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Reverse T3 to T3 ratio

cigana

Senior Member
Messages
1,095
Location
UK
I've had it twice, always out of range.
But I don't think it tells you anything other than "you're ill".
 

cigana

Senior Member
Messages
1,095
Location
UK
I agree, the only problem with these tests I think is that they can't reveal T3 resistance. Obviously they are useful though if you don't have enough or can't convert.
 
Messages
4
Location
DFW Metroplex
I started taking Armour thyroid after I had a thyroid challenge test. The biggest difference it makes for me is keeping me from being weepy and depressed. But my daughter always tested normal at the beginning of her illness. She had symptoms of low thyroid, however, and finally had the RT3 tested. The RT3 number was HUGE. She felt better after beginning T3 therapy. But it didn't seem to make a big difference overall, after a while. In the last year of her T3 therapy, she gained over 40 pounds in 6 months. Her specialist said sometimes T3 will make a person gain weight. About that time but after the weight gain, she tried megadoses of Vit D3 for one month in an effort to bring up her very low D3 level. The next month, she had her D3 level tested plus her regular testing of free T3 and free T4. Those levels were way weird--T3 very low and T4 in the high normal range, and her TSH level went high. So we stopped the megadoses of Vit D because that was the only thing different from the last testing of T3 and T4. We then tested the RT3 to see what was happening with it. It was low and seemed a normal level. We tapered off the T3 and switched to Armour, which has maintained a steady good level of both T3 and T4. Fairly soon after she had tried the Vit D megadose and the thyroid levels got messed up, she had a uterine fibroid grow to the size of a large lemon. Apparently it had been there for some time, but started growing noticeably and quickly. Not sure if or how all this was connected, but I think it was certainly all hormonal. Also think insulin resistance played a part as mentioned in the link provided by Ema above.
 

Little Bluestem

All Good Things Must Come to an End
Messages
4,930
Mine has been tested. It was high because my reverse T3 was high and my T3 was low. Supplemental T3 is helping.