Thyroid Testing and Diagnosis
390 associated posts. These are attributed summaries; original text remains at the linked X post and in the local archive.
- @lowmegatron · 2025-10-02 own thread gap
lowmegatron promotes his Hypothyroid Masterclass course, which he says teaches practical testing, nutrition and dosing concepts and includes a support community.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-10-02 original
The author reports that in women with Hashimoto's taking levothyroxine, one year of 2,000 IU/day vitamin D lowered TPO antibodies by about 30% and TgAb by about 25%. They were not vitamin D deficient at the start. The embedded post quotes Ray Peat on TSH, prolactin, calcium and vitamin D.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-10-03 own thread gap
lowmegatron claims low T3 decreases glucose oxidation and sugar use and raises cortisol and glucagon. He says this increases reliance on fatty acid oxidation and raises free fatty acids, and that high TSH also increases free fatty acids.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-10-03 original
Author advertises a thyroid masterclass with video lessons and a support community, covering hormones, tests, diet, supplements and lifestyle. It is pitched as focusing on proper testing, hidden hypothyroidism and causes of thyroid hormone suppression.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-10-03 original
Author argues thyroid hormone T3 is a key determinant of heart rate and that overtraining and stress lower T3 while raising T4 and lowering TSH, making it easy to overlook. Stress-induced free fatty acids are said to block thyroid hormone metabolism and reduce the sensitivity of blood tests. The author says exercise should build you up rather than break you down.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-10-05 original
Author claims that higher TSH within the normal range raises the risk of developing hypertension, more so in men than in women. The author attributes this to low thyroid hormone raising stress hormones, which raise blood pressure. The author also calls 'euthyroid' a poor marker of thyroid hormone status.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-10-06 original
Post shares a Ray Peat quote saying low thyroid is accompanied by extra antibody production, including antibodies to the thyroid itself, as part of a cleanup process. Per the quote, antibody production stops when inflammation stops, and circulating antibodies take several months to disappear. The embedded quoted post (lowmegatron) gives a longer Ray Peat excerpt on Hashimoto's, iodine, TSH and antibodies.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-10-06 original
The author says thyroid hormones, specifically levothyroxine, help lower Hashimoto's antibodies and thyroid inflammation. Excerpts from three named papers are quoted in support. The author adds that levothyroxine plus TSH testing is usually not the best approach and that treatment focused on T3 activity will likely work even better.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-10-06 original
The post says JFK was diagnosed hypothyroid in 1955 and used T3-only treatment. It quotes medical-history sources and describes basal metabolic rate (BMR) testing as avoiding pitfalls of thyroid/TSH blood tests. It also quotes Werner and Ingbar and Broda Barnes on BMR and basal temperature testing. The embedded post (lowmegatron) discusses an FDA intent to ban natural desiccated thyroid (NDT) and NDT composition.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-10-07 original
The author answers Ricky Gervais's question about staying fat and exhausted despite daily exercise. They attribute it to over-exercising reducing T3 conversion and raising free fatty acids, which they say lowers metabolic rate and makes weight loss harder.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-10-07 original
The author cites a finding that hip fracture risk doubles in men with subclinical hypothyroidism, defined as high TSH with free T4 in range. The author criticizes the definition for ignoring T3 and calls the concept of subclinical hypothyroidism 'insane'.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-10-07 original
The author states that high TSH, and higher 'normal' TSH, increases miscarriage risk. The post quotes Ray Peat on elevated estrogen in hypothyroidism and thyroid's role in fertility, and quotes a study (PMID 31525729) linking TSH of 2.5-4.8, and above 4.8, to miscarriage.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-10-08 original
Author reports that near-infrared light therapy in Hashimoto's patients was followed by lower T4 requirements, lower TPOAb and higher thyroid echogenicity. The post describes it as a follow-up to a pilot study and gives the light parameters and session schedule.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-10-08 original
Author says light therapy plus supplements beat supplements alone in a Turkish human study of Hashimoto's, with higher T3, higher T3/T4 ratio, lower TPOAb and lower L-thyroxin dose. The post gives the laser protocol and comments on the supplements used.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-10-08 original
Author reports a Kosovo study in which three weeks of near-infrared light therapy added to selenium/vitamin D was followed by improved thyroid labs and reduced weight and waist measures in Hashimoto's. The post gives the light parameters and says weight fell further at 6 months.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-10-08 original
Author reports a Kosovan study in which three weeks of near-infrared light therapy plus supplements was followed by lower thyroid volume and improved thyroid labs in Hashimoto's. The post says the share of patients with normal thyroid volume rose from 17% to 96% at 6 months.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-10-10 own thread
lowmegatron promotes his Hypothyroid Masterclass, a video course with a support community. It covers hypothyroidism, blood tests, autoimmunity, T3 conversion, supplementing T4, NDT or T3, nutrition, iron, iodine and selenium, PUFA, stress and drugs affecting thyroid hormones.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-10-10 original
Author claims seasonal thyroid sluggishness is driven by light, with NIRA infrared 5-10x higher in summer than winter at ~50°N, the same range said to help in Hashimoto's, and that most true hypothyroidism is Hashimoto's.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-10-11 original
Author reports receiving a device and completing a first test of 2 minutes on each side of the thyroid at 1.5 inches. They plan to increase to 8 minutes per side every other day.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-10-13 original
The author claims subclinical hypothyroidism is linked to a 2x increase in diabetes and that ignoring active T3 makes the diagnosis flawed. The post proposes that low T3 shifts to fatty-acid oxidation, raising free fatty acids and causing insulin resistance. It cites mouse experiments and PMID 31156553, with an NHANES reanalysis quoted. The embedded post is a Ray Peat quote on insulin resistance.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-10-13 original
The author promotes the Hypothyroid Masterclass, a video course with a support community, aimed at people whose thyroid labs are 'normal' but who feel hypothyroid. The post lists the course modules. The quoted post is only a link.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-10-13 original
The author argues that standard hypothyroidism treatment suppresses TSH without relieving symptoms and produces misleading blood tests. They support this with a quoted passage from a paper saying many patients need T4 doses that lower or suppress TSH to restore T3 levels and clinical euthyroidism. The embedded quoted post from lowmegatron says TSH/T4 tests can miss downstream thyroid hormone problems.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-10-14 own thread
lowmegatron says TSH is the most common hypothyroidism test and is assumed to be good when low and bad when high. He claims stress also lowers TSH, so it is unreliable as a marker of thyroid hormone activity.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-10-14 own thread gap
lowmegatron says T4 is the storage form and the next most common test. Low T4 can indicate a thyroid problem, but normal T4 does not confirm good activity because T4 must convert to T3, and he says conversion declines under stress.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-10-14 own thread gap
lowmegatron claims good T3 lab results do not guarantee optimal thyroid activity because labs only measure blood. T3 must enter tissues and cells and activate receptors, and he says stress disrupts every step.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-10-14 own thread gap
lowmegatron claims stress hormones lower T4-to-T3 conversion and TSH and raise free fatty acids. He says PUFAs in those free fatty acids block T3/T4 uptake and receptor binding, and that PUFAs come mainly from seed oils, pork and poultry. He concludes cells become T3-starved even when blood tests look normal.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-10-14 own thread gap
lowmegatron lists what he presents as indicators of low cellular thyroid activity: feeling cold, high reverse T3, high reverse T3:T3 ratio, hypothyroid symptoms, low resting metabolic rate, and low waking basal temperature.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-10-14 original
The author announces that their course on low thyroid is live, offering video lessons and a support community. It is described as covering hormones, tests, diet, supplements and lifestyle, with a focus on proper testing, hidden hypothyroidism and causes of thyroid hormone suppression.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-10-14 original
The author reports a self-experiment applying a device to each side of the thyroid for up to 8 minutes at about 1.5 inches, planning 2-3 times per week and an antibody recheck in 4-6 weeks. The embedded earlier post from lowmegatron describes the device arriving and a first 2-minute session per side.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-10-15 original
Author presents a graph of symptom-questionnaire scores for people switched from levothyroxine/T4 to natural desiccated thyroid (NDT), reporting 90% improved, 6% unchanged and 3% deteriorated. Author claims levo/T4 suppresses TSH but often leaves T3 inadequate, and that NDT's benefit is due to its T3. Quotes a paper noting NDT's potential benefit in selected symptomatic patients after careful consideration.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-10-15 original
Author asserts that standard tests miss a lot in people with slow metabolism and 'normal' thyroid labs, that levothyroxine rarely restores active thyroid hormone, and that hormone conversion is often ignored. Promotes their hypothyroidism video course and community.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-10-17 original
Author announces their thyroid course, with video lessons and a support community, covering hormones, tests, diet, supplements and lifestyle. They say it focuses on proper testing, hidden hypothyroidism and causes of thyroid hormone suppression. No substantive health explanation is given.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-10-18 original
The author asserts that standard thyroid tests miss low metabolism, that levothyroxine rarely restores active thyroid hormone, and that thyroid hormone conversion is often ignored. The post invites readers to buy their hypothyroidism course. The quoted lowmegatron post contains only a link.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-10-19 original
Post quotes a clinical thyroidology article arguing hypothyroidism should be defined by insufficient tissue T3 effect, with symptoms plus FT4 and FT3 as best indicators and TSH unreliable. The embedded post from lowmegatron shares patient reports of improvement on NDT versus levothyroxine and claims about why NDT differs.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-10-20 original
The author shares a Ray Peat quote linking low thyroid function inflammation to vitamin D deficiency. It says TSH and parathyroid hormone promote inflammatory processes, and that vitamin D, more calcium or less phosphate relative to calcium lower both hormones. A paper title on L-thyroxine and chronic urticaria is appended. The embedded post by lowmegatron says TSH/T4 tests are blind to downstream thyroid hormone issues.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-10-20 original
The author argues that subclinical hypothyroidism is not harmless: high TSH is linked to inflammation, dyslipidemia and higher cardiovascular risk. They quote passages from a paper (PMID 26674140). The embedded quoted post from lowmegatron links subclinical hypothyroidism to diabetes and insulin resistance.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-10-21 original
The post advertises the Hypothyroid Masterclass, described as teaching practical testing, nutrition and dosing concepts with a support community, and lists its video modules. The embedded quoted post from lowmegatron contains only an emoji and a t.co link.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-10-23 original
The posting account says levothyroxine-treated patients are more likely to be depressed when TSH is above 2.5. It quotes a study that proposes 2.5 mU/L as a cut-off for depressive symptoms in T4-treated hypothyroid patients. The account adds that the brain needs enough T3, that many people convert levothyroxine to T3 poorly, and that levothyroxine can lower TSH while tissues remain starved of T3. The embedded quote describes a treatment-resistant depression case that responded to T3 (liothyronine) augmentation.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-10-26 own thread
lowmegatron claims that combining selenium and myo-inositol reduces thyroid antibodies, lowers TSH and raises thyroid hormones in hypothyroid people, and that it appeared to normalize TSH in a hyperthyroid patient. He also says low selenium and myo-inositol may predispose to hypothyroidism. He gives food amounts he says supply the study doses (83 μg selenium; 600 mg myo-inositol).
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-10-26 own thread
lowmegatron promotes his Hypothyroid Masterclass, a course covering testing, nutrition and dosing with a support community, and lists its on-demand video modules. Modules include thyroid blood tests, T4/NDT/T3 supplementation, iodine and selenium, PUFA and FFA, and drugs that affect thyroid hormones.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-10-29 original
The author says CFS patients tend to have lower T3 and higher reverse T3 with normal TSH. They interpret this as a thyroid hormone conversion problem and low thyroid hormone activity, and say TSH is useless for identifying deficiency in sick people. An unnamed quoted passage says tissue T3 may be severely reduced. The embedded post from lowmegatron adds a personal T3 recovery anecdote and a study excerpt calling for confirmation.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-10-30 own thread gap
lowmegatron points readers to his course on hypothyroidism and lists links to his threads on the thyroid system, thyroid hormone tests, 'Light is the most effective treatment for Hashimoto's' and 'Stress causes hidden hypothyroidism'. The titles are his claims; the linked pages are not supplied.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-10-31 original
The author says treating hypothyroidism resolved nasal congestion within 1 month in a study. NOSE scores were reported as perfect and PNIF improved by 21% in men and 11% in women. The author attributes the congestion to mucopolysaccharide buildup and notes the study used levothyroxine (T4), which may not resolve all symptoms.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-11-04 original
Author says improving thyroid status with levothyroxine reversed high blood pressure in 50% of patients in a study of very hypothyroid people, quoting the study's results. The embedded post says potassium can lower high blood pressure.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-11-04 original
The post quotes a paper (PMID 40649019) stating that roughly one-third of people with recent-onset hypothyroidism have migraine-like headaches that mostly improve after levothyroxine, and that migraine is associated with higher TSH. It also quotes pituitary hormone deficiencies being linked to lower headache prevalence. The embedded quoted post from lowmegatron relays Ray Peat's view that hypothyroidism raises serotonin, contributing to migraines, and that T3 can counter this.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-11-05 original
The author claims severely depressed people have low thyroid hormone. They quote a study suggesting subclinical hypothyroidism in most patients, which may explain nonresponse to antidepressants. They argue that TSH is a misleading proxy and that ignoring T3 leads to misdiagnosis. The quoted lowmegatron post links TSH above 2.5 to depression in levothyroxine-treated patients.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-11-06 original
The author quotes a study excerpt saying partial substitution of T3 for T4 in hypothyroid patients may improve mood and neuropsychological function, with similar TSH after both treatments. The quoted lowmegatron post says severely depressed people have low thyroid hormone and that TSH can mislead.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-11-07 original
The author says fasting and high cortisol lower thyroid hormone and suppress TSH, and that common thyroid tests can be misleading under stress because a lower TSH is usually read as higher thyroid hormone. The quoted study text says mild cortisol elevations may mediate fasting-induced changes in TSH and thyroid hormone. The embedded lowmegatron post describes a 15-day fasting study with T3 down 34%, reverse T3 doubled and TSH/T4 unchanged.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-11-08 original
The author lists changes with ginger in hypothyroidism: lower TSH, body weight, waist circumference and fasting blood sugar, plus improved symptoms including cold intolerance and constipation. The dose given is 500 mg ground ginger twice daily for 30 days (PMID 35096113). The embedded quoted post (lowmegatron) describes a rat study in which ginger extract alleviated BPA-induced thyroid damage.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-11-10 original
The post quotes Ray Peat saying TSH and parathyroid hormone activate mast cells and promote inflammation, so vitamin D and thyroid are closely linked. It adds a rat abstract (PMID 8637412) suggesting PTH activates osteoclasts via mast cell histamine. The embedded lowmegatron post claims experimental hypothyroidism in rats increased mast cells and histamine.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-11-10 original
The author says MCAS patients are 2-4x more likely to be diagnosed hypothyroid and that the hypothyroid diagnosis excludes many people with symptoms from higher in-range TSH or low thyroid hormone activity missed by TSH testing. A PMID is cited. The embedded post repeats a Ray Peat quote and rat abstract on TSH, PTH, mast cells and osteoclasts.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-11-10 original
The post cites a prospective cohort study reporting that eating mushrooms more often was associated with a lower risk of subclinical hypothyroidism. It highlights a ~90% lower risk at 4 or more times per week in obese people. The embedded quoted post from lowmegatron separately argues that subclinical hypothyroidism is not harmless and is linked to inflammation, dyslipidemia and cardiovascular risk.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-11-12 original
The author proposes that TSH may be a cause of migraine. They cite quoted findings that TSH-deficient patients report fewer headaches and that subclinical hypothyroid patients have higher lifetime migraine prevalence. The embedded lowmegatron post links hypothyroidism, pituitary hormone deficiencies and migraine.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-11-12 original
The author asks about vitamin D in winter and posts a Ray Peat quote describing his own approach: fortified milk, liver, vitamin D oil on skin and occasional UV light. The embedded lowmegatron post quotes Ray Peat and a rat study on TSH, parathyroid hormone, mast cells and histamine.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-11-12 original
Author shares a Ray Peat quote saying inositol seems safe at a few grams/day and may protect against cataracts, and adds that inositol can help lower thyroid autoimmunity. The quoted lowmegatron post claims selenium plus myo-inositol lowers thyroid antibodies and TSH in hypothyroidism, and gives dietary sources.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-11-13 original
The author argues that TSH, in addition to low T3, promotes atherosclerosis by raising MCP-1, which attracts white blood cells to the vessel wall where they become foam cells. The author says recombinant human TSH raised monocyte MCP-1 gene expression about 70% (1.7-fold) within 5 days. The quoted lowmegatron post reports that subclinical hypothyroidism is linked to higher inflammatory markers and lipids.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-11-14 original
Post quotes Ray Peat on skin cancer: avoid unsaturated fats, aspirin, caffeine and orange juice are protective, and keeping TSH low matters because it stimulates melanoma growth.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-11-15 original
The author reports a Danish register study finding higher adjusted risk of suicide (HR 1.31) and unknown-cause death (HR 1.65) in Hashimoto's thyroiditis. In their opinion this is mostly due to inadequate treatment, and they advise optimizing T3, correcting basal temperature, and not relying on TSH alone. The embedded post from lowmegatron cites a study on T3 substitution and mood.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-11-17 original
The author quotes Ray Peat saying that with insufficient cholesterol the high postpartum progesterone is unlikely to be maintained, and that pro-inflammatory effects of serotonin and estrogen then predominate, causing depression, joint pain, anxiety and brain edema. The author adds that postpartum depression drugs (brexanolone, zuranolone) relate to allopregnanolone, a progesterone metabolite. They also lay out the cholesterol-to-allopregnanolone pathway and note its dependence on T3 and vitamin A. They cite a postpartum cholesterol and mood study (PMID 8845727). The embedded lowmegatron post quotes a thyroid study on T3, TSH and depression (PMID 9971866).
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-11-18 original
The post states that TSH can stimulate thyroid cancer. It cites Ray Peat on keeping TSH near zero to reduce recurrences and quotes a report (PMID 11701668) of two papillary thyroid carcinoma patients whose tumors grew after rhTSH injections. An embedded quoted post from lowmegatron links subclinical hypothyroidism to raised inflammatory markers and lipids.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-11-19 original
The author says drinking 2-4 cups of coffee per day is associated with lower TSH, and that high TSH is itself inflammatory and linked to several conditions. The author also says more than 2 cups per day is associated with a 40% lower risk of subclinical hypothyroidism, citing PMID 37351106. The quoted lowmegatron post reports a rodent study in which decaf coffee increased tight junction protein expression and reduced TLR4 expression in rats fed a high-fat diet.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-11-19 original
The author claims a little sugar lowers stress hormones, citing a rat study in which sucrose or saccharin drinking dampened HPA-axis stress responses. An embedded post says fasting and high cortisol lower thyroid hormone and suppress TSH, so thyroid tests can mislead under stress.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-11-20 own thread
lowmegatron says depression is a long-known symptom of hypothyroidism that is now overlooked because of serotonin and psychological theories and misunderstanding of blood tests. He claims blood tests do not reflect tissue status, especially in the brain, and quotes sources on D2 enzyme inhibition and psychiatric presentations. He also quotes an old case report of a woman with psychosis and myxedema whose symptoms resolved after thyroid treatment.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-11-20 own thread
lowmegatron argues that thyroid testing focuses on TSH and T4 and that many people have poor T4-to-T3 conversion. He claims many depressed people have low T3 and that rising TSH is ignored when T4 is normal. He quotes a study reporting lower T3 and higher TSH across depression severity grades and suggesting subclinical hypothyroidism.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-11-20 own thread
lowmegatron claims TSH is influenced by stress and diet independent of T3 status, and that T4 is not a great way to optimise T3. He cites a study identifying a TSH of 2.5 mU/L as the optimal cutoff for predicting depression symptoms in T4-treated hypothyroid patients, versus the usual upper cutoff of about 4.5.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-11-20 own thread
lowmegatron claims T3 can help treatment-resistant depression even when thyroid blood tests are normal. He quotes a case report of a perimenopausal woman with failed antidepressant trials who was given liothyronine and reported improved mood within 4 weeks, with thyroid labs staying normal.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-11-20 own thread
lowmegatron argues that null trials of thyroid hormone in depression are uninformative because they use fixed or TSH-based dosing and do not address suboptimal T3. He compares this to giving T1D patients the same insulin dose. He cites a report dosing T4+T3 to an upper-range free T3 and a TT3/RT3 ratio of 10:1 or better, with an average 46% improvement in depression, and quotes a clinician's case of a thyroidectomy patient whose fatigue and depression resolved.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-11-20 own thread
lowmegatron summarizes his thread: he claims low T3 activity is implicated in depression, that T3 is needed for glucose oxidation, and that basic TSH/T4 testing and treatment are inadequate for assessing T3 status. He recommends patient-tailored approaches using T3, reverse T3, symptoms and basal temperature. He adds caveats that low T3 is not the only cause of depression and that thyroid hormones, especially T3, should not be taken carelessly. A numbered reference list is included.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-11-21 original
The post author explains non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT) and says metabolic rate and thyroid hormone T3 strongly influence it. They say higher NEAT helps prevent fat gain, and that hyperthyroid rats and humans move more while hypothyroid rats and women move less. The embedded quoted post from lowmegatron argues that low T3 activity is implicated in depression and that standard TSH/T4 testing is inadequate. It adds cautions about thyroid hormone use.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-11-23 original
The post says subclinical hypothyroidism causes low testosterone and erectile dysfunction. It reports that men with TSH 4.5-10 and normal T4 had lower testosterone, higher prolactin and weaker sperm, and that two thirds reported ED. The post claims TSH above 2.0 should be a red flag but is usually ignored. The embedded quoted post is the earlier rat hypothyroidism post.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-11-24 original
The author argues that rising TSH tracks with rising bodyweight because high TSH reflects low thyroid hormone. They say thyroid hormone drives resting metabolic rate and NEAT, so low levels mean lower metabolism and more fat storage. They quote a community-based study (PMID 18362250) reporting a linear association between TSH and weight. The embedded lowmegatron post links NEAT to metabolic rate and T3.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-11-24 original
The author says SIBO and IBS can be caused by hypothyroidism and that levothyroxine absorption is reduced by all three conditions. They cite a study reporting that switching from tablet to liquid levothyroxine improved GI symptoms and TSH in patients with SIBO. They argue that dosing to a normal TSH is inadequate and that correcting T3 would improve outcomes more. The embedded lowmegatron post shares an anecdote of SIBO resolving after T3 treatment and adds hypothyroidism-SIBO claims.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-11-24 original
The author explains how menstrual-cycle timing affects basal temperature testing for thyroid status. They say hormonal birth control and HRT make the Barnes basal-temperature test unreliable. They quote Broda Barnes on using basal temperature to guide thyroid treatment and on the test's limits.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-11-24 original
The author advertises the Hypothyroid Masterclass, a video course with a support community, aimed at people with normal thyroid labs who still feel hypothyroid. Most of the post is a list of module topics.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-11-25 original
The author says two extra cups of coffee per day is associated with about 38–48% lower risk of cirrhosis or death from it. They also say coffee can prevent or reverse alcohol-induced liver damage via several mechanisms. The quoted lowmegatron post links coffee to lower TSH and lower subclinical hypothyroidism risk.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-11-26 original
The post quotes Ray Peat saying stress hormones lower thyroid hormone conversion, so TSH alone cannot diagnose thyroid problems. The embedded quoted post (lowmegatron) says stress causes hidden hypothyroidism that often goes undetected in blood tests.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-11-26 original
The author announces a live course on low thyroid, with video lessons and a support community. It is described as covering hormones, tests, diet, supplements and lifestyle, with a focus on proper testing, hidden hypothyroidism and causes of thyroid hormone suppression.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-11-27 original
The author says people with TSH in the upper half of the normal range are 70% more likely to have metabolic syndrome. The author also says this is a red flag for thyroid hormone metabolism and that TSH itself is inflammatory, quoting a study on high-normal TSH.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-11-27 original
The author says standard thyroid labs can miss a slow metabolism, that levothyroxine rarely restores active thyroid hormone, and that thyroid hormone conversion is critical but ignored. The post invites readers to the author's hypothyroidism video course and community.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-11-28 original
The post is a Ray Peat quote arguing that TSH acts on many non-thyroid cell types, and that there is no basis for a lower limit of the normal TSH range unless very low TSH is shown to be harmful. It cites the longevity of pituitary-deficient animals as a counterpoint. The embedded quoted post (lowmegatron) claims upper-half 'normal' TSH is linked to metabolic syndrome and that TSH is inflammatory.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-11-29 original
The author says all thyroid blood tests can be misleading and TSH is the worst. They support this with a Ray Peat quote that stress hormones lower TSH, so stressed, tired people can have very low TSH. They add an unnamed quoted sentence that short-term fasting and high-dose glucocorticoids suppress serum TSH in healthy subjects. The embedded lowmegatron post says stress lowers TSH, making it an unreliable marker of thyroid hormone activity.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-11-29 original
The author promotes the Hypothyroid Masterclass, a video course with a support community covering practical testing, nutrition and dosing concepts. The post mainly lists the module titles. The embedded lowmegatron post contains only an emoji and a link.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-11-30 original
The author gives an update on their near infrared light/thyroid antibodies experiment. The blood test sample was damaged in the post, another will be sent, and results are expected in about a week. The embedded lowmegatron post describes the device's arrival and a first 2-minute session per side of the thyroid, with a plan to increase to 8 minutes per side every other day.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-11-30 original
The author states that depression is a state of low brain energy that can be caused by low thyroid hormone. The embedded lowmegatron post says depression is a common, often overlooked symptom of hypothyroidism. It says blood tests do not reflect tissue or brain status, and it quotes literature and a historical case of hypothyroid psychosis that improved with thyroid treatment.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-12-01 original
The author argues that in people without a thyroid, levothyroxine-only dosing suppresses TSH relative to blood and tissue T3, so TSH is a poor marker of T3 sufficiency. They cite two PMIDs (a human study on TSH-suppressive dosing and an animal thyroidectomized rat study) and explain tissue-specific T4-to-T3 conversion. An embedded lowmegatron post says TSH is misleading, with a Ray Peat quote on stress lowering TSH and a statement on fasting and glucocorticoids.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-12-02 own thread
lowmegatron quotes a study of the diurnal rhythm of prolactin and the prolactin and TSH responses to TRH in 31 cluster headache patients and 14 healthy controls.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-12-02 own thread
lowmegatron advises optimizing thyroid to lower prolactin. He claims low thyroid hormones increase TRH stimulation of prolactin and that subclinical hypothyroidism is associated with elevated prolactin. He quotes a study in which hypothyroid cases had lower total testosterone and free T4 and higher prolactin.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-12-02 own thread
lowmegatron advises minimizing stress, claiming short-term stressors spike prolactin and long-term stress can keep it chronically elevated. He quotes a study that exhaustive exercise lowers select thyroid hormones 24 hours into recovery and that prolactin increases are directly related to TSH changes.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-12-02 own thread
lowmegatron continues the quote, saying estrogen changes the pituitary's response to factors affecting prolactin release: it lessens dopamine's inhibitory effect and heightens the response to TRH.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-12-03 original
Author claims hypothyroidism lowers testosterone, shrinks testicles and causes male infertility. Author backs this with quotes from Ray Peat and Broda Otto Barnes, rodent experiments (PTU-induced hypothyroidism, rdw rats with thyroxine treatment), a Nigerian cross-sectional study of infertile men, and a prospective controlled study on sperm morphology. The embedded quoted post claims TSH/T4 and even T3 tests are limited and that T3-activating cells matter.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-12-03 own thread gap
lowmegatron promotes his Hypothyroid Masterclass for people told their labs are normal who still feel hypothyroid. He lists on-demand modules on thyroid testing, conversion, supplementation, nutrition, stress and thyroid-affecting drugs, and mentions a support community.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-12-03 original
The author says vitamin C supplementation lowered TSH and improved symptoms in people on levothyroxine, citing a small proof-of-concept study. The author also says vitamin C may aid levothyroxine absorption and protect the thyroid from lipid peroxidation. The author personally thinks whole-food vitamin C is safer. The embedded quote is a Ray Peat statement on TSH.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-12-08 original
The post claims 'eat less, move more' lowers T3 and raises reverse T3, citing Army Ranger training data. It says TSH can miss low tissue T3. The embedded lowmegatron post quotes Ray Peat that stress hormones lower thyroid conversion and TSH alone is inadequate.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-12-08 original
The post says bacterial endotoxin disrupts thyroid hormone levels and labs, lowering T4, T3 and TSH and raising reverse T3, citing a study of 24 healthy people. The embedded lowmegatron post claims orange juice with a high-fat, high-carb meal lowered endotoxin and metabolic stress.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-12-10 original
The author shares a Facebook commenter's account of decades of CFS/ME diagnosis that the commenter says was Hashimoto's hypothyroidism. The commenter reports that T4 was nearly useless but natural desiccated thyroid gradually resolved symptoms, and urges testing FT3. The author frames it as another person misdiagnosed with CFS when the cause was low thyroid hormone. The embedded quoted post from lowmegatron claims CFS patients have lower T3 and higher reverse T3 despite normal TSH.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-12-10 original
The author claims hypothyroidism with fast heart rate, high blood pressure and palpitations can be caused by high TRH. The author quotes Ray Peat on TRH effects, explains that TRH is elevated in primary hypothyroidism, and quotes a pharmacology passage on TRH pressor and tachycardic effects. The embedded quoted post from lowmegatron claims hypothyroidism raises stress hormones, blood pressure and histamine.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-12-11 original
The author reports that their thyroid testing company failed them again after nearly 10 years without problems, because samples taken overseas had too long a transit time. They have ordered a test from a company that says it has nearer labs. The embedded quote is an earlier self-experiment with a device used near the thyroid.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-12-13 original
Author says thyroid hormone markers differ in depression but are often ignored. Standard testing focuses on TSH and T4, yet T4 must convert to T3, and many people convert poorly. Depression is associated with low T3, and a raised TSH may be dismissed if T4 is normal. Quoted study excerpts report lower T3 and higher TSH across depression severity grades and suggest thyroid evaluation before antidepressant therapy.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-12-14 original
Quoted Ray Peat passage arguing that standard thyroid blood tests (T4, TSH) use ranges so wide that nearly everyone counts as normal. He says this traces to the protein-bound iodine test, later shown not to reflect thyroid function, and that the doctrine that only about 5% of people are hypothyroid persisted anyway.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-12-15 original
The author says excessive cell phone use is associated with higher TSH and lower thyroid hormones in students, and that 900 MHz EMF lowered TSH and thyroid hormones in rats. They recommend keeping distance from the thyroid/brain, using hands-free or a wired headset.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-12-15 original
The author says obese women on levothyroxine have lower resting metabolic rates than obese women not on levothyroxine with similar TSH. They argue levo-only therapy does not fully correct metabolism and normal TSH is a poor marker of thyroid hormone metabolism. The quoted post (lowmegatron) says caloric restriction, fasting and low-carb diets reduce T3 conversion.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-12-15 original
The post quotes Ray Peat saying elevated TSH goes with elevated prolactin, that thyroid hormone supplementation usually corrects prolactin, and that calcium and vitamin D help balance prolactin, parathyroid hormone and cortisol. The post author adds that low thyroid hormone raises TRH, which stimulates TSH and prolactin. The embedded quoted post describes a case report of subclinical hypothyroidism with hyperprolactinemia and galactorrhea that resolved on levothyroxine.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-12-16 own thread
lowmegatron promotes his Hypothyroid Masterclass Group, listing video modules on hypothyroidism symptoms and causes, blood tests and their problems, pulse and temperature, T3 activity, autoimmunity, conversion, reverse T3, T4/NDT/T3 supplementation, nutrition (iron, iodine, selenium, PUFA), stress, and drugs affecting thyroid hormones.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-12-16 original
The author describes a case report of myxedema coma in a woman with 'subclinical' hypothyroidism who was prescribed levothyroxine. She recovered after IV T3, and the author argues that lab ranges missed her condition. The report notes she may not have taken the levothyroxine. The embedded quoted post claims TSH/T4 tests are blind to downstream thyroid hormone issues and that T3-activated cells are what matter.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-12-16 original
The author claims Bluetooth headsets may cause thyroid issues, quoting a paper that linked longer daily use to thyroid nodules. The embedded quoted post links heavy cell phone use to elevated TSH and lower thyroid hormones in students, and cites rat experiments with 900 MHz EMF lowering TSH and T3/T4. It advises distance and hands-free or wired headsets.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-12-17 original
The author argues that a 1°C lower core temperature, reflecting low thyroid hormone activity, could add about 120 lb over a decade and that hypothyroidism induces a hibernation-like state. The post describes Broda Barnes's basal temperature test and BMR as thyroid indicators, with cited thresholds. The embedded Ray Peat quote criticizes TSH/T4 reference ranges and the history of the protein-bound iodine test.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-12-17 own thread
lowmegatron says Broda Barnes developed the Basal Temperature Test as a substitute for BMR testing, and quotes Barnes claiming it matched other thyroid tests, detected hypothyroidism others missed, and that symptoms resolved as temperature rose with treatment. He adds that many people have low resting metabolism from thyroid hormone issues unrelated to the gland, where diet and lifestyle correction is usually enough.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-12-17 original
The author says a study of isocaloric carbohydrate deprivation (2%) lowered T3 about 25% and raised reverse T3, free T4 and T3 uptake, with TSH unchanged. They say this means thyroid hormone conversion fell, and that TSH-based screening could miss it. They also say free fatty acids doubled and interfere with thyroid hormone activity. The embedded post from lowmegatron quotes Ray Peat on sugar craving and hypothyroidism and outlines a low-T3, fatty acid oxidation and glucose oxidation mechanism.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-12-19 original
Author summarizes a trial in which aloe vera juice was associated with lower TSH and TPO antibodies over 9 months in women with subclinical hypothyroidism and Hashimoto's. Free T3 also fell. The author doubts the authors' explanation for the T3 drop and suggests tracking T3 if trying this.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-12-20 original
The post shares a Ray Peat quote that the liver supplies about 70% of active thyroid hormone (T3) and needs adequate glucose to do so, with frequent snacks such as orange juice suggested. It adds a study excerpt (PMID 11167929) reporting that 2% carbohydrate intake lowered plasma T3 and raised reverse T3 versus higher-carbohydrate diets. The quoted lowmegatron post makes similar claims.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-12-21 original
Post pairs a Ray Peat quote with two quoted PMID excerpts. Peat says vitamin D deficiency and hypothyroidism produce similar inflammation, with TSH and parathyroid hormone (PTH) driving mast cell activation and cytokine release. The poster ends with a list of factors that raise PTH.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-12-23 original
The author reports another failed thyroid blood test with a different company and says they will hold off sending any until the New Year. The quoted post from lowmegatron describes starting use of a device near the thyroid, with 2 minutes per side at 1.5 inches and a plan to increase to 8 minutes per side every other day.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-12-27 original
The post shares Ray Peat's first-person account of reactions to synthetic vitamin C (relief from poison oak, then sore throats, bronchitis and sickness from manufactured ascorbic acid), contrasted with no symptoms from fruit juice. The quoted post summarizes a small proof-of-concept study in which vitamin C lowered TSH and improved symptoms in people on levothyroxine.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-12-29 original
The author explains the Broda Barnes basal temperature test as a proxy for basal metabolic rate and thyroid hormone (T3) activity. They describe how to measure it and cite the normal values. They list factors that can make it unreliable, including birth control pills, HRT and menstrual cycle timing. The embedded post by lowmegatron describes a myxedema coma case report with subclinical hypothyroidism.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-12-29 original
The author says they receive daily questions about whether one is hypothyroid when tests may be unreliable, which supplement to take and how much thyroid hormone is needed. They say these are reasonable questions without simple answers and link to an explanation.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-12-29 own thread
lowmegatron defines primary hypothyroidism as a problem in the thyroid gland itself. Secondary is pituitary failure to stimulate the thyroid, and tertiary is hypothalamic failure to stimulate the pituitary.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-12-29 own thread
lowmegatron says Hashimoto's is the main cause of primary hypothyroidism and that handling it differs from secondary or tertiary cases. The author says TSH and T4 are the most common tests and are good at flagging severe primary hypothyroidism. However, TSH is often low or normal in secondary and tertiary cases, and neither test shows T3, which the author calls the critical component.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-12-29 own thread
lowmegatron says TSH and T4 are often normal in people with conversion issues. Such people may be told their thyroid is fine, though the author says they may still have a thyroid hormone issue causing symptoms.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-12-29 own thread
lowmegatron claims conversion issues are often dismissed, leaving people on 'horror drugs' for misdiagnosed symptoms. The author says a T3 test may detect a conversion issue that TSH or T4 misses, and that the ratio of reverse T3 to T3 or T4 is often more telling. Reverse T3 is described as made from T4, wasting potential T3.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-12-29 own thread
lowmegatron says even T3 blood tests are imperfect because they sample only a small pool of hormone. The author says hormone converted and used inside the same cell never appears in blood, and that transport into tissues can be impaired, so even optimal blood results are not 100% reliable.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-12-29 own thread
lowmegatron says body temperature is a useful indicator of overall thyroid hormone activity. The author describes Broda Barnes's Basal Temperature Test, a home test taking an armpit reading for ten minutes on waking. Barnes is said to have argued that hypothyroidism is vastly underdiagnosed.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-12-29 own thread
lowmegatron states that readings of 97.8 °F (36.6 °C) or below indicate hypothyroidism and readings over 98.2 °F (36.8 °C) suggest hyperthyroidism. The author adds that other factors affect body temperature and the basal test, though less variable than other readings, is not perfect.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-12-29 own thread
lowmegatron claims birth control pills and HRT override natural hormonal fluctuations. He argues that Barnes's basal-temperature test therefore cannot reliably reflect thyroid status in pill or HRT users, because the early-follicular temperature trough is abolished or replaced by an elevated or erratic baseline.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-12-29 own thread
lowmegatron says women's basal temperature varies across the menstrual cycle, peaking just before menstruation and lowest at ovulation. He therefore recommends recording it on the second and third days after menstruation begins during menstrual years. Before menarche or after menopause, he says it can be taken any day.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-12-29 own thread
lowmegatron claims TSH responds well to levothyroxine/T4 but is over-suppressed relative to the thyroid hormone available to cells, so low TSH does not mean adequate thyroid hormone. He says the amount and T4:T3 ratio needed vary hugely between people and compares this to insulin dosing in type 1 diabetes.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-12-29 own thread
lowmegatron argues that questions about hypothyroidism lack one-size-fits-all answers and that anyone offering broad solutions doesn't understand the problem. He promotes his Hypothyroid Masterclass Course, described as 31 short video modules, and lists the topics covered (tests, conversion, reverse T3, T4/NDT/T3 supplementation, nutrients, PUFA, stress, diet, drugs).
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-12-29 original
The author states that people burn fewer calories daily than decades ago, mostly because of lower resting energy use, quoting a paper excerpt that rising obesity was probably not driven by reduced physical activity and that adjusted basal metabolic rate has declined. A quoted post from lowmegatron says thyroid blood tests can be normal despite low-thyroid symptoms because TSH/T4 and even T3 tests are limited.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-12-30 original
Author argues that people with anorexia have low T3 that improves with weight gain, that TSH is unreliable under stress, and that caloric restriction, fasting and exercise may suppress T3 and metabolic rate. Author suggests chronic repeated fasting likely harms long-term thyroid status. The embedded post (lowmegatron) says stress also lowers TSH, making it an unreliable marker.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-12-30 original
Author claims fasting and caloric restriction lower metabolism and thyroid hormone set points, often needing T3 to reset the famine response. A long quote from a paper on TSH and weight-loss hypothyroidism says TSH suppression during thyroid hormone treatment is expected. The embedded post (lowmegatron) claims carbohydrate deprivation cut T3 by 25%.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-12-31 original
Ray Peat is quoted saying a liver supported by carbohydrate and thyroid can detoxify circulating PUFA via glucuronidation and sulfation, and that nightly PUFA release harms the brain. The author adds lists of nutrients and foods said to support sulfation and glucuronidation. The author also links PUFA peroxidation products to neurodegenerative disease via listed study titles.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-01-02 original
Author says T3 is critical for mood and motivation, that low T3 is often missed on basic thyroid labs (TSH, T4), and that basal temperature is the best single estimate, to be combined with labs. Author quotes a paper on hypothyroidism and depression, and the post embeds a lowmegatron post saying depression is a low-brain-energy state that can be caused by low thyroid hormone.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-01-03 original
The author argues that vitamin A deficiency disrupts thyroid function (higher TSH, goiter, reduced iodine uptake and hormone synthesis/conversion). Support is quoted review and trial excerpts and two PMIDs. The embedded quoted post from Metabolicmonstr gives an anecdote of a low vitamin A diet followed by worse eyesight and TSH rising from 1 to 21.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-01-04 original
The author argues that levothyroxine (T4) alone does not fully correct slow metabolism or weight gain in hypothyroidism, because T3 drives metabolism. They say high-dose T4 may reduce T3 conversion and release, and that lowering TSH does not necessarily raise T3. They propose improving conversion or adding T3, and say basal body temperature is a better guide than TSH. The archived quoted post from lowmegatron links core temperature to fat gain and describes Broda Barnes's basal temperature test.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-01-04 original
The post quotes Ray Peat's list of carbohydrates he considers good: citrus and grape juices, well-cooked root vegetables and cabbage-family vegetables, and non-gluten grains such as polished white rice and nixtamalized corn. The embedded lowmegatron post cites a study in which carbohydrate deprivation (2%) lowered T3 and raised reverse T3 and free T4 without changing TSH.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-01-05 original
The post quotes Ray Peat arguing that a pathologically high TSH is treated as normal, that TSH acts on many non-thyroid cell types and may contribute to edema, fibrosis and cancers, and that no evidence shows very low TSH is harmful. An embedded lowmegatron post claims vitamin A deficiency raises TSH and impairs thyroid function.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-01-05 original
The posting account says an 11-day controlled experiment found that a very-low-carb (2%) diet raised urinary nitrogen excretion by 45% versus an 85% carb diet at equal calories and protein, and lowered T3. It interprets this as strongly suggesting lean tissue loss. An embedded lowmegatron post reports T3 falling about 25% on carbohydrate deprivation with reverse T3 rising and TSH unchanged.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-01-08 original
States bright light therapy reduces depression in 60% of seasonal affective disorder patients and correlates with reduced TSH. Cites study showing TSH reduction during bright light therapy.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-01-08 original
States hypothyroidism can cause low testosterone in men via prolactin elevation and free testosterone drop, reversible by optimizing TSH and T3.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-01-10 own thread
lowmegatron claims hypothyroidism increases cortisol, that many hypothyroid symptoms resemble excess cortisol, and that TSH above 2.0 (or 2.5) is associated with higher cortisol. The author says thyroid hormone T3 regulates 11β-HSD2, which inactivates cortisol, so low thyroid hormone reduces cortisol detox, and that TSH is not a reliable way to assess this.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-01-11 original
Stress-induced cortisol elevation suppresses TSH and impairs thyroid hormone T4-to-T3 conversion while elevating reverse T3, resulting in low functional thyroid hormone despite normal TSH and T4 labs. Free fatty acids further impair T3 metabolism.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-01-12 original
Author reports personal thyroid experiment results comparing their Graves' hyperthyroidism case to the quoted protocol for Hashimoto's; finds FT3 improved 15-20% but antibodies continued rising on previous trend, questioning efficacy in their condition.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-01-12 original
Hypothyroidism causes atherosclerosis; elevated TSH increases MCP-1 expression which drives atherosclerosis via monocyte recruitment; thyroid hormone replacement (L-T4) improves atherosclerosis markers like CIMT.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-01-13 original
Caloric restriction lowers T3 via decreased T4-to-T3 conversion (not thyroid output); T4 is shunted to reverse T3 instead; TSH suppression during treatment reflects normal adaptation, not overmedication; standard thyroid testing fails to detect this metabolic suppression.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-01-13 original
Terminal cancer patients showed 4x greater one-year survival when thyroid was shut down via methimazole with T3 replacement versus standard care. 83% exceeded expected 20% one-year survival. Mechanism relates to low T4 association with improved survival in some tumors.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-01-13 original
Exercise in caloric deficit lowers T3 thyroid hormone and causes amenorrhea; increasing calories can help. CICO model ignores thyroid hormone and metabolic rate adaptation. Cortisol from exercise and low-calorie stress lowers TSH, which doctors may miss. Study tested effects but not TSH.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-01-14 original
Wearable device heart rate parameters can accurately predict thyroid function in hypothyroidism. Thyroid hormone activity strongly influences resting heart rate; Ray Peat suggests ~85 bpm indicates adequate T3. Resting heart rate trends better than one-off measures; morning measurement most reliable.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-01-14 own thread
lowmegatron corrects a typo in his earlier post on dieting and thyroid hormones: the phrase 'because TSH increases during stress' should read 'TSH decreases'.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-01-16 original
T3 blood tests using immunoassay methods are unreliable, particularly at low levels, with LC-MSMS being more accurate. Older clinical assessment methods and combination approaches may provide clearer pictures than blood tests alone.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-01-16 original
The author presents a quoted case report of a 71-year-old woman whose dizziness, dry skin, constipation, hair loss and brittle nails reportedly improved with tailored thyroid hormone treatment. Her symptoms reportedly returned on levothyroxine 50mcg and improved again after T3 was restarted. The author concludes that T3 and T4 are not equivalent. He also lists the paper's targets: free T3 in the upper 20% of the range, a total T3:reverse T3 ratio of 10:1, and low-normal T4, using individualized T4 and T3 doses with T3 split in two.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-01-17 original
Case narrative of patient with years of undiagnosed hypothyroidism misattributed to SIBO despite normal TSH and free T4, with low free T3 ultimately discovered. T3 supplementation rapidly resolved GI symptoms including bloating and resulted in negative SIBO retest. Underlying thyroid hormone conversion issue. Restrictive diets worsened thyroid function.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-01-18 original
Thyroid controls metabolism and heat production through minute secretions. Shared quotation from Broda Barnes with embedded post from lowmegatron on T3 role in mood, TSH limitations, and basal temperature as assessment method.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-01-19 original
TSH is unreliable for assessing thyroid hormone activity in sick people due to differential pituitary vs. tissue thyroid hormone conversion. Discusses tissue-level hypothyroidism despite normal blood levels and superiority of basal temperature and NDT over T4 dosing.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-01-19 original
Broda Barnes used Armour Thyroid (NDT) to prevent heart disease; discussion of industry preference for levothyroxine and role of polyunsaturated fats in blocking thyroid hormone effects. Historical context on Barnes and basal temperature test provided.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-01-19 original
TSH levels 2.5–5.0 twice as common in women with unexplained infertility. Discusses optimal TSH range, role of TSH in oocyte development, and associations with menstrual disorders and autoimmune thyroid disease.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-01-19 original
Depression is state of low brain energy and low T3. Study shows decreased T3 and increased TSH in mild, moderate and severe depression patients.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-01-20 original
Normal TSH range explanation for unexplained infertility. Extended Ray Peat quotation on arbitrary TSH and T4 reference ranges, historical context of thyroid testing from protein-bound iodine test through current standards, and doctrine limiting population identified as needing thyroid.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-01-21 original
Critique of thyroid hormone cancer studies; distinguishes T4 (inactive) from T3 (active); argues T4-only supplementation suppresses T3 and increases cancer risk, while T3 in end-stage cancer prolongs survival.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-01-22 original
The author quotes Ray Peat and a paper abstract on diabetes and thyroid hormone. Ray Peat says cellular glucose deficiency impairs T4-to-T3 conversion and that T4+T3 combination therapy suppresses TSH. The paper reports lower T3 and higher reverse T3 in diabetes, normalizing with improved hyperglycemia. The embedded lowmegatron post claims stress causes hidden hypothyroidism.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-01-22 original
The author claims hypothyroidism generally increases cortisol, with chronic cortisol elevation driving fat gain, high blood sugar and free fatty acid effects. The author says cortisol also lowers TSH and reduces T3 conversion, giving misleading labs. The author speculates that NDT or T4+T3 would have improved the study's results beyond levothyroxine. The embedded lowmegatron post makes related claims citing human and rat studies.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-01-23 original
Near-infrared photobiomodulation (PBM) combined with supplements increases T3, reduces thyroid peroxidase antibodies (TPOAb), and reduces levothyroxine dose requirements in Hashimoto's patients.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-01-23 original
Critique of current thyroid diagnostic standards: TSH and T4 tests are insufficient; low T3 activity (not just hypothyroidism) causes symptoms; historical methods from 1960s-1970s were more effective.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-01-23 original
The author quotes Ray Peat's article, which describes McGavack's 1951 approach to thyroid physiology. On this account, hypothyroidism was suspected from a wide range of symptoms and signs, including hair and skin abnormalities. Physicians used measures such as oxygen consumption, the Achilles reflex, temperature and pulse. A therapeutic trial of thyroid, adjusted to the patient's response, served as the final diagnostic test.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-01-23 original
Thyroid hormone levels correlate with caloric intake; caloric restriction reduces T3 conversion and suppresses thyroid hormone despite normal or low TSH, compromising weight loss effectiveness.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-01-23 original
Hypothyroidism increases cortisol and activates the sympathetic nervous system through reduced T3 levels, which impairs cortisol detoxification via 11β-HSD enzymes; TSH levels above 2.0-2.5 may be abnormally high based on cortisol elevation.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-01-25 original
Author argues higher TSH, including within the normal range, is linked to insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes risk. The post cites an experimental subclinical hypothyroidism study (animal, emoji-marked) and a human retrospective study of TSH and HOMA-IR.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-01-26 original
Author quotes a paper reporting decreased magnesium concentration in skeletal and cardiac muscle of hypothyroid rats, with magnesium distribution and retention depending on thyroid status.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-01-27 original
The author claims dieting and fasting can reset the metabolic set-point downward in some people by lowering T3 and raising reverse T3, hindering weight loss. He says thyroid levels may need correcting and that TSH is a useless marker for dosing, since thyroid replacement during weight loss suppresses TSH. Quotes are from Rowsemitt and Najarian.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-01-28 original
Author reports variability in digital thermometer accuracy; new digital thermometer reads 0.5–1.0°C lower than older digital model. Gallium thermometer agrees with older digital. Embedded quote from lowmegatron frames context that tests and supplements have reliability questions without simple answers.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-01-29 original
Higher TSH within normal range associated with advanced liver fibrosis (MAFLD). T3 thyroid hormone limits fibrosis. Cites PMID 36604612 and PMID 35641932 on TSH and T3 mechanisms. Embedded comprehensive quote from lowmegatron covers thyroid hormone, fibrosis, NAFLD, animal studies, human drug trials (resmetirom), and fibrosis in other tissues.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-01-29 original
Author argues that hypothyroidism and higher TSH, even within the normal range, are linked to insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. They cite Broda Barnes' clinical observations, an animal study (PMID 37884783) on TSH-linked inflammatory pathways, and a human retrospective study (PMID 29342130) on TSH and HOMA-IR.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-01-29 own thread gap
Quotes a study conclusion that hypothyroidism is tied to higher dementia and mortality risk and that adding T3 may mitigate this better than LT4 alone. The author adds that T4 must convert to T3, many cannot convert enough, and T4 suppresses TSH effectively, misleading those who rely on T4/TSH labs.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-02-02 original
Higher TSH within normal range is associated with arterial stiffness in women and increased pro-stiffness mediators when TSH is administered; upper limit of normal TSH in postmenopausal women may need re-evaluation.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-02-02 own thread
lowmegatron quotes a paper (PMID 19067724) stating that supraphysiological concentrations of rhTSH might have proatherogenic effects by activating vascular endothelial cells and platelets, probably through oxidative stress.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-02-02 original
Young children with higher-'normal' TSH show lower cognitive function and higher ADHD symptoms despite being within normal range; study suggests need to re-evaluate TSH upper limit for normal in preschoolers.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-02-02 own thread
lowmegatron quotes Robert D. Utiger, who comments on the Saravanan et al. results. He says it is unhelpful to tell symptomatic patients on adequate T4 that the cause lies elsewhere, and that clinicians should focus less on serum TSH and think about new ways to treat hypothyroidism.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-02-04 original
The author claims that in the American Midwest two-thirds of people with hair loss are hypothyroid, and that one in four men with hair loss did not know they were also hypothyroid.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-02-04 original
TSH dropped by 3.9 points with night-time dosing of levothyroxine; shares linked study on levothyroxine dosing timing.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-02-05 original
Repost of lowmegatron's analysis of thyroid hormone changes during fasting/dieting, citing a study showing decreased T3/free T3 and increased rT3, with quotes from Rowsemitt & Najarian on metabolic adaptation and TSH management during weight loss.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-02-05 original
Artificial sweeteners linked to thyroid damage: case report of Hashimoto's remission after aspartame removal; animal studies show aspartame and sucralose alter pituitary-thyroid axis structure and reduce thyroid hormone production.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-02-05 original
Ray Peat quotation on stress hormones (elevated cortisol, decreased DHEA/progesterone/testosterone) driving inflammation, degeneration and depression as a protective shutdown response. Embedded post on hypothyroidism-cortisol relationship, TSH thresholds, T3 effects on cortisol metabolism enzymes, sympathetic activation and blood pressure.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-02-06 original
The author, citing Broda Barnes, claims ailments attributed to aging are often due to failing thyroid function, and that the TSH/T4 paradigm has made the problem worse. He quotes an anecdote about a 67-year-old man with baldness, low energy, forgetfulness, depression, high blood pressure and low basal temperature. After thyroid therapy his depression lifted, blood pressure normalized and hair regrew, per Barnes.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-02-09 original
Author argues that blood tests cannot measure thyroid hormone activity in tissues, only circulating levels; T3 activity drives symptoms; basal temperature may better indicate thyroid status than blood tests; and historical diagnosis by symptoms and temperature was superior to current TSH-centric protocols.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-02-10 original
Author presents case of 86-year-old with elevated TSH after starting Iodoral (high-potency iodine supplement) prescribed by naturopath; TSH escalated to 99 after 1 month despite levothyroxine dose increase; TSH normalized after Iodoral cessation. Includes explanation of Wolff-Chaikoff effect and recovery mechanism with quoted study text.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-02-10 original
Author explains that high-dose biotin can interfere with thyroid blood test accuracy without altering actual thyroid hormones or TSH levels, causing false elevations in T3/T4 and false TSH suppression. Includes case of patient on 200 mg/day biotin showing false Graves' disease pattern that normalized after biotin cessation.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-02-10 original
Author observes a recurring pattern in patient narratives: elderly hypothyroid patients stable on desiccated thyroid (NDT/Armour) for decades experience rapid deterioration when a new doctor switches them to TSH-centric levothyroxine protocols; symptoms return despite normal labs, blamed on aging rather than undertreated hypothyroidism.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-02-11 original
Quoted Ray Peat claims that nighttime stress and inflammation hormones rise despite ice cream consumption; bright incandescent light reduces them further. Recommends Cynoplus at bedtime instead of Cynomel to maintain T4 and hold down TSH; suggests daily eggs and weekly liver for nutritional support.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-02-11 original
Author claims low winter light exposure reduces metabolic rate, increases inflammation and stress, and promotes depression. Cites study showing bright light therapy reduced TSH levels in seasonal affective disorder patients.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-02-12 original
Author explains that high free fatty acids interfere with thyroid hormone T4 uptake and conversion to T3, and this effect is invisible to TSH and likely T4 tests. Discusses non-thyroidal illness syndrome where liver fat accumulation reduces conversion, and notes debate over whether thyroid hormone replacement is protective or harmful.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-02-15 original
Critique of current medical practice focusing exclusively on blood tests for hypothyroidism diagnosis, contrasting with historical symptom-based and temperature-based approaches; argues tissue-level thyroid hormone activity cannot be detected by blood tests alone.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-02-16 original
Historical critique of PBI (protein-bound iodine) test as thyroid standard, arguing its foundation in false premises parallels current TSH/levothyroxine paradigm; embedded quote discusses T3 test reliability limitations and immunoassay inaccuracy.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-02-16 original
Ray Peat quote explaining that resting heart rate, combined with basal body temperature, is a better diagnostic tool for thyroid function than either measure alone, especially in warm environments where temperature regulation is metabolically minimal.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-02-18 original
Author claims hypothyroidism causes nasal mucosa swelling leading to nasal congestion through a process similar to puffy face and constipation caused by low thyroid. States this association is confirmed by experimental hypothyroidism in rats. Describes histological and pathological changes in nasal tissue from hypothyroidism.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-02-19 original
Author claims hypothyroid men have lower libido, larger prostates, lower testosterone, and lower sexual satisfaction. Cites study finding prevalence of hypogonadism 13.8% in hypothyroid patients vs. 6.5% in normal thyroid function group. Includes embedded quote on how hypothyroidism causes elevated prolactin and dropped free testosterone, correctable by restoring thyroid levels.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-02-20 original
Sharing embedded post from lowmegatron describing misdiagnosis of CFS/ME as hypothyroidism, advocating FT3 testing and natural desiccated thyroid (NDT) treatment.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-02-20 original
Animal study showing coconut oil increases thyroid hormone levels and lowers TSH in rats on anti-thyroid medications; Ray Peat quote on coconut oil's pro-thyroid effect and glycogen storage; dietary swap guidance for weight management.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-02-24 original
Hypothyroidism causes tongue swelling (macroglossia). Embedded post explains hypothyroidism causes nasal mucosa swelling leading to nasal congestion through similar mechanism as facial puffiness and constipation. Thyroid hormone receptors present in nasal mucosa; hypothyroidism triggers edema, inflammation, and vascular proliferation.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-02-24 original
Ray Peat explains levothyroxine monotherapy can worsen thyroid problems by suppressing residual thyroid T3 production. Symptoms result from low T3 availability, not TSH level. Desiccated thyroid products (Armour, Thyrolar, Euthroid, Proloid) containing both T4 and T3 at physiologic ratio more effective. Embedded post details levothyroxine alone fails to correct slow metabolism and weight gain; T3 drives metabolism. High-dose levothyroxine can reduce T3 conversion and suppress gland T3 release despite lowering TSH.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-02-25 original
Broda Barnes reports all diabetic patients treated showed subnormal basal temperature and hypothyroid symptoms; thyroid therapy prevented atherosclerosis progression and diabetic complications. Hypothyroidism in type 2 diabetes significantly increases microvascular and macrovascular complication risk. Embedded post explains TSH causes insulin resistance; higher TSH within normal range associated with insulin resistance through inflammatory pathways and impaired insulin signaling.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-02-25 original
Low TSH should be interpreted as stress marker rather than indicator of good thyroid status. Stress suppresses TSH while also lowering active thyroid hormone T3, causing hypothyroid symptoms. Stress reduces T4-to-T3 conversion (similar to euthyroid sick syndrome) to conserve energy. Embedded post defines stress as nonspecific body response to any demand.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-02-26 original
TSH can appear normal or low despite real hypothyroidism when affected by factors beyond thyroid hormone feedback: aging, infection, trauma, prolonged cortisol excess, somatostatin, dopamine, adrenaline, amphetamine, caffeine, and fever.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-02-26 original
Selenium supplementation (200 mcg sodium selenite) helps lower Hashimoto's antibodies; 25% of women achieved normal antibody levels compared to 4× placebo; improves inflammatory activity in autoimmune thyroiditis; recommends checking baseline selenium intake before supplementing due to risk of excess.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-02-27 original
Quote from Broda O. Barnes MD critiquing unreliability of laboratory thyroid tests to detect thyroid hormone deficiency despite clinical manifestations in patients; notes medicine has recognized the deficiency but failed to use this knowledge due to test limitations.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-02-27 original
T3 thyroid hormone improves ADHD in children with resistance to thyroid hormone (RTH), a condition affecting up to 3/4 of ADHD children; children with higher TSH (lower thyroid hormones) score higher on ADHD testing; in double-blind crossover trial, L-T3 benefited 5/8 RTH+ADHD children but not most ADHD-only children.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-03-01 original
Author presents Dr. Denis Wilson's experience using Broda Barnes's approach of measuring body temperature to guide thyroid hormone treatment with desiccated thyroid in patients with normal lab tests, finding ~60% clinical improvement where conventional medical training predicted none.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-03-03 original
TSH within normal range shows dose-response relationship with hypertension risk: 9% increased risk per 1.0 mIU/L increase. Many people have hypertension from suboptimal thyroid hormone; mechanism involves TRH increasing blood pressure when thyroid hormone is low. Embedded quoted post cites case report and historical study showing thyroid hormone supplementation lowers elevated blood pressure in some hypothyroid patients; effect varies by hypertension type.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-03-03 original
Author reports a dog appearing hypothyroid despite normal TSH test results from veterinarian.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-03-03 original
Author describes anti-thyroid effects of cortisol on TSH signaling, T4-to-T3 conversion, and thyroid hormone tissue uptake; notes these effects are invisible to blood tests and can cause misdiagnosis.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-03-06 original
Hypothyroid symptoms are primarily caused by low T3 activity in cells and tissues, not just low production by the thyroid gland. Current diagnostic testing with TSH and T4 cannot assess cellular T3 activity, so many people with low T3 activity remain symptomatic despite normal blood tests. Low T3 activity has multiple causes beyond thyroid gland failure.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-03-07 original
Blood tests cannot detect thyroid hormone activity in tissues and cells, only blood levels. Many people remain symptomatically hypothyroid despite normal blood tests because thyroid hormone activity in tissues is low. Basal temperature, influenced primarily by T3, is often a better indicator of thyroid hormone activity than blood tests.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-03-09 original
Author lists micronutrients, macronutrients, and lifestyle factors (sleep, stress) claimed to optimize thyroid hormones and prevent T3 suppression. Quotes lowmegatron on cortisol's anti-thyroid mechanisms.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-03-11 original
Elevated TSH in the upper half of normal range is associated with metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance, and type 2 diabetes risk in humans and animal models. Subclinical hypothyroidism shows causally supported increased diabetes risk.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-03-12 original
Testosterone supplementation reduces thyroid antibodies (TPOAb and TgAb) in men with low testosterone and Hashimoto's disease. Selenium alone also reduces antibodies but testosterone produces greater reduction.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-03-13 original
Ray Peat quoted on TSH and mucopolysaccharide accumulation in hypothyroidism; explanation of how these molecules cause tissue swelling and puffy facial features. Embedded quoted post by lowmegatron describes Dr. George Murray's 1891 use of animal thyroid extract for myxedema, historical development of NDT, and T3:T4 ratio differences between NDT and synthetic levothyroxine.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-03-13 original
Study of 155 post-thyroidectomy patients with subclinical hypothyroidism treated with levothyroxine; measured changes in uric acid and insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) over 2 months. Embedded quoted post by lowmegatron on metabolic syndrome risk with upper-normal TSH range and relationship between subclinical hypothyroidism and insulin resistance, including mouse model data.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-03-13 original
Broda Barnes quoted on high-protein diet effects on thyroid hormone requirements and stress hormone effects on thyroid conversion. Multiple studies examine protein effects on cortisol, cortisol effects on TSH and T3, and methionine restriction effects on thyroid function and metabolism. Embedded quoted post on cortisol's anti-thyroid effects.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-03-13 original
Images showing before-and-after facial changes in hypothyroidism and recovery with NDT USP treatment. Embedded quoted post by lowmegatron on hypothyroidism-induced nasal congestion mechanism and mucosal changes confirmed in animal models.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-03-14 original
Author lists interventions reported to lower thyroid antibodies (TPOAb, TGAb) with effect sizes, including near-infrared light, vitamin D, selenium, vitamin C, testosterone in deficient men, and levothyroxine; notes LDN, gluten removal, and dairy removal help a minority.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-03-16 original
Author notes thyroid hormone's known role in mental health over decades; quotes Broda Barnes case studies of severe psychiatric symptoms (suicidality, morbid obsessions, hallucinations) resolved by thyroid treatment (NDT USP); includes image excerpt of another case of psychosis with myxedema resolved by thyroid therapy; clarifies NDT treatment differs from levothyroxine dosing for TSH.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-03-16 original
Low T3 (active thyroid hormone) is linked to depression. T4 must convert to T3 to be effective. Poor T4-to-T3 conversion can leave brain thyroid activity low even with normal standard labs. TSH above 2.5 mU/L is associated with more depressive symptoms in T4-treated people. Standard tests focusing on TSH and T4 miss tissue-level thyroid activity; T3, reverse T3, and conversion capacity are more relevant.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-03-17 original
Vitamin A supplementation at 25,000 IU/day lowers TSH and increases T3. Study shows supplementation effective for correcting mild thyroid abnormalities and reducing subclinical hypothyroidism risk in premenopausal women.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-03-21 original
Author argues that T4-only thyroid replacement does not replicate natural thyroid gland function due to T4:T3 ratio imbalance and that the system requires some T3; lists factors impairing T4-to-T3 conversion.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-03-25 own thread
The post text is only links. Its quoted post by lowmegatron claims elderly hypothyroid patients did well for decades on NDT/Armour, then declined after a new doctor used a TSH-plus-levothyroxine protocol, with symptoms blamed on other causes because labs 'look perfect'.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-03-25 original
TSH in upper normal range increases hypertension risk by 30%; thyroid replacement therapy lowers blood pressure; elevated TSH impairs endothelial vasodilation; historical data showing NDT outcomes: 20% high→normal, 55% reduced, 25% no improvement; case example from Broda Barnes.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-03-25 original
Subclinical hypothyroidism (elevated TSH, normal T4) associated with higher insulin, inflammation, and insulin resistance; TSH directly inhibits insulin signaling in cell experiments via TNF-α and NF-κB pathways.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-03-26 original
Ray Peat's critique of thyroid testing history: protein-bound iodine test (1940s) was later proven invalid; TSH and T4 ranges remain inappropriately broad, maintaining doctrine that only 5% need thyroid despite abandoning the invalid test that established this threshold.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-03-27 original
Subclinical hypothyroidism (elevated TSH, normal-range thyroid hormones) causes excessive daytime sleepiness; two case reports of teenagers/young adults treated with levothyroxine showing resolution of sleep abnormalities.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-03-30 original
Blood tests cannot detect thyroid hormone activity in tissues; T3 is active outside blood; low T3 tissue activity causes hypothyroid symptoms despite normal blood tests; basal temperature may better indicate thyroid hormone activity than blood tests.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-03-30 original
High-normal TSH is associated with metabolic syndrome and hypothyroidism pathophysiology; standard TSH and T4 reference ranges are inappropriately broad compared to other biomarkers; long Ray Peat quote critiques diagnostic thresholds.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-04-01 original
Light therapy improves anxiety, depression, fatigue, pain, and sleep problems in Hashimoto's hypothyroidism patients within 3 weeks, despite levothyroxine monotherapy at TSH-lowering doses.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-04-01 own thread
lowmegatron says the effect of thyroid hormones on these parameters is clearer than the effect of other factors. He claims low tissue levels of active T3 cause all of these symptoms, and that tissue T3 cannot be tested, so single thyroid blood tests reveal nothing about it.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-04-01 own thread
lowmegatron claims the T3 increase from the treatment has the same effect as switching from levothyroxine dosed to TSH to NDT dosed to symptoms and basal temperature. He says the benefit comes from greater T3 availability in tissues, not just blood.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-04-02 original
Author explains Type 2 hypothyroidism as insufficient thyroid hormone activity at the cellular level despite normal gland function, caused by downstream issues like impaired T4-to-T3 conversion, poor hormone transport, or receptor resistance. Standard TSH+T4 testing misses these conditions. Quotes clinical endocrinology source advocating FT4/FT3 testing and T4/T3 combination therapy.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-04-05 original
Explanation of Type 1 (thyroid gland dysfunction) vs Type 2 (cellular thyroid hormone insufficiency) hypothyroidism, their interaction, and mechanisms by which Type 1 causes Type 2 through increased cortisol and free fatty acids that impair T4-to-T3 conversion and thyroid hormone action.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-04-06 original
Hypothyroidism causes insulin resistance via mechanisms including postreceptor signaling defects, impaired glucose transport, GLUT4 translocation defects, reduced glycogen synthesis, decreased muscle blood flow and oxidative capacity, mitochondrial dysfunction, and leptin/adipokine dysregulation. Thyroid hormone replacement reverses effects.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-04-07 original
Post critiques JAMA article recommending levothyroxine discontinuation in adults over 60 with TSH <10 and normal free T4; author argues TSH elevation itself causes inflammation, insulin resistance, atherosclerosis, and miscarriage risk independent of low T3.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-04-08 original
The thyroid testing system flags gland and upstream pituitary/hypothalamus issues but misses thyroid hormone metabolism, free/bound hormones, and reverse T3.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-04-10 original
People on levothyroxine monotherapy show lower T3:T4 ratios and lower active thyroid hormone T3 compared to healthy controls with same TSH, despite normalized TSH. This group also has higher BMI despite lower calorie intake, lower physical activity, and greater antidepressant/statin use.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-04-12 original
Comprehensive explanation of selenium's role in thyroid hormone conversion and autoimmune thyroid disease. Covers mechanisms in acute stress, effects in Hashimoto's via RCT and case study, effects in Graves' disease and thyroid eye disease, synergy with myo-inositol, and recommended dosing.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-04-13 original
Quotes Ray Peat on T3's role in maintaining core temperature and intracellular respiration. Discusses nervous system slowing in hypothyroidism including reaction time, memory, and perception. Presents evidence linking memory decline to low thyroid hormones and improvement with treatment.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-04-15 original
Bacterial endotoxin (LPS) lowers both TSH and thyroid hormones, creating misleading thyroid test results. Multiple dietary and supplemental compounds may reduce endotoxin burden or its effects.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-04-16 original
Hypothyroidism increases oxidative stress and atherosclerosis risk. Broda Barnes' diagnostic method using basal temperature and symptom assessment with NDT treatment reduced heart disease diagnoses by 94%. Levothyroxine monotherapy reduces but does not normalize oxidative stress markers.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-04-17 original
Ray Peat explains that stress, infection, aging, and various compounds can lower TSH independent of thyroid hormones, creating diagnostic confusion. Embedded quote details how chronic stress suppresses T3 conversion while also lowering TSH, misleading thyroid assessment.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-04-17 original
Levothyroxine monotherapy fails to reproduce normal thyroid physiology even when TSH normalizes. Hypothyroid patients on levothyroxine have higher T4 and lower T3 than healthy controls at equivalent TSH. Despite lower calorie intake, levothyroxine-treated patients have higher BMI and greater use of statins and antidepressants.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-04-18 original
Author discusses Ray Peat's critique of modern blood-based thyroid testing versus pre-1945 symptom and indirect marker methods. Explains evolution of thyroid diagnostics from 1945 onward and notes limitations of TSH, T4, T3 blood tests in assessing tissue-level thyroid hormone activity. Cites two recent papers on the mismatch between blood markers and tissue response.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-04-19 original
lowmegatron says red light therapy was discovered by chance. He states that Endre Mester's ruby laser, intended to cause tumors, was weaker than advertised and instead produced rapid hair regrowth and faster tissue healing.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-04-19 original
Ray Peat claim that people at high altitude show elevated T3 and T4 (4.5x and 3x higher respectively) and reduced TSH (>25% lower). Author attributes these findings to support for high metabolic rate correlating with longevity and better health. Embedded post from @Metabolicmonstr on weight loss at high altitude without exercise or dietary restriction.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-04-19 own thread
Link-only post. The quoted post gives a Ray Peat statement that T3 was 4.5 times higher and T4 about three times higher at high altitude, TSH was reduced over 25%, and that high metabolic rate is associated with greater longevity and better health.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-04-19 own thread
Link-only post under a thread about high altitude. The quoted earlier post by lowmegatron claims TSH fell 28% and T3 rose 358% from 400m to 2,000m, and argues that TSH as 'Gold Standard' is unreliable. It cites studies reporting higher fT3 and fT4 at altitude without TSH change.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-04-21 original
Synthesizes John C. Lowe's research and reviews on thyroid hormone therapy for fibromyalgia, presenting evidence that combined T4/T3 therapy, T3 alone, and supraphysiologic T3 doses were effective treatments. Discusses inadequate thyroid hormone regulation hypothesis, metabolic failure, and peripheral thyroid hormone resistance. Notes normal TSH/thyroid hormone levels may not reflect tissue-level deficiency.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-04-21 original
Notes that JFK was prescribed T3 (liothyronine) for hypothyroidism in 1955, highlighting access disparity: a U.S. president received T3 therapy 70 years ago while most hypothyroid patients today cannot obtain it. Cites discharge documentation and medical histories. Embedded quoted post provides extensive background on JFK's T3 treatment timeline, basal metabolic rate testing, and alternative thyroid assessment methods (Broda Barnes temperature test).
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-04-21 original
Presents Ray Peat's hypothesis that thyroid antibodies represent a cleanup mechanism in low thyroid states, and that correcting thyroid hormone deficiency reduces inflammation and lowers antibody levels. Supported by evidence that levothyroxine supplementation reduces TPOAb and TgAb in Hashimoto's patients and decreases thyroid tissue destruction (assessed by T1-mapping MRI). Notes near-infrared light as alternative non-hormone treatment achieving similar antibody reduction.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-04-24 original
Explains water retention as sign of hypothyroidism linked to disorganized biological water without adequate thyroid-potentiated energy. Describes myxedema (mucin swelling) accumulating under eyes and jawline, with secondary effects on digestion (constipation, SIBO risk), joints (inflammatory swelling), nasal passages, and voice. Before/after photos of hypothyroidism treatment shown. Embedded case of woman with SIBO misdiagnosed for years, eventually found to have thyroid hormone (T3) deficiency despite normal TSH/free T4, with rapid improvement on T3 treatment and SIBO resolution.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-04-24 original
Reports 1990s animal research finding pregnenolone several hundred times more potent than tested memory enhancers, with mechanism via transcription facilitation. Cites human studies showing pregnenolone improves memory and pregnenolone augmentation improves attention/working memory in schizophrenia patients. Embedded post on thyroid hormone correlation with memory in depressed patients, showing levothyroxine treatment resolved multiple symptoms including failing memory.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-04-27 original
TSH activates TLR4 endotoxin receptor, participating in inflammation and potentially insulin resistance via macrophage infiltration and inflammatory signaling. Quoted research suggests targeting TSH may have therapeutic benefits against metabolic disorders. Embedded post discusses pregnenolone's inhibition of TLR4 and its role in reducing alcohol cravings through immune pathway modulation.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-04-27 original
Subclinical hypothyroidism (elevated TSH, normal T4) treated as harmless but carries risk. TSH itself is harmful, causing insulin resistance and atherosclerosis independently. TSH directly activates TLR4 inflammatory pathway, increases MCP-1 (promoting atherosclerosis), and correlates linearly with insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) even within normal TSH range. Embedded post describes JAMA article recommending TSH <10 and weaning older adults off levothyroxine, citing negative effects of TSH including inflammation, insulin resistance, atherosclerosis, and miscarriage risk; notes T3 excluded from study and lower T3 causes most hypothyroid symptoms.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-04-28 original
Thyroid hormone reverses liver fibrosis; low TSH and T3 associated with increased fibrosis risk; resmetirom (thyroid hormone receptor agonist) improves NASH and fibrosis in RCT; optimal range essential.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-05-04 own thread
lowmegatron says TSH is the most common hypothyroidism test and is assumed 'low = good', but claims stress also lowers TSH, making it an unreliable marker of thyroid hormone activity.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-05-04 own thread
lowmegatron says T4 is the storage form and low T4 can indicate a thyroid problem, but normal T4 does not confirm good activity because T4-to-T3 conversion declines under stress.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-05-04 own thread
lowmegatron says good T3 lab results don't guarantee optimal thyroid activity because T3 must enter tissues and cells and activate receptors, and claims stress disrupts every step.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-05-04 own thread
lowmegatron claims stress hormones reduce T4-to-T3 conversion, lower TSH and raise free fatty acids, and that PUFAs in those FFAs block T3/T4 uptake and receptor binding. He says PUFAs come mainly from seed oils, pork and poultry, and that cells become 'T3-starved' despite normal blood tests.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-05-04 own thread
lowmegatron lists claimed indicators of low tissue thyroid action: feeling cold, high reverse T3, high reverse T3:T3 ratio, hypothyroid symptoms, low resting metabolic rate, and low waking basal temperature.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-05-06 original
Author presents research on subclinical hypothyroidism, TSH involvement in insulin resistance via inflammation and TLR4 signaling, and a list of interventions that may improve insulin sensitivity including thyroid hormone correction, supplements, and lifestyle factors.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-05-06 original
Author presents research showing hypothyroidism causes nasal congestion through TSH-mediated effects on nasal mucosa, citing histological and physiological changes, and noting that even subclinical hypothyroidism may affect nasal symptoms.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-05-12 original
Ray Peat quotation regarding timing of thyroid hormone dosing: T3 (Cynomel) is depleted overnight allowing proinflammatory TSH to rise; bedtime dosing of combined T3+T4 (Cynoplus) may better suppress TSH. Embedded post discusses thyroid hormone effects on sleep architecture and quality.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-05-12 original
1938 clinical observation that thyroid hormone administration consistently lowers total serum cholesterol. Author emphasizes diagnostic limitations of TSH testing via embedded Ray Peat commentary on historical misclassification of thyroid disease prevalence.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-05-18 own thread
lowmegatron quotes a 1950s study of children with metabolic insufficiency or hypothyroidism who improved on liothyronine (T3) after earlier desiccated thyroid or thyroxine gave inadequate responses. The quoted results include improved appetite, bowel function, bone age and mood, and smoother hair. He interprets the findings as evidence of hidden hypothyroidism involving thyroid hormone utilization.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-05-18 original
Progesterone 300 mg normalizes sleep architecture and lowers nighttime TSH in older women, acting as a physiologic sleep regulator rather than hypnotic drug.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-05-21 original
PCOS is nearly 3 times more likely in autoimmune thyroid disease (primarily Hashimoto's). Women with PCOS are about 3 times as likely to have subclinical hypothyroidism, with odds increasing when TSH ≥4 mIU/L. Ray Peat is quoted that PCOS can be produced in animals by thyroidectomy due to impaired ovarian progesterone synthesis.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-05-21 original
T3 thyroid hormone is lower in levothyroxine-treated patients than in healthy subjects at equivalent TSH levels. TSH is not the gold standard for adequate levothyroxine substitution; it reflects only pituitary thyroid hormone levels. Elevated T4:T3 ratio with levothyroxine monotherapy may downregulate T4-to-T3 conversion peripherally. Type 1 and 2 deiodinases appear more effective in pituitary than peripheral tissues.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-05-22 original
Hypothyroidism reduces CO₂ production because mitochondrial CO₂ production depends on thyroid hormone T3. End-tidal CO₂ measurement reflects alveolar and arterial CO₂ levels. Contrary to expectations, hypothyroid patients show higher alveolar ventilation (lower end-tidal CO₂), indicating hyperventilation rather than hypoventilation. The mechanism may involve direct effects of TRH on respiratory center or local lung changes. Respiratory rate alone does not define hypo/hyperventilation; arterial CO₂ is the definitive measure.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-05-23 original
Ray Peat quote on thyroid-progesterone-estrogen relationships, combined with citations of randomized controlled trial showing progesterone increases free T4, and rat cell study demonstrating estradiol increases thyroid cell growth and blocks iodine transporter expression.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-05-24 original
Case report of Japanese man developing hypothyroidism from daily povidone iodine gargling, with recovery after cessation and relapse after excessive kombu (kelp) consumption. Includes detailed clinical markers and discussion of iodine-induced hypothyroidism prevalence in Japan.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-05-25 original
lowmegatron quotes Ray Peat saying that blood thyroid levels are a poor measure of thyroid adequacy because tissue response can be suppressed, for example by unsaturated fats. The quote says that 1930s diagnosis used clinical signs such as temperature, pulse, carotenemia, bowel function, and hair and skin quality.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-05-25 own thread
lowmegatron shares a link titled "Thyroid Hormone and Body Temperature" as a resource. The linked content is not supplied.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-05-27 original
Hypothyroidism and low thyroid hormone activity cause ADHD. Research shows higher TSH within normal range correlates with ADHD symptoms in preschoolers; thyroid hormone resistance increases ADHD risk by 60%; T3 improves ADHD specifically in children with thyroid hormone resistance but may be detrimental in those without resistance.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-05-29 original
Post argues that TSH, T4, and T3 blood tests cannot measure end-organ thyroid hormone response in cells, and advocates assessing basal temperature, pulse behavior, and symptom response to thyroid hormones as more relevant measures. Quotes Ray Peat and cites historical pre-1945 diagnostic methods.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-05-29 own thread
lowmegatron shares two links, "I think I'm hypothyroid" and "Thyroid Hormone and Body Temperature", as resources. The linked content is not supplied.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-06-05 original
Author argues over-exercise lowers active thyroid hormone T3 and TSH (via cortisol elevation), potentially misleading those monitoring TSH. Notes stress also lowers T3 and TSH. Cites study showing exhaustive exercise decreases free T3 by 24 hours into recovery with inverse cortisol relationship. Suggests increasing carbohydrates, calories, or creatine; recommends generative over degenerative exercise.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-06-11 original
Ray Peat quotation on thyroid hormone as fundamental anti-stress substance. Embedded post explains low T3 plus stress causes gastric ulcers; thyroid hormones reduce stress-induced ulceration. Cites Hans Selye's stress triad (ulcers, immune tissue shrinkage, adrenal hypertrophy) and Low T3 Sick Syndrome in ICU patients.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-06-16 original
Amalgam filling removal reduces thyroid antibodies (anti-TPO and anti-TG) in mercury-reactive patients. 70% reported substantial improvement, 21% some improvement. Lymphocyte proliferation reduction is the proposed mechanism.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-06-17 original
Low magnesium is associated with increased Hashimoto's and hypothyroidism risk; author explains magnesium's role in thyroid hormone conversion and recommends up to 600mg daily split doses, preferring dietary sources.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-06-21 own thread
lowmegatron asserts that low tissue levels of active T3 cause all these symptoms, that tissue T3 is not testable, and that single thyroid blood tests tell us nothing about it.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-06-21 own thread
lowmegatron claims the T3 increase has the same effect as switching from levothyroxine dosed to TSH to NDT dosed to symptoms and basal temperature, attributing the benefit to greater tissue T3 availability.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-06-22 original
Author reports higher TSH within normal range associated with coronary heart disease mortality in women and cites Broda Barnes' 1970s research showing 94% reduction in heart disease with natural desiccated thyroid; includes embedded quoted post about cortisol-T3 relationships in cardiovascular disease.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-06-22 original
Higher 'normal' TSH levels increase miscarriage risk in early pregnancy. TSH between 2.5–4.8 mIU/L increases miscarriage risk; TSH >4.8 increases risk further. Author attributes mechanism to elevated estrogen in hypothyroidism preventing embryo implantation or causing miscarriage; adequate thyroid hormone normalizes antifertility factors.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-06-22 original
Ray Peat quoted on TSH's direct cellular actions beyond the thyroid (edema, fibrosis, mastocytosis) and argues that very low TSH lacks demonstrated harm. References pituitary-deficient animals with extended longevity despite lacking TSH, prolactin, and growth hormone.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-06-23 original
lowmegatron says hypothyroidism can affect hair and nails mildly or severely, and that the cause is often ignored when TSH is 'normal'. The quoted case describes Hashimoto's hypothyroidism with a TSH of 30, where the nail and hair changes resolved after five years of levothyroxine.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-06-26 original
Testosterone replacement therapy lowers thyroid antibodies (TPOAb and TgAb) and raises thyroid secretory capacity in men with low testosterone and Hashimoto's thyroiditis. TPOAb decreased 31%, TgAb decreased 23%. This is the first study demonstrating a protective effect of exogenous testosterone on thyroid autoimmunity.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-06-26 original
Tocotrienols (vitamin E variant, not thyroid hormone) suppress mast cell degranulation and reduce histamine release in mice through suppression of protein kinase C (PKC) activity, reducing allergic dermatitis. Embedded quote discusses idiopathic urticaria, thyroid hormone supplementation effects on thyroid antibodies and allergies.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-06-28 original
Shared Ray Peat quote dismissing iodine skin test as unscientific due to reduction by vitamin C and other compounds; embedded post describes case of iodine-induced hypothyroidism from povidone iodine gargling and subsequent relapse from excess kombu/kelp intake, with detailed clinical markers showing recovery.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-06-29 original
Author shares Ray Peat quote on thyroid hormone brain concentration and T3:T4 ratios, then embedded quote from lowmegatron on T3-depression link with multiple reference citations.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-06-30 original
Ray Peat quote questioning TSH-centric thyroid treatment and advocating broader thyroid hormone therapy including T3, suggesting TSH itself may be pathogenic through pro-inflammatory actions.
Source summary and thread relationship - @jamesbondwisdom · 2026-06-30 original
jamesbondwisdom claims that biotin helps hair only in people who are deficient, which is rare, and that supplements are largely wasted otherwise. He also says high-dose biotin can interfere with lab tests including thyroid panels and troponin, citing an FDA warning, and advises checking for deficiency first.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-07-01 original
Author proposes adding a medical school curriculum component where students experience anti-thyroid medication and dexamethasone to lower T3 and suppress TSH, to help thyroid patients feel reassured their condition is normal. Embedded post by astadiuvita describes personal experience of low T3 during stress with a doctor dismissing it based on low TSH.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-07-01 original
Author explains hypothyroidism-induced insulin resistance via lower T3 and higher TSH, cites study showing insulin sensitivity restoration with thyroid hormone replacement, and details multiple mechanistic pathways (postreceptor signaling defects, GLUT4 translocation, glycogen synthesis, mitochondrial oxidative metabolism). Embedded post by lowmegatron discusses TSH-induced insulin resistance via inflammatory pathways and cites human population studies.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-07-01 original
Author argues urinary free T3 is most objective thyroid sufficiency marker, correlates better with symptoms than other tests, normalizes with NDT but remains low on levothyroxine alone. Discusses differential symptom correlation with various thyroid tests and explains T4-to-T3 conversion mechanisms via deiodinase enzymes. Cites studies showing TSH/T4 poor correlation with clinical hypothyroidism diagnosis and mechanisms of inadequate T3 on levothyroxine monotherapy.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-07-01 own thread
lowmegatron argues that 24-hour free urinary T3 is the best test of thyroid hormone sufficiency. He reports values of about 756 pmol for untreated hypothyroid patients and 767 for levothyroxine-treated patients, versus 1990 for NDT-treated and 2,074 for healthy people. He describes an NDT protocol dosed by symptoms rather than TSH, and reports that hypothyroid symptoms were higher on levothyroxine than on NDT. He adds a disclaimer that he does not claim NDT is superior to properly dosed synthetic T3+T4, that thyroid hormones should be taken under medical supervision, and that this is not medical advice.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-07-01 original
Author explains levothyroxine normalizes TSH while leaving tissues T3-deficient, cites rat study showing normal blood tests despite low tissue T3, and describes how this creates hidden hypothyroidism. Discusses peripheral T4-to-T3 conversion inadequacy and presents human data showing >20% of post-thyroidectomy patients have abnormal T3/T4 ratios despite normal TSH.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-07-02 original
Author cites research on thyroid hormone changes in depression, noting decreased T3 and increased TSH with severity; embedded post by lowmegatron on T3 treatment for treatment-resistant depression in patient with normal thyroid tests.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-07-02 original
Ray Peat quote on causes of hypothyroidism including fasting, stress, aerobic exercise, legumes, unsaturated fats, carotene, undercooked cruciferous vegetables; author notes TSH lowering effect; embedded post by lowmegatron on over-exercising lowering T3 and TSH via cortisol.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-07-07 original
Observational studies show inverse association between dietary iodine intake and remission rates in Graves' hyperthyroidism. Higher iodine intake correlates with lower remission probability, higher antibody titers, and higher medication requirements. Research suggests low-iodine diet may reduce thyroid hormone production and lower medication doses needed for treatment.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-07-08 original
Author discusses limitations of TSH testing for hypothyroidism diagnosis. TSH is blind to peripheral T4-to-T3 conversion and thyroid hormone resistance. Gene variants, stress, and diet affect conversion and activity independent of TSH. Contrasts TSH-based prevalence (10%) with Broda Barnes' symptom-based approach (40% responsive to NDT treatment).
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-07-08 original
Author claims levothyroxine treatment does not normalize thyroid hormone levels despite normal TSH. Cites research showing levothyroxine-treated patients with normal TSH have lower T3 than healthy subjects. Explains mechanism: pituitary has better T4-to-T3 conversion than peripheral tissues, causing false TSH-based assessment. Argues TSH cannot be gold standard for adequacy.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-07-13 original
Ray Peat quoted on athletic training slowing pulse via cortisol-mediated thyroid suppression as adaptation, with consequence of sterility in both sexes. Embedded quote discusses over-exercise lowering active T3 hormone via cortisol and prolactin mechanisms; carbohydrate/calorie support and creatine mentioned as potential aids.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-07-14 original
Low serum magnesium is associated with 3-4x increased likelihood of hypothyroidism, Hashimoto's disease, and thyroglobulin antibody positivity. Mechanisms involve immune dysregulation, cellular oxidative stress, energy metabolism, and mitochondrial function. Relationship may be bidirectional. Magnesium supplementation can improve thyroid function.
Source summary and thread relationship - @jamesbondwisdom · 2026-07-15 original
The author claims most people taking biotin for hair are wasting money since deficiency is rare, and that studies showing benefit involved deficient people. He warns that biotin interferes with thyroid and other lab tests and suggests testing iron, zinc, vitamin D and thyroid first. He also claims rosemary oil matches minoxidil.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-07-16 original
TSH can be lowered by substances other than thyroid hormones; fasting reduces TSH secretion and cortisol elevation mediates this effect, suggesting mild cortisol elevations can significantly decrease TSH levels.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-07-16 original
lowmegatron claims that hypothyroid symptoms improve when the T3 to reverse T3 ratio is corrected using T3 with levothyroxine. He lists percent improvements across many conditions, including 65% for excessive hair loss in women. He quotes authors arguing that TSH is unreliable and that T4/T3 therapy should be guided by clinical criteria.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-07-20 original
lowmegatron lists symptom frequencies in hypothyroid patients as reported in Broda Barnes's 'Hypothyroidism: The Unsuspected Illness'. They include 76% coarse hair, 57% hair loss and 41% brittle nails. He says many persist despite modern treatment and notes that Barnes used basal temperature, symptoms and NDT response.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-07-21 original
Cites Dr. Broda Barnes observation that pallor occurs in ~60% of hypothyroid patients; quotes literature review explaining pallor mechanism (cutaneous vasoconstriction, mucopolysaccharide deposition, potential anemia) in hypothyroidism; embeds personal anecdote from AbudBakri on TSH elevation symptoms.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-07-22 original
TSH in normal range (0.1–10) correlates with resting energy expenditure; TSH increases from 0.1 to 10 linked to ~17% reduction in REE (~12% of total energy expenditure); author explains clinical TSH range distinction and cites research on thyroid hormone action.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-07-22 original
TSH is poor marker for thyroid hormone sufficiency at tissue level; study shows no correlation between TSH and target tissue thyroid hormone effects; clinical and metabolic presentation plus free T4 should guide treatment, not TSH; includes Zulewski clinical scoring system (12 signs/symptoms) and tissue-level markers (ankle reflex, cholesterol, creatine kinase).
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-07-26 original
Author cites studies showing TSH is poor measure for guiding thyroid therapy severity, with no or weak correlations to clinical presentation or tissue thyroid hormone action. Argues treatment should be guided by clinical/metabolic presentation and free thyroxine, not TSH. Includes quoted post describing similar findings about TSH limitations and clinical scoring methods.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-07-29 original
Three-month randomized controlled trial in 70 women with Hashimoto's antibodies: selenium supplementation (200 mcg sodium selenite daily) achieved 25% remission of antibodies vs. 6% placebo; TPO antibodies decreased 34% vs. 12% placebo; thyroid structure normalized in responders.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-07-30 original
Brief repost linking to third-party comment on melanoma-hypothyroidism association and TSH receptor expression.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-07-30 original
Higher serum selenium in older adults associated with higher T3, lower TSH, and lower T4, indicating improved thyroid hormone conversion and function. Study concludes reduced T4-to-T3 peripheral conversion related to impaired selenium status in elderly. Thyroid hormone conversion enzymes require selenium.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-07-30 original
Author lists interventions shown to lower thyroid antibodies in autoimmune thyroiditis, citing multiple peer-reviewed studies. Cautions that selenium and vitamin D optimization requires measurement, not blind supplementation.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-07-31 original
T3 thyroid hormone treatment resolves 10-year history of symptoms including anxiety, low energy, poor digestion, and conversation difficulty. Person reports rapid optimization of TSH, FT3, FT4 within 10 days and recovery of prior self. Embedded post discusses urinary free T3 testing superiority and NDT medication advantages over levothyroxine alone.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-08-01 original
Research findings on TSH as growth factor for human melanoma: TSH receptors are expressed on melanoma cells and lesions; TSH is functional on melanoma cells, inducing cAMP and MAPK pathway activation; elevated TSH in hypothyroid individuals may promote melanoma growth. Hypothyroidism shows high prevalence in melanoma population.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-08-01 own thread
The author summarizes research linking higher TSH and subclinical hypothyroidism to insulin resistance, including rat data on TLR4 and inflammatory signaling and a retrospective human study finding TSH associated with HOMA-IR. T3 treatment improved insulin signaling in rodents. The quoted context is the author's post with Ray Peat and studies on hypothyroidism, adrenaline and T4/T3 combination therapy.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-08-03 original
Author cites multiple sources (Broda Barnes, medical literature, Ray Peat) connecting thyroid deficiency and elevated TSH to unexplained infertility; notes TSH normal range reduction and quotes Peat on optimal TSH threshold for health.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-08-03 original
Author acknowledges receiving frequent questions about hypothyroidism diagnosis, supplementation, and thyroid hormone dosing; indicates these are complex questions without simple answers; references linked content.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-08-03 own thread
The author claims Hashimoto's is the main cause of primary hypothyroidism and needs different handling from secondary or tertiary forms. They say TSH and T4 tests are good at flagging severe primary cases. TSH is often low or normal in secondary and tertiary cases, and neither test shows T3, which they call the critical component.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-08-03 own thread
The author defines primary hypothyroidism as a problem in the thyroid gland itself. Secondary is the pituitary failing to stimulate the thyroid, and tertiary is the hypothalamus failing to stimulate the pituitary.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-08-03 own thread
The author claims TSH and T4 are often normal in people with conversion issues. Those people may be told their thyroid is fine, which may be true, but they can still have a thyroid hormone problem causing symptoms.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-08-03 own thread
The author claims conversion issues are often dismissed, with people put on "horror drugs" for misdiagnosed symptoms. They say a T3 test may detect a conversion problem that TSH or T4 misses, that the reverse T3 to T3 or T4 ratio is often more telling, and that reverse T3 is made from T4, wasting potential T3.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-08-03 own thread
The author presents body temperature as a useful indicator of overall thyroid hormone activity. They describe Broda Barnes's Basal Temperature Test, an at-home test with a liquid thermometer held in the armpit for ten minutes on waking, and say Barnes argued hypothyroidism is vastly underdiagnosed.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-08-03 own thread
The author says even T3 blood tests are imperfect because they sample only the circulating hormone pool, while hormones are also converted and used inside cells. They add that problems moving hormone from blood into tissues mean even optimal T3 and T4 results are not fully reliable.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-08-03 own thread
The author states that basal readings below 97.8 °F (36.6 °C) indicate hypothyroidism and readings above 98.2 °F (36.8 °C) suggest hyperthyroidism. They caution that other factors affect temperature and that the test is not perfect.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-08-03 own thread
The author says women's basal temperature varies across the menstrual cycle, peaking just before menstruation and lowest at ovulation. They advise recording it on the second and third days after menstruation begins during menstrual years, and on any day before menarche or after menopause.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-08-03 own thread
The author claims birth control pills and HRT override natural hormonal fluctuations behind basal temperature changes. They say pills either abolish the early-follicular trough or replace it with an elevated or erratic baseline, so Barnes's test cannot reliably reflect thyroid status in users. They say only women not exposed to synthetic progestins or estrogens keep the low point, and the same applies to HRT.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-08-03 own thread
Lowmegatron claims TSH responds well to levothyroxine but ends up over-suppressed relative to the thyroid hormone available to cells. He says a low TSH does not mean thyroid hormone is adequate. He argues that required doses and T4:T3 ratios vary hugely between people, comparing this to insulin dosing in type 1 diabetes.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-08-03 own thread
Lowmegatron says that by 'thyroid' Ray Peat meant more than TSH or gland activity. He claims stress lowers T4-to-T3 conversion and T3 activity, which may not show on thyroid blood tests.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-08-05 original
Hypothesis that thyroid hormone resistance may underlie fibromyalgia, citing evidence that supraphysiologic T3 doses are safe and effective for euthyroid fibromyalgia patients despite normal thyroid lab values, with emphasis on caution regarding T3 dosing.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-08-08 original
Author reports plantar fasciitis as personal first indicator of low thyroid hormone, particularly noticeable at night; cites one paper associating elevated TSH and lower thyroid hormones with plantar fasciitis; references case series of hypothyroid children misdiagnosed with various rheumatic conditions who improved with thyroid replacement.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-08-09 original
Well-designed study comparing natural desiccated thyroid (NDT) to levothyroxine showed NDT superior with 2.5-6.5× lower symptom rates; NDT dosing based on symptoms and urinary free T3, not TSH; T3 is active hormone; levo has minimal biological activity; improvement averaged 69% compared to <25% placebo effect.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-08-12 own thread
lowmegatron claims hypothyroidism raises cortisol and that hypothyroid symptoms resemble excess-cortisol symptoms. He cites a study (PMID 23111240) whose authors suggest TSH above 2.0 uIU/L may be abnormal because of its positive relationship with cortisol. He also says thyroid hormone regulates 11β-HSD2, which inactivates cortisol, so low T3 reduces cortisol detox, and that TSH is not a reliable measure of this.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-08-12 own thread
lowmegatron comments that T3 is not an antidepressant, but that many depression cases reflect low brain energy. He claims optimizing brain T3 normalizes ATP production and that TSH and T4 tests cannot reliably infer T3. He warns T3 is a metabolic stimulant that can be dangerous in excess, especially with heart issues. He also argues the standard 25 mcg+ once-daily research doses are suboptimal and that more physiological dosing would likely improve results.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-08-12 original
The author cites a 2017 paper reporting higher TSH in women with unexplained infertility. He says TSH of 2.5-5.0 was twice as common in that group, and quotes McGavack's historical text linking subclinical hypothyroidism to miscarriage and its symptoms.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-08-12 original
TSH levels within normal range (2.5-4.8+) are associated with increased miscarriage risk in pregnant women, citing clinical evidence that higher normal TSH poses obstetric risk.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-08-13 original
T3 (active thyroid hormone) has been neglected in favor of T4 in thyroid research and treatment. Ray Peat distinguished low T3 activity from traditional hypothyroidism definition. Multiple causes beyond gland dysfunction can produce low T3 symptoms.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-08-13 original
Ray Peat quotation about protein-calorie malnutrition suppressing pituitary hormone production; explanation of pituitary-thyroid signaling and effects of low caloric and carbohydrate intake on thyroid function and hormone conversion.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-08-15 original
Bioidentical progesterone acts as physiologic sleep regulator restoring normal sleep when disturbed, without inhibiting deep sleep like hypnotic drugs. Particularly beneficial for elderly. Embedded post describes thyroid hormone deficiency effects on sleep onset and duration.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-08-18 original
Hashimoto's patients with normal TSH experience fatigue and pain despite normal TSH levels. Levothyroxine monotherapy fails to optimize T3, whereas physiologic NDT or combined levo+liothyronine reduces residual symptoms. NDT dosed by symptoms rather than TSH shows substantially lower rates of constipation, headache, muscle cramps, depression, rheumatoid symptoms, cold intolerance, and fatigue compared to levothyroxine. Rheumatic manifestations of hypothyroidism in children resolve with thyroid replacement.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-08-21 original
Single markers in isolation—including basal temperature, heart rate, cholesterol, prolactin, TSH, thyroid hormones, and symptoms—cannot reliably diagnose hypothyroidism. Exception: low T3 is sufficient for diagnosis. Embedded quote references further detail.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-08-22 original
Thyroid hormone and vitamin D regulate mast cell activation and degranulation through TSH and parathyroid hormone; dietary calcium, phosphate, and magnesium modulate these pathways.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-08-23 original
Ginger and vitamin B1 (thiamine) improve specific hypothyroid symptoms; ginger reduces TSH and improves multiple symptom domains at 500 mg twice daily; thiamine 600 mg daily reduces fatigue in Hashimoto's patients, with treatment claims of partial/complete regression within hours to days.
Source summary and thread relationship - @jamesbondwisdom · 2026-08-23 original
The author argues that some hair loss reflects nutritional or thyroid problems rather than genetics, and suggests testing ferritin, vitamin D, TSH and zinc. He says DHT loss follows a pattern (temples, crown) while deficiency loss is diffuse, and tells readers to run the panel before buying topicals.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-08-23 original
Web searches and TSH levels show seasonal pattern in Hashimoto's thyroiditis; Ray Peat discusses light exposure and unsaturated fat restriction as winter management; thyroid function increases seasonally, suggesting light and fat composition affect thyroid metabolism.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-08-24 original
Glucose metabolism is reduced in ADHD-related brain regions; hypothyroidism and thyroid hormone resistance impair brain glucose metabolism; TSH within normal range but elevated correlates with ADHD symptoms and reduced cognitive function in preschoolers; thyroid hormone supplementation restores glucose metabolism in brain regions affected by hypothyroidism.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-08-24 original
Substantive explanation of hypothyroidism's role in insulin resistance and depression through effects on thyroid hormone T3, cortisol suppression, GluT4 transporter production, and brain glucose metabolism; cites multiple studies on thyroid-insulin-depression mechanisms.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-08-24 original
Explanation of bidirectional relationship between H. pylori and hypothyroidism: H. pylori lowers stomach acid impairing levothyroxine/NDT absorption; hypothyroidism lowers stomach acid favoring H. pylori growth. Quotes Ray Peat on stomach acid role and cites studies on H. pylori effects on thyroid function and gastric acid secretion.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-08-24 original
Fact claim that nearly one-third of UK hypothyroid patients on levothyroxine still have elevated TSH, questioning healthcare system performance.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-08-25 original
Ray Peat quoted on vitamin D and calcium role in reducing parathyroid hormone, restoring mitochondrial energy production and cellular calcium regulation. Embedded post on thyroid hormone and vitamin D effects on mast cell activation, including Ray Peat quotation and study citations on TSH, parathyroid hormone, and mast cell degranulation.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-08-25 original
H. pylori lowers stomach acid impairing levothyroxine absorption; eradication lowers TSH and increases thyroid hormone levels, sometimes excessively. High TSH on high levothyroxine doses may indicate H. pylori or malabsorption. Embedded post on vitamin C's role in H. pylori prevention and treatment efficacy.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-08-25 original
TRH increases blood pressure, resting pulse, and prolactin, which can lower testosterone and progesterone. TRH rises when thyroid hormones are low and stimulates TSH. When the thyroid does not adequately respond, TRH remains elevated. The embedded quoted post describes a patient's experience with T3 supplementation improving sleep quality and reducing nocturnal symptoms.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-08-26 original
Discusses how TSH of 4 may not indicate optimal thyroid hormone status, particularly T3. Levothyroxine monotherapy suppresses TSH while reducing T3 bioavailability in peripheral tissues. Natural desiccated thyroid (NDT) increases available T3 and reduces anxiety. Low T3 hyperactivates adrenals and increases adrenaline/noradrenaline, contributing to anxiety. T3 optimization (not just TSH optimization) is needed; high T3 also causes anxiety.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-08-26 original
Fasting lowers thyroid hormone (T3) while also lowering TSH, causing a differential response in thyroid axis. Standard testing with only T4 and TSH during fasting/calorie restriction gives incorrect clinical impression because T3 conversion drops and TSH/T3 relationship reverses from the assumed pattern. Meta-analysis of 15 studies shows significant reductions in FT3 and total T3, moderate TSH decrease, and no significant FT4 change during fasting.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-08-26 original
Author presents study findings on TSH vs T3 dynamics in levothyroxine-treated hypothyroid patients, arguing TSH normalization does not reliably indicate T3 normalization, and that routine T3 measurement should be considered despite clinical guideline omissions.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-09-02 original
Short sleep (1.5 hours below habitual for 6 weeks) lowered TSH in women without changing FT4. Embedded quote discusses effects of 6-hour sleep on insulin sensitivity and sleep deprivation effects across multiple studies, with review of sleep's role in metabolic health.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-09-02 original
Patient medical notes from 12–13 year levothyroxine user who switched to NDT 120 mg and reported resolution of dry skin, constipation, brain fog, fatigue, cold intolerance, and pain. Post explains NDT contains both T4 and T3 while levothyroxine is T4 only; NDT is prescription with standardized hormone levels, unlike unregulated over-the-counter products.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-09-02 own thread
lowmegatron quotes a person who says they once had a TSH of 68 and an endocrinologist noted them as unstable and anxious. Another doctor insisted on SSRIs, which they declined.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-09-02 original
Thyroid hormones play roles in anxiety, depression, and psychosis, yet psychiatric patients often lack thyroid testing. Post discusses case with multiple psychiatrists prescribing psychiatric drugs without thyroid screening. Notes Cymbalta lowers T4 by average 20%; 42% of patients had ≥30% T4 drop; TSH-only screening would miss this effect. Cites postpartum psychosis link to autoimmune thyroid disease (nearly 4× higher, 3× higher clinical dysfunction).
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-09-03 original
Coffee increases T2 (thyroid hormone metabolite) with pro-metabolic effects. Animal studies show T2 reverses liver damage and insulin resistance. Human study finds T2 levels associated with coffee metabolites, suggesting coffee naturally increases T2. Author cautions that T2 reduces thyroid hormones via pituitary feedback; high doses unclear if safe due to T3 suppression and potential cardiac hypertrophy in animals.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-09-03 original
Levothyroxine monotherapy maintains normal TSH but produces elevated T4:T3 ratio, potentially leaving metabolic impairment unaddressed; combined T4/T3 therapy or desiccated thyroid produce higher T3 and lower T4 ratios. Embedded quote describes personal experience switching from levothyroxine to NDT with symptom improvement.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-09-07 original
Hypothyroidism increases parathyroid hormone, which can lead to histamine issues, bone issues, and atherosclerotic calcification. Low calcium, magnesium, and vitamin D elevate PTH; vitamin K2 and higher calcium-to-phosphate ratio help prevent soft tissue calcification. Embedded post discusses thyroid hormone, vitamin D, and mast cell activation mechanisms.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-09-08 original
Coffee drinkers have lower TSH and much lower risk of subclinical hypothyroidism; embedded post attributes extensive caffeine and coffee health benefits to Ray Peat, including thyroid protection, liver protection, cancer prevention, and cognitive effects.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-09-08 original
TSH within normal reference range associated with significantly increased odds of miscarriage; study citation provided.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-09-08 own thread
lowmegatron quotes a study's statement that higher TSH was associated with early-pregnancy miscarriage. It says TSH of 2.5 to 4.8 raised risk, and above 4.8 raised it further.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-09-08 own thread
lowmegatron quotes McGavack's The Thyroid, saying thyroid underfunction commonly shows as weight gain, lassitude, dry skin, coarse hair, brittle nails and emotional unrest. The quote states habitual abortion is frequent in such patients, citing Delfs and Jones (1948). It continues a thread on TSH and miscarriage.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-09-09 original
Aloe vera juice lowers thyroid antibodies (TPOAb) but also lowers free T3 and increases FT4:FT3 ratio, suggesting reduced thyroid hormone conversion. Very limited human data; one case report of a woman with low thyroid hormones (T3 and T4) that normalized upon stopping aloe vera juice, and a thyroid nodule that shrank when discontinued. Recommendation: monitor free thyroid hormones closely if using aloe vera juice. Embedded quoted account provides tips for optimizing thyroid hormone conversion.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-09-10 original
Hypothyroidism leads to estrogen dominance partly through suppressed progesterone and pregnenolone. Thyroidectomy in animals causes progesterone and pregnenolone levels to drop due to reduced mitochondrial respiration needed for pregnenolone synthesis. Deficiency of active T3 thyroid hormone is the mechanism. Low basal temperature may indicate low T3 despite normal thyroid blood markers.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-09-11 own thread
lowmegatron says low thyroid hormone activity with a healthy gland and normal blood tests can stem from poor cellular uptake, conversion problems, or thyroid hormone resistance. He notes Mark Starr's term "type II hypothyroidism" and says the percent affected is hard to determine.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-09-11 own thread
lowmegatron says Barnes treated patients with NDT, which he says gets around many conversion issues because it contains some T3. He says Barnes diagnosed based on basal temperature, signs and symptoms, and response to an NDT trial. The author claims basal temperature reflects cellular thyroid hormone activity and can reveal what blood tests miss.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-09-11 original
Thyroid hormones and TSH fluctuate throughout the day with circadian rhythm; testing at consistent times improves result reliability. FT3 shows delayed circadian rhythm parallel to TSH, suggesting thyroid-derived T3 contribution.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-09-11 original
TSH shows pronounced circadian rhythm: highest at 7am, lowest at 1pm (women) or 2pm (men), then rises at 4pm. Same patient can appear normal or hyperthyroid depending on sampling time. Embedded quote critiques blood-based thyroid testing and contrasts with historical symptom-based diagnosis methods.
Source summary and thread relationship - @jamesbondwisdom · 2026-09-12 original
jamesbondwisdom claims thyroid dysfunction, both hypo- and hyperthyroidism, causes diffuse hair loss that is reversible once corrected, and that dermatologists rarely check it. It says T3 controls anagen duration. It argues that TSH alone misses subclinical dysfunction, recommends a full panel (TSH, free T3, free T4, TPO and TG antibodies), and asserts an optimal TSH of 1.0-2.0.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-09-13 original
Vitamin C improves levothyroxine absorption, lowers TSH, and improves quality of life in hypothyroid patients requiring high-dose levothyroxine, per proof-of-concept pilot study.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-09-13 original
Artificial sweeteners from anti-sugar messaging may cause thyroid issues; aspartame alters pituitary-thyroid axis and disrupts thyroid follicular structure, reducing hormone production; sucralose downregulates thyroid axis in rodents, lowering TPO enzyme, TSH, and T3/T4.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-09-13 own thread
lowmegatron quotes a case report of a 52-year-old woman whose Hashimoto's was attributed to excessive non-nutritive sweetener beverages. The quote says TSH and antibody levels quickly normalized after she stopped the sweeteners.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-09-15 original
Lists associations between low serum magnesium and thyroid conditions: subclinical hypothyroidism, Hashimoto's disease, hypothyroidism, TGAb positivity, higher TPOAb, increased thyroid vascularity. Cites study showing low vitamin D and magnesium associated with goiter, functional thyroid disorders, and thyroid antibody positivity. Embedded quote provides epidemiologic data on magnesium deficiency and thyroid disease risk.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-09-15 original
Small study (N=11) showing magnesium supplementation alone lowered TSH from 7.6 to 2.6 over 6 weeks in patients with subclinical hypothyroidism (normal T4, elevated TSH), resulting in normalization. Includes normal thyroid ultrasound. Embedded quote discusses magnesium's association with thyroid conditions.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-09-15 original
General health optimization guidance recommending 'basic' nutrient coverage before exotic interventions. Lists common deficient micronutrients: magnesium, potassium, selenium, vitamins D, C, E, K1/2, thiamine. Advises testing and dietary sources before supplementation. Cites foundational lifestyle: sunlight, sleep, walking. Embedded quote discusses interventions that lower thyroid antibodies.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-09-16 original
Ray Peat recommended oysters for hormonal health due to zinc and selenium content. Zinc replenishment normalizes T3 thyroid hormone and lowers reverse T3 in zinc-deficient individuals. Selenium supports thyroid hormone conversion and reduces thyroid antibodies. Some people find thyroid hormones work better when incorporating oysters. Study citation provided on zinc role in thyroid metabolism.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-09-18 own thread
lowmegatron quotes a study (PMID 31563038) stating that acute psychosocial stress elicits a significant increase in TSH. The quote says this is relevant to stress-related illnesses with hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid axis abnormalities.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-09-18 own thread
lowmegatron reports a randomized trial in hypothyroid women in which yoga was followed by T3 up 17%, T4 up 7% and TSH down 26%. He also quotes a review saying four studies indicated yoga improved hypothyroidism by lowering TSH and levothyroxine doses and raising T3 and T4. The quoted context is a Ray Peat quote that stress hormones lower thyroid hormone conversion, so TSH alone cannot diagnose.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-09-19 original
Lowering TSH can unblock nasal congestion by reducing mucopolysaccharide production in turbinates and subcutaneous tissue; treatment of hypothyroidism resolves nasal obstruction; quoted post details NOSE and PNIF measurements showing 100% congestion relief in 1 month and 11-21% airflow improvement; PMID cited.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-09-21 original
Progesterone increases expression of genes the thyroid uses for iodine uptake, hormone synthesis and growth. This effect is progesterone-receptor-dependent. Evidence shows free T4 increases and TSH tends lower during progesterone treatment in women.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-09-23 original
Urinary T3 concentrations differ between levothyroxine and NDT (natural desiccated thyroid); NDT restores urinary T3 to healthy levels and reduces hypothyroid symptoms 2.5-6.5× more than levothyroxine. Shares quoted research on symptom comparisons and NDT dosing protocols.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-09-23 original
GABAergic substances may suppress TSH-stimulated thyroid hormone release and lower thyroid hormones through modulation of GABA; complex HPT axis relationship warrants caution in people with suboptimal thyroid levels using GABAergic compounds.
Source summary and thread relationship