new labs that'll help us figure some stuff out maybe, val - and nick!! HELP!

[Guest guest]

Hi there.

I'm the person who has had some major problems with the T3 protocol, but totally

believe in it. I've included back story and labs to be thorough. I'm very

brain fogged, so I hope this makes sense.

My major symptoms are diminished consciousness (much better description than

'brain fog,' along with confusion, postural hypotension, memory problems, etc.

And fatigue. Low BP, low pulse (thought it's up to 70 some days now!!) So bad

I'm losing my private practice- am a psychotherapist.

Dx'd with neurally mediated hypotension. I list thyroid meds below, but, fyi, I

am also taking fludro .150/day divided in two doses for the low aldosterone and

low BP sxs, progesterone (labs showed it was low), just started estrogen,

compounded 100mg at night which helped hugely with hot flashes (I'm 47), DHEA -

7keto (for low DHEA lab) and rhodiola and ashwaganda for adrenals, along with

other stuff like B complex, omega 3s, etc., etc. Eating super well - okay, fell

off the wagon during the holidays and had sugar. I know, I know. So bad for the

adrenals...

History of trying the T3 only:

I was on 1 grain of armour for a long time, then went up to 2 grains (slowly,

titrating 1/4 grain at at time over weeks.) I also switched to NT from the

armour and got up to 2 grains. I felt much more muddied in my brain and just

weird. My RT3/T3 ratio was 17 on the 1 grain of armour and then my RT3/T3 ratio

went down to 11 on two grains of armour.

Then, I tried going cold turkey and switching just to T3 (18mcg to match what I

got in the 2 grains of NT, and I got this swimmy, awful, disoriented feeling

that made me miss work for a week. Literally could barely function. So, I went

back on 1 grain of NT and stuck with the T3. I waited a bit, and never fully got

back to my regular symptoms I'm used to (diminished consciousness, etc). Val had

said I have a conversion issue and regardless what it's from, T3 is the fix. So,

I started going down 1/4 grain on NT and going up on T3.

But every time I tried to lower my NT, I felt out of my mind (but previously

when I raised it, I feel muddied. Damned both ways.) And when I tried to raise

the T3, I crashed – it's like my brain is a computer and it powers down. Also

felt incredibly tired (as opposed to fatigued). I couldn't tolerate the T3

raise.

Val and Nick (you both rock!) were wondering about me not being able to – dang,

I forgot – but not being able to utilize the T3, so I'm living off T2, or

something. Also wondered about adrenals. (Ferritin was 6 a long time ago, did

5 rounds of IV iron and got up to 130, last lab see below), was 88, which is

fine, so that's wasn't the issue, but it shows I'm not holding ferritin.) Well,

the plot thickens with these latest labs. (I think it's both issues, actually.)

Cortisol had been SUPER high. (See labs below.) Just got back new labs and now

cortisol is low (and also a bit high). So, my adrenals are going south.

Also, latest thyroid lab shows my TSH was suppressed, but my FT3 was NOT at the

high end, and my FT4 was low, so that shows - dang, my brain fog makes me

forget, but I know Val knows! (see below.)

I have just stuck with this regimen, trying every once in a while to raise T3

and I can't.

T3 regimen:

8am: 6.25

11: 6.25

2: 12.5

5: 6.25

Labs:

Note the TREND OVER TIME of cortisol and thyroid

ADRENALS

12/09 – saliva testing

• Cortisol

o 6-8am: 24 (range: 13-24)

o 11-noon: 2 L (range: 5-10)

o 4-5: 1 L (range: 3-8)

o 10-midnight: 2 (range: 1-4)

• Cortisol burden: 29 (range: 23-42) this has dropped!

o

• DHEA: 7 (range: 3-10) THIS IS WHILE SUPPLEMENTING DHEA, though hadn't taken it

for two days

•

6/09 – saliva testing

• Cortisol (very stressful night's sleep prior to testing):

o 6-8am: 24 (range: 13-24)

o noon: 15 H (range: 5-10)

o 5pm: 18 H (range: 3-8)

o 10pm: 1 L-N (range: 1-4)

o Cortisol burden: 58 (range: 23-42)

• P17-OH 47 (range: 22-100)

• Total Salivary SigA: 14 depressed (20-25, borderline; 25-60, normal)

• Gliadin AB, SigA: 13 borderline (13-15, borderline, >15, positive)

• DHEA: 6, adapted with DHEA slump (range: 3-10)

• Insulin:

o Fasting: <3 (range: 3-12)

o Post-prandial: 3 depressed (range: 5-20)

6/09 – serum

• Aldosterone: 7 (range: <28)

• Renin: 3.9 (range: 0.65-5.0)

2/08 – saliva testing

• Cortisol:

o 2-4am: 5.1 H (range: <1)

o 7am: 10.0 H-N (range: 7-10)

o 7:30am 16.6 b (after 30 mins awake)

o noon: 3.4 (range: 3-6)

o 5pm: 3.1 (range: 2-4)

o 10pm: 2.4 H (range: <1.5)

10/07 – serum

• Aldosterone: 21 (range: <28)

THYROID

10/09 – serum – when on 2 grains NT

• FT3: 331 (range: 230-420) pretty high for me!

• FT4: 1.1 (range: 0.8-1.8)

• RT3: 28 (range: 11-32)

• FT3/RT3 ratio: 11 (optimal: 20)

• TSH: .06 (range: .40 – 4.50)

• Ferritin: 88 (was 6, got up to 130 with 5 rounds IV iron 4 months ago, so it's

dropping.)

6/09 – serum – on 1 grain NT

• FT3: 279 (range: 230-420)

• FT4: 0.8 (range: 0.8-1.8)

• RT3: 16 (range: 11-32)

• FT3/RT3 ratio: 17 (optimal: 20)

How do you treat adrenals that go up high-normal in the morning and now drop so

low in light of RT3 dominance?! I felt like HELL when I tried Cortef before.

Well, I felt fabulous for a day and then muddied. I felt icky on Isocort, too.

(But, it's a new day, new labs, new body chemistry!) Is this a hypothalamus

issue?! (Lab suggested that.) My doc has contended my hypothalamus is messed

up all along!)

THANK YOU for any help. I am just getting worse and worse, despite working my

butt off to get better!

Happy new year! May this be a year of health and happiness for all of us. I

feel so appreciative of Val and Nick. I thank you so sincerely.

~ Carol