Why would T3 only be better to use for some people than desiccated thyroid?

[Elbeth]

3. When you stop using T3/T4 combination and use only T3, will there be a lot of sideeffects by doing this? Or is this change in medication smooth and ok to do? What kind of sideeffects should I expect if I start on T3 treatment only?

Well, firstly to use the CIrcadian T3 Method - you don't need to stop T4/T3 or natural thyroid. Someone would only use T3 on its own if everything had been explored and no solution could be found with NDT or T4/T3.

It is not smooth because the T4 has to be stopped and the T3 can only be started in a low dose to begin with. It takes about 8-12 weeks for all the T4 to clear from the body and it is very important to only slowly raise the T3 dose during this time. So, some hypothyroid symptoms will be present during this process. This is all explained in my book. I also explain all the preparation that needs to happen first - laboratory tests and supplements that need to be taken to make it work smoothly.

I think we will be doing some kind of Q&A tomorrow at 1:00 Norway time.

Best wishes,
Paul

Hi Paul

I'm not sure if I understand you right when you recommend treating thyroid hormones with T3 only. I assume T3 is a synthetic hormone, and as I see it, I would think, by using desiccated thyroid I'm optimal medicated, because pigs’ thyroid is almost identical to peoples' thyroid, with all Ts - T1, T2, T3, T4 and even T0 (= T zero) and kalsitonin.
Why would T3 only be better to use for some people anyways?

[Paul Robinson]

Hi Elbeth - because some people do not get well with natural thyroid.

Yes T4/T3 or natural thyroid is the first choice medication but there are many reasons why some people can never get well on natural thyroid. I am one of these and there are many more people in this category.

My website http://recoveringwithT3.com has a lot of information on this and why thyroid blood tests can sometimes not reveal what is happening in our cells.

Some important information for you to consider is:

1. T3 is the biologically active thyroid hormone. The others T3,T2,T1 have some effect - but very little. T3 is ten times more effective than T4 for example.

2. For someone to get well with thyroid hormone they need only to have enough T3 in their cells and have that T3 active there. They need no T4. I have no T4 in my body - yet I am well!

3. The way the thyroid hormones work is that enough T3 has to enter the cells. Within the cells enough T3 has to bind to receptors on the mitochondria and in the cell nuclei. The T3 makes the mitochondria produce ATP energy (if there is enough glucose). The T3 makes the nucleus produce the right proteins.

4. Blood tests only measure thyroid hormones in the blood - they cannot see what is happening in the cells - at all!!!!

5. Many things can go wrong between thyroid hormones being in the blood and going inside the cells and making the insides of the cells work right. If it goes wrong we cannot see this in blood tests at all!!!!

6. My 'Recovering with T3' book explains how all this works, what can go wrong and how it can be fixed.

7. My background is science and I approached all of this with a scientific method and with medical references. The information in my book is backed up with medical science.

8. Doctors do not know most of this. They think thyroid blood tests tell them what is happening in the body - they don't for some people.

9. For some people the problems they have cause what I call 'impaired cellular response to thyroid hormone' - which means there may be thyroid hormone in the blood and even in the cells but it doesn't work right. To fix this much more T3 need to be there and natural thyroid cannot be made to work.

10. Only some people need T3 on its own. However, for them it gives them back their health - it did for me and it has for thousands of others.

I hope this is clear - it is not a myth - it is a fact.

Best wishes,

Paul

[Elbeth]

Hi Paul

I think I understand this very complicated state of hormone dysfunction.

I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism in February of 2005. As usual here in Norway, I was treated with T4 only. But, I didn't get well at, and after four years when I learned about combination treatment T4 + T3 from others, I asked my physician to try it.
I almost at once felt much better, got my energy back so I even asked my physician if T3 alone could be good for me. He didn't approve, or hadn't heard of treating hypothyroidism on T3 only.

Unfortunately, the good feeling on my combination treatment only lasted a year. I was right back to start, so this time having read Hypothyroidism Type 2: the Epidemic by dr. Mark Starr and Stop The Thyroid Madness by Janie Bowthorpe, I didn't hesitate to ask my physician for a prescription for desiccated Thyroid, which I am on now.

I have been on this medication since August 2011, and my experience so far is that many of my complaints vanished.

Best from Elbeth

[piri-piri]

Hi Elbeth!
I have read Paul Robinsons book, and plan to switch to Erfa as soon as I'm ready (working on my iron, B12, folate and vit. D). If you still don't feel 100% with your NDT dosage, I think you can learn a lot from his book. There are people on another forum (STTM T3-only discussion group on facebook) that is trying out his method with NDT, and it seems to work just as sucessfull! I'm following their progress to get some tips and advice for myself. And as far as I have learned, Stark's book on hypo 2 was a great inspiration for Paul's work too.

[Elbeth]

Hi Elbeth!
I have read Paul Robinsons book, and plan to switch to Erfa as soon as I'm ready (working on my iron, B12, folate and vit. D). If you still don't feel 100% with your NDT dosage, I think you can learn a lot from his book. There are people on another forum (STTM T3-only discussion group on facebook) that is trying out his method with NDT, and it seems to work just as sucessfull! I'm following their progress to get some tips and advice for myself. And as far as I have learned, Stark's book on hypo 2 was a great inspiration for Paul's work too.

Hi piri-piri

I assume NDT is short for Natural Desiccated Thyroid? I too have ordered his book Recovering with T3 from adlibris. Hopefully I'm going to learn more about thyroid treatment, now about treatment with T3

[Vigdis]

Elbeth and Paul: I have understood that some people use only T3 just for a period, is that right, Paul? This is a way of fixing adrenal fatigue or, what? Could you say something about that, Paul?

I do not want to destroy your tread here, Elbeth, but maybe this solution of a problem could be worth to discuss here?

[piri-piri]

I assume NDT is short for Natural Desiccated Thyroid?

Yes, Elbeth. NDT= Natural Desiccated Thyroid. I'm to influenced by the american sites and books! You know how the americans just love acronyms....

[Paul Robinson]

Hi piri-piri

I assume NDT is short for Natural Desiccated Thyroid? I too have ordered his book Recovering with T3 from adlibris. Hopefully I'm going to learn more about thyroid treatment, now about treatment with T3

I love Stark's book - I agree with him nearly 100%. Often simply increasing NDT is enough for some people as long as their doctor's don't get too excited about low TSH. Sometimes other things like cortisol need to be addressed - this is where my Circadian T3 Method can help without the need for hydrocortisone.

[Kevlin]

1. T3 is the biologically active thyroid hormone.
The others T3,T2,T1 have some effect - but very little.
T3 is ten times more effective than T4 for example.

..ooops
Should be T4

[Paul Robinson]

I think I've answered this already.

Sometimes T4 or T4/T3 or natural thyroid just won't work because one of several problems inside the cells has happened.

An example would be problems with the receptors in the cell nucleus that bind with thyroid hormone. Some people have receptor damage and not enough receptors bind properly with thyroid hormone. The only way around this is to increase the amount of FT3 in the cells from the normal level to a much higher level. This can ONLY be done by using T3.

If someone has spent several years trying to use natural thyroid and their iron is Ok and everything else is OK and they are still unwell then T3 should be tried. Doctors try to tell people that there is 'some other problem' but it is rarely true - it is usually because the thyroid hormone treatment is not working.

T3 is the biologically active thyroid hormone - T4 DOES NOTHING ON ITS OWN - EVEN IN NATURAL THYROID T4 IS USELESS UNTIL IT IS TRANSFORMED INTO T3.

Some people are tired of being ill and just want to get well as fast as possible. For them T3 replacement can be the most direct and effective way of doing this. In some cases people will never get well even with NDT.