Last Chance - Mother's Day Sale

Last chance - Mother's Day Sale

For moms, thyroid health matters. Save $25 on our thyroid test kit or self-pay membership using code MOMDAY.

What Is Reverse T3 Thyroid Hormone?

Learn about reverse T3 (rT3) and the controversy surrounding this thyroid hormone.
What Is Reverse T3 Thyroid Hormone?
Last updated:
8/21/2024
Medically Reviewed by:

The Big Picture

In this article

The thyroid is a complex organ that helps control every cell in your body. Understanding how this small, but powerful gland works and what your thyroid lab results mean can be challenging. Sometimes, your thyroid labs do not match up with how you are feeling. It is essential to understand what biomarkers to test and what the results mean for your overall health if you struggle with symptoms from a thyroid condition.

Overview of thyroid hormones

The thyroid gland is responsible for producing hormones that control the body's metabolism. Thyroid hormones regulate your metabolic rate by regulating your heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature, digestive system, muscle function, bone maintenance, and brain development. When your thyroid hormones are off, your whole body is affected. 

Creating and secreting thyroid hormones is a highly complex process. Indeed, there are many steps involved to make the right amount of thyroid hormone for your body. 

Thyroid hormone production begins in your brain. The pituitary gland, which is a pea-sized gland partially attached to the hypothalamus in your brain, is responsible for controlling most hormone-secreting glands in your body. Sometimes, even, the pituitary is called the "master gland" because it holds a significant role in regulating vital body functions and helps to control your overall wellbeing.

One of the main hormones released by the pituitary gland is thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH). This hormone "stimulates" the thyroid gland to secrete thyroid hormones. Your doctor will test your TSH if you have any symptoms that may indicate a problem with your thyroid. 

  • High TSH levels may mean that you have an underactive thyroid or hypothyroidism. Your pituitary gland secretes more and more TSH to signal the thyroid gland to release more thyroid hormones because they are low.
  • Low TSH levels may suggest that you have an overactive thyroid or hyperthyroidism. Your thyroid is secreting too much thyroid hormone, so it releases less TSH to tell the thyroid to slow down.

The thyroid uses iodine from your diet to make two thyroid hormones: thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3). When your thyroid works normally, it produces about 80% T4 and 20% T3. Although T4 is more abundant in your bloodstream, T3 is much more active. 

Production of reverse T3

Reverse T3 (rT3) is the inactive metabolite of thyroxine (T4) formed by selective deiodination.

Deiodination is the process of converting T4 into T3 in some of your body tissues like the liver and kidneys. When T4 converts into T3, one iodine atom is removed from the outer ring of the T4 molecule. T4 is aptly named because it has four iodine atoms attached to tyrosine. Sometimes, one iodine atom is removed from the inner ring of the T4 molecule, which becomes reverse T3 (rT3).  

Reverse T3 is a byproduct of T4 metabolism and is the inactive form of T3. That is, rT3 cannot carry out the same metabolic activities as T3. RT3 is thought to elevate when a person is critically ill as a means of conserving precious energy.

Clinical significance of reverse T3

The clinical relevance of rT3 is hotly debated. Indeed, many questions surround what role rT3 plays and if there is any clinical significance to using this test for diagnosing thyroid disease.

There is no evidence that rT3 indicates thyroid illness. Still, many patients request to have their rT3 tested because they believe high rT3 levels are behind their hypothyroid symptoms such as fatigue and weight gain

That said, there are some circumstances where assessing rT3 can be useful. Reverse T3 may be an adaptive mechanism to benefit the body in certain situations where you don't want to have as much thyroid hormone activity in the tissue level. For example, if a patient is undergoing extreme stress, trauma, surgery, or malnutrition. Then, rT3 may be a valuable marker.

Another example is that it may be helpful to monitor rT3 levels in euthyroid sick patients (also called nonthyroidal illness syndrome). These are patients who have a healthy thyroid (euthyroid) and are hospitalized in the intensive care unit because they are critically ill. Typically, these patients are suffering from severe illness or have had major surgery, restricting calorie intake. RT3 is usually elevated in these patients, while T3 is low and T4 and TSH are normal. Treating euthyroid sick patients requires treating the underlying cause of severe illness and does not usually require thyroid medication. 

Reverse T3 relationship to diet

To reduce energy consumption, RT3 may be produced when a person is suffering from starvation. There is some speculation that rT3 may elevate when the body is under severe stress, such as in people who follow chronic diets.  

When a person follows strict diets that lead to calorie deprivation, it can stress the body and may increase rT3 levels. Consequently, people who diet to lose weight may retain or even gain weight because their body is attempting to store excess calories for energy reserves. The theory is that high rT3 levels may contribute to weight gain even in the presence of weight-loss efforts such as dieting and exercise. 

Many people with hypothyroidism struggle with weight gain and fatigue. Therefore, some patients request to have their rT3 levels checked to see if that is contributing to their symptoms. However, the significance of rT3 and what to do with laboratory findings remains unknown at this time. 

Current guidelines indicate that measuring TSH, free T4, free T3, and TPO antibodies is sufficient for identifying thyroid disease and titrating your medication if you struggle with symptoms that may be related to a thyroid condition. 

If you do check your rT3 and discover that it's elevated, keep in mind that it goes up in someone undergoing stress. It's important then to consider and treat the underlying contributors like stress or poor nutrition. 

## 5-day meal plan

A note from Paloma Health


Understanding the role of reverse T3 (rT3) in thyroid health is crucial, especially in contexts of stress, trauma, or severe illness. While rT3 testing remains controversial, monitoring your overall thyroid health is essential for well-being. Paloma Health provides comprehensive thyroid testing and expert consultations to help you manage your thyroid health effectively. With Paloma Health, you can get personalized care and support to address any thyroid-related concerns. Schedule a consultation today to take control of your thyroid health.

Limited offer

20% off your first Thyroid Test

Test your thyroid levels from home and know your levels in days
Use code GETBETTER at checkout
Use code
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.

References:

Gomes-Lima C, Burman KD. Reverse T3 or perverse T3? Still puzzling after 40 years. Cleveland Clinic journal of medicine. 2018;85(6):450-455. doi:https://doi.org/10.3949/ccjm.85a.17079

Niven DJ, Laupland KB, Tabah A, et al. Diagnosis and management of temperature abnormality in ICUs: a EUROBACT investigators’ survey. Critical Care. 2013;17(6):R289. doi:https://doi.org/10.1186/cc13153

Simon C, Schweitzer B, Oujaa M, et al. Erratum: Successful overweight prevention in adolescents by increasing physical activity: a 4-year randomized controlled intervention. International Journal of Obesity. 2008;32(10):1606-1606. doi:https://doi.org/10.1038/ijo.2008.138

ATA. Homepage | American Thyroid Association. American Thyroid Association. Published 2016. https://www.thyroid.org/

Iodine health. World News. Accessed June 17, 2024. https://www.iodinehealth.com/

Diets.com. Published 2024. Accessed June 17, 2024. https://www.diets.com/chronic

Sloot YJE, Janssen M, Herwaarden van, Peeters RP, Netea-Maier RT, Smit J. The Influence of Energy Depletion by Metformin or Hypocaloric Diet on Thyroid Iodine Uptake in Healthy Volunteers: a Randomized Trial. Scientific Reports. 2019;9(1). doi:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-41997-2

Share article:

Julia Walker, RN, BSN

Clinical Nurse

Julia Walker, RN, BSN, is a clinical nurse specializing in helping patients with thyroid disorders. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Regis University in Denver and a Bachelor of Arts in the History of Medicine from the University of Colorado-Boulder. She believes managing chronic illnesses requires a balance of medical interventions and lifestyle adjustments. Her background includes caring for patients in women’s health, critical care, pediatrics, allergy, and immunology.

Read more

Is Paloma Right For Me?

Hypothyroidism is a long-term commitment and we’re committed to you. Schedule a free, no-obligation phone consultation with one of our intake specialists to find out more.

Schedule a call
thyroid hormone for hypothyroidism

Find out if Paloma is right for you. Schedule a free call with one of our health care advisors.

Schedule a Call