Low T3

[julieph85]

When others get their thryoid levels checked do they have a low free t3? My TSH is always slightly above the lower limit and my free t4 is always within normal limits but my free T3 is always low. Doctors always tell me they don't know why this but it's not a thyroid disorder. It worries me though because I have so many symptoms of thyroid disorder and it runs in my family. Does anyone else only have a low free T3? Thanks!

[MomtoGiuliana]

Have you seen an endocrinologist? I assume you would have--I would think they could answer this?!

I have had high TSH but my T3 and T4 have always been in normal limits. and I have Hashimoto's,

[julieph85]

Hi Momto Giuliana, yes I have. They say they don't think it's thyroid related. I read online there is something called low T3 syndrome when you have a sever illness that "is bad enough to cause hospitalization". Not sure what that means for me other then my body is obviously severely out of whack so it is effecting the conversion from T4 to T3.

[futurehope]

Yes, I'm in the middle of experimenting with this now. I've been frequenting a thyroid forum to learn more. The gist is, many endocrinologist go by the numbers and ignore obvious complaints.

I tend to have trouble converting my Synthroid (T4) pill to Free T3. My T4 can be on the high or middle end of normal, and the Free T3 is at the lowest end of normal. The FT3 is the form of the hormone used by your cells.

This is another area where many endocrinologists lack understanding or interest. Luckily, I did find an endo who listened to me about being High Normal FT4, Low Normal FT3 and a bit high TSH. Despite appearing like I am getting enough hormone (because my FT4 is midline or high), my pituitary thinks I'm "low" and raises my TSH. IOW my body is not converting the T4 to usable form.

Apparently, according to the forum I am on, you may feel hypo even though the FT4 is normal. The reason being is your FT3 needs increasing. I'm at the beginning of understanding all this and have found an endo willing to work with me. He is a rarity.

ETA You can feel hypo if your FT3 is not in the mid to upper range, so I'm told.

[issie]

There is a syndrome called Wilson Syndrome. I've gone through the titration of increasing your T3 with the hormone - you go up pretty high and have to keep a check on your body basal temp. and when it reaches normal you start the decrease back down. The bad thing about this is it will cause tachy. really, really bad. The doctor has to keep a close watch on your heart because it could cause a heart attack. Having done this two different times in my life - I never could get my body temp. into the normal range. (I always run low body temps.) And, I did not feel that the treatment helped me at all. Not only did it increase the POTS symptoms, it didn't help my thyroid to work any better. If you're already on thyroid meds for low thyroid you can use Armour thyroid and it has T3 in it. But, if your T4 levels are normal and you don't need thyroid - not much you can do but this trial on T3. From my experience - it's not worth it.

Issie

[jenglynn]

My goodness, this is all so confusing! When I was in the hospital over Thanksgiving they found that my TSH was hyper .12 (last Dec it was .68 and July was .43- so it has been changing for a year) but my T3 and T4 levels were normal but more toward the HYPO borderline level. Like Julie, I have a STRONG family history of thyroid issues. When the endo came in to my hospital room to talk to me she said she just wanted me to get a scan because she has no idea what is going on. Her answer to me is she thinks that my thyroid and pituitary gland are responding to my illness and POTS and that I don't really have a thyroid or pituitary problem.

I have been reluctant to go get the radioactive iodine scan because it is rather tedious and time consuming and she didn't seem concerned that it was really a thyroid problem but my thyroid and pituitary responding to POTS. I can see why we all feel this way! So much of what we hear from doctors just contradicts everything. It is frustrating. We just want to feel better and get our lives back.