Thyroid Answers Podcast

One of the most common explanations patients hear when they don't feel well on thyroid medication is this:
"You're not converting T4 to T3."
In this episode of Thyroid Answers, Dr. Eric Balcavage explains why reduced T4-to-T3 conversion is usually not the problem—and why treating it as a defect often leads to aggressive thyroid medication strategies that stabilize labs but destabilize physiology.
You'll learn:
What T4-to-T3 "conversion" actually is—and why it's regulated, not broken

Why clinicians often label symptoms as "poor conversion"

How stress, inflammation, infection, sleep disruption, under-fueling, illness, excess T4, and even aging can intentionally reduce T3 production

Why adding T3 often backfires and creates symptom volatility

How to interpret thyroid labs in context instead of chasing "optimal" numbers

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This episode reframes reduced conversion as an adaptive signal, not a failure—and explains why true thyroid recovery depends on changing the conditions the body is responding to, not forcing output with medication.

Why do so many people still feel hypothyroid when their labs look "normal"?
In this episode of Thyroid Answers, Dr. Eric Balcavage completes the thyroid lab conversation by addressing three of the most misunderstood tests in thyroid care: reverse T3, T3 uptake, and thyroid antibodies.
You'll learn:
What reverse T3 actually represents—and why it rises or falls

Why high reverse T3 does not mean blocked T3 receptors

How T3 medication lowers reverse T3 by suppressing T4, not by improving physiology

What the T3 uptake test measures and why it still matters

Why free T4 and free T3 can be misleading without total hormone levels

How binding proteins, estrogen, liver function, inflammation, and medications affect interpretation

What thyroid antibodies do—and do not—tell us about thyroid damage and disease activity

This episode is essential listening if you've been told your thyroid is "optimized," yet symptoms persist—or if you're trying to understand why thyroid medications work for some people and cause instability for others.
This discussion sets the stage for the February series on thyroid medication physiology, including T4-only therapy, T3 therapy, combination therapy, and desiccated thyroid.

T3 is the most talked-about thyroid hormone — and the most misunderstood.
In this episode of the Thyroid Answers Podcast, Dr. Eric Balcavage breaks down Total T3 and Free T3 using a clear, Q&A-style format to address the most common questions, mistakes, and treatment traps patients and clinicians fall into.
You'll learn:
What T3 actually represents — and what it does not

The difference between Total T3 and Free T3 (and why you need both)

Why low T3 is often an adaptive response, not a deficiency

Why adding T3 medication can help short-term but worsen physiology long-term

Why "chasing Free T3" is one of the biggest mistakes in functional medicine

How stress, inflammation, illness, dieting, and medications alter T3 levels

Why labs can improve while patients feel worse

How to interpret T3 correctly within the full thyroid panel

This episode is essential listening if:
You've been told your T3 is "low-normal" but still feel terrible

You feel better on T3 medication at first — then worse

Your labs look good, but your symptoms don't match

You want to understand thyroid physiology beyond numbers and ranges

🎁 Free Resource: If you want a clear, practical guide to understanding thyroid labs, comment LABS and I'll send you my Thyroid Labs Decoded eBook.

Most thyroid patients are told their labs are "normal" because their Free T4 is in range, yet they still feel exhausted, cold, foggy, and unwell.
In this episode, Dr. Eric Balcavage breaks down one of the most misunderstood areas of thyroid testing: Total T4 vs Free T4, what each test actually measures, why doctors often run only one, and why relying on a single value leaves millions of people stuck without answers.
This is a Q&A-style episode, answering the real questions patients ask every day, including:
What Total T4 really tells us about thyroid hormone availability

Why Free T4 alone can be misleading

How stress, inflammation, and adaptation affect these values

Why "normal T4" doesn't always mean normal thyroid function

When thyroid medication helps — and when it makes things worse

If you've been told your thyroid labs look fine, but you don't feel fine, this episode will help you understand what your labs are actually saying, and what they're not.
👉 Want help interpreting your thyroid labs? Comment LABS to receive my free Thyroid Labs Decoded eBook.

AI is quickly becoming part of health care. Patients are using ChatGPT and other AI tools to interpret symptoms, labs, genetics, and decide what to do next—often before they ever talk to a clinician.
But here's the real question: Does AI actually understand the human body—or is it just organizing data without context?
In this episode, Dr. Eric Balcavage is joined by Dr. Cam McDonald, a global leader in precision health and AI, and Susan Robbins, an epigenetic human performance coach, to explore the promises, limitations, and hidden assumptions behind AI-driven health advice.
Together, they unpack:
What AI does well in health care—and where it can go wrong
Why more data doesn't always lead to better health decisions
How genetics, epigenetics, and body measurements can inform care—but don't tell the whole story
The difference between managing numbers and supporting recovery
Why optimization isn't always healing
When doing less may actually be the most precise approach
This conversation is especially important for anyone dealing with chronic symptoms, thyroid issues, anxiety, fatigue, or feeling overwhelmed by conflicting health advice. AI isn't the enemy—but what it assumes about health matters more than most people realize.
🎧 Whether you're a patient trying to make sense of AI health advice or a clinician navigating this new landscape, this episode will help you think more clearly about what true personalized care really means.
Guest Information:
Dr. CAM MCDONALD BIO: Dr Cam McDonald is a global leader in precision health, AI, and human performance who's redefining how we understand health, wellbeing, and behaviour in the modern world. As the CEO of the Precision Health Alliance and a Fellow of the Australasian Society of Lifestyle Medicine, Dr Cam combines deep scientific expertise with an engaging, down-to-earth communication style that makes complex ideas practical and inspiring. An Accredited Exercise Physiologist, Dietitian, and PhD researcher, Dr Cam has spent over two decades translating the science of epigenetics, AI, and personalised health into real-world systems that improve how people live, learn, and lead. Through platforms like ShaeWellness and Shae Group, his work helps organisations, practitioners, and individuals use technology to unlock human potential, prevent burnout, and create sustainable high performance. He's been featured on ABC Radio, Channel 7 News, and major conferences around the world, sharing the stage with thought leaders including the Dalai Lama and Deepak Chopra. Whether he's speaking to scientists, CEOs, or educators, Dr Cam brings a rare blend of rigour, humour, and humanity, showing how AI and precision health are not the future—they're the tools we can use right now to live and lead better. Website for health professionals - https://precisionhealthalliance.org/contact/
Susan Robbins is a retired law enforcement officer turned certified epigenetic human performance coach and personalized health expert, with over a decade of coaching experience and a specialization in epigenetics since 2019. After facing chronic Lyme disease, autoimmune, and gadolinium deposition disease, she discovered the transformative power of epigenetics—the science of how lifestyle and environment influence genetic expression—and has dedicated her career to helping others optimize their health through a deeply personalized approach. Using DNA testing, the cutting-edge PH360 platform, and epigenetic age testing, Susan guides clients to align every aspect of their lifestyle with their unique genetic and epigenetic blueprint, unlocking sustainable, long-term vitality and wellness. To bring personalized health to the forefront and make this science accessible, she created the podcast Everyday Epigenetics: Raw. Real. Relatable., a platform designed to break down complex epigenetic concepts into practical, relatable conversations that empower listeners to take control of their health journey with clarity and confidence.
Website: https://healthyawakening.co
Podcast: https://everydayepigenetics.co
Instagram: susanrobbins_epigeneticcoach
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