I ordered NDT(Thyroid-S) from Thailand but i just read here that one with high RT3 should choose T3 med only? As that means leaving T4 with no medication , wouldn’t this be a problem in the long term?
What are everyone’s thoughts on this ?
Especially people with high RT3 , which path did you take?
Yes you want a T4/T3 combo. I would start at 80/20 ratio and work my way down from there. 30 days at a time.
I would also consider getting something similar to Nature Thyroid. It is the most popular right now and has had multiple nationwide shortages as of late in the US.
Thank you and sorry for being such a newbie but by t4/t3 combo you mean something like NDT right? Because i only have option to access T4 med , T3 med like cytomel and NDT.
Thyroid-s tablet contains: equivalent of 38 mcg of Levothyroxine (T4) and 9 mcg of Liothyronine (T3) .
So what is the ratio on this? Is it close to 20/80? Or should i take additional T3 med?
It think there is a very slim chance for me to find it in Europe.
Check out stopthethyroidmadness. It’ll tell you exactly what you need to do
You obviously have an issue where your body converts T4 to RT3 at a much higher rate than T3. Any T4 you take will just add to the high RT3 and negate the T3. You are better off trying cytomel (T3 only) first until you get the RT3 down and see how you feel. Taking T3 won’t contribute to higher RT3 while it raises T3. No one here is a thyroid expert. I’m just relaying what I read on the site. Go to that site and do some reading
I think you’ll want a T3/T4 combo and I would look into a custom (for you) compounded product. You want some T4 because of its much longer half life. If you have enough T3 (hence the custom formula) you’ll overcome any increased rT3, which usually does not elevate anyway. Some patients on T3 only products require multiple dosing because they get too low in the afternoon.
Thank you @dextermorgan . What you are suggesting according to the STTM website is completely opposite of what 2 other guys are saying here , which is the last thing i wanted But if i take T3 only for a while and get my RT3 levels down , should i go on with NDT afterwards?
I was also advised by Defy for high Reverse T3 to start T3 only, 5mcg per day and to try to increase up to 20-25.
According to them I should not take anything containing T4 at this point, but if the conversion gets fix(I did not understand how this may happen) may try to switch to NDT
@kemosi I also have the same dilema, because great doctors contradict each other on this topic. Some say to take NDT, others to take T3 only in case of high Reverse T3. I will go with the T3 only for now small doses.
Might be fine. There is some thought that there may not be consistent hormone levels among animals and there is an advantage to the customization compounding offers, but plenty use it and do well.
So Defy’s last word for high RT3 is to start T3 only huh?
I do not understand the logic behind that also…
Why would my RT3 decrease when i take T3 meds only? I understand the part taking T4 would further increase but not this.
It will decrease the production of T4, decrease convertion to RT3 and at the same time increase FT3 improving the RT3/FT3 ratio because as I understand they compete for the same receptors
Your bigger issue is to find the root cause that is driving your high RT3 and thyroid function issues. NDT or T3 meds are treating a symptom, but not addressing the real issue. Yes, it will make you feel better and necessary…but you have to figure out what the real issue is.
How high are your stress levels in life (cortisol)? What are your iron levels (Iron serum, TIBC, Iron saturation, and ferritin)? Do you have inflammation anywhere? How is your digestion (leaky gut, etc)? Any or all of these can contribute to both your low conversion to FT3 and the creation of an extremely high RT3. BLUF - meds will help you feel better, but won’t solve the real problem.
I stumbled across this guy a couple of days ago while trying to address my own issues. He has some really solid content he’s putting out and it passes the common sense test so far. Check out some of his vids to better familiarize yourself with how your system works (or doesn’t).
Dr Peter Kan - Solving Thyroid Dysfunctions
fT3 opposes rT3 when higher than rT3. If rT3 is higher in relation to fT3, you have a conversion disorder which causes T4 to favor conversion to rT3 instead of fT3.
fT3 needs to be higher in relation to rT3 to overcome rT3 blocking fT3 at the receptors.
The reason for these conversion disorders is going to be different for everyone.
@kemosi
Keep in mind most haven’t had to deal with high RT3 like I have and no one here is a thyroid expert. You wouldn’t go to thyroid-Nation and expect expert advice on TRT (I’m sure there are some there). You have two issues. You don’t produce enough FT3 and you have a problem converting too much T4 to RT3. If you take even small amounts of T4 and you produce even small amounts of RT3 your RT3 is still going to be high. I say try cytomel first and give it some time and see how it goes. Once the RT3 goes down you try crossing over to a t3/T4 combo.
All those you mentioned with me are fine AFAIK.
I just do not know my cortisol levels and will visit the lab for it. What is the appropriate way to get it tested?
But if i take T3 only for a while and get my RT3 levels down , should i go on with NDT afterwards?