The poor man's thyroid test

The poor man's thyroid test

For those wondering why they have all the symptoms of hypothyroidism (low thyroid hormone) but always test in the “normal” range, take heart – you are not crazy and there may actually be something not quite right with your thyroid. First, the thyroid tests used by laboratories are notoriously inaccurate and “off by three standard deviations” (quite useless except in certain cases).

Adding to the confusion is the difference between T3 and rT3 (triiodothyronine and reverse triiodothyronine). T3 is the active form of thyroid hormone in the blood and is converted from T4, which is produced in much larger quantities than T3. Synthetic T4 is what is found in pharmaceutical drugs. It works fine as long as everything else along the way works.

The tricky part comes when T3 is no longer converted from T4 but is converted to rT3 (reverse triiodothyronine). Think of it this way: Reverse forms of the natural substances we need are chemical mirror images. They are exactly the opposite and do not work the same way. Since the chemical "lock" is oriented either right or left, and the inverted shape is oriented in the opposite direction, the inverted "key" simply does not fit.

For example, our bodies use D-glucose (dextrose) with a right-hand rotating molecule. L-glucose – a left-rotating molecule – cannot be metabolized. It may taste the same, look the same, often have the same properties (dissolve the same in water, burn the same, etc.), but it is still not D-glucose. Since the body's tissues require T3 and rT3 does not fit into the lock, the symptoms of hypothyroidism appear.

The symptoms of hypothyroidism were treated by many doctors as evidence of hypothyroidism, despite “normal” laboratory tests. These symptoms include the following:

Fatigue

Dry skin/hair/eyes

constipation

Weight gain

Hair loss (head and outer part of eyebrows)

Cold intolerance

Hormonal problems (men and women)

In most cases, doctors just order a TSH (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone) test, which detects obvious changes such as the true state of hypothyroidism, where not enough is produced (leading to an increase in TSH levels), or the state of hyperthyroidism, which is extremely low (producing too much, leading to a drop in TSH levels). The rest - more than 80% - of us who produce rT3 are told that there is nothing wrong with us, it is all in our heads and the lab tests are normal. For more information, see the other articles in this series.

It's easy to do the poor man's thyroid test. First, get a thermometer that is easy to read - not a thermometer. You want a “basal body thermometer” or “pregnancy thermometer” because you need to be able to actually read the small increments of temperature. The standard is the mercury thermometer. However, you can also use a digital thermometer if necessary. However, this is not recommended as they can be very inaccurate.

Shake the thermometer so the mercury is all the way down and place it safely on the bedside table to use in the morning. The armpit temperature is the usual preferred place to take temperature. Just make sure the tip of the thermometer is exactly in the middle of the armpit and hold the arm tightly to the body for 10 minutes. Most doctors will tell you to take your temperature about three hours after you wake up, and then twice more at three-hour intervals. The trick is to make sure the temperature is checked at the same time and during the same activity every day for a week. Some of us want the early morning temperature to be recorded and averaged as well.

Take at least three temperature readings daily and average them together, recording this average for a week. Normal temperatures are low in the morning and highest in the late afternoon. There is much evidence of the Broda Barnes method of thyroid testing, which is thought to be 97.8 degrees Fahrenheit below normal. Dr. Denis Wilson (Wilson Temperature Syndrome) suggests that 97.8 degrees is too low for proper metabolic function and that 98.6 or higher is preferable (which was the case in my own patients).

If people had higher temperatures during their teenage years, this could be an indication that a higher than "normal" temperature would be desirable. If someone ran 99.6 during their healthy teenage and young adult years and then dropped to 97.8 in middle age, this could be an indication that it might be better for that person to bring the temperature back into the 98.9 to 99.6 range.

Of course, every person is different and needs to watch out for heart palpitations and anxiety (good indicators of too much thyroid).

Once the one-week temperature assessment has been performed and is determined to be below normal, one can consult a naturopathic or holistic doctor to determine the next step. Or you could try an iodine supplement, which might solve the problem on its own. Be sure to avoid things that pollute the system with bromide, fluoride, and chloride. Since too many people are much shy about anything approaching the required dose of iodine in the diet, adding a supplement via shellfish, seaweed and other sea vegetables can make a big difference. For those who hate the thought of trying iodine - which is admittedly pretty evil - there are pill forms that can help.

© 2010 Dr.Valerie Olmsted All rights reserved

Inspired by Valerie Olmsted