Monday, May 28, 2012

DHEA Blocks T3 Absorption

During the past few weeks I experienced more constipation, which is my most obvious symptom of hypothyroidism. Since I had been taking 50mcg of T3, I hesitated to raise my dose again. Instead I scanned "Recovering with T3". Miraculously I read about the author's experience with drugs which can block T3 absorption. Those drugs include hydrocortisone, DHEA, alcohol, and some antibiotics. I began taking DHEA sublingually last December (almost 6 months ago). When I refilled my prescription in late March, I told the pharmacist that I still had immunity problems (cold symptoms). So the pharmacist suggested that I raise my DHEA dose to improve immunity. After I raised my dose to 4.0mg in early April, I experience greatly improved immunity (no cold symptoms no matter what else I did). Perhaps I got more vitamin D on sunnier days. However, I also began to have more hypothyroid symptoms during April. So I raised my dose of T3 over a 6 week period from 42.5mcg to 50mcg. I experienced temporary relief (from constipation, low body temperature and fatigue) with each increase. However relief was short lived. After 2 weeks on 50mcg I began having more severe constipation, which was not relieved even by extra magnesium. (I already followed all the usual 'regularity' rules of fluids, fiber, exercise, etc. for years but nothing consistently resolved irregularity until I began T3 thyroid supplement therapy.) After reading about drugs which block T3 absorption, I decided to abstain from DHEA to see what happens. The very first day without DHEA, I had relief from irregularity. If the DHEA increase blocked my T3 absorption, while I slowly increased the T3 dose, I wonder whether my current T3 dose (50mcg) may prove to be too high. I need to watch for hyperthyroid symptoms, while I'll abstain from DHEA until I notice immunity problems.

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