T3 Cycle for someone on low dose supplemental T4

One of my buddies is trying to get that last 7lbs of fat off before a contest in 6 weeks and his fat loss has stopped and he doesn’t have any time to take a break from his diet to let this body reregulate. Will a moderate T3 cycle be damaging to his already slightly slowed thyroid?? I figured if he stopped taking the T4 and started a 4week low-moderate T3 pyramid cycle and then went back on the T4 while taking guggyl he should be ok. What do you guys think??? Bill/Brock???

I think T3 is a better drug than T4 in any case, so he ought to stick with it. Both are similarly suppressive if doses giving equivalent metabolic effect are used.

I think you misunderstood. He is taking prescribed T4 replacement therapy for his natural thyroid out put level which is a little on the low side but barely warrent’s the prescription.

No, I didn’t misunderstand, I did see (and I’ll admit frankly there are times when I do overlook a point within a post) that the T4 was prescribed. I still think T3 is a better drug and that was my point.

I am aware that T4 is generally preferred. The reasoning is that T4 has a longer half life (about 7 days vs 1 day) and so is more tolerant to patient compliance problems (missed dosing.)

There’s also an argument that once per day T3 dosing gives moderately fluctuating levels but so far as I know this objection is purely theoretical, not demonstrated to be an issue (however if you can find an exception I’d be interested!). And actually, the natural levels of T3 are circadian in nature (highest at night, indicating dosing before bedtime would logically be optimal though frankly the reverse dosing, on arising, I’ve never seen to be a problem) so perhaps the moderately-changing-level of T3 over the day is actually a good thing, mimicing the natural cycle.

Another reason for using T4 is that it is cheaper at US pharmacies, but T3 is absurdly cheap at Mexican pharmacies (I don’t know the US price) so that seems a bogus reason.

T3 has the superior property of not being dependent on the liver for conversion, which makes it far better when dieting.

I am not saying T4 is terrible for replacement therapy – if it were it would not be used – but I am saying I think T3 is better, at least for the person with the discipline to take his medicine every day, and it is not because I am unaware of the medical arguments to the contrary. I just don’t agree with them (for the above reasons.)

Thanks Bill, always a pleasure!!!