Thyroid labs results - Insane Rt3?

[TorontoTRT]

Guys need some feedback from the thyroid experts please.
Here are my thyroid lab results, rt3 is off the charts!
(I know this can be affected by dieting and heavy calorie restriction which I'm currently doing, losing about 15 lbs of fat in 2 months on the ephedrine caffeine stack)
Only strange symptoms I have is really cold feet once in a while (but I haven't nailed it down yet if this is caused by low ferritin or fairly High E2 also)
Please note the reference ranges and units of measurement are Canadian

TSH - 1.04 mIU/L range 0.32 - 4.00 mIU/L
FT4 - 15 pmol/L range 9 - 19 pmol/L
FT3 - 3.2 pmol/L range 2.6 - 5.8 pmol/L
RT3 - 31 ng/dl range 8 - 25 ng/dl

 

[Vvs1]

I have similar numbers including a reverse t3 of 31. My ferritin has been good-confirmed by Defy, and estradiol is lower 16-19. All antibodies tests confirm no Hashimotos, etc.

I'm not positive if it's due to calorie restriction. I try to eat gluten free, non processed foods which is difficult to pack in enough calories on fruits/veggies and meat. I probably had high reverse t3 when i was eating fast food/enough calories, just never had a doctor to test Rt3.

 

[TorontoTRT]

So how do you feel? Any weird symptoms? Is it affecting your trt?

 

[Cataceous]

My apparent symptoms from top-of-range rT3 were fatigue, which seemed as much mental as physical, and a lack of motivation. These have largely resolved since I began taking 10 mcg of liothyronine daily, which cut rT3 in half.

 

[TorontoTRT]

Interesting. Ok so I was just prescribed cytomel 10 MCG daily too. This should be enough? How do you feel from the T3 meds?

 

[Cataceous]

Lab testing will tell you if the dose is big enough to knock down rT3. In my case fT3 moved down a hair and fT4 dropped a fair amount, though stayed in range. Assuming reduced rT3 was responsible, then it does feel better to have less of that odd fatigue and to have improved motivation. Otherwise it's not much different.

 

[Vvs1]

So how do you feel? Any weird symptoms? Is it affecting your trt?

Hard to answer bro. I think there's more happening with me than just high reverse t3. Probably low e2 and high shbg. I'm not on TRT.

I had a couple times in the past where i felt so exhausted i was going to lose consciousness. Cold arms. Still I could probably go in the gym and lift more than anyone pound for pound.

I have tried t3 but was always worried aboug jacking up shbg higher so I was never consistently on it. Defy stopped my Rx so my labs were on t3 for a month, but also 3-4 days off up to the labs. I believe 10mcg pulled the t3 down to low 20s. Kudos to them for screwing everything up as always.

I would agree with Cataceous on symptom improvement if I was ever on it long enough.

I feel like you will need at least 20 mcg of t3.

 

[Vvs1]

Lab testing will tell you if the dose is big enough to knock down rT3. In my case fT3 moved down a hair and fT4 dropped a fair amount, though stayed in range. Assuming reduced rT3 was responsible, then it does feel better to have less of that odd fatigue and to have improved motivation. Otherwise it's not much different.

What do you think is our issue? Too much T4 or lacking zinc or selenium to convert?

Does caloric deficit point to calories alone, or nutritional deficiencies?

I've been eating so many healthy foods I'm anxious to see what my reverse t3 is now. I would have had results by now but Defy wouldn't let me buy their thyroid panel so I'm delayed on f-ing labs again. F Defy and their stupid front office that insist on buying their half ass T panel with PSA and I'm not even on T. Sorry about the rant bro. I'm a very patient and forgiving person but I'm so tired of this.

 

[Cataceous]

What do you think is our issue? Too much T4 or lacking zinc or selenium to convert?
...

I've wondered about this. My T4 was already lowish to start with, and I'd been supplementing with modest amounts of zinc, selenium and iodine. I also have a good diet, exercise regularly, and have low systemic inflammation.

... Still I could probably go in the gym and lift more than anyone pound for pound. ...

This is why I described the fatigue as partly mental. Analogous to your situation, I could go out and bicycle 100 miles without difficulty, but the perceived fatigue in daily life made even simple chores seem arduous.

 

[Vvs1]

I've wondered about this. My T4 was already lowish to start with, and I'd been supplementing with modest amounts of zinc, selenium and iodine. I also have a good diet, exercise regularly, and have low systemic inflammation.

This is why I described the fatigue as partly mental. Analogous to your situation, I could go out and bicycle 100 miles without difficulty, but the perceived fatigue in daily life made even simple chores seem arduous.

What's your shbg? Mines high 50s.

 

[Cataceous]

What's your shbg? Mines high 50s.

On TRT it's typically been around 30 nMol/L.

 

[Joe Sixpack]

Defy and their stupid front office that insist on buying their half ass T panel with PSA and I'm not even on T..

So you are not even on T, but Defy will not let you simply get a thyroid panel unless you also get a T panel? What reason do they give for that?

 

[Vvs1]

So you are not even on T, but Defy will not let you simply get a thyroid panel unless you also get a T panel? What reason do they give for that?

They said that the Dr wanted T panel labs and recommend T panel labs with a couple of my own selections.

I don't understand why they are obsessive about PSA, CBC, Metabolic panel when those have been beaten to death with good results. My shbg is high, Reverse T3 is high, and I'm trying to monitor those and establish baselines before starting HCG.

Not to mention I was on their T3 and their labs they gave me to continue service had no thyroid labs but the Rt3 I requested.

 

[Joey786]

To the op, I hope you didnt start any thyroid meds because you dont need them. Calorie restriction will increase rt3. This is a normal response to dieting.

 

[TorontoTRT]

I did start 10 mcg cytomel daily and feel really good actually. My calories weren't super restricted. T3 was low and rt3 was way high. My t4 was not converting to t3 well at all. It's also increasing my libido which was gone on previous test dosage.

 

[Vettester Chris]

Just curious if you've had any anitbody tests (TgAb or TPO) for autoimmune?

RT3 can be triggered many ways, even just getting the flu or an injury will put the body in a state of conserving resources.

I think you mentioned iodine and selenium supplementation .. What does your protocol look like?

 

[TorontoTRT]

64 mg Test E every 4 days.
10 mcg cytomel daily ( makes me feel great but it makes me crave caffeine even more. Coffee now is like drinking extacy)
100 mg Pregnenolone SR daily
75 mg DHEA SR daily
No antibody tests.
Selenium and iodine are part of my daily multivitamin (150 mcg and 180 mcg)

 

[Vettester Chris]

10mcg of T3 isn't even 1/2 grain when looking at it from an NDT point of view, which is evident in the FT3 results yielding at 25% of the reference range ... 50% to 80% IMO is where most men will want to aim for on FT3, but that's also factored with a FT3/RT3 ratio being >20.

On Iodine, I would at least encourage looking at some of Dr. Brownstein's information on higher doses, and some of the info on sites like stopthethryoidmadness. IMO, permitting no adrenal issues are in play, iodine should be administered much, much higher. I personally take Lugols or Iodoral at 12.5mg x 2 per day, Mon-Fri., but that's just me.

Lastly, I would most definitely suggest both antibodies for labs (TPO & TgAb). If antibodies are out of range then smaller doses of thyroid medications can just be fueling the fire somewhat, which in itself could be a culprit with higher conversion of T4 to RT3 ...

 

[TorontoTRT]

I only started taking cytomel after those results. I don't have any previous thyroid issues. Just looks like t4 isn't converting to t3 enough. I feel great since adding the 10 mcg of cytomel.

 

[Vettester Chris]

Okay, good, if you feel good then that's what it's about.