Adding on Levothyroxine?

[Samco12]

Hi everyone, first time posting here. I’m currently taking CagriSema and I’m down 40lbs so far.
I have access to a basically unlimited supply of 150mcg levothyroxine pills and know it can drastically increase your base metabolic rate.
I’m curious if there is anything seriously wrong with this? I know it can be a bit unhealthy but raising my calories necessary that much would be extremely helpful.

 

[mopo89]

You should not mess with your thyroid if your thyroid is functioning. If you take levo, it'll likely put your thyroid into hyper, which comes with some terrible side effects.

Also 150mcg of levo is very high - a dose that I only got up to 13 years after my diagnosis.

 

[Samco12]

You should not mess with your thyroid if your thyroid is functioning. If you take levo, it'll likely put your thyroid into hyper, which comes with some terrible side effects.

Also 150mcg of levo is very high - a dose that I only got up to 13 years after my diagnosis.

I was planning on splitting them in half to 75 if I planned on doing it and not taking it daily or even close to daily. I did a bit of research into the symptoms of hyperthyroidism but what have you experienced?

 

[AerialDancer]

Hi everyone, first time posting here. I’m currently taking CagriSema and I’m down 40lbs so far.
I have access to a basically unlimited supply of 150mcg levothyroxine pills and know it can drastically increase your base metabolic rate.
I’m curious if there is anything seriously wrong with this? I know it can be a bit unhealthy but raising my calories necessary that much would be extremely helpful.

This sounds like a horrible idea. Please don’t do this without at least knowing your current TSH levels. It’s one thing to take some Levothyroxine to bring your TSH levels to around 1 or so if they are at 2+ (as opposed to waiting for them to go higher than 4 for example), but it’s an entirely different matter to just take Levothyroxine when your TSH levels are already low.
Exercise and sleep will increase your metabolic rate, if you are looking for levers to pull. And if you think you might need thyroid medication, I don’t think it’s that expensive to get your current TSH levels tested.

 

[Samco12]

This sounds like a horrible idea. Please don’t do this without at least knowing your current TSH levels. It’s one thing to take some Levothyroxine to bring your TSH levels to around 1 or so if they are at 2+ (as opposed to waiting for them to go higher than 4 for example), but it’s an entirely different matter to just take Levothyroxine when your TSH levels are already low.
Exercise and sleep will increase your metabolic rate, if you are looking for levers to pull. And if you think you might need thyroid medication, I don’t think it’s that expensive to get your current TSH levels tested.

I think I’m going to not go through with taking it based on these recommendations. I actually had my TSH tested 2 months ago and it was normal

 

[Graymaxxem]

Levothyroxine is not a weight loss med.
Levothyroxine is not a weight loss med.
Levothyroxine is not a weight loss med.

Do not fuck with your thyroid. Get your TSH levels tested first, and ONLY take levo if you need it, ideally after consulting with an endocrinologist. I have Hashimotos, and trust me, this is not an area for experimenting. Taking too much levo has put me in the hospital with a racing heart before.

Other things that cause a sluggish metabolism, especially in peri or post menopausal women, include:
Low B12
Low iron
Hormones out of whack

Get these things tested as well. Did you know you can order your own lab work through Marek Labs, and a couple other places?

Personally, I take 250 mg of Metformin at bedtime, for longevity and metabolic boost, and injectable B12, plus L carnitine + MIC. I've found these to be much safer ways to boost my energy, speaking solely for myself.

 

[DwightTheDelight]

I think I’m going to not go through with taking it based on these recommendations. I actually had my TSH tested 2 months ago and it was normal

Your post made me dive into the benefits and risks of doing something like this. I admittedly know nothing, but keep reading that a tsh level around 1 is optimal and a lot of people feel off when it gets much higher than that.

Mine is consistently at 4.

Do you know your levels?

 

[mopo89]

I was planning on splitting them in half to 75 if I planned on doing it and not taking it daily or even close to daily. I did a bit of research into the symptoms of hyperthyroidism but what have you experienced?

I have Hashimoto's. My levo dose was too high recently because of my weight loss. My TSH was at 0.03. I was experiencing really messed up periods, headaches, very high blood pressure and racing heart, trouble sleeping, very quick weight loss (GLP1 combined with hyper = weight loss that is way too quick), constant anxiety etc. My doctor put me from 150mcg down to 100mcg and I'm getting my bloodwork taken again in 6 weeks and he expects he'll have to further reduce it. While I prefer hyper symptoms generally to hypo, it was still not a fun time with my TSH that low.

I just would not mess with your thyroid.

 

[Love2Garden59]

Hi everyone, first time posting here. I’m currently taking CagriSema and I’m down 40lbs so far.
I have access to a basically unlimited supply of 150mcg levothyroxine pills and know it can drastically increase your base metabolic rate.
I’m curious if there is anything seriously wrong with this? I know it can be a bit unhealthy but raising my calories necessary that much would be extremely helpful.

You should not be taking Levothyroxine without a prescription for thyroid condition. I have been on it for years because I am hypothyroid. Since Apr this year I started on Tirzepatide. My most recent blood work shows elevated T4 and TSH as I am losing weight. My meds have been lowered. Elevated thyroid will cause heart issues

 

[Samco12]

sYour post made me dive into the benefits and risks of doing something like this. I admittedly know nothing, but keep reading that a tsh level around 1 is optimal and a lot of people feel off when it gets much higher than that. Mine is consistently at 4.Do you know your level

I take lithium so I have my thyroid levels regularly checked. I don’t remember exactly what numbers they were but I was smack dab right in the middle of normal. I wasn’t planning on taking it because I needed it, I was just ignorant I suppose. Good thing I asked around, eh?

 

[Love2Garden59]

TSH​

Normal range: 0.50 - 5.00 uIU/mL

 

[DwightTheDelight]

sYour post made me dive into the benefits and risks of doing something like this. I admittedly know nothing, but keep reading that a tsh level around 1 is optimal and a lot of people feel off when it gets much higher than that. Mine is consistently at 4.Do you know your level

Not sure why the quote and your message flipped like that 🤣

 

[Superchicken1]

Hi everyone, first time posting here. I’m currently taking CagriSema and I’m down 40lbs so far.
I have access to a basically unlimited supply of 150mcg levothyroxine pills and know it can drastically increase your base metabolic rate.
I’m curious if there is anything seriously wrong with this? I know it can be a bit unhealthy but raising my calories necessary that much would be extremely helpful.

t3 is what’s used, not T4. Go to the meso forums for proper info, unlikely to get any here

 

[Peptidase]

Please do not do this if you have normal thyroid function. T3 is one of the more reactive forms of thyroid hormone. Here are a few things you can do to yourself that may be less than ideal;
First, being in a thyroid excess state can throw you into Afib. T3 leads to the insertion of more beta 1 receptors on the surface of your heart cells. That can be a problem fast. You want to avoid Afib if you can.
Second, excess thyroid hormone floating in your body can cause thyroid storm. Let’s just say that this is pretty bad and you’ll need IV blood pressure meds and a bunch of other stuff to keep you from dying.
Just don’t do it is the wise bit of advice I’ll give you. I can go into more detail here but these two here should be more than enough.

 

[roxygirl]

Hi everyone, first time posting here. I’m currently taking CagriSema and I’m down 40lbs so far.
I have access to a basically unlimited supply of 150mcg levothyroxine pills and know it can drastically increase your base metabolic rate.
I’m curious if there is anything seriously wrong with this? I know it can be a bit unhealthy but raising my calories necessary that much would be extremely helpful.

I know my way around thyroid function and proper testing. The TSH is a pituitary hormone that signals your thyroid to make thyroid hormones. The T4 is an inactive hormone that converts into active thyroid hormone T3. The Free T3 is important because it’s free to enter the cells and is not bound to proteins. The TSH test alone without the actual thyroid tests leave many unwell.

Levothyroxine is T4 is generic for Synthroid. Taking T4 medication will be dependent on converting into T3. This action is not fully looked into by mainstream medicine. I contribute the lack of awareness to add to the obesity problem.

The T3 hormone is needed in all of our organs and when it’s low we experience symptoms in many ways. Low blood pressure, fatigue, low metabolism, low body temperature to name a few. We have more T3 receptors in our heart. There’s a study showing mortality in the ICU having low T3 levels.

I wouldn’t take T4 based on a TSH test. The TSH is such a misleading statistic and leaves many unwell. A TSH can be low or within a range with people still being HYPO. A full panel with “ Free” T4 and T3 is important. Low Free T3 levels is hypo in my experience.

If you did take T4 Levothyroxine coming off of the medication can be problematic. Taking GLP-1 helps inflammation that can help the conversion of T4 into T3.

Autoimmune disorders like Hashimoto are often overlooked too. Testing the TPO and TgAb antibodies are valuable.

 

[Laxfinity]

Hi everyone, first time posting here. I’m currently taking CagriSema and I’m down 40lbs so far.
I have access to a basically unlimited supply of 150mcg levothyroxine pills and know it can drastically increase your base metabolic rate.
I’m curious if there is anything seriously wrong with this? I know it can be a bit unhealthy but raising my calories necessary that much would be extremely helpful.

Please don't. I have been on Oz and BHRT for almost 3 years. I started losing clumps of hair earlier this year and we retested my thyroid. I am on the lowest dosage (25mg) of Levo. I did not want to go on this as I thought you were only treated with meds with TSH results over 4. I was at 3.5. She treats over 3. I run full labs every 6 months so she can see exactly were I am at with all of it.

What did you think adding this med would do?

 

[roxygirl]

Please don't. I have been on Oz and BHRT for almost 3 years. I started losing clumps of hair earlier this year and we retested my thyroid. I am on the lowest dosage (25mg) of Levo. I did not want to go on this as I thought you were only treated with meds with TSH results over 4. I was at 3.5. She treats over 3. I run full labs every 6 months so she can see exactly were I am at with all of it.

What did you think adding this med would do?

If your doctor is treating you based on a TSH test over 3 you’ll be unwell. It’s a pituitary hormone that signals the thyroid to produce thyroid hormones. A functional, intregrative doctor that tests the ACTUAL thyroid hormone levels is best. A low Free T3 is the issue. Levo is the inactive T4 that converts into the action thyroid hormone Free T3. Not a total or uptake.

Not all convert T4 into Free T3 due to low nutrients. Zinc, iron, B12, imbalance of cortisol.

Hair loss can be low iron, ferritin, estrogen as well as low Free T3.

It’s no surprise that there’s a metabolic problem in so many.

T3 boosts our metabolism and so much more. Good luck.

 

[mopo89]

If your doctor is treating you based on a TSH test over 3 you’ll be unwell.

I don't think this general statement is true. A lot of people need Levo over 3, and going on a low dose helps. Of course it's not the entire story and everything else should be tested, but if I'm above 3.5ish on TSH, there's a pretty good chance I'm not feeling my best and will talk to my doctor about a dose increase. Similarly, if I'm under 1, there's also a good chance I'm feeling unwell and will talk about a dose decrease. TSH isn't the whole story, but it is helpful, especially in those who have been testing for a long time and know where they feel comfortable.

 

[Superchicken1]

Please don't. I have been on Oz and BHRT for almost 3 years. I started losing clumps of hair earlier this year and we retested my thyroid. I am on the lowest dosage (25mg) of Levo. I did not want to go on this as I thought you were only treated with meds with TSH results over 4. I was at 3.5. She treats over 3. I run full labs every 6 months so she can see exactly were I am at with all of it.

What did you think adding this med would do?

It’s common in bodybuilding/recomp groups, for people to use t3 with an add’l med. I’m not saying whether it should be done or not, just answering your question for why someone would do it.

Also, jic you continue to have symptoms, consider looking into adding in a t3 medication. I feel best with a free t4 around 1, free t3 in the upper 1/4 of the range and a tsh closer to 1. Although my practitioner tends to ignore tsh

 

[Laxfinity]

It’s common in bodybuilding/recomp groups, for people to use t3 with an add’l med. I’m not saying whether it should be done or not, just answering your question for why someone would do it.

Also, jic you continue to have symptoms, consider looking into adding in a t3 medication. I feel best with a free t4 around 1, free t3 in the upper 1/4 of the range and a tsh closer to 1. Although my practitioner tends to ignore tsh

Thank you for this. I will speak to her about it when we run labs again in February.

 

[roxygirl]

I don't think this general statement is true. A lot of people need Levo over 3, and going on a low dose helps. Of course it's not the entire story and everything else should be tested, but if I'm above 3.5ish on TSH, there's a pretty good chance I'm not feeling my best and will talk to my doctor about a dose increase. Similarly, if I'm under 1, there's also a good chance I'm feeling unwell and will talk about a dose decrease. TSH isn't the whole story, but it is helpful, especially in those who have been testing for a long time and know where they feel comfortable.

The problem I’m pointing out here is the lousy TSH which is a flawed test without the thyroid hormones being tested. One can have a TSH of 1 and have hypothyroidism if their Free T4 is below mid range and the Free T3 is below mid range or not in the upper top quarter. A lot can be missed when only testing the TSH and basing medication dosing on the TSH. That’s laziness by mainstream medicine contributes to metabolic syndrome. Test your Free T3.

The TSH isn’t a thyroid hormone nor does it contribute to how one feels. The T3 is the action/ active hormone.

A person not on any thyroid treatment who has suppressed TSH could easily be hyperthyroid (unless they have a pituitary issue). But this situation is totally different and it has been applied to thyroid patients under treatment and used to keep many under-medicated.

Being thyroid less is just at one end of the spectrum of thyroid patients. Many thyroid patients who are on thyroid hormone treatment have some loss of thyroid hormones from their thyroid gland. These people may also need very low TSH in order to get well.

This means that on thyroid treatment, TSH could be anywhere from just inside the top of the lab range right down to near zero. Thyroid treatment might even need to be increased when TSH is suppressed in order to get a therapeutic response i.e. to eradicate a thyroid patient’s symptoms. This does not mean that the patient is hyperthyroid. It simply acknowledges that the person needs more T3 converted from T4 to feel well, i.e. enough of the actual active thyroid hormone.

Ok, so where does that leave us in terms of knowing if a thyroid patient is properly treated?

The answer is “Nowhere” if TSH is the only measure!

TSH tells us very little other than the patient’s pituitary gland is responding correctly as the thyroid medication is increased. Being low in the range on TSH does not mean the patient is correctly treated with the right amount of thyroid medication or even the right type of thyroid medication!

The use of TSH to determine correct treatment level is flawed!​

Doctors and endocrinologists are ultimately going to have to face up to the science and begin to ignore their sacred TSH. It is not the beacon of light onto the correct treatment level at all.

The logic of using TSH comes crashing down!

 

[Laxfinity]

The problem I’m pointing out here is the lousy TSH which is a flawed test without the thyroid hormones being tested. One can have a TSH of 1 and have hypothyroidism if their Free T4 is below mid range and the Free T3 is below mid range or not in the upper top quarter. A lot can be missed when only testing the TSH and basing medication dosing on the TSH. That’s laziness by mainstream medicine contributes to metabolic syndrome. Test your Free T3.

The TSH isn’t a thyroid hormone nor does it contribute to how one feels. The T3 is the action/ active hormone.

A person not on any thyroid treatment who has suppressed TSH could easily be hyperthyroid (unless they have a pituitary issue). But this situation is totally different and it has been applied to thyroid patients under treatment and used to keep many under-medicated.

Being thyroid less is just at one end of the spectrum of thyroid patients. Many thyroid patients who are on thyroid hormone treatment have some loss of thyroid hormones from their thyroid gland. These people may also need very low TSH in order to get well.

This means that on thyroid treatment, TSH could be anywhere from just inside the top of the lab range right down to near zero. Thyroid treatment might even need to be increased when TSH is suppressed in order to get a therapeutic response i.e. to eradicate a thyroid patient’s symptoms. This does not mean that the patient is hyperthyroid. It simply acknowledges that the person needs more T3 converted from T4 to feel well, i.e. enough of the actual active thyroid hormone.

Ok, so where does that leave us in terms of knowing if a thyroid patient is properly treated?

The answer is “Nowhere” if TSH is the only measure!

TSH tells us very little other than the patient’s pituitary gland is responding correctly as the thyroid medication is increased. Being low in the range on TSH does not mean the patient is correctly treated with the right amount of thyroid medication or even the right type of thyroid medication!

The use of TSH to determine correct treatment level is flawed!​

Doctors and endocrinologists are ultimately going to have to face up to the science and begin to ignore their sacred TSH. It is not the beacon of light onto the correct treatment level at all.

The logic of using TSH comes crashing down!

Thank you for your concern. This is all new to me. She did not only test TSH but T3 and T4 and whatever "free" stuff needed to be tested.

 

[roxygirl]

Thank you for your concern. This is all new to me. She did not only test TSH but T3 and T4 and whatever "free" stuff needed to be tested.

You’re welcome. It’s been one of my passions. It’s such a shame that doctors focus on the TSH and not the Free T3. There’s so much to learn to be your best advocate. Years ago I started with Stop The Thyroid Madness website, books and was active in the STTM forums. I then found a lot of great insight reading Paul Robinson’s books, blogs The Thyroid Patients Manual he uses a lot of Tania S Smith’s research. Take care

 

[Laxfinity]

You’re welcome. It’s been one of my passions. It’s such a shame that doctors focus on the TSH and not the Free T3. There’s so much to learn to be your best advocate. Years ago I started with Stop The Thyroid Madness website, books and was active in the STTM forums. I then found a lot of great insight reading Paul Robinson’s books, blogs The Thyroid Patients Manual he uses a lot of Tania S Smith’s research. Take care

I am diving down that rabbit hole now.. I really appreciate the info. Do you mind if I message you?

 

[Superchicken1]

Thank you for this. I will speak to her about it when we run labs again in February.

You’re welcome. A lot of drs aren’t educated on this, endocrinologists tend to actually be the worst. Just sharing in case you get pushback. I don’t really love any of my own local options and use telemedicine. If you’re on Facebook, asking in local groups for drs that test for reverse t3 or who prescribe cytomel will help get you decent recommendations. You could also google stop the thyroid madness and look for recs on their list. There’s this, too. https://npthyroid.com/for-patients/find-healthcare-provider/

Had another thought. A full iron panel including ferritin should be done. Iron deficiency often goes hand in hand with thyroid disorders. Also vits d & b12 are common. My dr likes d close to 100 and b12 in the upper 1/4. Ferritin >100 for thyroid health. All of mine were low and I ended up with 3 iron infusions. Treating it helped stabilize me. Also affects glucose, cholesterol, & lipids. Hope you get everything figured out!

 

[adria37]

That would be a big no using it for weight loss. It can kill you graveyard dead. I don't even want to go into all the reasons but if you read the other responses you can get a bit of an answer. Think negative feedback loop when levels of T3 and T4 decrease below normal the hypothalamus releases thyroid regulating hormone (TRH) telling the pituitary gland to produce thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) who then tells the thyroid gland to produce more hormones T3 and T4 and raise the blood levels. Once the levels rise the hypothalamus “shuts off” and stops secreting TRH which in turn inhibits the pituitary gland release of TSH. You don't want to mess with this. Google thyroid storm. I have seen this and the person died.

Hope raw oyster eater doesn't see this and decide to try it

 

[Vacation4us]

I have Hashimotos but it was only found after a thyroid ultrasound. I also pay OOP for Synthroid per my endocrinologist recommendation. Levo is Sh$t. $25/ month really is worth the cost.

 

[keangkong]

The problem I’m pointing out here is the lousy TSH which is a flawed test without the thyroid hormones being tested. One can have a TSH of 1 and have hypothyroidism if their Free T4 is below mid range and the Free T3 is below mid range or not in the upper top quarter. A lot can be missed when only testing the TSH and basing medication dosing on the TSH. That’s laziness by mainstream medicine contributes to metabolic syndrome. Test your Free T3.

The TSH isn’t a thyroid hormone nor does it contribute to how one feels. The T3 is the action/ active hormone.

A person not on any thyroid treatment who has suppressed TSH could easily be hyperthyroid (unless they have a pituitary issue). But this situation is totally different and it has been applied to thyroid patients under treatment and used to keep many under-medicated.

Being thyroid less is just at one end of the spectrum of thyroid patients. Many thyroid patients who are on thyroid hormone treatment have some loss of thyroid hormones from their thyroid gland. These people may also need very low TSH in order to get well.

This means that on thyroid treatment, TSH could be anywhere from just inside the top of the lab range right down to near zero. Thyroid treatment might even need to be increased when TSH is suppressed in order to get a therapeutic response i.e. to eradicate a thyroid patient’s symptoms. This does not mean that the patient is hyperthyroid. It simply acknowledges that the person needs more T3 converted from T4 to feel well, i.e. enough of the actual active thyroid hormone.

Ok, so where does that leave us in terms of knowing if a thyroid patient is properly treated?

The answer is “Nowhere” if TSH is the only measure!

TSH tells us very little other than the patient’s pituitary gland is responding correctly as the thyroid medication is increased. Being low in the range on TSH does not mean the patient is correctly treated with the right amount of thyroid medication or even the right type of thyroid medication!

The use of TSH to determine correct treatment level is flawed!​

Doctors and endocrinologists are ultimately going to have to face up to the science and begin to ignore their sacred TSH. It is not the beacon of light onto the correct treatment level at all.

The logic of using TSH comes crashing down!

Why should I believe you instead of my endocrinologist?

 

[adria37]

Why should I believe you instead of my endocrinologist?

I never adjust based on TSH if the TSH is off I add free t4 and t3 then adjust other things can effect levels btw

 

[peptideusername]

good lord some of the shit I see on this forum is terrifying

Don't do it unless you're prescribed and tested frequently. Simple as that.

 

[Laxfinity]

You’re welcome. A lot of drs aren’t educated on this, endocrinologists tend to actually be the worst. Just sharing in case you get pushback. I don’t really love any of my own local options and use telemedicine. If you’re on Facebook, asking in local groups for drs that test for reverse t3 or who prescribe cytomel will help get you decent recommendations. You could also google stop the thyroid madness and look for recs on their list. There’s this, too. https://npthyroid.com/for-patients/find-healthcare-provider/

Had another thought. A full iron panel including ferritin should be done. Iron deficiency often goes hand in hand with thyroid disorders. Also vits d & b12 are common. My dr likes d close to 100 and b12 in the upper 1/4. Ferritin >100 for thyroid health. All of mine were low and I ended up with 3 iron infusions. Treating it helped stabilize me. Also affects glucose, cholesterol, & lipids. Hope you get everything figured out!

I have had all that run but would have to check my numbers again.

 

[roxygirl]

Why should I believe you instead of my endocrinologist?

You shouldn’t you should always do your own research. Knowledge is power. Endo’s are lazy in many cases and narrow minded. They treat the masses with Levothyroxin or Synthroid with focus on the pituitary hormone TSH. Functional, intregrative, doctors are educated beyond and often better if you find a good one.
If you’re here to learn about GLP’s and are overweight you might have avoided if your thyroid, cortisol, sex hormones were balanced. Or at least had a better metabolism.

 

[Laxfinity]

You shouldn’t you should always do your own research. Knowledge is power. Endo’s are lazy in many cases and narrow minded. They treat the masses with Levothyroxin or Synthroid with focus on the pituitary hormone TSH. Functional, intregrative, doctors are educated beyond and often better if you find a good one.
If you’re here to learn about GLP’s and are overweight you might have avoided if your thyroid, cortisol, sex hormones were balanced. Or at least had a better metabolism.

I am so thankful I started hormones before the rest of this.

 

[roxygirl]

Here are some books and websites.

Stop The Thyroid Madness. Free website and books for a fee. Very easy to understand. But don’t stop there.

Rethinking Hypothyroidism by Antonio Blanca ( former president of the American Thyroid Association) he even sees how Endo’s are not the answer.

If you’re taking NDT or T3 Liothyronnie/ Cytomel
The Thyroid Patient’s Manual by Paul Robinson and his blog YouTube are excellent.

The Facebook group Thyroid Patients Canada Support is ran by Tania S Smith. There’s no one more qualified or educated as Ms. Smith. Her articles are for Americans, Europeans, not just Canadians. She can teach us how the hormones function. You can find her articles online if fb isn’t an option. She’s a thyroid advocate and speaks all over the world for better treatment.

Social media IG Dr. Jamie Gilliam packs a lot of information in a one minute video for the visual learners. She’s hilarious too. You can book a very affordable consult with her via Zoom to sort out any concerns.

 

[GeforceRTX]

My TSH came at 8 :0 but FT3 and FT4 are in normal ranges, I cant afford a doc yet until Jan.
Can this be related to Tirze? This is my first blood work post Tirz, before that it was in normal range.

My Enzymes and Cholesterol are higher too 🙁 despite weight loss.

 

[chmuse]

Here are some books and websites.

Stop The Thyroid Madness. Free website and books for a fee. Very easy to understand. But don’t stop there.

Rethinking Hypothyroidism by Antonio Blanca ( former president of the American Thyroid Association) he even sees how Endo’s are not the answer.

If you’re taking NDT or T3 Liothyronnie/ Cytomel
The Thyroid Patient’s Manual by Paul Robinson and his blog YouTube are excellent.

The Facebook group Thyroid Patients Canada Support is ran by Tania S Smith. There’s no one more qualified or educated as Ms. Smith. Her articles are for Americans, Europeans, not just Canadians. She can teach us how the hormones function. You can find her articles online if fb isn’t an option. She’s a thyroid advocate and speaks all over the world for better treatment.

Social media IG Dr. Jamie Gilliam packs a lot of information in a one minute video for the visual learners. She’s hilarious too. You can book a very affordable consult with her via Zoom to sort out any concerns.

Thank you for the resources! I waited eight months to get in with an endocrinologist only for him to tell me to lose weight and that thyroid issues don't cause hair loss.

 

[Laxfinity]

Thank you for the resources! I waited eight months to get in with an endocrinologist only for him to tell me to lose weight and that thyroid issues don't cause hair loss.

DM me if you want help finding a menopause specialist. 💖

It wasn't a joke. I was being serious.... I know a lot of women who went to endos that did not help them.

 

[chmuse]

DM me if you want help finding a menopause specialist. 💖

I appreciate that, but I'm not quite there yet! I don't think they'd take me.

 

[keangkong]

My TSH came at 8 :0 but FT3 and FT4 are in normal ranges, I cant afford a doc yet until Jan.
Can this be related to Tirze? This is my first blood work post Tirz, before that it was in normal range.

My Enzymes and Cholesterol are higher too 🙁 despite weight loss.

That generally means your T3 and T4 are below what they ought to be. Although the numbers for your T3 and T4 are normal for many people, your elevated TSH means that your body is saying that it needs more. Doctors rely primarily on TSH in determining whether your body is making enough T3 and T4. I'm speaking generally. Go to an endocrinologist, who will be more knowledgeable than I am on the subject. Taking too much thyroid medicine can quickly cause severe health problems. Don't try adjusting your thyroid levels yourself; doing so is more dangerous than taking grey market tirzepatide if you're too heavy. Wait until January and visit an endocrinologist.

 

[Laxfinity]

I appreciate that, but I'm not quite there yet! I don't think they'd take me.

Okay.. I get now why you laughed.

 

[roxygirl]

Thank you for the resources! I waited eight months to get in with an endocrinologist only for him to tell me to lose weight and that thyroid issues don't cause hair loss.

This gaslighting is inexcusable. I tell everyone who’ll listen to advocate for yourself by learning all that you can, find a good alternative doctor and stay away from end-holes.

 

[chmuse]

Okay.. I get now why you laughed.

It wasn't an insult! It would just be a bit early for me!

This gaslighting is inexcusable. I tell everyone who’ll listen to advocate for yourself by learning all that you can, find a good alternative doctor and stay away from end-holes.

The problem is the waits to get in! I waited eight months for the last one. I went in armed with plenty of research! But I always appreciate new rabbit holes to dive into. 😊

 

[roxygirl]

That generally means your T3 and T4 are below what they ought to be. Although the numbers for your T3 and T4 are normal for many people, your elevated TSH means that your body is saying that it needs more. Doctors rely primarily on TSH in determining whether your body is making enough T3 and T4. I'm speaking generally. Go to an endocrinologist, who will be more knowledgeable than I am on the subject. Taking too much thyroid medicine can quickly cause severe health problems. Don't try adjusting your thyroid levels yourself; doing so is more dangerous than taking grey market tirzepatide if you're too heavy. Wait until January and visit an endocrinologist.

Finding a well educated integrative, functional or a naturopathic ND ( that can prescribe) because Endo’s that depend on the TSH to determine what a “ Free” T4 or “ Free” T3 not a total or an uptake is negligence out of pure ignorance.

In thyroid disease and therapy, even when TSH is normalized, we can still be genuinely hypothyroid if we do not have enough “Free” T3 getting into our thyroid hormone receptors in cells throughout the body.

Most people know there’s two ways we get T3 into our cells’ nuclei:

1. From circulating Free T3, and
2. From circulating Free T4 hormone that is converted into T3 at a variable rate.

However, most doctors are not taught about our cells’ and tissues’ high priority for and dependence upon circulating T3, nor are they taught about the largest factor that can reduce T4’s local variable conversion rate to T3, nor are they taught about the direct correspondence between Free T3 levels and T3 nuclear occupancy rate, which determines hypothyroid or euthyroid status both locally and globally in the body.

The body’s dependence on a baseline of healthy circulating T3 is a principle that Antonio Bianco has emphasized in numerous publications.

“ T3 and T4 cannot enter cells by passive diffusion. As they enter the cell, they must be carried on transmembrane thyroid hormone transporters, some of which have a relatively higher preference for T3 and others which have a relatively higher preference for T4.

1. T3 hormone does not need to be converted. It is already in the active form, ready to bind with receptors. If it is not inactivated to T2 by D3 enzyme expressed in the cell (D3 is not shown in this diagram), a large percentage of T3 entering on transporters can be ushered directly into the nucleus.
2. Circulating Free T3 fills the bottom layer of the gray sphere of nuclear receptors. Of course, nuclei don’t have “layers,” but TRs are distributed throughout the nucleus. This visually depicts the fact that each tissue depends on a baseline amount of circulating T3.
3. Deiodinase type 2 (D2) enzyme activity (and in other cells, D1, not shown) converts T4 hormone locally into T3, but at a highly “variable rate” because D2 will be progressively deactivated as T4 rises within reference range. (Analogy: You can imagine that the D2 enzyme is like an office worker who gets overworked and discouraged when too much T4 paperwork gets put on his desk that requires processing.)
4. T3 converted locally from T4 tops up T3 levels within the nuclear compartment. T4 is the second priority source for T3, a source that enables customization of T3 availability from tissue to tissue, as long as D2 and D1 enzymes can convert T4 locally at a healthy rate. The cell is simply not equipped to make extra T3 supply locally from converted T4 if or when FT3 supply falls short. T4 is nature’s version of “sustained-release T3” except that T3 production is highly variable.
5. In this particular tissue, a certain percentage of “unoccupied receptors” is necessary for euthyroid status. If too many of the unoccupied receptors are occupied, it will create localized thyrotoxicosis. If too few are occupied, the tissue will be hypothyroid. Therefore, T3 hormone sufficiency is the ultimate determiner of euthyroid status throughout the body.
6. The T3 bound to receptors will enable genomic signalling. In this cell located in the pituitary thyrotrophs, T3 will perform genetic transcription of TSH mRNA (see the arrow under the gray sphere), which, together with TRH hormone from the hypothalamus, co-regulates the level of TSH hormone secretion. In a different tissue or organ, T3 binding will signal to different genes that enable other essential biological processes to occur.
7. After binding with TRs for 30 minutes to several hours, each T3 molecule exits the nucleus and returns to the cell’s cytosol (the green area in the model).
8. The ratio of T3 and T4 hormones floating in the cytosol is then transported out of the cellby the same thyroid hormone transporters that brought T4 and T3 into the cell (exit transport is not shown in the diagram). The rate of hormone influx matches the rate of hormone efflux, much like breathing in and breathing out.
9. This means that intracellular T3 and T4 ratios and levels directly affect FT3 and FT4 concentrations in blood. There is no “secret compartment” for T3 in the body, no “black hole” that sucks up T3 and never lets it go back into blood. There are only different rates at which each tissue exchanges hormones with blood, and one “global” rate of exchange that is comprised of the net rate of all tissues. The body converts and recycles T3 and T4 hormone among many cells and tissues until they are converted to other thyroid metabolites and/or excreted from the body”

 

[Laxfinity]

It wasn't an insult! It would just be a bit early for me!

The problem is the waits to get in! I waited eight months for the last one. I went in armed with plenty of research! But I always appreciate new rabbit holes to dive into. 😊

That part is true. It is SO hard to get in with new doctors. It took me 6 months to get my husband into my GP. When I had to switch my son over from his pediatrician it didn't take as long because I asked the doctor directly at my annual.. it was only 3 months 🙄

I need to find a family dermatologist. I am dreading it....

 

[adria37]

Decreasing estrogen levels with menopause also can impair the conversion of T4 to T3 which also contributes to fatigue mood swings weight gain even though the numbers look normal. You need a good endocrinologist and one that will listen to your symptoms