Low t4

[< <Samson> >]

The only other number that came back on my BW being outlier was my t4 - came back at 4.3 on a 4.9 to 11.1 scale

I never had either t3 or t4 pulled till now


I wasn’t 2 worried about it - but, my surgeon friend guy said to look into it

[David LoPan]

Might want to have your thyroid gland looked at. I am not a doctor or well versed in this at all. Bet KelKel knows the answer

[< <Samson> >]

Bet KelKel knows the answer

Right,


I'm waiting for one of the Board MD's to chime in

[Quester]

Samson, "Youthful..." usually sticks to the HRT section but he has a lot of knowledge and might be able to help. Perhaps you could post in there or PM him to respond to this thread. IDK how often he is on.

[Quester]

I do know that T4 is used to generate T3. T3 is the version that does the work.

[< <Samson> >]

I do know that T4 is used to generate T3. T3 is the version that does the work.

That's the one thing he didn't request - t4, but no t3

[Windex]

Did you get TSH, Thyroxin, and Free T3 tested ?

Aside from the people already mentioned, Deadlifting Dog I believe is versed in thyroid.

Are you on anything aside from gear?

[< <Samson> >]

Did you get TSH, Thyroxin, and Free T3 tested ?
Are you on anything aside from gear?

Oh, wait there is a t3 on here - 31.9 on a 23.4 to 42.7 scale

Here’s all the outliers that came back



I wasn’t on anything aside from test and EC when I got the blood work pulled

[The Deadlifting Dog]

Oh, wait there is a t3 on here - 31.9 on a 23.4 to 42.7 scale

Here’s all the outliers that came back



I wasn’t on anything aside from test and EC when I got the blood work pulled

so.....

You probably know that your thyroid produces T4 (and a tiny bit of T3)
T4 doesn't do shit for you so you body then converts T4 into T3
When you body senses low levels of T4 in your body then it sends out a signal TSH to produce more.

Do you have your TSH reading?
TSH is like stepping on the gas in a car. The higher the TSH then the more TSH your thyroid should produce. But if your thyroid isn't working well then it may not produce enough T4 even though you are producing enough TSH. (just like if you press on the gas but have a bad motor in your car then your car might not speed up much...)

[< <Samson> >]

so.....

You probably know that your thyroid produces T4 (and a tiny bit of T3)
T4 doesn't do shit for you so you body then converts T4 into T3
When you body senses low levels of T4 in your body then it sends out a signal TSH to produce more.

Do you have your TSH reading?
TSH is like stepping on the gas in a car. The higher the TSH then the more TSH your thyroid should produce. But if your thyroid isn't working well then it may not produce enough T4 even though you are producing enough TSH. (just like if you press on the gas but have a bad motor in your car then your car might not speed up much...)

That's exaclty how I hav been trying to learn this for myself.

I didnt get a tsh level, but did get a LH & FSH < both are bottemed out - sooo, from what I gather it would kick down your t4 production(in my theory) - again, just skewed numbers because I'm on gear



This is what I figured - but, I am only a self taught physican

[Youthful55guy]

That's exaclty how I hav been trying to learn this for myself.

I didnt get a tsh level, but did get a LH & FSH < both are bottemed out - sooo, from what I gather it would kick down your t4 production(in my theory) - again, just skewed numbers because I'm on gear

This is what I figured - but, I am only a self taught physican

No, TSH and FSH/LH are independently controlled by the pituitary. You LH/FSH is low in response to you taking exogenous testosterone . It's a natural response. Most guys on TRT have return zero on LH & FSF labs.

I think Deadlift dog laid it out well. My doc feels that T3 is an optional number and I have to press her to get it done. I just like having the full thyroid panel done at the same time to fully understand my hormones. TSH controls the release of T4 and T4 in turn controls the release (through feedback) of TSH. If TSH is high and T4 is low, then it's a good indication of hypothyroidism. T4 converts to T3, so if there is a problem with the conversion mechanism, you might pick that up by having T3 labs.

The other factor to consider is reverse T3 (rT3(. rT3 is an isomer of T3 and binds equally to the thyroid receptors but has no thyroid activity. It simply blocks the receptors from T3. If you convert an abnormally high amount of T4 to rT3 (instead of T3), you can have hypothyroid symptoms but still have normal TSH, T4 and T3 labs. You have to test for rT3 specifically and it needs to be done at the exact same time as free T3. It's the ratio of the two forms of T3 that's important. A healthy individual will have a ratio of T3:rT3 >20. Here's a good site that discusses rT3 (and a lot of other thyroid related issues): https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/rt3-ratio/.

[< <Samson> >]

Ah,
makes sense - now


But, if t4 is low(thyroid isn't producing enough) wouldn't t3 be also low?

[Quester]

Ah,
makes sense - now


But, if t4 is low(thyroid isn't producing enough) wouldn't t3 be also low?

Not necessarily, and your numbers show this. T4 is a way less important number for initial evaluation of thyroid function. It is measured not becuase it is the important indicator but because it is a part of the puzzle, albeit a lesser piece.