Should T3 and T4 be taken together?
Should T3 and T4 be taken together?
Taking a combination of T3 plus T4 can raise T3 levels… but that doesn’t always relieve lingering hypothyroidism symptoms, according to a recent review of 11 combo-therapy studies involving 1,216 people with hypothyroidism. Problems like tiredness, body aches, depression and weight gain did not improve significantly.
What thyroid medicine has T3 and T4?
Armour Thyroid is the most common desiccated thyroid. It comes from pigs and is a mix of both thyroid hormones, triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4). There are few clinical trials on Armour Thyroid, meaning it has not been studied well. Additionally, and importantly, the FDA has not approved it for use.
Can you take thyroxine and T3 together?
While treatment with synthetic thyroxine (T4), called levothyroxine, is the standard of care for hypothyroidism, for certain patients, combining T4 with triiodothyronine (T3)—another thyroid hormone—may be a reasonable approach. This, however, is not without debate within the medical community.
What is the ratio of T3 and T4?
In humans, a normal thyroid gland produces ~85 mcg of T4 and 6.5 mcg of T3 daily (1). Thus, the ratio of T4:T3 that is directly secreted from the thyroid gland is around 13:1.
What are the symptoms of too much T3?
High T3 levels can lead to unpleasant symptoms such as rapid heartbeat, insomnia and anxiety. High T3 levels also can possibly harm the heart and the bones.
Why is T4 preferred over T3?
The benefit of taking only T4 therapy is that you’re allowing your body to perform some of the actions it is meant to do, which is taking T4 and changing it into T3. The half-life of T4 is also longer compared to T3 (7 days versus 24 hours), which means that it will stay for a longer time in your body after ingestion.
Does Synthroid have T3?
That’s because T3 is the hormone that does the final work — it makes you feel warmer, improves your mood, and gives you energy. Synthroid (levothyroxine) is a man-made version of T4, and Cytomel (liothyronine) is a man-made version of T3. Both medications can replace thyroid hormones when your levels are low.
What’s the difference between T3 and T4 thyroid?
Thyroxine (T4) is responsible for your metabolism, mood, and body temperature, among other things. T3, too, is made in the thyroid gland, and it can also be made in other tissues within the body by converting T4 (in a process called deiodination) into T3.
Can T3 help hypothyroidism?
More than a dozen research studies have evaluated the benefits of adding T3 to T4-only treatment for hypothyroidism. Most of the studies found benefits to T4/T3 combination therapy, including improved mood, and better energy and concentration. Some studies also showed reductions in cholesterol and body weight.
What are optimal T3 and T4 levels?
A normal T3 level might be somewhere between 100 to 200 nanograms per deciliter (ng/dL), while a normal T4 level falls between 5.0 to 12.0 micrograms per deciliter (μg/dL). Free T4, which tests for the amount of T4 that is available in the body, should range between 0.8 to 1.8 nanograms per deciliter (ng/dL).
How much T3 does the thyroid produce?
The normal thyroid gland produces about 80% T4 and about 20% T3, however, T3 possesses about four times the hormone “strength” as T4.
What is the ratio of T3 to T4 in bioidentical hormones?
Our preference and recommendation is to use bioidentical T34 combinations which are physiological to humans and thus contain bioidentical hormones in the physiological ratio of 1:3.3 T3 to T4 which reflects the ratio that occurs naturally in normal healthy humans.
Are more endocrinologists offering combination T3 and T4 therapy?
Ten years ago in the past, endocrinologists were very dogmatic, and offered only T4 monotherapy. This seems to be changing, as more and more endocrinologists are embracing combination T3 and T4 therapy. Dr Wilmar Wiersinga writes in 2014 (1):
What is the difference between T3 and T4 thyroid hormones?
The T3 and T4 used in our bioidentical T3/T4 combination products have been synthesized from the amino acid tyrosine and iodine so their molecular structure is exactly the same as human thyroid hormones. These are bioidentical so our bodies will be unable to differentiate the difference.
How does Synthroid convert from T4 to T3?
The assumption made by the endocrinologist when using T4 only medication such as Synthroid or Levothyroxine is this: The T4 medication is converted to T3 by the peripheral tissues at the proper rate to produce normal thyroid levels.