Low T3?

[Monstrosity]

My Chiropractor ran some labs on me and found out my T3 level was low. It was 2.44 and should be at least a 2.5 I called all my Dr's who have ran labs over the past two years and most did not check this level. My one family Doc had ran it back in 2010 and said that I was at 3.8 and it was perfect. So what should I expect now? I called my Neuro and his nurse said that wasnt his specialty. I see my other family doc in two weeks but should I consider calling an Endo?

[bellgirl]

I would think your family doctor should be the one to call next, and then they will refer you to an Endocrinologist, if need be. Since you are right on the edge of being low, I would just go to your appointment in 2 weeks and talk to your family doctor about it, and just continue to watch your levels periodically.

[songcanary]

FWIW, don't waste your time on an endo for T3 issues. Most of them are classically trained and just go by the good 'ol TSH. I was a victim of this runaraound for years. I had low T3 as well and once I got treatment for it with Armour thyroid, I felt sooooo much better and my symptoms improved. My TSH was spot on normal but FT3 and FT4 were low. Are you having symptoms of hypothyroid? If not, maybe your level is normal for you.

But I agree with Kim to discuss it at your upcoming GP appt. If you have ANY symptoms, by all means pursue it because many of us with low levels can feel miserable even though our levels are WNL. They just might not be normal for US. Also, be sure to get the free levels checked, not just totals. The free levels are what is available to the body to use as energy; the totals are bound by proteins and not bioavailable.

[issie]

Lots of possiblities. It can be connected to stomach acid and ph balance. There can also be a T3 conversion issue. Will PM you about it.

Issie

[Anoj]

seeing an endo who will treat you based on symptoms is optimal. lab numbers aren't one size fits all. i tried the armour (T3), and it didn't help me, so i'm back on synthroid (T4). but at least my dr. was willing to try. now that i'm on the beta blocker, i wonder if i don't need to up my dose? (people take betas for hyperthyroid.) i plan on asking my endo about this.

i have always had a problem upping my thyroid medicine, though. i'm very sensitive, and it made me dizzy. with my current weight problems and low thyroid, he may suggest upping it again. this time i will try to stick it out if that's the case.

[targs66]

The whole hypothyroid thing is mystifying to me! I thought it was the root of my problems, seeing as I'm cold all the time, depressed, losing my hair, anxious, etc. But everytime I've tried a different thyroid med I've felt awful, even when I took small doses. (Started with T4, gave up on that, then Armour, same results, then Cytomel (T3) and a "bioidentical" form of T3.) I wish I could describe what they do to me: my head feels very thick and stupid, almost like it's "buzzing," and I feel very irritable and anxious, like I'm literally about to burst into tears. I also feel very hungry.

I also tried supplementing with different forms of cortisol because I read that you can't metabolize thyroid meds if you have low cortisol - same results.

Glad to see that others here improved with thyroid meds -- I'm jealous!! Do keep us posted, Monstrosity.

[issie]

Some people have found that taking iodine has helped. I think taking it in the form of kelp may be more beneficial then the straight thing. I know some have done research on iodine and feel like it's really dangerous and I'm sure they may chim in here. But, I've heard of some that have gotten really good results with kelp.

Issie

[lgtaylor100]

i should chime in here about reverse T3. The new integrative doctor is testing me for it. Has anyone been tested for it and treated as a result of abnormal results?

[issie]

i should chime in here about reverse T3. The new integrative doctor is testing me for it. Has anyone been tested for it and treated as a result of abnormal results?

Yeah, it is very hard to do the treatment for it. You titrate T3 up and then back down over a period of weeks. One of the side effects of the treatment is tacky. It was very hard on me to do it and I never could get my body temp. up to normal. It really didn't make me feel any better - if anything worse because of the terrible high hr. It wasn't a sucess for me and I tried to do it two different times and never could get my levels up.

Issie

[futurehope]

i should chime in here about reverse T3. The new integrative doctor is testing me for it. Has anyone been tested for it and treated as a result of abnormal results?

Yeah, it is very hard to do the treatment for it. You titrate T3 up and then back down over a period of weeks. One of the side effects of the treatment is tacky. It was very hard on me to do it and I never could get my body temp. up to normal. It really didn't make me feel any better - if anything worse because of the terrible high hr. It wasn't a sucess for me and I tried to do it two different times and never could get my levels up.

Issie

I had the same problem you describe. I had perpetually been low on my Free T3 test, though Free T4 and TSH were okay. After an unsuccessful attempt to try varying levels of timed-release Cytomel (T3) along with the Synthroid, I gave up. The additional T3 caused tachycardia and diarrhea. It did not improve me at all. My experiment last for many months with compounded timed-release pills. In any event, I guess some people feel it improved them. Not me.

[Anoj]

I get dizzy & sleepy from any stimulant, including caffeine and Synthroid. No tachy. Wussup with that.

[issie]

I get dizzy & sleepy from any stimulant, including caffeine and Synthroid. No tachy. Wussup with that.

Some people paradox - they say to give ADHD people coffee/caffeine and it will calm it right down. I've seen it work on a couple of kids that have autism too. It works on one of the hormones -dopamine. Hey, it's good if it helps you. Some people do find stimulents to work like Ritilin. In most people it would hype up - in others it's a calming effect.

Issie

[Anoj]

It doesn't help, it's horrible lol. If I had a cup of coffee I'd be in bed for the rest of the day. What I would really like to know is why is this dizzy feeling identical to dizziness from SSRI withdrawal. It's the exact same feeling.

You said dopamine ... Maybe this is something I will explore.

[Anoj]

Monstrosity, please keep us posted.

[issie]

It doesn't help, it's horrible lol. If I had a cup of coffee I'd be in bed for the rest of the day. What I would really like to know is why is this dizzy feeling identical to dizziness from SSRI withdrawal. It's the exact same feeling.

You said dopamine ... Maybe this is something I will explore.

LOL Well don't do that then. Was thinking that caffine is good for some - but not saying for you. Some people need to be more sedated and not hyped up. Not sure why you get those feelings of dizziness. If coffee ups dopamine - instead of it hyping you up - like it would most, it puts you to sleep and sedates you. It is doing the opposite of what it does for most on you. I wish it made me go to sleep - I'd have a cup right now.

Issie

[Carrie]

Low T3 is a big problem—the symptoms can make you feel horrible. I spent over a year trying to chase down the cause and cure and am still no better. Unfortunately, it seems that mainstream endocrinology does not really study this issue. They diagnose hypothyroidism based on an elevated TSH, “treat” with Synthroid (T4), and monitor based on TSH. The problem is many of us have a normal TSH with low T3.

Two known lifestyle factors that can cause low T3 are being athletic to the point of overtraining, and a low-carb diet. Do either of those apply to you? In those situations, low T3 isn’t a disease (even though it can make you feel awful); it is your body’s adaptation to reduce energy expenditure, since training and low-carb put you in a catabolic state. I also found some rare reference in a journal that adrenaline reduces the conversion of T4 to T3. So if you are a high adrenaline person, your ability to form T3 is inhibited.

Several people here mentioned feeling worse or tachycardic when taking thyroid hormone replacement. Have you had ferritin levels checked? Ferritin is the body’s storage form of iron. Even if your iron panel is “normal” and you don’t have anemia, ferritin seems to be necessary for thyroid processing, though its exact mechanism is not known. Anecdotal evidence says that people will feel hyper and anxious when taking thyroid replacement, if their ferritin is low. The healthy range for ferritin is 50-150.

I mention this because people with iron deficiency anemia generally have microcytic, or small red blood cells. I had large red blood cells, so for several years my physicians excluded iron deficiency without directly testing for it. However, an integrative doctor finally ran a ferritin test and my level was 2, indicating extreme iron deficiency. The moral of the story is, if your lab results don’t make sense with your symptoms, or if one result seems to contradict another, then something else is going on! That always seems to be the case with dysautonomia… perplexing symptoms that are difficult to explain since our body’s reactions are often opposite of the normal response!

Good luck in feeling better…