Normal TSH (1.3) But Low Thyroid Hormones

Sagitarrius90

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Hey guys,

As per the thread title, what does it mean if my TSH is good (1.3) but my thyroid hormones are low?

I shouldn't say they are low but for t3 and t4 they were closer to the lower reference range. I didn't post my labs but what would this mean?

As well lately I've had bad skin red rawish skin beside my mustache area and dry skin beside my nose on the sides. Any idea? It's been like this for awhile and it's pissing me off lol I've heard underactive thryoid can lower the bodys ability to deal with allergies/sensiitives so maybe that's it? My digestion is decent I have solid poops but there are times I don't go everyday.
 

LUH 3417

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Hey guys,

As per the thread title, what does it mean if my TSH is good (1.3) but my thyroid hormones are low?

I shouldn't say they are low but for t3 and t4 they were closer to the lower reference range. I didn't post my labs but what would this mean?

As well lately I've had bad skin red rawish skin beside my mustache area and dry skin beside my nose on the sides. Any idea? It's been like this for awhile and it's pissing me off lol I've heard underactive thryoid can lower the bodys ability to deal with allergies/sensiitives so maybe that's it? My digestion is decent I have solid poops but there are times I don't go everyday.
I think ray recommends a very low TSH, like 0.2. Mine was 1.8 and he recommended supplementary thyroid even tho my t3/4 were normal
 
OP
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Sagitarrius90

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All I have is t4 on me and that was from when I was doing peptides (ghrp2 cjc)

.2 for me is a long should but I was once .8 and felt amazing so I'm thinking maybe the low thyroid hormones are starting to increase my TSH.
 

lampofred

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Stress and protein deficiency will protectively lower your TSH. That's why Peat says pulse and temp is the best way to diagnose thyroid status (second to measuring oxygen consumption but that is unfeasible for the lay person on a regular basis)
 

LUH 3417

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All I have is t4 on me and that was from when I was doing peptides (ghrp2 cjc)

.2 for me is a long should but I was once .8 and felt amazing so I'm thinking maybe the low thyroid hormones are starting to increase my TSH.
That’s interesting. I’m going to begin supplementing tyromax and hopefully be able to lower my TSH. Am very excited to see what may happen :)
 

LUH 3417

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Stress and protein deficiency will protectively lower your TSH. That's why Peat says pulse and temp is the best way to diagnose thyroid status (second to measuring oxygen consumption but that is unfeasible for the lay person on a regular basis)
The thing is my temps range but usually are very high, like 99.4 even with not ideal thyroid labs. And i def don’t feel amazing all the time. But sometimes I do.
 
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Sagitarrius90

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@lampofred when you say lower tsh you mean say 1.0 to .2 ? Not lower thyroid hormones? The way you made it sound was that it was actually positive

I guess the increase in cortisol would cause the thyroid hormones to be used up quicker but once the cortisol levels are low (from long term high cortisol) the thyroid will become slower?

I am made to believe my cortisol is low from prolong stress throughout my life and mostly the gym. I'm trying to lose weight because studies show the leaner you are the less aromatise meaning less estrogen and more T. I should mention I'm on trt doing daily sub q injection 15 mg/a day.
 

lampofred

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The thing is my temps range but usually are very high, like 99.4 even with not ideal thyroid labs. And i def don’t feel amazing all the time. But sometimes I do.

Peat has said high cortisol from stress will keep your temps very high. Alternating moods are also a sign of high cortisol. But the dry skin is a symptom that it's stress hormones that are suppressing your TSH and keeping your metabolism/temps up and not actual thyroid.

I have the same issue and I'm still trying to fix it... I've tried several GABAergic substances and sedating things like niacinamide and glycine but really the only thing that helps in the long run seems to be deeply and consistently meditating.
 

lampofred

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@lampofred when you say lower tsh you mean say 1.0 to .2 ? Not lower thyroid hormones? The way you made it sound was that it was actually positive

I guess the increase in cortisol would cause the thyroid hormones to be used up quicker but once the cortisol levels are low (from long term high cortisol) the thyroid will become slower?

I am made to believe my cortisol is low from prolong stress throughout my life and mostly the gym. I'm trying to lose weight because studies show the leaner you are the less aromatise meaning less estrogen and more T. I should mention I'm on trt doing daily sub q injection 15 mg/a day.

If you're under a lot of stress, your body will reduce your TSH in order to slow down your metabolism so that you don't eat yourself up. This reduction in TSH is different from the reduction that happens when your thyroid becomes really responsive to TSH and needs less stimulation to do its job such as when you have low PUFA. The former is a protective slow down, the latter isn't a slow down but rather a sign of high sensitivity (good health).
 

LUH 3417

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Peat has said high cortisol from stress will keep your temps very high. Alternating moods are also a sign of high cortisol. But the dry skin is a symptom that it's stress hormones that are suppressing your TSH and keeping your metabolism/temps up and not actual thyroid.

I have the same issue and I'm still trying to fix it... I've tried several GABAergic substances and sedating things like niacinamide and glycine but really the only thing that helps in the long run seems to be deeply and consistently meditating.
Good to know. Do you eat a lot of fruit?
 

akgrrrl

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Now see...the Peaty thing to do eating fruit and carrots, etc. How does this apply to all humans? Same for blood labs and "ranges" when it comes to hormones and thyroid corrections. How can we all be measured by the same yardstick? Up here, people eat ZERO fruit because there is none except for the big cities. And what about the people that eat lifetimes of whale fat and extremely greasy fish, seal, and bird eggs? Thousands of immigrants here from European descent subsist on low protein caribou, moose and then salmon. How can our bloodwork be comparative by the "ranges" set for LDL, HDL, etc? I don't get it.
 

Bart1

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I have more or less the same problem. I have a TSH of 1.6, a high FT4 and a little below the middle FT3 and a very high (upper range) Reverse T3. I experience a lot of issue except for weight gain, but apparently I think I have been consuming not enough calories/carbs.

I live in the Netherlands, I don't know how to get medications, doctors won't prescribe here.

I'm trying now to apply some peat principles and it's helping me quite a bit already... still far from feeling well.
 

lampofred

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Good to know. Do you eat a lot of fruit?

I really like fruit but it doesn't fill me up and relax me like starch does, so I end up eating a lot of white rice/potatoes with ample saturated fat. I think it might be because glucose but not fructose increases GABA. I feel more relaxed on the days I get most of my carbs from starch rather from sugar but there is definitely is a higher risk for endotoxin problems from starch than from fruit like Peat mentions.
 

akgrrrl

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The thing is my temps range but usually are very high, like 99.4 even with not ideal thyroid labs. And i def don’t feel amazing all the time. But sometimes I do.

I totally relate to your "don't feel amazing all the time but sometimes I do". I have told the only doc, who is prescribing my 100 mcg of Thyroxine, that some days I can barely move...other days I feel like jumping over tall buildings and do the work of 3 people in a day. Have you made any correlation of your energy use/output in relation to those great days vs not so much days? Diet? Stressors? Anything?Thanks
 

benaoao

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High carbs high balanced amino acids low fat diets should be mandatory

I’d supplement t3 finding the minimal effective dose first. Then progressively wean off of it as temperature and energy are back. Cranberry juice is a good way to get iodine.
 

managing

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If you're under a lot of stress, your body will reduce your TSH in order to slow down your metabolism so that you don't eat yourself up. This reduction in TSH is different from the reduction that happens when your thyroid becomes really responsive to TSH and needs less stimulation to do its job such as when you have low PUFA. The former is a protective slow down, the latter isn't a slow down but rather a sign of high sensitivity (good health).

So if you have high temps and pulse from cortisol and low metabolism, you should do XYZ differently than those who have low temp/pulse . . . ?
 

LUH 3417

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I totally relate to your "don't feel amazing all the time but sometimes I do". I have told the only doc, who is prescribing my 100 mcg of Thyroxine, that some days I can barely move...other days I feel like jumping over tall buildings and do the work of 3 people in a day. Have you made any correlation of your energy use/output in relation to those great days vs not so much days? Diet? Stressors? Anything?Thanks
Unfortunately not yet. I was diagnosed as bipolar when I was 13 so I’ve always swung between hyper and sluggish. Whenever I eat a lot of fruit and orange juice I become very energetic, I laugh all day and am really happy. I remember reading somewhere that RP believed just not sleeping for one night could help reset things, and I think that’s true for me. I was getting into the habit of over eating just so I could sleep without realizing I wasn’t actually physically tired. One thing that makes me sluggish in general is over eating or being obsessed with fulfilling macros. I don’t think it’s useful for me to do that, because it seems like it’s more stressful for me physically ( mostly on my digestion) than not getting all the recommended foods for the day. I’m going to try thyroid (tyromax) for the first time this week, I’ll update you if it helps at all.
 

lampofred

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So if you have high temps and pulse from cortisol and low metabolism, you should do XYZ differently than those who have low temp/pulse . . . ?

Probably the former should focus on stress reduction instead of increasing energy production (red light, bag breathing, meditation, etc) and the latter should focus on increasing energy production (caffeine, thyroid, etc)
 

managing

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Probably the former should focus on stress reduction instead of increasing energy production (red light, bag breathing, meditation, etc) and the latter should focus on increasing energy production (caffeine, thyroid, etc)
Good distinction. But what if stress has been lowered and cortisol remains a problem?
 

Lurker

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Check out Dan Wich’s video on how TSH is only an indirect measurement for thyroid function:

 

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