Is my thyroid ok ?

[Makrosky]

Dear Peatarians,

I unexpectedly came across Ray Peat a few days ago and started to read his articles and this forum. Somehow pieces of information here and there started to resonate with me.

3/4 years ago I started to feel LOTS of stress, depression and learned helplessness and irritability and all kind of issues due to stress at work (in fact, the stress is generated by boredom at workplace). Among other things, of course. It all kind of started after discontinuing Prozac which I took for nearly 4 years.

Anyway, after the discontinuation, I tried all sorts of supplements, including 5-HTP and the likes (zinc, vitamin d, adaptogens, you name it). Some of them worked better than others. But I never felt healthy as the “old days”.

However, not long ago I tried Lugol's + selenium + copper/zinc and almost immediately felt SO MUCH BETTER. I felt like my body had been craving that mineral for my whole life. I felt like back to life from a zombie state. I felt like what “health” means. I don’t take it for long periods though because I don’t know what could happen. I am not a doctor or chemist or anything. Of course I won’t even mention it to my MD, they will laugh at me. So I know there’s probably a problem with my thyroid. Probably hypothyroid. Am I right ? .

The thing is that my thyroid panels are quite good!!! :
- Free T3, Free T4, and TSH and Ferritin, all fall in the good ranges.
- RT3, appears a little bit high (the ratio, although I’m not sure I calculated it well).
- Small ammount of Anti-TPO and Anti-Tgb but way under what the lab considers the tolerable limit.

I'm sure most of the Doctors of my country will tell me my thyroid is ok. What’s going on then ?

I never reached a 98.6F temperature for as long as I can remember, so I know my thyroid is probably low. But the bloodwork values are very good!! I’m right now more on the 97.7 area, probably thanks to taking herbal adaptogens + B vitamins who help me cope with stress.

Btw, I am far away of being overweighted. If anything, I'm or almost am underweight.

What would be your suggestions ? Is it possible that SSRI’s ****88 up my thyroids ??? Is it because the fluoride on Prozac ? What route would you follow ? I’m lost. Any advice would be appreciated. I would like to avoid commercial drugs. Where would you start from ? Coffee, salt, aspirins, CO2 ?

Or should I go back to Lugol providing it works so well for me ? I know RP advices agains it but I haven't found any scientifical reasoning behind that advice.

Many thanks.

 

[Blossom]

Makrosky. RP has written about how the stereotype of hypothyroidism as overweight and sluggish isn't always how a person presents. I was underweight and had a lot of 'nervous' energy from compensatory stress hormones. RP has also mentioned that doctors often miss hypothyroidism in people of normal to below weight status due to this issue. If you could post your specific thyroid test result numbers I'm sure some forum members will be glad to help you understand more about what they mean in the context of what Peat considers optimal.
I don't think the lingering effects of Prozac is anything you can't overcome. I only say that from personal experience though as someone who unfortunately took that drug and has managed to rebuild my life. I don't mean to give the impression that Prozac is a benign drug in the least rather I think implementing diet and lifestyle changes based on Peat's work is life transforming and makes it possible to recover from a multitude of insults we may have unwittingly subjected ourselves to in the name of health.

 

[Makrosky]

Thanks for your reply Blossom. Well but the fact is that I'm not sure about Ray Peat ideas : I felt quite well while under Prozac. It's been the most "productive" and active part of my life. Thanks to high serotonin!

My thyroid numbers are :

TSH : 1,19 uU/mL (lab range : 0,20-4,60 uU/mL)

FT4 : 1,2 ng/dL (lab range : 0,7-2,0 ng/dL)
FT3 : 3,29 ug/L (lab range : 1,80-4,20 ug/L)
RT3 : 0,25 ng/mL (lab range : 0,09-0,35 ng/mL)

Anti-TPO : <15 U/mL (lab range : <=65 U/mL)
Anti-TgbA : 20 U/mL (lab range : <=65 U/mL)

So everything is under the standard range!!

Do those numbers tell anythign to anyone ??

THanks.

 

[Blossom]

Oh dear, I'm sorry I misunderstood.

 

[Makrosky]

Oh dear, I'm sorry I misunderstood.

Why do you say that ? What I mean is that I felt quite well under Prozac but have been feeling terrible after discontinuation (I didn't want to take it for ever for many reasons). What I'm wondering is that maybe I was hypo in the first place and the doctor just prescribed Prozac and it worked for me, but the underlying cause was the thyroid.

What do you think ?

 

[Blossom]

Your thyroid numbers seem fine by conventional medicines standards. I know most following a Peat inspired approach prefer to get the TSH below 1 but yours doesn't seem much higher than that. Others here are more versed in the optimal range for total t3, t4 etc.
Although thyroid function is a major aspect of Peat's work it can't be considered in isolation.
There are a few ideas as to why you felt better on Prozac from a Peat perspective such as possibly increased pregnenolone and/or increased adrenaline or cortisol. Even the makers of the SSRI meds seem unsure about how they really work. Peat doesn't consider serotonin as a positive substance that should be purposefully increased. Most of us here actually try to keep serotonin levels down.
Peat has numerous articles on his website and all are fully referenced at http://www.repeat.com. Peat's work is something that must resonate with you as true before you can really use it to your benefit. Much of it goes against what we have been led to believe from mainstream medicine and health industries.
To optimize thyroid function from a Peat perspective requires believing in the science of his work and making diet and lifestyle choices that support metabolism. You may indeed be able to improve your situation by making those changes but I think first you will have to be willing to challenge your current ideas about things like excess serotonin and even iodine.
Most here are very supportive of helping others by freely sharing knowledge and experience. When it comes to convincing others that Peat's views are correct I think his scientifically referenced articles do a fine job of that (much better than I could do).
Sorry I misunderstood and thought you had had a negative experience from Prozac.

 

[HDD]

Ray Peat wrote:
“It’s easy to recognize a chronic iodine deficiency, because it causes the thyroid gland to enlarge. Goiters can be caused in various ways, for example by being exposed to various goitrogens, including excess iodine, or by excessive estrogen and deficient progesterone, as well as by an iodine deficiency.

“However, a chronic excess of iodine is harder to recognize, because it can produce a variety of degenerative changes. Measurement of the average daily iodine intake or excretion in the urine would be needed to confirm an excess. High iodine intake can suppress TSH, and since high TSH is pro-inflammatory, the iodine can have some protective anti-inflammatory actions, but in the long run, the thyroid suppression becomes a problem.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16807415

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17504896


Making sure you have a good diet is important. Here are some guidelines-
viewtopic.php?f=2&t=20

 

[Makrosky]

Hey Haagendaz,

I think those studies never took into account the importance of Selenium. Too much iodine without selenium is what causes problems. Here you have very detailed information about that (including, at least, one of the studies you cited) : http://jeffreydachmd.com/2014/02/iodine ... d-disease/

Please don't get me wrong. I didn't come to this forum for a iodine yes/no debate. I'm not an expert either. It's just that I feel it very unfair to disregard iodine without proper research and, most of all, without self experimentation.

What Ray Peat says resonates with me to some instance. For example somethings he claim about CO2, salt, etc.. I've experienced myself before knowing his work and worked for me. So I though, well, if this guy was right on the CO2 and salt, maybe he's right on other areas.

I

 

[HDD]

Hey Haagendaz,

I think those studies never took into account the importance of Selenium. Too much iodine without selenium is what causes problems. Here you have very detailed information about that (including, at least, one of the studies you cited) : http://jeffreydachmd.com/2014/02/iodine ... d-disease/

Please don't get me wrong. I didn't come to this forum for a iodine yes/no debate. I'm not an expert either. It's just that I feel it very unfair to disregard iodine without proper research and, most of all, without self experimentation.

What Ray Peat says resonates with me to some instance. For example somethings he claim about CO2, salt, etc.. I've experienced myself before knowing his work and worked for me. So I though, well, if this guy was right on the CO2 and salt, maybe he's right on other areas.



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Some more from Ray Peat-
Iodine

Lugol's solution is sometimes helpful for an inflammation, but it's risky when there might be a thyroid problem.

Short term use of iodide is safe at a few milligrams per day, but chronic intake of even one mg. per day increases the risk of thyroiditis.
http://peatarian.com/peatexchanges

I trust Ray Peat's 40+ years of research and experience. I consider it enough proper research.