Please read the stickies found here: About the T Replacement Category - #2 by KSman
- advice for new guys
- things that damage your hormones
- protocol for injections
- finding a TRT doc
- thyroid basics
You have a major thyroid issue.
TSH should be closer to 1.0
T3, T4, fT3, fT4 should be mid-range or better
rT3 is too high and blocking fT3 to some extent - more later
Please eval overall thyroid function by checking oral body temps as per the thyroid basics sticky. fT3 regulates mitochondrial activity as part of the body’s temperature control loop, so the two are connected. In your case with fT3 above midrange, TSH is increased trying to overcome the problem. If you are exposed to bromines, that also makes things worse as bromines displace iodine in the body.
The best outcome would be that your thyroid function is low because you are iodine deficient from not using iodized salt. If using iodized salt, check the label. Sea salt and mineral salts do not have useful amounts of iodine.
rT3 can be elevated by different factors. See references to these terms in the thyroid basics sticky:
stress, ongoing life stress or major stress events
illnesses
infections/inflamation acute or chronic
Note inflammatory marker C-Reactive Protein [CRP] is high.
trauma
surgeries
IDNGAF attitude?
adrenal fatigue
cortisol and Wilson’s book
over training, which includes training when your body is compromised with things like you have now.
Low-T can make you flabby. Low thyroid can make you fatter and slower.
Mitochondrial make ATP, the universal currency of cellular energy. That all slows down if:
- fT3 is low
- fT3 is impeded by rT3
- CoQ10 is low, which can be effect, for some, of a statin drug to lower cholesterol
Note that low-T can result from blows to the head - pituitary damage.
Please list medications, Rx and OTC.
Please list medical issues.
Problem is longer than 3 years?
Back to Thyroid: ?
- history of [not] using iodized salt or vitamins listing iodine+selenium
- feeling cold easier
- outer eyebrows sparse
- generalized hair thinning
- brittle nails
- thyroid enlarged, sore, asymmetrical, lumpy
What is your diet like?
How much food do you cook yourself?
Living alone?
Back to inflammation:
labs did not list white blood cells and other immune cell counts.
inflamed gums
aches and pains
digestive issues
sweats
rashes
cough, chronic cough
smoker
battle wounds
leg or foot cramps
There is nothing wrong with been on testosterone. There is something wrong with not dealing with these issues.
If you are expecting the VA to be helpful with these issues, you may not like the result.
More on rT3 and adrenal fatigue. You have too much fT4–>rT3. I doc puts you on T4 medication, more T4 means more T4–>rT3. See the sticky re T3 only medication. Most docs are going to screw this up. A desiccated thyroid product [T3+T4] is better but ignored by most doctors.