Please Help, Thyroid Test Results

[Mr.Tayto]

Hi Guys, ive been suffering from chronic fatigue for about 7 years now, starting when i was 21 years old. I over trained alot and ignored the basic signs of over training. I was young and ill informed about working out. Also a progressive Marjuana habit at the time didnt help either (a habit ive manage to kick the last 6 years and contining).

On top of the over training and past Marijuana use, i used SSRIs for one year and in 2016 i got infected with the parasite Blastocystis Hominis, which after 3 rounds of different antibiotics still will not leave my system.

Ive been Peating a year now but my Diet growning up was reasonably Peaty so i wouldnt say i ever had a bad diet just more lacking Calories at times of over training.

I need some (alot) of help because after 3 years and about $30,000 spent on supplements and doctors!!! im at my wits end trying to end this Chronic Fatigue.
Ive managed to find a holistic gp who put my on progesterone, Dhea and pregnenolone but after some improvement i always find myself back at square one. My life as a young man has been on hold these last number of years and i just want to be healthy again.
My doctor suggests i have adreanal fatigue but i know around this forum that kind of thing is not really believed in. My doctor did a full thyroid test and she reckons everything is within range but still why do i feel like sh*t all of the time....

Ive attached a copy of my test results could someone with more knowledge than please suggest what could be going on.... im losing ny mind and going broke.

 

[Jsaute21]

What is your diet like?

 

[Mr.Tayto]

@Jsaute21 The last round of antibiotics that i took to try to kill BH messed up my gut, (prior to this i could eat any kinds of food) so since then ive become gluten inintolerant and cant drink Milk without becoming very bloated also using Great lakes gletain started making me very bloated so have had to stop that also but prior so as of now my diet consists of:
lots of fruit, oranges, apples, watermelon etc (no banana) butter, coconut oil, olive oil, salt, rice, potatoes, sweet potatoes, eggs, chicken, pork, beef, liver, carrots, vegatables, spinach, brocolli, green peas, bok choy etc,
Haven't drank alcohol in 5 months. Prior to that wasnt really a big drinker my only 2 times a month.
No bread, rarely have fast food, dont eat chocolate that often anymore since the BH and when i do i try to make it only dark.
Ice cream makes me bloated since BH so i only eat it as a treat about twice a month. I dont drink soft drinks since the BH makes me blaoted. Prior to BH was never a big soft drink drinker but was drinking Coke for a big since its kind of Peaty.

I eat as regularly as i can and if i cant ( due to work) get a big meal in i always have fruit and carrots on stand by til my next big meal.

 

[Jsaute21]

@Jsaute21 The last round of antibiotics that i took to try to kill BH messed up my gut, (prior to this i could eat any kinds of food) so since then ive become gluten inintolerant and cant drink Milk without becoming very bloated also using Great lakes gletain started making me very bloated so have had to stop that also but prior so as of now my diet consists of:
lots of fruit, oranges, apples, watermelon etc (no banana) butter, coconut oil, olive oil, salt, rice, potatoes, sweet potatoes, eggs, chicken, pork, beef, liver, carrots, vegatables, spinach, brocolli, green peas, bok choy etc,
Haven't drank alcohol in 5 months. Prior to that wasnt really a big drinker my only 2 times a month.
No bread, rarely have fast food, dont eat chocolate that often anymore since the BH and when i do i try to make it only dark.
Ice cream makes me bloated since BH so i only eat it as a treat about twice a month. I dont drink soft drinks since the BH makes me blaoted. Prior to BH was never a big soft drink drinker but was drinking Coke for a big since its kind of Peaty.

I eat as regularly as i can and if i cant ( due to work) get a big meal in i always have fruit and carrots on stand by til my next big meal.

Your diet is good but i would remove broccoli or bok choy. Hate to advise against specific foods as we are all different organisms but those foods are bad for thyroid and digestion without a doubt. Well cooked spinach, onions & mushrooms are your best bet for vegetables. Definitely worth cooking substantially when consuming. Fruits are a more reliable micronutrient source imo for digestion purposes.

I would say that good measurables are decent libido, digestion, etc. for how you are healing. I am someone who can relative heavily to an over training background. I was very lean/fit and thought i was so healthy until i wasn't all of a sudden. It takes some time to heal. Not working out unless you feel good is important. I used to work out 4-6x a week very intensely and now i am up to 2x a week. Workouts are good but not forced. I love to work out and strength train so this was a huge adjustment. Once you start working with your body and not against it, things get quite a bit better.

 

[tara]

Hi Mr Tayto,

I'd recommend reading about thyroid function, and measuring monitoring your body temperature for at least a few days. Remembering it typically takes several minutes for the thermometer to come up to stable body temperature, even if some of the digital ones beep much quicker. The 'normal' range many doctors go by for thyroid lab tests is quite wide, and it looks like not everyone is really well at the numbers - best looked at together with other signs and symptoms.

Have you seen Peat's articles on thyroid? Here are a couple:
Thyroid, insomnia, and the insanities: Commonalities in disease
Preventing and treating cancer with progesterone.

Metabolism can reduce in the face of various stresses, including nutritional and energy deficiency, infections, other stresses, etc. Recovery may require both resolving the specific causes and also some restoring.

Are regular antibiotics expected to work against parasites like blastocystis? I wonder if there are herbal or other approaches to remove that infection?

Your diet is good but i would remove broccoli or bok choy. Hate to advise against specific foods as we are all different organisms but those foods are bad for thyroid and digestion without a doubt.

Personally, my stomach has been telling me quite specifically that it's very happy with well-cooked broccoli. :) May not be great for everyone, or in large quantities, but Peat has been known to put in a favourable word about broccoli sometimes, too.

 

[Mr.Tayto]

@tara yes i must start measuring my body temperature, in times of stress i can feel cold in my extremeties even in 45 degrees Celsius heat ( i work in the mines in the desert).

thanks for the links i will check them out. im back on progesterone the last few weeks after a long break abd changing doses. The 1st time i tried progesterone it felt like the magic posion, for a week my energy and libido were through the roof but have never had that effect since even in the ladt couple of weeks i just more calm but no energy. i tried cyproheptadine for adrenal fatigue 3 months ago for a week and i think i has messed me up further, no motivation and have put on 12kg of weight. havent touched it since....

Any tips of how to speed up metabolism? im eating as regularly as possible but im just getting fatter and not more healthy.

As for the BH antibiotics, i tried the triple therapy antibiotics and that didnt work at all, tried colonics didn't work, tried oregano oil didnt work, im trying fossilized shell flour at the moment so but im unsure if its working yet. Peat recommends flowers of sulphur so i will try that next.

And yes, i eat varying types of vegetables at different times of the month, im not that hard on myself about the broccoli as i doubt it caused or its causing my faitigue. im jsit wondering is there something that has not been picked up of even after the faliure of the progesterone, dhea and pregnenolone to solve my problems...

 

[tara]

@tara yes i must start measuring my body temperature, in times of stress i can feel cold in my extremeties even in 45 degrees Celsius heat ( i work in the mines in the desert).

High adrenaline during stress can cause cold extremities in itself. But so can low thyroid function.
I guess measuring temperatures is different when the ambient temperature is over 40C :). I guess it might be cooler when you first wake up in the morning - that could be a good time to test?

If you want and have access, you can enter in one or a few typical days' diet into cronometer or similar to get an idea of the nutrition you are getting, and see if there are any obvious gaps.
Are you getting a bit of sunlight on your skin regularly?
How's your breathing at rest? Some people can warm their extremities up noticably by calming/reducing their breathing for a few minutes - diaphragmatic, nasal, small breaths.
Getting good sleep?

There may be other things that could help, but I tend tho think these basic needs come first.

 

[Mr.Tayto]

Yes, im in the Sun everyday, i work outside but its not necessarily direct on my skin as we have to wear safety uniforms but my face and hands are in the Sun alot more than your average office worker. I only work for 8 days and then have 6 days off again where i go back to the city and rest. During those 6 days i try to rest as much as possible and do some fun activities. Also i started trying to eat outside in th morning and afternoon on my porch when im home.

My breathing is ok i guess. Since peating i have become more consicous of it and at a rest its good, i do notice when im stressed i breath more through my mouth which bad obviously. My bicarbonate level was quite good when it was last checked something like 89 or so...

In regards to sleep, idont snore but i would say what would help me alot is getting deeper sleep. i feel the ssris use messed up my deep wave sleep

I will down load an app to track my Kcals and see really how much am i getting but i would say enough/alot as everyone on my team at work comments that i eat alot....food at work is free so i dont hold back :)

 

[mostlylurking]

Hi Mr. Tayto. Your lab work (shown above): your TSH is pretty high; you would feel better if you can get it below 1. Your T3 is lower than optimal; it would be better to get it up to high (within range or slightly above). Reverse T3 was not tested and might be helpful to know. A cholesterol test would be helpful to make sure it is not too low; if it is elevated, that is a sign of hypothyroidism. If it shows as low (below 200), you can get it up by drinking orange juice and eating ripe fruit.

I'm a 68 year old female. I was diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome years ago. I took SSRIs for a couple of years (horrible stuff). I was prescribed 5-HTP by a doctor and took it for about 8 years because I didn't know any better. I've been chelated with IV EDTA (over 120 treatments) for heavy metal poisoning. I had leaky gut and a lot of allergies along with the CFS. Then I got rheumatoid arthritis. All this cleared up when my thyroid med was increased to 180 mg a day (= 3 grains) and I followed Ray Peat's diet advice.

I believe that Ray Peat is right that CFS is caused by hypothyroidism. Since I fought the good fight with the endocrinologist for a year and finally got my natural desiccated thyroid prescription doubled (from 90 mg a day to 180 mg a day), I no longer have symptoms of CFS. My TSH is about .021. My T3 is almost above the recommended range. My pulse is around 90.

I am very careful with my diet. I avoid all goitrogenic foods, including all PUFAS. No nuts, no seeds, no grains, no beans, minimal muscle meat. I take cascara sagrada daily, eat raw carrots daily, use hydrogenated coconut oil, take niacinamide, thiamine, magnesium, pregnenolone, powdered egg shells, etc. Mostly I'm living on dairy (milk with gelatin and sugar added), orange juice, guava juice, liver, shellfish, home grown free range eggs, coffee, lots of gelatin, and raw carrots. I take bio-identical progesterone in vitamin E oil. I mostly avoid muscle meat; it makes my heart race and keeps me awake at night.

Read all the Ray Peat articles on thyroid and on inflammation that you can find. Do the temperature and pulse tests so you will have an idea of how you are doing, but remember that high adrenaline will increase temp and pulse and can confuse things. Make sure you get at minimum 100 grams of protein each day; 150 grams would be better if you are active. Your liver needs it to function to remove toxins like estrogen and also to convert T4 into T3. Get at least 150 grams of sugar a day (in orange juice, fruit, etc.).

Evaluate your consumption of polyunsaturated fats throughout your life. It's stored in your tissues. It damages your metabolism and your thyroid function. Be patient with yourself; it takes 4 years to get rid of it while you are completely abstaining from all PUFA. Your liver will slowly detox it out of your body. Niacinamide and thiamine are very helpful; they keep the PUFA from becoming free in your bloodstream and they lower nitric oxide. Rarely, I feel really bad so I take about 100 mg niacinamide and 100 mg thiamine in 10 ounces of orange juice and then I take 1/8 teas. aspirin dissolved in boiling water, cooled with ice cubes. In 20 minutes I'm good to go again.

I hope this is helpful to you.

 

[Mr.Tayto]

@mostlylurking Thank you for that wealth of info. I knew my TSH was high by peat standard my doctor said my thyroid looked good, i knew it could have been "that good" though.
My doctor didnt want to test reverse t3 incase she would jump to "conclusions"....what she meant by thst i don't know.
im going to start monitoring my temperatures from now on and look into lowering my tsh. i dont want to touch t3 quite yet but i may have to. i will continue my peat eating and try your suggestions. great to hear that you are doing well at 68, theres more hope for me yet.

 

[mostlylurking]

@mostlylurking Thank you for that wealth of info. I knew my TSH was high by peat standard my doctor said my thyroid looked good, i knew it could have been "that good" though.
My doctor didnt want to test reverse t3 incase she would jump to "conclusions"....what she meant by thst i don't know.
im going to start monitoring my temperatures from now on and look into lowering my tsh. i dont want to touch t3 quite yet but i may have to. i will continue my peat eating and try your suggestions. great to hear that you are doing well at 68, theres more hope for me yet.

A T3 supplement (in natural desiccated thyroid or T3 in conjunction with T4) will lower TSH. Read Dr. Peat's articles. You sound like you are afraid of taking T3. T3 is vital for all of your body's functions. The effects of hypothyroidism are exactly the same as the ill effects of aging, including immune system failure and cancer. Your TSH is elevated, revealing a problem with thyroid function. It is very important for you to read up on thyroid function and thyroid tests. Addressing low cholesterol and possible adrenal failure need to be part of the equation. The medical schools in the U.S.A. don't do a good job teaching about thyroid function. The standardized thyroid tests are not calibrated correctly.

Here's some links:
Thyroid Deficiency & Common Health Problems - 180 Degree Health this is a transcribed Ray Peat interview, start with this one.
Thyroid: Therapies, Confusion, and Fraud
Preventing and treating cancer with progesterone.

It's my understanding that high cortisol can cause reverse T3. If you are hypothyroid, your adrenaline will increase to compensate for the lack of thyroid hormone. Increased adrenaline increases cortisol. Elevated cortisol can make things worse by causing reverse T3. I think that Dr. Peat also said polyunsaturated fats can cause reverse T3, but I might not be remembering that correctly. Temperature monitoring can be a little confusing if you are running on elevated adrenaline because the adrenaline can increase your temperature.

I hope that these articles are helpful to you. Don't be afraid of thyroid supplementation. If you take too much T3 you will have trouble sleeping and you might get heart palpitations, but the T3 clears your system pretty quickly (24 hours?) so the symptoms pass quickly and then you just lower the dose. The doctor will start you on a dose that is probably half of what you wind up needing. After a couple of months, your adrenaline will have normalized and then the doctor will increase your med dosage. This process repeats several times. This process of increasing the dosage for me went on for about 9 months. Doctors usually start someone on maybe 1 grain (60 mgs) of natural desiccated thyroid because they assume the average dose needed is 2 grains. I needed 3 grains and it took quite a bit of persistence on my part to get the dose that I needed. I've got rheumatoid arthritis and I keep it in remission with natural desiccated thyroid and progesterone and diet.

 

[mostlylurking]

P.S. "My doctor didnt want to test reverse t3 in case she would jump to "conclusions"...." could be interpreted to mean that they didn't test reverse T3 because they had no clue what it is and would therefore have to guess (jump to "conclusions") if asked about it. Hmmmm....

 

[GelatinGoblin]

Hi Mr. Tayto. Your lab work (shown above): your TSH is pretty high; you would feel better if you can get it below 1. Your T3 is lower than optimal; it would be better to get it up to high (within range or slightly above). Reverse T3 was not tested and might be helpful to know. A cholesterol test would be helpful to make sure it is not too low; if it is elevated, that is a sign of hypothyroidism. If it shows as low (below 200), you can get it up by drinking orange juice and eating ripe fruit.

I'm a 68 year old female. I was diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome years ago. I took SSRIs for a couple of years (horrible stuff). I was prescribed 5-HTP by a doctor and took it for about 8 years because I didn't know any better. I've been chelated with IV EDTA (over 120 treatments) for heavy metal poisoning. I had leaky gut and a lot of allergies along with the CFS. Then I got rheumatoid arthritis. All this cleared up when my thyroid med was increased to 180 mg a day (= 3 grains) and I followed Ray Peat's diet advice.

I believe that Ray Peat is right that CFS is caused by hypothyroidism. Since I fought the good fight with the endocrinologist for a year and finally got my natural desiccated thyroid prescription doubled (from 90 mg a day to 180 mg a day), I no longer have symptoms of CFS. My TSH is about .021. My T3 is almost above the recommended range. My pulse is around 90.

I am very careful with my diet. I avoid all goitrogenic foods, including all PUFAS. No nuts, no seeds, no grains, no beans, minimal muscle meat. I take cascara sagrada daily, eat raw carrots daily, use hydrogenated coconut oil, take niacinamide, thiamine, magnesium, pregnenolone, powdered egg shells, etc. Mostly I'm living on dairy (milk with gelatin and sugar added), orange juice, guava juice, liver, shellfish, home grown free range eggs, coffee, lots of gelatin, and raw carrots. I take bio-identical progesterone in vitamin E oil. I mostly avoid muscle meat; it makes my heart race and keeps me awake at night.

Read all the Ray Peat articles on thyroid and on inflammation that you can find. Do the temperature and pulse tests so you will have an idea of how you are doing, but remember that high adrenaline will increase temp and pulse and can confuse things. Make sure you get at minimum 100 grams of protein each day; 150 grams would be better if you are active. Your liver needs it to function to remove toxins like estrogen and also to convert T4 into T3. Get at least 150 grams of sugar a day (in orange juice, fruit, etc.).

Evaluate your consumption of polyunsaturated fats throughout your life. It's stored in your tissues. It damages your metabolism and your thyroid function. Be patient with yourself; it takes 4 years to get rid of it while you are completely abstaining from all PUFA. Your liver will slowly detox it out of your body. Niacinamide and thiamine are very helpful; they keep the PUFA from becoming free in your bloodstream and they lower nitric oxide. Rarely, I feel really bad so I take about 100 mg niacinamide and 100 mg thiamine in 10 ounces of orange juice and then I take 1/8 teas. aspirin dissolved in boiling water, cooled with ice cubes. In 20 minutes I'm good to go again.

I hope this is helpful to you.

Great post honestly, I hope you reached your goal of absolute health, and well-being!