can do about it. It will take some pretty serious iron supplementation to get that up but it sounds like you are on the case. You may well find once you can get it up and get the hypo cleared that you stop being heavy so hold fire on surgery. In terms of the RT3 staying clear it depends what brought it up in the first place, if it was the ferritin sinking then you may be able to go back onto Natural. Some of us have found that we get trouble on natural and have decided to stay permanently on T3 only, I've made that decision and feel the best I have since I was at school (which was a LOT of years ago). Have a read through here if you haven't already and feel free to ask questions www.thyroid-rt3.com Nick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 24, 2010 Report Share Posted February 24, 2010 Thank you so much for that information from Nick - and everyone else too! This is why I am here! YAY! I will post a new thread I suppose, as soon as I show all this to my endo. What makes ferritin drop? I have had heavy periods my whole life, and have been anemic many times, but is this enoigh to make it drop to 20? I have always, always eaten a lot of red meat and spinach....but have also noticed a " RDW " abnormality on my labs. Now, I am seeing this is probably something that has been going on - like a " program running in the background " for a very long time. Wonder what it means? What kind of doctor specializes in this? Is it a blood disorder? How do I even convice the doctor that I am - in fact - HYPO??? > > >> Leptin, serum 6.0 1.1 - 27.5 > > That's good, above 10 or so can indicate Leptin resistance but yours > is good. > > >> Free T4 - 1.30 .82 - 1.77 > >> Free T3 - 2.5 2.0 - 4.4 > > That Free T3 is horribly hypo, most people feel best at the top of the > range on T4/T3 and over range on T3 only. > > Ratio is horrible > > 2500 / 269 = 9.39. This should be greater than 20 to feel best. > > > >> Ferritin, serum 20 10 - 291 > > Horrible, you won't be able to tolerate enough T3 to get the ratio up > until this is higher > >> glucose, plasma 79 65 - 99 > >> Insulin 3.0 0.0 - 24.9 > >> > >> Chol,, total 222 100 - 199 > >> TG 73 0 - 149 > >> HDL 74 over 39 > >> LDL calc 134 0 - 99 > >> VLDL Calc 15 5 - 40 > > Not my area of expertise, Val might have comments. > > >Also, I am wondering if a hysterectomy would correct the iron situation and therefore correct the underlying problem with the RT3? I have a hard time believing you can cure RT3 once (thru 's protocol) and then not have the problem recur. I also wonder if this is related to the Hashi's, and what I can do about it. > > It will take some pretty serious iron supplementation to get that up > but it sounds like you are on the case. You may well find once you can > get it up and get the hypo cleared that you stop being heavy so hold > fire on surgery. > > In terms of the RT3 staying clear it depends what brought it up in the > first place, if it was the ferritin sinking then you may be able to go > back onto Natural. > > Some of us have found that we get trouble on natural and have decided > to stay permanently on T3 only, I've made that decision and feel the > best I have since I was at school (which was a LOT of years ago). > > Have a read through here if you haven't already and feel free to ask > questions > > www.thyroid-rt3.com > > Nick > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 25, 2010 Report Share Posted February 25, 2010 >What makes ferritin drop? I have had heavy periods my whole life, and have been anemic many times, but is this enoigh to make it drop to 20? I have always, always eaten a lot of red meat and spinach....but have also noticed a " RDW " abnormality on my labs. Now, I am seeing this is probably something that has been going on - like a " program running in the background " for a very long time. Wonder what it means? What kind of doctor specializes in this? Is it a blood disorder? Being hypo can make ferritin drop http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/ferritin/ Being hypo can also cause the heavy periods >How do I even convice the doctor that I am - in fact - HYPO??? That's another matter! Nick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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