Help with labs: High RT3

[DixieWrecked]

Got my blood work back from taking 2 grains of Armour Thyroid every morning. Recommendations? Lower the NDT and add cytomel?

TSH (0.45-4.5): 0.859
T4 (0.82-1.77): 1.48
T3 (2.0-4.4): 4.4
RT3 (9.2-24.1): 25.4

Thank you in advance.

 

[Nelson Vergel]

I bet you have low ferritin and/or iron. Have you checked? Supplementing iron can reduce RT3.

The relationship between iron status and thyroid hormone concentration in iron-deficient adolescent Iranian girls - PubMed

Extensive data from animal and human studies indicate that iron deficiency impairs thyroid metabolism. The aim of this study was to determine thyroid hormone status in iron-deficient adolescent girls. By stepwise random sampling from among all public high schools for girls in Lar and its...

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

 

[DixieWrecked]

I bet you have low ferritin and/or iron. Have you checked? Supplementing iron can reduce RT3.

The relationship between iron status and thyroid hormone concentration in iron-deficient adolescent Iranian girls - PubMed

Extensive data from animal and human studies indicate that iron deficiency impairs thyroid metabolism. The aim of this study was to determine thyroid hormone status in iron-deficient adolescent girls. By stepwise random sampling from among all public high schools for girls in Lar and its...

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

i just had a blood draw today. I'll keep everyone posted on the results.

 

[DixieWrecked]

ferittin was at 230.

 

[Nelson Vergel]

ferittin was at 230.

Wow. I have never seen it that high. I would not worry. Your TSH, free T3 and free T4 are good. But some thyroid docs like to see TSH closer to zero if you are on thyroid rx

 

[TRicker]

@DixieWrecked What symptoms, if any, did you notice from higher RT3? Did you stay on Armour Thyroid or take Cytomel?

I'm wondering if any of my sexual symptoms are from high RT3, or from something else? My main complaints are ED, lack of sensitivity, and severe delayed ejaculation. I've also had some recent fat gain.

Maybe @Cataceous or anyone else can chime in?

I know high RT3 can cause hypothyroid symptoms, and hypothyroidism can cause hypogonadism in natural men. But can high RT3 cause sexual symptoms in men on TRT?

I have had similar labs prior to any thyroid supplementation:

TSH: 1.7 (.45 - 4.5)
T4 Free: 1.36 (.82 - 1.77)
T3 Free: 3.5 (2 - 4.4)
Reverse T3: 25 (9.2 - 24.1)

I've tried 25mcg of T3 per day, up to 50mcg's per day with no noticeable change. I went up to 75mcg's per day, but I felt jittery, nauseous, and had a rapid rate.
I still don't know what's causing the high RT3, and have had a 4-point saliva cortisol test with normal results (I definitely thought my cortisol would be sky high from stress, but it was normal and well within all ranges). I also have the following tests, and my Doctor does not think it is iron or ferritin related. He also stated that if it was inflammation related, my ferritin would be higher.

Total T: 600 (trough)
SHBG: 17 (low from TRT, it goes up when not on TRT)
E2 Sensitive: 25
Iron: 145 (Range 38-169)
TBIC: 318 (Range 250-450)
Ferritin: 110 (Range 30-400)
Prolactin: 7 (4-15)
Progesterone: .3 (0-.5)
Pregnenolone: <10 (Range Unknown)

Any advice is welcome!

 

[Deleted member 16042]

Wow. I have never seen it that high. I would not worry. Your TSH, free T3 and free T4 are good. But some thyroid docs like to see TSH closer to zero if you are on thyroid rx

LOL, my ferritin hit 3400. Chelation and 20+ phlebotomies has me back to 450.

And my last RT3 was 65. DR Saya's take is so high because of how iron overload (transfusional) affetcs the liver. AST and ALT were too high as well.

 

[DixieWrecked]

@DixieWrecked What symptoms, if any, did you notice from higher RT3? Did you stay on Armour Thyroid or take Cytomel?

I'm wondering if any of my sexual symptoms are from high RT3, or from something else? My main complaints are ED, lack of sensitivity, and severe delayed ejaculation. I've also had some recent fat gain.

Maybe @Cataceous or anyone else can chime in?

I know high RT3 can cause hypothyroid symptoms, and hypothyroidism can cause hypogonadism in natural men. But can high RT3 cause sexual symptoms in men on TRT?

I have had similar labs prior to any thyroid supplementation:

TSH: 1.7 (.45 - 4.5)
T4 Free: 1.36 (.82 - 1.77)
T3 Free: 3.5 (2 - 4.4)
Reverse T3: 25 (9.2 - 24.1)

I've tried 25mcg of T3 per day, up to 50mcg's per day with no noticeable change. I went up to 75mcg's per day, but I felt jittery, nauseous, and had a rapid rate.
I still don't know what's causing the high RT3, and have had a 4-point saliva cortisol test with normal results (I definitely thought my cortisol would be sky high from stress, but it was normal and well within all ranges). I also have the following tests, and my Doctor does not think it is iron or ferritin related. He also stated that if it was inflammation related, my ferritin would be higher.

Total T: 600 (trough)
SHBG: 17 (low from TRT, it goes up when not on TRT)
E2 Sensitive: 25
Iron: 145 (Range 38-169)
TBIC: 318 (Range 250-450)
Ferritin: 110 (Range 30-400)
Prolactin: 7 (4-15)
Progesterone: .3 (0-.5)
Pregnenolone: <10 (Range Unknown)

Any advice is welcome!

I gave up on managing the thyroid with meds for now. I feel like trt is difficult enough. I started taking some selenium as it's supposed to help with RT3. I'm about to get some bloodwork done in the next couple weeks and I included a thyroid panel. I noticed that with TRT I would get super tired throughout the day. Not totally sure if that's from the high rt3 but it was very noticeable and I would have to drink energy drinks. But they didn't really do anything at all.

 

[TRicker]

I started taking some selenium as it's supposed to help with RT3

How much selenium are you taking? I've also heard it's good for RT3, but don't know the dosage.
Very true...TRT is hard enough without throwing RT3/thyroid problems in the mix.

I'm just not sure if elevated RT3 can cause sexual side effects for guys already on TRT, or if the effects of high RT3 are mostly energy, metabolism, fat gain, etc?