The Circadian T3 Method (CT3M) is a means of improving cortisol levels for thyroid patients. I originally created it because I had incredibly low cortisol throughout the day. CT3M successfully raised my cortisol at all points of the day. I have been using CT3M for about twenty-five years and continue to be well.
There are many blog posts on CT3M that can be found on this site. Here is a good one to start with to get more information:
Someone said to me recently that they had heard that CT3M only works to improve low morning cortisol. This is not true.
Many thyroid patients end up using hydrocortisone (HC) or adrenal glandulars in order to help improve their cortisol levels. Unfortunately, this often causes the thyroid patients to produce even less of their own cortisol and makes them dependent on yet another medication. In many cases, the use of HC or adrenal glandulars makes little difference and can even make some patients feel worse.
So, what is the real truth?
CT3M can work incredibly well for many thyroid patients. It is capable of raising morning, afternoon and evening cortisol levels back to normal.
Sometimes, a dysfunctional cortisol pattern like very low morning cortisol, followed by high cortisol the rest of the day can also be corrected, simply by getting the cortisol production to be higher in the morning.
The most common cause of low cortisol in thyroid patients is not adrenal fatigue or tired adrenals (which I no longer believe in by the way). It is, in fact, dysfunction of the hypothalamic-pituitary system. Frequently, this is due to low T3 levels in that system. So, correcting this, using CT3M, can fix the root cause of the problem.
Many dysfunctional cortisol patterns can be addressed by the use of CT3M. It is definitely worth trying if the thyroid patient has low cortisol across the day, low morning cortisol followed by high cortisol or simply low morning cortisol.
CT3M does not always work in every single case. However, CT3M frequently does help and results in better cortisol levels throughout the day. This is why I continue to tell thyroid patients that CT3M is worth trying before the use of HC, or adrenal glandulars, is attempted. Because if CT3M is successful, it can make the thyroid patient feel really well as their own system begins to work as nature intended it to do.
CT3M has now helped thousands of thyroid patients raise their cortisol levels or be able to wean off the use of hydrocortisone or adrenal glandulars. There are thousands of patients that CT3M has benefited.
For the best, most reliable information on CT3M please read the Recovering with T3 book and The CT3M Handbook. do not believe everything you read or hear about on the Internet.
Please look at the posts about CT3M on this blog – you can search for CT3M or Circadian T3 Method. The Recovering with T3 book and The CT3M Handbook contain the definitive information on the protocol.
Here are a couple of Success Stories from actual thyroid patients that also show that cortisol dysfunction across the entire day can be addressed using CT3M:
https://paulrobinsonthyroid.com/success-story/vickis-story/
and
https://paulrobinsonthyroid.com/success-story/valeries-story/
Best wishes,
Paul
If one’s primary hypothyroid symptom is sleeplessness, it takes a hige effort to screw up enough courage to start CT3M. (My successful dose, after much trial-and-error, is at 3am, and it took 12 changes of timings and dosage to get there. Yes, I can get back to sleep–my biggest fear! This fear held me back for 18 months while trying everything else I could think of.)
Many hypothyroid patients were doing just fine on T4 before developing hypocortisol symptoms. These are so similar to hypothyroid symptoms. For me, sleeplessness, anxiety to point of panic, and deep depression, along with physical manifestations.
If one is symptomatic, I think CT3M should be ANYONE’s first step. What have you got to lose? Furthermore, one should make only ONE change at a time and let it settle in for five days or a week before adjusting timing (first) and then dose (second).
Endos or GPs will rarely point you in this direction but there is a wealth of information in Paul’s books for implementing CT3M for yourself. All you need is a coöperative prescribing physician.
Hi CJ, thank you so much for this comment. You are absolutely right that many thyroid patients could benefit from CT3M but they often just put off the thought because they think it is going to be too difficult or cause sleep issues.
Your comment may give some of these patients the encouragement to give it a go.
Many thanks.
Paul
Is there currently a CT3M forum?
Hi Jess,
Not as such no.
I run a small thyroid forum based on my last book ‘The Thyroid Patient’s Manual’.
It is on Facebook with the same name as the book.
I give people ‘steers’ there but I don’t go into incredible depth.
I only go into a lot of detail in 1-1 coaching these days.
Best wishes, Paul
Hi, I always have high cortisol…do you know if this protocol works for high cortisol as well?
Have you done a 9:00am morning blood cortisol test and a 4-point saliva test Natalie?
You need both to get a good picture.
So, the answer to your question would depend on the results of both of these.
Normally, the answer would be No. This is if the saliva test was high all day and the blood cortisol was high also.
I don’t answer detailed labs questions here so please don’t post the results here.
I do 1-1 coaching consults though if you get stuck – see the website home page ‘Contact Us’ button.
Best wishes, Paul