All About Thyroid Hormone Supplementation

A study on chickens showed that supplementing with supraphysiological (beyond physiological) dosages of the active thyroid hormone, liothyronine (T3) resulted in no uptick in oxidative stress.
“In the present study, two trials were conducted to evaluate the effects of hyper- and hypothyroid status on the redox balance of broiler chickens. In Trial 1, 3 groups of broiler chickens were randomly subjected to one of the three treatments: subcutaneous administration of triiodothyronine (T3, 150 ??g/kg BW), methimazole (MMI, 150 mg/kg BW), or saline. The blood, liver and heart were sampled at 3 h after injection. In Trial 2, three groups of 20 broiler chickens were randomly fed with one of the three diets: control, dietary supplementation of T3 (1.5 mg/kg diet) or MMI (1 g/kg diet) for 7 days. In trial 1, the plasma concentrations of T3 and T3 to thyronine ratio (T3/T4) were significantly increased by T3 injection. Plasma levels of thiobarbituric acid reacting substances (TBARS) tended to be increased (p = 0.067) by both T3 and MMI treatments while the ferric reduced/antioxidant capacity (FRAP) was increased only by MMI treatment. Acute T3 treatment had no significant effect on the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and the concentrations of FRAP and TBARS in either liver or heart tissue. In contrast, the hepatic activities of SOD were decreased (p<0.05) while the cardiac levels of FRAP were significantly increased (p<0.0001) by MMI treatment. In chronic treatments, the rectal temperature of chickens was significantly decreased (p<0.05) by MMI treatment. The circulating T3 levels were significantly increased (p<0.05) by long-term T3 treatment, and showed a trend to decrease in MMI treatment. The plasma concentrations of TBARS were significantly (p<0.05) increased by MMI treatment. All the redox parameters measured in either liver or heart were not significantly altered by either long-term T3 or MMI treatment except that the hepatic SOD activities were significantly augmented by T3 treatment. The result showed that neither acute nor long-term elevation of circulating T3 levels induced lipid peroxidation in broiler chickens. The enhanced enzymatic antioxidant system (SOD in cardiac tissue) may be involved in the protection of the bird to increased oxidative challenge. The responses of redox balance to changed thyroid state seem to be tissue specific.”

 

I even tried creams with both T4 and T3 in the mix, but this treatment failed miserably.
There were only a few such patients, and they typically came back feeling very poorly, with a low T4 and a high TSH.
The deiodinase enzyme in the body that clips iodines off the molecular structure of the T4 hormone exists in three different forms, labeled I, II and III. The type III deiodinase enzyme is very prominent in human skin, and this particular enzyme specifically converts T4 into reverse T3, which is inactive.
I have also tried having natural thyroid extract put in the skin cream. The practical problem with this approach is the rather unpleasant smell of thyroid extract. It is not overwhelming, so if there were a huge advantage in using thyroid extract, it is still doable. However, I have not seen any major advantage in using thyroid extract in a cream form as opposed to T3, so there are only a few patients in my practice on this preparation. There is also the theoretical disadvantage of having the type III deiodinase enzyme in skin converting the T4 in the extract into reverse T3, which may have an adverse effect on thyroid balance.”
From Dr. Kenneth Blanchard’s Functional Approach to Hypothyroidism: Bridging Traditional and Alternative Treatment Approaches for Total Patient Wellness

 

I get liquid synthetic T3 and synthetic T4 (as in haidut’s Tyromix or BSP’s T3 and T4), and I dilute them in another dropper bottle, so I fill the second empty bottle with some solvent (DMSO, ethanol, or water), and I put a single drop of T3 and drop of T4 (or a drop of a pre-mixed combination of the two) in the new solvent, so it’s a 1/1200th dilution (say in a 60 mL bottle with 1200 drops).

Depending on the concentration of the original T3 and T4 solution, you could add another drop of the original solution to the diluted solution daily, or every two or three days, or even every several days if you find you still have adrenergic symptoms.

Regularly measuring your pulse and using a BP monitor can be helpful, and the beta-blocker propranolol can bring you heart rate down if it gets above 120, as can raw cabbage juice or propylthiouracil.

Each drop of the original solution has 3 mcg T3 and 6 mcg T4.

With each additional drop of the original solution into the diluted solution, the dose per drop of the diluted solution increases by 0.0025 mcg T3 and 0.005 mcg T4.

One may tolerate an increase of 0.004 mcg T3 and 0.008 mcg T4 per day, but any more than this may cause adrenaline sensitization and bring the pulse to above 120 BPM or higher.  The increased dosage adjustment may be accomplished by adding 3 drops of the original solution to the diluted solution on day 1; 1 drop on day 2; and 1 drop on day 3.  Day 4 will repeat the cycle.  An example of this type of protocol appears below:

Date	Drops Added	T3 Added	T4 Added	Cumulative T3 Added	Cumulative T4 Added	T3 Per Drop (Dilution)	T4 Per Drop (Dilution)
9/1/2017	3	9	18	9	18	0.0075	0.015
9/2/2017	1	3	6	12	24	0.01	0.02
9/3/2017	1	3	6	15	30	0.0125	0.025
9/4/2017	3	9	18	24	48	0.02	0.04
9/5/2017	1	3	6	27	54	0.0225	0.045
9/6/2017	1	3	6	30	60	0.025	0.05
9/7/2017	3	9	18	39	78	0.0325	0.065
9/8/2017	1	3	6	42	84	0.035	0.07
9/9/2017	1	3	6	45	90	0.0375	0.075
9/10/2017	3	9	18	54	108	0.045	0.09
9/11/2017	1	3	6	57	114	0.0475	0.095
9/12/2017	1	3	6	60	120	0.05	0.1
9/13/2017	3	9	18	69	138	0.0575	0.115

Researchers examined the effects of temperature and food intake on thyroid function in 4-week-old pigs over a period 6 weeks:

“The separate effects of ambient temperature and energy intake on the metabolism of thyroid hormones in the young pig have been investigated. Piglets were kept singly from 4 weeks of age at 10 or 35 degrees C on a high (H), or low (L) energy intake, such that H = 2L.”

They measured their thyroid hormones 16-21 hours after their last meal when the pigs reached 10 weeks old:

“At the tenth week of age blood samples were taken 16-21 h after the last meal for the determination of plasma concentrations of thyroxine (T4) and 3,5,3′-triiodothyronine (T3).”

They then measured the fractional disappearance rate of thyroid hormones, which shows represents how fast the body destroys its thyroid hormone, for example in extreme stress:

“At the end of the tenth week of age the fractional disappearance rate (K) of T4 was determined and finally the K value for T3 was estimated.”

They found that a high food intake increased the pigs’ production of thyroid hormones:

“Plasma concentrations of T4 and T3 were greater in animals on a high intake than in those on a low intake, (P less than 0.02), but the temperature at which the animals lived had no significant effect.”

Pigs destroyed their own thyroid hormones faster in cold temperatures:

“The values of K for T4 and T3 were greater at 10 than at 35 degrees C (P less than 0.010 and P less than 0.05), and energy intake had no significant effect.”

Cold temperatures and high caloric intakes significantly increased their needs for thyroid hormone:

“Calculations of the catabolic rates in nmol/kg X h revealed that for T4 the rate was greater at 10 than at 35 degrees C (P less than 0.001) and on a high than on a low intake (P less than 0.01).  Similar differences were found between the mean values of T3 with respect to both temperature and energy intake, but the variance was large and they did not reach statistical significance.  It is concluded that the metabolism of thyroid hormones is influenced independently by both ambient temperature and energy intake.”

References

Macari, M., Dauncey, M. J., Ramsden, D. B., & Ingram, D. L. (1983). Thyroid hormone metabolism after acclimatization to warm or cold temperature under conditions of high or low energy intake. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Physiology (Cambridge, England), 68(4), 709–718. The separate effects of ambient temperature and energy intake on the metabolism of thyroid hormones in the young pig have been investigated. Piglets were kept singly from 4 weeks of age at 10 or 35 degrees C on a high (H), or low (L) energy intake, such that H = 2L. At the tenth week of age blood samples were taken 16-21 h after the last meal for the determination of plasma concentrations of thyroxine (T4) and 3,5,3’-triiodothyronine (T3). At the end of the tenth week of age the fractional disappearance rate (K) of T4 was determined and finally the K value for T3 was estimated. Plasma concentrations of T4 and T3 were greater in animals on a high intake than in those on a low intake, (P less than 0.02), but the temperature at which the animals lived had no significant effect. The values of K for T4 and T3 were greater at 10 than at 35 degrees C (P less than 0.010 and P less than 0.05), and energy intake had no significant effect. Calculations of the catabolic rates in nmol/kg X h revealed that for T4 the rate was greater at 10 than at 35 degrees C (P less than 0.001) and on a high than on a low intake (P less than 0.01). Similar differences were found between the mean values of T3 with respect to both temperature and energy intake, but the variance was large and they did not reach statistical significance. It is concluded that the metabolism of thyroid hormones is influenced independently by both ambient temperature and energy intake.