THYROID TESTS AREN'T DONE RIGHT!
SHOULD OUR THYROID HORMONE TEST RANGES BE REVIEWED?
Currently, our “system” says that to figure out whether a person’s thyroid balance is satisfactory in terms of keeping our cells working at maximum efficiency, all we need to check is the Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH). However TSH is a signal sent by the pituitary gland, to tell the thyroid how much T4 to make: the pituitary is merely ordering Thyroxine, to satisfy itself.
TSH HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE REST OF THE BODY!
WHAT OUR MEDICAL SYSTEM IGNORES
Since Free T3 is rarely, and reverse T3 never, measured by family physicians and endocrinologists, they are unaware of the state of thyroid hormonal balance in the cells and organs. The body has no way of expressing its state of satisfaction with the availability of T3 within the cells. Therefore we don’t have a dedicated test for thyroid balance, other than FT3 /rT3, which Allopathic physicians it seems, have never heard of.
However I just saw an excellent paper by Dr. Begonia Ruiz Nunez, a researcher in Holland – the first note recommending T3/rT3 I have seen on the web – she uses rT3/T3, but the diagnostic technique is essentially the same.
However we can differentiate between true and intracellular hyperthyroidism ourselves, with minimum civil disobedience: let’s look at Free T3 and reverse T3 results and figure it out!
METABOLISM OF THYROXINE, THE “T4” HORMONE
T4 is converted preferentially to T3 rather than rT3 (a small amount of rT3 is naturally produced). However, while TSH and FT4 are only minimally affected when Cortisol output rises due to fasting or any other stress, [1,2] T3 production falls and reverse T3 production is boosted. Therefore serum FT3 is reduced to a minimum, while rT3 increases.
Logical clinical conclusions when FT3 falls in response to stress
If rT3 goes up when T3 goes down, calculating the T3/rT3 and the ratio will provide a snapshot of the degree of abnormal processing of T4 to rT3. Functional/metabolic medicine practitioners have been utilizing this simple method to assess the state of intracellular Triiodothyronine for decades and it has been observed that hypothyroid symptoms occur when the FT3/rT3 ratio is less than 20.0. We differentiate this Metabolic aberration from true Hypothyroidism, applying a new diagnostic term: “Intracellular Hypothyroidism”. **
While Hypothyroid symptoms usually indicate a reduction of Thyroxine production (true hypothyroidism), the TSH and T4 are normal in 20%, or more, of people complaining of hypothyroidism symptoms. When this is so, the diagnosis of intracellular hypothyroidism is missed if FreeT3 and reverse T3 are not tested. Thyroxine (excellent treatment for true hypothyroidism) is empirically prescribed, but the symptoms continue. The result is confusion on the part of the physician and frustration on the part of the patient.
This vexing situation is easily avoided by estimating free T3 and reverse T3 levels, to derive the T3/rT3 ratio, which reliably differentiates between true and Intracellular Hypothyroidism (IH). IH is easily and safely treated with Sustained Release Triiodothyronine, the symptoms subside and the patient is happy.
** A.K.A. Low T3 Syndrome, Nonthyroidal Illness Syndrome, Euthyroid Sick Syndrome and Functional Hypothyroidism.
