Thread: T3 confusion

Originally Posted by tgarza

There seems to be three schools of thought on t3 usage.

1. Fast ramp up, slow ramp down

2. Straight dosage for desired length of time(eg: four weeks)

3. Two days on two days on for desired length of time.

I don't want to destroy my thyroid or have major rebound ,so what is the best way to run t3 for four to six weeks.

First one is a proper way to run it and I would run it for 4 weeks max if you want to be on a safe side.

Ramping up and down is just so you give your body less of a shock. If your doing it for the first time then ramping up will also allow you to gauge how much your body can handle.

Two days on/off is not necessary with T3.

Getting thyroid problems is a possibility no matter how long you take it for, everyone's body reacts to everything differently. If your not willing to take the risk then simply do not use T3. A lot of people use T3 for 6 weeks at a time, but there is evidence to suggest that longer useage does no harm. This an extract take from a T3 study:

Like the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis, the thyroid gland is under negative feedback control. When t3 levels go up, TSH secretion is suppressed. This is the mechanism whereby exogenous thyroid hormone suppresses natural thyroid hormone production. There is a difference though between the way anabolic steroids suppress natural testosterone production and the way t3 suppresses the thyroid. With steroids, the longer and heavier the cycle is, the longer your natural testosterone is suppressed. This is not the case with exogenous thyroid hormone.

An early study that looked at thyroid function and recovery under the influence of exogenous thyroid hormone was undertaken by Greer (2). He looked at patients who were misdiagnosed as being hypothyroid and put on thyroid hormone replacement for as long as 30 years. When the medication was withdrawn, their thyroids quickly returned to normal.

Here is a remark about Greer's classic paper from a later author:


"In 1951, Greer reported the pattern of recovery of thyroid function after stopping suppressive treatment with thyroid hormone in euthyroid [normal] subjects based on sequential measurements of their thyroidal uptake of radioiodine. He observed that after withdrawal of exogenous thyroid therapy, thyroid function, in terms of radioiodine uptake, returned to normal in most subjects within two weeks. He further observed that thyroid function returned as rapidly in those subjects whose glands had been depressed by several years of thyroid medication as it did in those whose gland had been depressed for only a few days" (3)

These results have been subsequently verified in several studies. (3)(4) So contrary to what has been stated in the bodybuilding literature, there is no evidence that long term thyroid supplementation will somehow damage your thyroid gland.

Not this again... ramp up slowly to assess sides, but is it necessary? Nope. Ramping down isn't necessary either as there's no scientific evidence to support its benefit. there is a whole bunch of scientific evidence however that suggests a moderate dosage for years will not cause permanent thyroid damage.

50mcg-75mcg daily is the sweet spot for most, me included.

ya i was concerned about this too but with all the research that ive done ive come to the conclusion that it can be ran for months at a time at a moderate dose without causing any shutdown....Ive been running 50mcg/day for the past 2 months. I plan on running it for another month then ill taper off and stay off for a month or two, then hop back on.

thanks for the info.

Originally Posted by pieguy

Not this again... ramp up slowly to assess sides, but is it necessary? Nope. Ramping down isn't necessary either as there's no scientific evidence to support its benefit. there is a whole bunch of scientific evidence however that suggests a moderate dosage for years will not cause permanent thyroid damage.

50mcg-75mcg daily is the sweet spot for most, me included.

Well said bro. The thyroid "shock" is a myth and the scientific evidence proves it so. No need to taper up and down and go on and off.



/V

Originally Posted by pieguy

Not this again... ramp up slowly to assess sides, but is it necessary? Nope. Ramping down isn't necessary either as there's no scientific evidence to support its benefit. there is a whole bunch of scientific evidence however that suggests a moderate dosage for years will not cause permanent thyroid damage.

50mcg-75mcg daily is the sweet spot for most, me included.

^^^ This...

Speaking of 'sides'... I never really feel much on T3. For me it's very comfortable. The only thing I ever really notice is the feeling of being a bit more warm during/after training. That's it for me.

How are the results? I'm interested in this but messing with my thyroid always scares me.

I am running this for the first time now. Just kicked it up to 50mcg. I will let you know how it works out. Doing a 4 week run to test the waters. I will try to ramp up to 75mcg.
Are there any signs when your body stops tolerating it ( shakes, etc) ?

Originally Posted by tyzero89

ya i was concerned about this too but with all the research that ive done ive come to the conclusion that it can be ran for months at a time at a moderate dose without causing any shutdown....Ive been running 50mcg/day for the past 2 months. I plan on running it for another month then ill taper off and stay off for a month or two, then hop back on.

??? ,, so what have the last two months running t3 done for ya in way of fat loss....