Re: Help with labs?

[Guest guest]

Your RT3 is too high. I calculate your T3/RT3 ratio as 11. Anything under 20

indicates an RT3 problem. The best info source on RT3 is Moderator Nick's

website, here's the link:

http://www.thyroid-rt3.com/

This website answered so many of my own questions.

You mention that you are still feeling hypo; Nick's website describes RT3

problems very, very well:

" The main symptom of RT3 issues is that of hypothyroidism that won't respond to

treatment. "

from

http://www.thyroid-rt3.com/whatare.htm

One of the causes of RT3 is low iron, which you have. For any thyroid med to

work it's best, ferritin should be 70-90 and % saturation 35-45. Here's a link

to a " how to raise iron " post:

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/RT3_T3/message/48610

In order to successfully get rid of RT3, adrenal function also needs to be

checked. Here's a link to Nick's adrenal info page:

http://www.thyroid-rt3.com/adrenals.htm

Nick's website is the best info we have. I read every single page and it was a

huge help to me.

Hope this helps.

>

> In spite of my FT3 and FT4 looking good, I was still feeling hypo, so my doc

added in an RT3 test. I didn't have my follow-up with him yet, but was

interested what the labs may mean as the RT3 seems too high. I'm currently on

45 mg porcine from compounding pharmacy and 25 synthyroid (I know this isn't

much of either, but after removing gluten from my diet, I didn't need as much

thyroid meds). I'm also taking 45 mg of iron. I've also included my iron and

ferritin labs. Thanks!!

>

> Iron - Total Iron Bind Capacity:

> Iron 43 (40-175 ug/dl)

> TIBC 385 (250-450 ug/dl)

> % Saturation 11 (15-15%)

> UIBC 342 (110-370 ug/dl)

>

> Ferritin 26 (10 - 232 ng/ml)

>

> TSH <0.01 (0.40 - 4.50 miu/l)

> FT3 335 (230-420 pg/dl)

> FT4 1.0 (0.8 - 1.8 ng/dl)

> RT3 30 (11-32 ng/dl)

>

[Guest guest]

Thank you Margery! I started reading the information Nick put together and it

is very helpful. I'm also going to check out the other links you suggested.

With the brain fog, sometimes it's hard to absorb everything. My whole body and

mind feel so tired and my legs have started aching again (it's been a long

time). Thanks again!

> >

> > In spite of my FT3 and FT4 looking good, I was still feeling hypo, so my doc

added in an RT3 test. I didn't have my follow-up with him yet, but was

interested what the labs may mean as the RT3 seems too high. I'm currently on

45 mg porcine from compounding pharmacy and 25 synthyroid (I know this isn't

much of either, but after removing gluten from my diet, I didn't need as much

thyroid meds). I'm also taking 45 mg of iron. I've also included my iron and

ferritin labs. Thanks!!

> >

> > Iron - Total Iron Bind Capacity:

> > Iron 43 (40-175 ug/dl)

> > TIBC 385 (250-450 ug/dl)

> > % Saturation 11 (15-15%)

> > UIBC 342 (110-370 ug/dl)

> >

> > Ferritin 26 (10 - 232 ng/ml)

> >

> > TSH <0.01 (0.40 - 4.50 miu/l)

> > FT3 335 (230-420 pg/dl)

> > FT4 1.0 (0.8 - 1.8 ng/dl)

> > RT3 30 (11-32 ng/dl)

> >

>

[Guest guest]

Glad to help. My own brain fog, achy legs and tiredness all improved when I got

my iron levels up. It wasn't a 100% solution to all my health issues, but it

was a both an improvement and an essential step toward thyroid wellness.

> > >

> > > In spite of my FT3 and FT4 looking good, I was still feeling hypo, so my

doc added in an RT3 test. I didn't have my follow-up with him yet, but was

interested what the labs may mean as the RT3 seems too high. I'm currently on

45 mg porcine from compounding pharmacy and 25 synthyroid (I know this isn't

much of either, but after removing gluten from my diet, I didn't need as much

thyroid meds). I'm also taking 45 mg of iron. I've also included my iron and

ferritin labs. Thanks!!

> > >

> > > Iron - Total Iron Bind Capacity:

> > > Iron 43 (40-175 ug/dl)

> > > TIBC 385 (250-450 ug/dl)

> > > % Saturation 11 (15-15%)

> > > UIBC 342 (110-370 ug/dl)

> > >

> > > Ferritin 26 (10 - 232 ng/ml)

> > >

> > > TSH <0.01 (0.40 - 4.50 miu/l)

> > > FT3 335 (230-420 pg/dl)

> > > FT4 1.0 (0.8 - 1.8 ng/dl)

> > > RT3 30 (11-32 ng/dl)

> > >

> >

>

[Guest guest]

When you have RT3, you get brain fog, pain, tiredness, etc. It's because the T3 is not getting into the cells. Once you reduce the RT3 low enough, you will feel better.

<>Roni

Immortality exists!

It's called knowledge!

Just because something isn't seen

doesn't mean it's not there<>

Subject: Re: Help with labs?To: RT3_T3 Date: Sunday, August 22, 2010, 4:21 PM

Thank you Margery! I started reading the information Nick put together and it is very helpful. I'm also going to check out the other links you suggested. With the brain fog, sometimes it's hard to absorb everything. My whole body and mind feel so tired and my legs have started aching again (it's been a long time). Thanks again! > >> > In spite of my FT3 and FT4 looking good, I was still feeling hypo, so my doc added in an RT3 test. I didn't have my follow-up with him yet, but was interested what the labs may mean as the RT3 seems too high. I'm currently on 45 mg porcine from compounding pharmacy and 25 synthyroid (I know this isn't much of either, but after removing gluten from my diet, I didn't need as much thyroid meds). I'm also taking 45 mg of iron. I've also included my iron and ferritin labs.

Thanks!!> > > > Iron - Total Iron Bind Capacity:> > Iron 43 (40-175 ug/dl)> > TIBC 385 (250-450 ug/dl)> > % Saturation 11 (15-15%)> > UIBC 342 (110-370 ug/dl)> > > > Ferritin 26 (10 - 232 ng/ml)> > > > TSH <0.01 (0.40 - 4.50 miu/l)> > FT3 335 (230-420 pg/dl)> > FT4 1.0 (0.8 - 1.8 ng/dl)> > RT3 30 (11-32 ng/dl)>

>>------------------------------------We are not medical professionals here, just patients sharing our experiences. Please use this information with the help of a competent doctor.

[Guest guest]

Actually, your ft4 and ft3 don't look good, so no wonder you feel hypo. The ft4

should be be midrange, around 1.2 to 1.3 and the ft3 should be near the top. On

the other hand, I think Val says a super low TSH like that means your body isn't

utilizing the thyroid meds and that may be due to the rt3 issue. Going on t3

only IS an option,but merely going onto all porcine, which has more t3 in it and

dumping the synthroid may work, too. Why are you taking both that and synthroid,

may I ask?

Kathleen

>

> In spite of my FT3 and FT4 looking good, I was still feeling hypo, so my doc

added in an RT3 test. I didn't have my follow-up with him yet, but was

interested what the labs may mean as the RT3 seems too high. I'm currently on

45 mg porcine from compounding pharmacy and 25 synthyroid (I know this isn't

much of either, but after removing gluten from my diet, I didn't need as much

thyroid meds). I'm also taking 45 mg of iron. I've also included my iron and

ferritin labs. Thanks!!

>

> Iron - Total Iron Bind Capacity:

> Iron 43 (40-175 ug/dl)

> TIBC 385 (250-450 ug/dl)

> % Saturation 11 (15-15%)

> UIBC 342 (110-370 ug/dl)

>

> Ferritin 26 (10 - 232 ng/ml)

>

> TSH <0.01 (0.40 - 4.50 miu/l)

> FT3 335 (230-420 pg/dl)

> FT4 1.0 (0.8 - 1.8 ng/dl)

> RT3 30 (11-32 ng/dl)

>

[Guest guest]

Thanks, everyone. Kathleen, I had been on Armour/porcine only for a long time,

but my FT4 was always in the basement (from .6 to .8). I still wasn't feeling

well so the doc added a small amount of synthroid which brought up the FT4

levels. I had been feeling " OK " , but now I'm feeling absolutely crummy. My doc

is trying to figure out if something else is responsible, but seeing the RT3

makes me wonder if that's the reason. We had a death in the family recently, so

I don't know if a stressful event can suddenly make things worse or not.

[Guest guest]

Hello,

I understand the reasoning now for adding the Synthroid, but that only works if

you convert well. Let me ask you this? Did the ft3 increase at all when you

added the synthroid?? If it did, you are converting. It it didn't, well, it

turned into rt3 and no wonder you feel terrible.

I'm a TERRIBLE converter and can't take any t4 products at all. :-( I mean, it's

normal to make SOME rt3, even healthy people do. So if you look on a graph, my

ft3 is comparatively lower than my ft4. But your ft3 is more like midrange,

which may be normal with a ft4 as low as yours (which is near bottom of range)

so *maybe *if you just raised your meds (preferably just taking a much larger

dose of porcine), then both ft4 AND ft3 would go up and improve your rt3 to ft3

ratio. You know the new Armour doesn't seem to work well, right? Maybe you

should have tried Naturethroid or something like that before giving up on it and

adding in Synthroid.

How high did you go on the Armour/porcine only? You may simply have been

undermedicated. I think people need an average of about 3 grains and I've seen

people go as high as 5. (I don't know a lot about this b/c I take t3 only, but

as I've done everything, I have read a bit about it and was on the NTH group for

a while, too.)

As for stress, YES, it can make you feel absolutely crummy! I go hypo from

stress. There are 2 ways this can happen. The first is if you need more cortisol

to handle the stress and your body can't make it, well, then you don't have

enough for the t3 to get into the cells, either. The other way is you do make a

lot of cortisol and it goes so high you make more rt3 that ft3 and that can make

you feel crummy, too. So stress certainly can play a factor, but your labs do

show that you are still hypo.

Kathleen

>

> Thanks, everyone. Kathleen, I had been on Armour/porcine only for a long

time, but my FT4 was always in the basement (from .6 to .8). I still wasn't

feeling well so the doc added a small amount of synthroid which brought up the

FT4 levels. I had been feeling " OK " , but now I'm feeling absolutely crummy. My

doc is trying to figure out if something else is responsible, but seeing the RT3

makes me wonder if that's the reason. We had a death in the family recently, so

I don't know if a stressful event can suddenly make things worse or not.

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Kathleen,

I'm trying to reconstruct how things happened, but I was on 90 mg porcine and

still hypo, so we added 50 mcg synthroid. After that, I became extremely hyper,

with a FT3 of 714 and FT4 of 2.0, so guess I was converting. We then cut the

synthroid to 25 mcg and my numbers stayed high, so we cut the porcine down to

45. This all happened beginning last December and took awhile for me to not be

hyper anymore. So I guess I do convert well.

My doc was going to increase the porcine to 150 mg instead of adding the

synthroid, but I asked him if the synthroid would help get my FT4 up, so we

tried it. The reason I'm taking porcine compounded by a local pharmacy started

with the Armour shortage and I just haven't switched since then.

You may be onto something with the cortisol. If the stress increased my

cortisol, it may have started converting T3 to RT3 and left me feeling crummy.

It's been over a year since I've had my saliva cortisol levels tested, but every

time I get my cortisol blood level checked in the afternoon, it is on the high

side. (But, I get nervous with blood draws, so I guess that could raise the

cortisol level.)

Thanks so much for your help. I emailed my doc this morning to see if he thinks

I should change my thyroid meds as I am soon due for a refill and don't want to

get something I can't use.

Jodi

> >

> > Thanks, everyone. Kathleen, I had been on Armour/porcine only for a long

time, but my FT4 was always in the basement (from .6 to .8). I still wasn't

feeling well so the doc added a small amount of synthroid which brought up the

FT4 levels. I had been feeling " OK " , but now I'm feeling absolutely crummy. My

doc is trying to figure out if something else is responsible, but seeing the RT3

makes me wonder if that's the reason. We had a death in the family recently, so

I don't know if a stressful event can suddenly make things worse or not.

> >

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Kathleen,

I'm trying to reconstruct how things happened, but I was on 90 mg porcine and

still hypo, so we added 50 mcg synthroid. After that, I became extremely hyper,

with a FT3 of 714 and FT4 of 2.0, so guess I was converting. We then cut the

synthroid to 25 mcg and my numbers stayed high, so we cut the porcine down to

45. This all happened beginning last December and took awhile for me to not be

hyper anymore. So I guess I do convert well.

My doc was going to increase the porcine to 150 mg instead of adding the

synthroid, but I asked him if the synthroid would help get my FT4 up, so we

tried it. The reason I'm taking porcine compounded by a local pharmacy started

with the Armour shortage and I just haven't switched since then.

You may be onto something with the cortisol. If the stress increased my

cortisol, it may have started converting T3 to RT3 and left me feeling crummy.

It's been over a year since I've had my saliva cortisol levels tested, but every

time I get my cortisol blood level checked in the afternoon, it is on the high

side. (But, I get nervous with blood draws, so I guess that could raise the

cortisol level.)

Thanks so much for your help. I emailed my doc this morning to see if he thinks

I should change my thyroid meds as I am soon due for a refill and don't want to

get something I can't use.

Jodi

> >

> > Thanks, everyone. Kathleen, I had been on Armour/porcine only for a long

time, but my FT4 was always in the basement (from .6 to .8). I still wasn't

feeling well so the doc added a small amount of synthroid which brought up the

FT4 levels. I had been feeling " OK " , but now I'm feeling absolutely crummy. My

doc is trying to figure out if something else is responsible, but seeing the RT3

makes me wonder if that's the reason. We had a death in the family recently, so

I don't know if a stressful event can suddenly make things worse or not.

> >

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Kathleen,

I'm trying to reconstruct how things happened, but I was on 90 mg porcine and

still hypo, so we added 50 mcg synthroid. After that, I became extremely hyper,

with a FT3 of 714 and FT4 of 2.0, so guess I was converting. We then cut the

synthroid to 25 mcg and my numbers stayed high, so we cut the porcine down to

45. This all happened beginning last December and took awhile for me to not be

hyper anymore. So I guess I do convert well.

My doc was going to increase the porcine to 150 mg instead of adding the

synthroid, but I asked him if the synthroid would help get my FT4 up, so we

tried it. The reason I'm taking porcine compounded by a local pharmacy started

with the Armour shortage and I just haven't switched since then.

You may be onto something with the cortisol. If the stress increased my

cortisol, it may have started converting T3 to RT3 and left me feeling crummy.

It's been over a year since I've had my saliva cortisol levels tested, but every

time I get my cortisol blood level checked in the afternoon, it is on the high

side. (But, I get nervous with blood draws, so I guess that could raise the

cortisol level.)

Thanks so much for your help. I emailed my doc this morning to see if he thinks

I should change my thyroid meds as I am soon due for a refill and don't want to

get something I can't use.

Jodi

> >

> > Thanks, everyone. Kathleen, I had been on Armour/porcine only for a long

time, but my FT4 was always in the basement (from .6 to .8). I still wasn't

feeling well so the doc added a small amount of synthroid which brought up the

FT4 levels. I had been feeling " OK " , but now I'm feeling absolutely crummy. My

doc is trying to figure out if something else is responsible, but seeing the RT3

makes me wonder if that's the reason. We had a death in the family recently, so

I don't know if a stressful event can suddenly make things worse or not.

> >

>