Is High Cortisol And Reverse T3 Making Me Hypothyroid?

DE91

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Joined
Oct 28, 2019
Messages
9
Experiencing a lot of symptoms related to hypothyroidism even though my FT4 and FT3 are in the normal-high reference range. The most prominent symptoms are cold intolerance/cold extremites, general fatigue and sexual issues.


This is my most recent blood test (morning):

TSH 3.5 [0.4 - 4.0]

FT4 19 [10 - 22] pmol/L

FT3 5.4 [3.3 - 6.0] pmol/L

R-T3 0.53 [0.14 - 0.54] nmol/L

TPO <10 [0 - 34]

Cortisol 891 [200 - 650] nmol/L

Prolactin 541 [45 - 375] mU/L


Cortisol is way out of range, TSH/R-T3 are also high.


As far as I understand elevated cortisol increases R-T3. Can elevated R-T3 induce hypothyroidism, even when FT4/FT3 is within range? Is my R-T3 the reason for my elevated TSH?


Can the high cortisol be the culprit of why I feel like I do? How can I effectively reduce my cortisol to normal levels?


I don't feel very stressed out at all. Mostly just tired. I don't understand why my cortisol levels are so high.
 

snacks

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Jun 30, 2020
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388
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Rostov-on-Don, Russia/Southern United States
Try taking a largish dose of something that drives cortisol down like glycine and see what changes in a few hours. Fatigue is an symptom of elevated cortisol as much as or more than stress if it's consistently in the higher ranges
 

redsun

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Joined
Dec 17, 2018
Messages
3,013
Experiencing a lot of symptoms related to hypothyroidism even though my FT4 and FT3 are in the normal-high reference range. The most prominent symptoms are cold intolerance/cold extremites, general fatigue and sexual issues.


This is my most recent blood test (morning):

TSH 3.5 [0.4 - 4.0]

FT4 19 [10 - 22] pmol/L

FT3 5.4 [3.3 - 6.0] pmol/L

R-T3 0.53 [0.14 - 0.54] nmol/L

TPO <10 [0 - 34]

Cortisol 891 [200 - 650] nmol/L

Prolactin 541 [45 - 375] mU/L


Cortisol is way out of range, TSH/R-T3 are also high.


As far as I understand elevated cortisol increases R-T3. Can elevated R-T3 induce hypothyroidism, even when FT4/FT3 is within range? Is my R-T3 the reason for my elevated TSH?


Can the high cortisol be the culprit of why I feel like I do? How can I effectively reduce my cortisol to normal levels?


I don't feel very stressed out at all. Mostly just tired. I don't understand why my cortisol levels are so high.

I don't think you are hypothyroid necessarily but your cortisol is way too high of course. Eating higher amount of carbohydrates will lower your cortisol, should be the first step. If you are active, it especially important that you get enough easily digestible carbohydrates and protein otherwise you will forever be in a world of hurt with high cortisol being the least of your issues.

Sexual issues are more than certainly caused by your high prolactin. Zinc, P5P, Vitamin C, folate, as supplements or eating foods very rich in these nutrients will help. Beef, citrus fruits, tropical fruits like mango, papaya, etc. Certain fruits will be rich in folate and vitamin C, so those are preferred as well as easily digested starches for folate. Oyster is a great food once in a while for overall sexual benefit if you can consume them.

Red meat imo is necessary for optimal sexual health and function so you should consume a good chunk of it daily. Eggs are also helpful in this department because of the cholesterol and choline. Do you consume dairy? Most people who cant consume dairy can tolerate having some in the diet when its fermented or in a raw state (such as raw milk). Its vital in the long run to have a few servings of dairy daily.
 

Matt C

Member
Joined
Nov 25, 2018
Messages
139
Location
Australia
I eat a lot of collagen for glycine and carbs but my RT3 is still high. I'm taking Tiromel but it doesn't seem to do jack to my temps or make me feel much different at all. My average temp in the day is around 36.5 so it's not optimal.
 

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