Thyroid - Do I really need a supplement for this?

blackjack wrote:Because I like to see my TSH close to 0 as possible
and i like to see my Free T3 420-440 area..

but thats me and what works best for me..

I see. Do you feel better at those ranges, or is it just about the numbers themselves? Is it about more energy?

yes i feel a lot better

you can try natural ways first like iodine, diet, etc.

Blackjack,

I just read this from the article just posted:

"A CAUTIONARY NOTE: It is important to make sure your symptoms and blood work are not a result of adrenal insufficiency. Depressed thyroid and depressed adrenal symptoms are very similar. Cortisol, a primary adrenal hormone that is elevated under stress and depressed when the adrenal gland is exhausted, alters TSH and thereby T4 and T3. Alterations in adrenal function alter thyroid function but treating the thyroid will not make the underlying adrenal condition, if it exists, better and may make the situation much worse. A simple, and relatively inexpensive, 24 hour salivary cortisol and DHEA test can rule out (or in) adrenal involvement. Also consider this test if you are currently being treated for thyroid and the results are not what you expected. If you have thyroid disease and are treated with a good combination of T3 and T4 your symptoms should resolve rapidly. Your symptoms will remain, alter, or become worse if adrenal dysfunction is present. The cortisol/DHEA test is available from your physician. It is important that the health care professional you are working with understand this testing, how to interpret it, and how to treat the results, or the testing will be of no value to you."

My cortisol output is depressed- adrenal fatigue. I notice I seem to get increased anxiety with iodine...Maybe this is why? What they don't say is how adrenal function affects thyroid. Meaning- Does low adrenal output = low thyroid numbers, or high thyroid numbers?

you take stuff for adrenals Vitamin C, b5, magnesium, etc... low sugar diet, no stress. etc.

i personally take 20mg DHEA and 20mg Cortef, 3 grains armour, 10mcg T3.

blackjack wrote:you take stuff for adrenals Vitamin C, b5, magnesium, etc... low sugar diet, no stress. etc.

i personally take 20mg DHEA and 20mg Cortef, 3 grains armour, 10mcg T3.

Yes....C, Mag, b6, ashwagandha, etc. No DHEA or cortef because I'd like my adrenals to heal naturally and produce hormones on their own. If I start supplementing the hormones, I am concerned that may send the signal that production is adequate and they may not heal. Same idea behind not taking exogenous testosterone.

If I start supplementing the hormones, I am concerned that may send the signal that production is adequate and they may not heal. Same idea behind not taking exogenous testosterone.

Yes this is ideal and it's what you should try first. I personally tried for many years without much success so i take hormones now with great success.

I will definitely go that route if I need to.

What type of thermometer is you use for basal temp test?

youngbalder - A shake down thermometer or other type will work.

The idea is to support the Adrenals for sometime, let it rest and then solwly try to bring them back online. For this taking the hormones for sometime makes some sense. It is not always a one way street when it comes to hormones. As the adrenals are tired, it needs rest - one way to give it the needed rest is to supplement the hormones it produces in dosages that still keeps them in check (not totally shutting down) and then overtime try to bring them online.

If you do it right time wise and dosage wise you may be able to get the rest and then bring them back online later. Some say 6-8 weeks, some say 6 months, some may take 1-2 years - it all depends on your level of problems with the adrenals....

blackjack wrote:

If I start supplementing the hormones, I am concerned that may send the signal that production is adequate and they may not heal. Same idea behind not taking exogenous testosterone.

Yes this is ideal and it's what you should try first. I personally tried for many years without much success so i take hormones now with great success.

Thanks Lund. I'm not sure how I forgot about this thread. My memory is terrible!

I have an appointment with a new N.M.D. this week and he specializes in hormones, so I'm hopeful...although I don't entirely trust any one single person.

Rereading this thread, I don't know why I wasn't more proactive on the thyroid issue. i just 'came across' the thyoid and barnes basal recently again because my memory is so shitty. That in itself can be from low thyroid if I'm not mistaken. Anyways, I have done the test for 4 days so far and 3/4 days I've been below 97.5.

Where I'm at now is trying to decide what to do for the thyroid and also if I should try cortef for the adrenals. I just don't have the money to pay for periodic labwork to check progress so I'm going to have to seriously wing it.

Here are my thoughts questions (at jdp, lund, whoever):

1) go on cortef?

2) go on armour thyroid?

and/or?

3)Increase my iosol from an averagve of 4-6 drops a day to much higher, and take more selenium than I get from my multi?

I have no idea lab wise how my adrenals are performing. I still take the Mg, b5, C, adrenal glandular, pregnenolone, dhea, and experimenting with 7-keto dhea.

I gave in and went back on Dutasteride again which is going to throw everything else. I'm convinced that stuff shuts down the thyroid among other things, but I'm just freaking out when I look in the mirror lately.

If anyone has any advice or suggestions on what I should ask the doc about or request, I'd really appreciate it. After reading about HGH replacement on his site, it triggered the memory that I took the stuff for a whole year. I looked a hell of a lot younger on it tha's for sure! I can't afford the HGH shots, but I'm considering some arginine/ornithine again. From the HGH, dutasteride, finasteride, anabolic steroids, recreational drugs, benzodiazepines, etc.. my system and pituitary especially must be in really bad shape. I feel like an 80 year old man as of late, although the 7-keto and pregnenolone seem to be making a huge difference.

I think you do need the tests to figure out what is going on. I have no idea on Lugol's or Iosol - everytime I tried it my Adrenals/Kidney area ached way too much for me to stop ingesting these. And yes I have tried all the adjunct protocols (salt water, selenium, etc). If you do not have this issue - then try the lugol/iosol and see if that helps.

1. You should know your Cortisol levels via the saliva test - you may be high or low or flat, you need to determine this before taking anything to correct the issue. Not knowing which box you belong to can back fire.
2. Run full profile on the Thyroids (Ft4 ft3 rt3 TSH Ferritin B12 and "D") to get a complete picture. If you decide to go the Thyroid route - you need to know where to start. For someone who has a RT3 problem, armour or Syhnthroid would not work. I have RT3 and when I took Armour it only caused more issues for me.
3. Whatever you do for thyroid - make sure your adrenals are supported [if they are weak]. This you can do by supps + ISOCORT or Cortef.
4. Make sure Ferritin, B12 and D are in the correct range

Taking Armour or Cortef willy nilly may never get you the results you are after....


I tried Cortef but was gaining so much weight so fast that I back tracked there.

Hey lund,

I have a similar issue, AF and rT3, and I think it is related to my hair loss.
I can't stand iodine. I began HC one month ago, but things got worse, insomnia, scalp far worse, acne...
I tried it one month, and after reading that some people can't stand it, I switch to Medrol 2 days ago and I'm far better.
The thing is I suffered dermatitis sebborhea that began with my hair loss, and if I took too little HC, it flared up, so maybe an interesting theory is that people with dermatitis is actually a lack of cortisol in the body, just a thought, but I don't think cortisol makes hair loss, it is related and worsen it.
I m at 60mg of cytomel at this moment. Did you notice any improvement on your hair? I know 80mg is usually the dose to see improvement.
What do you think and what are your result??
Thx
Fred