rT3 and FT3 overactive immune system
Blood tests for reverse T3 (rT3) and free T3.
How can you measure if you have an overactive immune system?
By looking at the ratio of your T3 to rT3 blood levels. Therefore, if you have too much rT3 in proportion, you have an active immune system (or extreme emotional stress) and your other organs are not getting enough energy to thrive and feel good.
rT3 is an inactive form of the T3 hormone.
An underactive thyroid is an under-recognized problem in Western medicine.
In fact, most laboratories look at the amount of TSH and T4. But usually reverse T3 (rT3) is not measured (T3 is often not measured either). Your body always makes rT3 to get rid of excess T4. If more energy is demanded elsewhere in the body, rT3 production goes up. For example, due to stress or an active immune system.
If rT3 is too high, the body adjusts energy consumption by making the thyroid work more slowly.
So it may be that your TSH is high-normal and your T4 is normal. Your doctor then says there's nothing wrong with your thyroid hormone, but maybe your T3, your active thyroid hormone, is low and your reverse T3 is high. If so, something is definitely wrong.
The causes of a too-high rT3 level can be:
- Chronic stress
- Intestinal problems (leaky gut)
- Low iron or Hb
- Inflammation(also low-grade inflammation caused by food intolerance)
- Low vitamin B12 status
- Low vitamin B6 status
- Low selenium
- Low vitamin D content
- Consequences of yo-yo dieting
- MTHFR gene mutation
It is not always a solution to only work with thyroid medication, the other problems and lifestyle should also be worked on.
Delivery time: Reverse T3 is a specialist test and it can take up to 1 to 2 weeks for the results to come in. If you have ordered other tests you can request a partial result after one week.
