Hey all!
So I posted this question a couple of weeks ago, because I've been suffering from symptoms that seem to match the description of low prolactin.
I ordered a prolactin test privately and the results came back as 713 mU/L (33.63 mg/mL, which I think is the more common unit on this forum). My GP seemed a bit skeptical of the result, and ordered another test to confirm it. The results of the second test were 350 mU/L (16.5 mg/mL), which my GP assured me is pretty normal.
I explained to my GP that I believed I was suffering from reduced thyroid function, based on my low heart rate, low body temperature, recent weight gain, thinning hair, and very dry skin. She agreed to run a test for T3 and Free-T3 to put my mind at ease (because my T4 was normal).
Results of my recent blood tests are below, taken over 3 days in a 2 week period.
I have a bunch of questions about all of this, and would love some feedback from the group—particularly if you can share some relevant insights from Ray.
Prolactin questions:
I know the people on this forum hold a different view of autoimmunity from the mainstream medical view. I've suffered from Psoriasis to varying degrees throughout my life and have the following questions:
If you made it this far without going to watch cat videos on YouTube, thank you!
Here are the lab results as promised:
I've provided the NHS (National Health Service) normal ranges for reference. They might differ in your country.
T3 1.5
Free T3 4.8 (NHS range: 4—8.3)
Free T4 13 (NHS range: 10—24)
TSH 3.6 (NHS range: 0.4—4.5)
Testosterone 20.9 (NHS range: 10-38 nmol/L)
Calcium 2.32 (NHS range: 2.2-2.6 nmol/L)
Prolactin 713 *, 350** (NHS range: 86—324 mU/L)
Prolactin 33.63*, 16.5** (NHS range: 4—15 mg/mL)
* Test one
** Test two
So I posted this question a couple of weeks ago, because I've been suffering from symptoms that seem to match the description of low prolactin.
I ordered a prolactin test privately and the results came back as 713 mU/L (33.63 mg/mL, which I think is the more common unit on this forum). My GP seemed a bit skeptical of the result, and ordered another test to confirm it. The results of the second test were 350 mU/L (16.5 mg/mL), which my GP assured me is pretty normal.
I explained to my GP that I believed I was suffering from reduced thyroid function, based on my low heart rate, low body temperature, recent weight gain, thinning hair, and very dry skin. She agreed to run a test for T3 and Free-T3 to put my mind at ease (because my T4 was normal).
Results of my recent blood tests are below, taken over 3 days in a 2 week period.
I have a bunch of questions about all of this, and would love some feedback from the group—particularly if you can share some relevant insights from Ray.
Prolactin questions:
- I've had two prolactin tests that were massively different. Why is that? My prolactin seems to have dropped from 33.63mg/mL down to 16.5mg/mL in just 12 days (I've had two separate blood tests taken). NOTE: I've been supplementing with 100mg of B6 per day for the past week, which might have had an impact.
- Is it common to see such a wide flux in Prolactin levels?
- Is 16.5 still too high? I'm sure Ray mentioned in a KMUD interview that he's never seen a man with prolactin over 8 who was happy with his health. Am I right in saying then that the sub-clinical value of 16.5 is still too high, despite not being defined so by medicine? I know @haidut has said that if you have high prolactin, you're probably not healthy.
- Could this have been lingering for years? As a child I had ferocious psoriasis, and as a teen I had enlarged glands in my chest which went away after a few months. Psorisis is associated with high serum prolactin. Could I have had elevated prolactin all of this time, or is it pretty uncommon in kids?
- Any other tips/advice/info related to lowering prolactin that might help?
- Is temp. and pulse still the best way to gauge thyroid?
- Can someone please give me a definitive answer for RHR and athletes?
- What would Ray say about my thyroid levels?
- Why isn't TSH super high if prolactin is high? I thought these two correlated quite strongly, but my TSH doesn't seem to be out of range in the same way that my prolactin levels are.
- Why isn't Testosterone super low if prolactin is high? As above, I thought there was a negative correlation between prolactin and Test, but it seems to be unaffected.
- Can topical NDT help thinning (not bald) hair?
I know the people on this forum hold a different view of autoimmunity from the mainstream medical view. I've suffered from Psoriasis to varying degrees throughout my life and have the following questions:
- Any sense in the TH1 vs TH2 dominance argument? I read this in Datis Kkharrazian's thyroid book (which I didn't really rate). We all have either T-Helper 1 or T-Helper 2 dominance, and knowing which category you fall into can help you better manage your immune system. Does that make sense in a bioenergetic view of the body?
- Can cytokines block Thyroid from entering the cell? I have no references for this, I read it in Datis Kkharrazian's thyroid book. He said that elevated Cytokines (which would be present during an autoimmune flare up like one experiences with psoriasis) can physically block T3 from entering the cell. If this is the case, then how the heck does one start to fix a problem like Psoriasis from a bioenergetic perspective?
- What problems do chronic cortisone treatment bring? As a kid, I had years of treatment for Psoriasis, with Hydrocortisone and coal tar (among other things). I've read Hans Selye's The Stress of Life in which he describes the GAS. Would chronic use of hydrocortisone cause the enlarged adrenals and diminished thymus seen in the general stress response?
- If so, how easily is it reversed? If the answer to the above is affirmative, how can one go about reversing the physical changes demonstrated in the GAS?
- Any other info? I'm still trying to understand the bioenergetic view of autoimmunity, having being told the "your body is attacking you" rhetoric my whole life. Can anybody help me understand why this community generally doesn't accept that view?
If you made it this far without going to watch cat videos on YouTube, thank you!
Here are the lab results as promised:
I've provided the NHS (National Health Service) normal ranges for reference. They might differ in your country.
T3 1.5
Free T3 4.8 (NHS range: 4—8.3)
Free T4 13 (NHS range: 10—24)
TSH 3.6 (NHS range: 0.4—4.5)
Testosterone 20.9 (NHS range: 10-38 nmol/L)
Calcium 2.32 (NHS range: 2.2-2.6 nmol/L)
Prolactin 713 *, 350** (NHS range: 86—324 mU/L)
Prolactin 33.63*, 16.5** (NHS range: 4—15 mg/mL)
* Test one
** Test two
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