Okay, so I finally got my reverse t3 tested. My doctor says everything is normal, but when I calculate the ratios using a guide I found online it looks low to me. Also, my tsh was slightly over 2 for the first time ever and I had heard that that was not good. Also, in went up a great deal in the past 2 months. I'm thinking the cold weather may be the cause. Is that possible? Lab results below. Thanks for any insight you can give.
Tests done 11/2013:
Tsh 1.456
Total t3 92.4 ng/dl
Free t3 2.7 pg/ml
Tests done 1/2014
Tsh 2.052
Reverse t3 15.8 ng/dl
If you could include the ranges, that would be very helpful. For now, I'll just assume that they are standard US ones...
I don't put much stock in RT3 despite all that you read on the internet. It can be high as a sign of chronic illness, yes, but the research has conclusively shown that cell receptors are NOT blocked by RT3. In the presence of both T3 and RT3, the cells preferentially take up T3 every single time. This is how people with Graves disease (high FT3 and high RT3 can become hyperthyroid. If the RT3 was blocking the receptors, they would never become hyper.)
RT3 also changes rapidly so it is hard to measure. And elite athletes also often have high RT3 levels...yet are perfectly euthyroid. So, I don't think you have an RT3 problem.
I think most people treated by TSH alone and not by symptoms are under treated and thus still have hypo symptoms that would be relieved by the addition of some T3. And there are certainly people out there with thyroid resistance that would benefit from T3 alone. But not because of RT3...Most people with hypothyroidism will do best on *some* combination of T4/T3 meds (whether or not that is the *standard* in NTH is another matter entirely).
But I digress.
Yes, people generally need to increase their thyroid meds in the winter. So an increase in your TSH doesn't seem that odd to me considering you are not on meds. Your body is asking for more thyroid...
I also think your FT3 at 2.7 is likely too low despite your "normal" TSH. At that point, it really matters if you have hypothyroid symptoms. If you do, I would ask your doctor to treat them. If not, I would let it be. A FT4 would be super helpful though at some point...