I hate to be the bearer of bad news.
But if I don’t tell you, then no one else will.
Often you look to your doctor for answers and most of us have been raised to believe that doctors know exactly what is going on with our health and exactly what to do about it.
But, I’m here to tell you that your doctor and the medical profession in general is more confused than ever regarding hypothyroidism, healthy thyroid function, and thyroid testing.
For what it’s worth, it’s not entirely your doctor’s fault.
Your doctor is really only as good as the tests or tools he has available to diagnose you with. And, the TRUTH is that there really is NO perfect test for hypothyroidism.
Don’t get me wrong…
The hypothyroidism testing that takes place today is really abysmal.
There is so much more the medical profession could be doing to improve their practices but they simply don’t for a number of social and economic reasons.
Unfortunately today, improvements in medical science and testing are only considered if they can generate more profit.
All thyroid tests have their pluses and minuses, which can be expected.
But today we’re so far off the mark when it comes to testing and diagnosing hypothyroidism that it really brings into question whose best interests are in mind here?
Bad Tests for Thyroid Function
The issue of thyroid testing has been a hot debate for more than a century.
If we can learn anything from history (which we rarely do) we should learn that thyroid tests come and go with the wind.
There have been a number of previous tests that have been “accepted” and used as the gold standard in diagnosing hypothyroid for years or decades only to eventually be discredited and deemed useless.
So, it’s important to take our current methods of testing with a grain of salt because it’s likely that they too will follow suit at some point in time and be deemed unreliable.
Below are some of the commonly used hypothyroidism testing methods and why they are unreliable.
1. TSH (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone) Testing
Odds are, if you’ve been diagnosed as hypothyroid by your doctor then you’ve had your TSH levels measured and they have likely been above “normal” (at least their interpretation of normal that is).
This is currently the standard test that medical doctors use to diagnose hypothyroidism.
And it’s the ONLY test they typically run.
Relying on TSH testing and other blood labs is simply asking for trouble… which is why we recommend and use with our clients a far more accurate thyroid test we refer to as the Ultimate Thyroid Testing Protocol.
You can grab it for free… get all the details on the Ultimate Thyroid Testing Protocol right here.
If you’re not familiar with human physiology, TSH is a hormone that tells the thyroid gland that more thyroid hormone is needed and to release more thyroid hormone into your bloodstream.
So, if TSH is high then this is thought to mean that your thyroid gland is not able to produce adequate thyroid hormone, thus you must be hypothyroid.
Extraneous Influences on TSH
One of the biggest problems with TSH testing is that it can be influenced by a number of extraneous factors unrelated to the direct function or health of the thyroid gland including:
- Aging
- Stress
- Infection
- Blood Sugar
- Excessive T4
- Etc.
It’s important to understand that any thyroid test is merely giving you a snapshot of your hormone levels at one single moment in time.
And any factor, including the list above, can cause an immediate or drastic change in your hormone levels.
So, let’s say you’re under a considerable amount of stress, you’ve caught a cold, or you didn’t have time to eat before your doctor’s appointment… these variables can affect the outcome of your test.
It’s also important to note that doctors typically prescribe T4 only medications like Synthroid, which can easily lower TSH without actually improving your thyroid function.
Illogical Reference Ranges
Any lab test is only as accurate to the degree that its reference ranges are accurate.
And there is a lot of evidence surrounding the illogical reference ranges that have been established for TSH.
The original TSH reference ranges were based on the results of the Protein Bound Iodine test, which was one of the many tests that were deemed unreliable.
Basing TSH reference ranges on a test that was proven to be unreliable makes the results of the TSH test… unreliable at best!
2. Free T3 Testing
Triiodothyronine (a.k.a. T3) is typically referred to as the “active” thyroid hormone because it is far more metabolically active in your cells than T4, or the “inactive” thyroid hormone.
Because of this, we know that T3 is the primary thyroid hormone that your cells use to produce energy.
When thyroid hormone exists in the bloodstream, it relies on carrier proteins to move it within your bloodstream and delivery it to your cells where it is used to produce energy.
One of the biggest arguments today regarding hypothyroidism is that of the Free Hormone Hypothesis.
This hypothesis speculates that only “free” or non-bound T3 thyroid hormone can enter your cells and produce energy and that any T3 that is bound to a carrier protein is unavailable to your cells.
However, there have been many studies that have disproved this theory and demonstrated that bound hormones can enter not only cells, but cell mitochondria and cell nuclei.
This pretty much deflates the entire idea that only “free” T3 can be used by your cells.
Since free T3 accounts for less than five percent of your total T3, testing for free T3 is practically useless for diagnosing hypothyroidism.
3. Basal Metabolic Rate Tests
BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) Tests were extensively used in the early to mid 1900’s before blood tests were developed.
This same BMR test is still being used today and is becoming more and more popular in recent years.
The BMR test works by precisely measuring the amount of oxygen that you consume when your body is basal, or completely at rest.
Your rate of oxygen consumption can then be used to determine your metabolism and therefore thyroid function.
However, there are a number of factors that make this test unreliable.
For starters, it requires that your body be in a completely basal state which is practically impossible with this method of testing.
The only time your body is truly in a basal state is when you first open your eyes in the morning and before you start moving and get out of bed.
By the time you wake up, get dressed, drive through traffic to your doctor’s office, check in, etc., your body is no longer in a truly basal state.
So, how accurate can measuring your “basal” metabolism be if you’re not even in a basal state?
In order to make this test truly relevant, you would have to have your doctor come to your home while you sleep, and then administer the test upon waking.
Even in this scenario, the idea of having your doctor in your home and putting some sort of mask over your mouth upon waking would elicit enough of a stress response to alter the test results.
4. Thyroid Blood Tests
There are a number of blood tests available for measuring various factors related to the thyroid hormone pathway including TSH, T4, T3, reverse T3, T3 Resin Uptake, Thyroglobulin, etc.
If you understand the physiology and roles that all of these play within the human body, then you can begin to gain some insight into what the potential problems are that are disrupting your thyroid.
However, they do not answer the one single question that continues to elude medicine even today, which is how much thyroid hormone is actually getting to and being used by your cells.
There are a number of physiological and dietary factors that can stop thyroid hormone from actually being used by your cells. Thyroid hormone can be blocked in your bloodstream and it can be blocked at the cellular level.
There is No Perfect Thyroid Test
You MUST understand that you can take all of the thyroid hormone you want, you can run labs showing you have more than enough thyroid hormone in your blood, but if that thyroid hormone is not being used by your cells then you are still hypothyroid.
The perfect test for thyroid function would be to directly measure the amount of thyroid hormone being utilized by every cell of your body. But with billions of cells, this is easier said than done.
I think it’s safe to say that we’re not going to see any “perfect” thyroid test any time soon.
What Is the Best Option for Thyroid Testing Then?
We’ve already established that measuring various levels of hormones in your blood can provide some useful insight, but fails to tell you the most important thing you need to know, which is how much thyroid hormone your cells are actually using.
Today, this can only truly be estimated through measuring your Basal Metabolic Rate, which has been problematic because it’s impossible to walk into your doctor’s office in a truly basal condition.
Believe it, or not, there is a simple and highly effective thyroid test that can measure your thyroid function in a truly basal state.
By simply taking your temperature and pulse at various times of the day and understanding how to interpret those numbers , you can quite reliably determine how well your thyroid is functioning.
Or if you’ve yet to be diagnosed, it will tell you whether or not you truly are hypothyroid and more accurately than the other testing methods mentioned above.
This is exactly how I work with my clients.
Want to learn the exact advanced testing protocol I use with my clients?
You can learn all about the Ultimate Thyroid Testing Protocol right here.
We don’t rely on misguiding thyroid tests.
We use basal temperature and pulse as well as temperature and pulse throughout the day to determine the metabolic state of the body.
By knowing this information, you can begin to use your diet therapeutically to supply your thyroid and cells with the nutrients they need to keep them running in their optimal state, which is essential for the body and thyroid to heal.
Sources:
1. Briden, Lara. “Why Thyroid Tests Are Unreliable.” Lara Briden – The Period Revolutionary, 1 July 2016, www.larabriden.com/why-thyroid-tests-are-unreliable/.
2. Dach, Jeffrey. “The Thyroid Nodule Epidemic by Jeffrey Dach MD.” Jeffrey Dach MD, Publisher Jeffrey Dach MD Publisher Logo, 9 Jan. 2019, www.jeffreydachmd.com/the-thyroid-nodule-epidemic/.
3. “New Research Shows TSH Test an Unreliable Test of Thyroid Function.” HealthUnlocked, 5 Dec. 2017, www.healthunlocked.com/thyroiduk/posts/136836601/new-research-shows-tsh-test-an-unreliable-test-of-thyroid-function-press-release.
very helpful information! thank you!
I have been taking my basal temp for two months in conjunction with blood tests ( TSH, T4, T3′ reverse T’s and antibodies). altering my Armour Thyroid dosage. The previous tests showed my levels all good, but my temp was running below the 97.6. We decided to increase my dosage in hopes of increasing my thyroid function to achieve the normal temp range. To date my temps ARE within the “normal ranges”. I return to the CPRN to get the results of my bloodwork tomorrow. Excited to have my thyroid back!!!
Thanks Tom!
Tom,
I realized this years ago but didn’t have the answer about taking my temp. One friend told me that, but she didn’t give me more info.
What is great about your whole program is that it addresses many factors to consider with nutrition and our environment affecting our thyroid.
A big Thank You!
I would like to try Armour thyroid instead of taking Synthroid..bit I cannot find a Dr to prescribe it…I have been on Sy trokd for 4 years and gained 80 lbs…my temp runs low sometimes too..any help
You poor thing. A lot of us have been there – struggling with our health and actually having to deal with doctors who don’t really know what they’re doing. Don’t let them tell you your situation is hopeless. It’s really hard but please do get yourself some natural thyroid hormone (you can buy some in this site, and elsewhere) and give it a try. Like a lot of people, I felt so much better after only two or three days! Please work closely with an experienced professional. And never give up. All best wishes to you.
What is armour thyroid? Does synthroid make all hypothyroid patients gain weight and keep gaining weight? Also, after a synthroid dosage increase of one month I have been told my levels are normal but all I feel like doing is sleeping and I play soccer and think I notice that I have a lot less energy a high pulse and weaker strength .. Why is that ?
Armour Thyroid is a natural dessicated thyroid source that contains both T3 (Active) and T4 (Inactive) thyroid hormones. Synthroid is a synthetic T4 (Inactive) only hormone. What you are experiencing is quite common. Short answer, Synthroid is suppressing your TSH which is why your tests come back normal but you’re still hypothyroid.
I live in a very very hot country ( 38) Degrees, im also hot all the time… does this mean my doctors are wrong and i dont have hypothyroidism? i have all the symptoms, fatigue demotivation depression mood swings unbalanced hormones (periods)
Not at all. Thyroid is necessary for regulating much more than just body temperature.
Im in Australia and want to get the Thyroid diet what do you suggest I order.Jennifer
I am currently taking 112 mcg of synthroid and my TSH is still 20. I tried a higher dose but ended up with a 20 hour anxiety panic eppisode. I am requesting to see an endocrinologist a.s.a.p. My thyroids highest was 26 but over several tests and several increases in dosage it is still 20. My T4 and T3 are in the normal range. How is this possible? My thyroid has never been imaged so I am concerned that there may be some other problem causing my high TSH, When I see the specialist, what tests should be run first and should I insist on taking Armour? The synthroid side effects are horrible.
This isn’t all that uncommon. T4 and T3 ranges are too wide so just being within the “normal” range is not enough. You want to be in the optimal ranges. And T3, T4, and TSH are good data points but they are not enough. I have worked with clients with “normal” TSH, T3, and T4 but their body temperature and pulse were still quite low indicating thyroid and metabolic issues. So use tests as data points but never as the end all be all. TSH can rise under stress and for many other reasons. When needed, we run a number of tests looking at additional hormonal function from the pituitary down to looking at metabolic function. You can use all the thyroid you want but if your cells can’t metabolize it, you’ll still be hypothyroid.
I have been hypothyroid for many years I am spitting at 80, I have been on Levithyroxcin 88mcg for a long time, my blood test all come back in normal limits, but I still have almost all of the symtoms of hypothyroid. when I asked my doctor about this, he just said all the blood tests are normal. I am now following your thyroid diet ( just started) but I can tell I am feeling better, but I have a long way to go.
I feel I was about at the end of my rope when I started the diet, so it is going to take a long time to come back. Am I right about that Tom?
How do I find out about what Diet plan I should be following? HELP!! I am getting tired of being tired and fat all the time.
Check out my Hypothyroidism Revolution program: http://www.hypothyroidismrevolution.com
I am Hypothyroid and Hashimoto’s and have been struggling for many years. I check my temp all the time and find that I always have a low grade fever. Could it be the medications I’m taking? My doctor prescribed me a “cocktail” of tramadol, 2 Tylenol, and 2 ibuprofen twice a day for my joint pain. Also, I was told that since my body continually attacks my thyroid, it could eventually disappear. Is this correct? And if so, what will I do without a thyroid?
Hi Whitney,
I just sent you quite a detailed email discussing this. Hope you got it.
I tried using Basal Temp for a number of years and found that in about 20% of patients, no matter how much desiccated thyroid I gave them or how I changed the diet, the temp would not rise. Eventually I came to realize that the temperature center is in the hypothalamus and it is under control of adrenalin, not thyroid. Most people with chronic disease cannot make adequate adrenalin. There is no great test for adrenalin, but if your diastolic blood pressure is below 80 (not on medication), you can be pretty sure you are deficient. Almost always that means you have significant emotional baggage. Unless you deal with that, even giving the tyrosine, B6 and vitamin C it takes to make adrenalin doesn’t solve the problem. You can remove the magnetic fields of emotions with my BioModulator. Although not perfect, in my experience, FT3 is a better test than basal temperature, particularly if you score symptoms and do adequate physical exam, including voltage in the spleen meridian (controls thyroid).
Hi Jerry,
There have been studies published on this through Dr. Broda Barnes showing the reliability of testing. There are many reasons why increasing thyroid hormone doesn’t equate to an increase in body temperature and it’s because you can take all the thyroid hormone you want, but if your cells can’t metabolize it efficiently it won’t make any difference. I had a client who was taking more T3 than I thought was even possible and her labs showed extremely high levels of FT3 yet even during the day her body temp wouldn’t rise past 97F. Body temperature is regulated by metabolic rate, metabolic rate at rest (basal) is regulated by thyroid function. Diet is another story in itself. I talk about this in my thyroid testing series. And as far as adrenaline is concerned, it’s important to understand that stress hormones require thyroid hormone for synthesis. And we have to account for the stress response from the pituitary down. With hypothyroidism we almost always see elevated ACTH because hypothyroidism sufferers are forced to compensate by over-activating the stress response. If one becomes deficient in stress hormones, it’s generally because they cannot synthesize them due to lack of T3, vitamin A, pregnenolone, metabolism, etc. But the stress response is still being over-activated regardless. When stress hormone production declines too far and the body can no longer compensate, that’s when the more serious problems begin to start, i.e. permanent physical degeneration.
Hi Tom
I have been struggling for years (feeling exceptionally unwell) trying to optimise my thyroid hormones. I do not convert T4 very well at all (minimal) and for a reason that I cannot establish and believe me, I have tried all that I have learned, I cannot tolerate T3 as it ‘spaces me out’. I am extremely stressed due to physical pain (bones, joints, arthritis, nerve damage) and consider that this could possibly be the cause but do not know for sure. My body has now become very damaged and ill and I suffer extreme anxiety and panic attacks. I am assuming that the thyroid is not reaching my cells and do not know how to overcome this. I have started to try your meal plans in hope that this will help but if I ever recover, it will be difficult as so much damage has been done. What can I do to get the T3 into my cells as I’m now very desperate and have been for a long time. I’m very hypothyroid according to my blood tests and TSH and yet cannot hardly cope with taking any type of thyroid hormone. I’m now skin and bone with NO fat on my body. Have you any suggestions as to how I can overcome this serious health issue. My basal temperature is low (36.1 – 36.4) and throughout the day, it fluctuates from 36.3 – 36.9), it is all very confusing. My blood pressure is on the lower side with typical readings of 100/67 or thereabouts. My pulse during the day is usually around 80 and slower when I wake. Thank you if you can help.
Hi Cherie,
The reason you can’t tolerate T3 is because your body is compensating for your hypothyroidism with an extreme over-activation of your stress response. Taking T3 makes us more sensitive to adrenaline. So if adrenaline is quite high to begin with, you won’t be able to tolerate much T3 at all until you get the stress response under control, which we do predominantly through diet. The arthritis, nerve damage, etc is unfortunately what happens when you become extremely hypothyroid and your body begins to not be able to compensate.
What should my basal temp be? I have run a 97.2-97.6 as long as I can remember. Dealing with diet controlled DM II now. Am reading about the diet and have been doing most of it but not the OJw/ salt or the coffee for years. Have symptoms of hypothyroidism with thinning hair, eyebrow loss, weight gain, high LDL. With many diet changes (no wheat, sugar, white rice or potatoes. no pork, very little dairy) So have lost weight, total cholesterol down from 345 to 304 (about where I want it) haven’t tested LDL since last Nov. Will NOT tale statins. Had my 1st MD check up in years last week and have a bruit in my Rt Carotid Artery – so therefore there is still inflammation in my body. Have been fighting with Candida for years and currently am being treated for Lichen Planus with Low Dose Immunotherapy treatments. They do appear to be working.
So to record my temp upon waking, what should be the range?
Catherine
Hi i have been ua for over 10 yrs on 75 levo , considering getting a private saliva test done as i cant sleep at night been like this for years , im tire through out the day yet when i go to bed wide awake and trouble to go to sleep i feel i may have adrenal fatigue and weight is giing up and all the usual symptons dry skin , hair loss etc.
docs offered me sleeping tabs thats not the answer so i put myself on melatonin , my life has been extreme stressful lots of factors , and depression and in denial about so many things. if the test comes back with the right result what can i do ?
I had my thyroid removed due to cancer 10 yrs ago and have not been myself since. I take my levothyroxine faithfully…..my TSH SWINGS from 10.75 in Jan to .0025 in March to 8.54 in June to 26 last week. I am on 200mcg Finally found a Dr to let me try Armour…not covered by insurance and expensive….Found the money and will start it tomorrow. I am very scared. I’ve always been the optimistic one, the person who makes things happen. Now I just drag this cold hurting body around and fight sleep….and dream of creative ways to end it. Been a rotten bad year. Husband died (43 yrs married) His mother died(I took care of her-she was 94) lost my real full time job, etc etc etc. In the past I could just put my head down and work…can’t think now. Excuse me. I was sidetracked again. My question was will your eating plan help folks who have no gland at all? I am going to try it anyway but if you think it will you might think about being more inclusive in your posts. I know there are many out there like me….Thanks for your help!
My last lab was TSH 120.700 and T4, free .22 and T3 53. Of course cholesterol was high as well. Doctor increased amour to 60 mgs per day, but still feel like crap. Dr. Doesn’t feel comfortable giving me more medicine than she already is. Requesting to see an endocrinologist, but I’m not holding out much hope. Seems all doctors treat a blood test instead of systems or underlying issues! ?
Quite agree with all I’ve read thus far, and for a while I worked in Medical Research. I can confirm that it is driven by money, pure (or not so pure) and simple.
I have 2 questions. If temp testing shows you need more thyroid – how is that achieved in someone like me who is so allergic to the stuff? I take half the dose suggested and if I take a fraction more I ‘crash’.
Question 2 – I do not react well to coffee. Should I persevere with small doses at a time and work up – or take the view my body is trying to tell me to avoid it? Thanks.
The question you have to ask is why you’re reacting the way you do to thyroid and coffee. Most people like to assume that it’s the food that’s the problem, but that’s typically not the case. With coffee, most people who react poorly (depend on what your reaction is) is due to dietary inadequacies and poor blood sugar regulation. It can also have to do with how you consume the coffee. We always want to address dietary issues first and foremost and then re-introduce foods slowly. As for thyroid hormone, it depends a lot on the medication/supplement you’re using. T4 only meds can further suppress thyroid function. T3 much like coffee can contribute to blood sugar issues if diet is not adequate. Thyroid also lowers stress hormone production, so for those who are relying on stress hormones to keep them going, thyroid can cause them to “crash” so to speak because of this.
There are many different factors that have to be accounted for to determine exactly what’s going on.
I am 43 and have fought this for years. I thought all was going well because I pushed through w what I thought was a healthy diet (I pretty much stayed away from all things processed) and lost 65lbs. I felt really good and then all of the sudden my thyroid numbers began to take a bad turn. I ended up w big nodule on my thyroid and had to half of my thyroid removed. They confirmed its hashimotos. I really think I was eating many veggies that were goitergens do I contributed to that stupid nodule. Now I really feel like poo and have gained all the weight back 10 months post op. My numbers they say are in range but I have all the symptoms beating me down everyday.. How do I get back on track especially w doctors that “don’t get it”! They would seriously prescribe any antidepressant I asked and probably even give pain meds instead of exploring other methods of treatment.. It’s so frustrating but I have to get this under control.
Hi Jeni, I hope you subscribed to our newsletter and read more of our articles because they will help you understand what you need to do. Unfortunately your story is a common one we hear, which is why it’s important to get the right information regarding diet and how it affects your thyroid health. Most people have it backwards. You don’t lose weight to improve your thyroid health. You improve your thyroid health to lose weight.
Hi
I am suffering with tyroid , My doctor have me taking levothyroxine 80 mcg , my hair is falling out , brain fog , lost unable to sleep also is getting virtiligo , I need help frustrated and needs help
Hello!
I am 32 years old and recently had and episode where I all of a sudden turned pale, felt really weak and nauseated, blacked out for a few seconds, and then started sweating. I sat still until it was over and was ok a few minutes later but continued to feel weak/ lightheaded and nauseated for the following two days so I finally went to the ER where my blood tested out in the pre-diabetic range. After a second set of labs taken days after my ER visit still showed that my blood sugar was a little high my Dr. decided to test my thyroid. Since my little blackout episode I have continued to have random nauseous/light-headed spells even though I eat often. I have had the symptoms of hypothyroidism since I was a teenager, the worst of which has been female and bowel issues. My body temperature and blood pressure have always been low and I am always cold(even here in FL). Despite having a very healthy and active lifestyle it appears that now I am having blood sugar problems too. So while awaiting the test results from the latest set of labs, I have been doing some research. Honestly, at this point I have little faith that the Dr. will be able to fix the underlying issue. While, researching my symptoms, It appears that people with adrenal issues have many of the same symptoms as people with thyroid issues. I know that the cycle you described causes adrenaline to be released but otherwise, what is the relationship between the adrenal and thyroid glands? I am not sure if it is worth asking my doctor about checking for adrenal function. I have done the synthroid thing in the past. It helped a little but I still had most of the symptoms. I intend to try your method and naturally address my liver. I just wonder if maybe it isn’t just a thyroid issue. Could you please address the role of/ impact to the adrenals when you are having blood sugar issues and hypothyroidism?
Hi Tara, adrenal hormones are derived from thyroid hormone so when you don’t have adequate thyroid hormone available or when metabolism is dysfunction you lack the ability to produce adequate adrenal stress hormones. I talk about this in more detail here: https://www.forefronthealth.com/thyroid-mistakes/
Hi. How a an I find a doctor or someone who has this knowledge in my area? My endocrinologist just tests my tsh, to and t3, I had a partial thyroidectomy 5 years ago and have yet to feel good. I’m in Florida. Thanks
Hi Kim, there are not many doctors with advanced knowledge and some have even had their licenses removed for practicing in such ways that deviate from the standard medical approach. So, this is why we are so focused on creating all of the resources that can help you right here.
Hi Tom. My doctor won’t prescribe armour thyroid because she says I’m at 112mg synthroid which doesn’t convert to that amount in armour. Not sure what to do. If there’s no direct conversion to 112mg what should I do?
That’s certainly not an accurate statement from your doctor. And it’s an even worse reason not to change someone to a better medication. For help with medication conversions, you can use this: https://getrealthyroid.com/conversion-guide.html