Review Detail

 
Barnes Basal Temperature Test
Barnes Basal Temperature Test Hot
Endocrine (Hormones)
Written by Maff     November 27, 2009    
Many people today suffer from the chracteristic symptoms of hypothyroidism yet when they go to their doctor and have blood tests carried out everything appears normal. Modern doctors have been trained to rely more on bloodwork than what their patients are telling them about their symptoms so the patient is usually dismissed as being healthy or perhaps given some antidepressants.

The problem is that one-off blood tests for thyroid function are notoriously unreliable and not only that but doctors often fail to test for T3 - the thyroid hormone that actually does the work.

The Barnes Basal Temperature Test (BBTT) is relatively simple to carry out at home and is a resonably reliable indicator of how well your thyroid is function. It can be considered a better test than blood tests because it tests one of the end results of thyroid function - body temperature regulation. Instead of just knowing levels of various thyroid hormones in the blood it tells us if they are actually doing their job at the cellular level.

In my personal experience I have ME/CFS which has been linked to thyroid dysfunction and I have many of the typical hypothyroidism signs along with the symptoms of ME/CFS. After blood tests had repeatedly come back normal, including T3 levels, I decided as a trial I would try a low dose of T3 medication myself having obtained some from the internet (Please don't do this - see your doctor). Surprise surprise I quickly felt more like myself than I had in many many years. It was like someone had flicked a switch and turned my brain back on. Everything seemed brighter, more interesting, I had motivation etc. I decided to stop the medication trial and try the BBTT. Sure enough after a month of readings my average basal temperature was around 35.5C indicating a quite significant degree of hypothyroidism according to Barnes.

With my blood tests appearing normal (including T3) I can only assume that there is a problem with the thyroid receptors on my cells - perhaps from oxidative stress and inflammatory processes that are part of ME/CFS. Confirming this is not something that can be done routinely outside of a research setting unfortunately!

My experience however demonstrates that the BBTT is a very useful tool that can identify treatable hypothyroidism even when it has been previously ruled out by blood tests.
Overall rating 
 
8.7
Ease of Use 
 
8.0
Usefulness of Results 
 
8.0
Would you Recommend? 
 
10.0
Maff Reviewed by Maff November 27, 2009
Last updated: March 27, 2010
#1 Reviewer  -   View all my reviews (107)

Useful when you feel sick but blood tests are norm

Many people today suffer from the chracteristic symptoms of hypothyroidism yet when they go to their doctor and have blood tests carried out everything appears normal. Modern doctors have been trained to rely more on bloodwork than what their patients are telling them about their symptoms so the patient is usually dismissed as being healthy or perhaps given some antidepressants.

The problem is that one-off blood tests for thyroid function are notoriously unreliable and not only that but doctors often fail to test for T3 - the thyroid hormone that actually does the work.

The Barnes Basal Temperature Test (BBTT) is relatively simple to carry out at home and is a resonably reliable indicator of how well your thyroid is function. It can be considered a better test than blood tests because it tests one of the end results of thyroid function - body temperature regulation. Instead of just knowing levels of various thyroid hormones in the blood it tells us if they are actually doing their job at the cellular level.

In my personal experience I have ME/CFS which has been linked to thyroid dysfunction and I have many of the typical hypothyroidism signs along with the symptoms of ME/CFS. After blood tests had repeatedly come back normal, including T3 levels, I decided as a trial I would try a low dose of T3 medication myself having obtained some from the internet (Please don't do this - see your doctor). Surprise surprise I quickly felt more like myself than I had in many many years. It was like someone had flicked a switch and turned my brain back on. Everything seemed brighter, more interesting, I had motivation etc. I decided to stop the medication trial and try the BBTT. Sure enough after a month of readings my average basal temperature was around 35.5C indicating a quite significant degree of hypothyroidism according to Barnes.

With my blood tests appearing normal (including T3) I can only assume that there is a problem with the thyroid receptors on my cells - perhaps from oxidative stress and inflammatory processes that are part of ME/CFS. Confirming this is not something that can be done routinely outside of a research setting unfortunately!

My experience however demonstrates that the BBTT is a very useful tool that can identify treatable hypothyroidism even when it has been previously ruled out by blood tests.

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Comments

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Tinalyn49 Written by Tinalyn49
March 14, 2017
Omg this is exactly what I need to do . What kind of medicine do I need after I do this test .I have hair loss chronic fatigue 3 years now with every year possibly done come back normal .need help
In reply to an earlier comment

Written by robin
June 22, 2017
The first thing you need to do is to take a " Comprehensive Thyroid Test." Life Extension will order it for you without having to go to a doctor. When you get the results back they will give you an interpretation using optimals rather that the all too inaccurate lab curves. Never ever take thyroid meds on your own as you can make matters worse. If you do require meds only take the desiccated meds such as Naturethroid or Synthroid as they contain both the T4 and T3. The synthetic meds only contain T4 which some people cannot convert into the active T3.
In reply to an earlier comment

Written by robin
June 22, 2017
My error, I meant to say that Synthroid is a synthetic med only using the T4 while Armour contains both the T4 and T3.
In reply to an earlier comment

Maff Written by Maff
June 23, 2017
Last updated:
June 23, 2017
While I agree to almost everything you've said in this comment Robin, I must point something out to avoid confusion among readers. Both thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3) medications are in fact widely available if a doctor is open to using T3. The benefit of taking synthetic T4 and T3 medications as opposed to glandular extracts such as Naturethroid or Synthroid is that the dosages can be much more accurately controlled. Medications are standardised, whereas dessicated glandulars by their very nature have more variation in the content of T4 and T3. It is of course a case of personal preference which route you'd prefer to take with dissicated meds seen as more natural and the hormones more bioavailable. Whichever route you choose to take, please do so under the care of a medical doctor. When it comes to hormones they can have serious, even life-threatening consequences when misused.
Kl11 Written by Kl11
February 26, 2018
Last updated:
February 26, 2018
Most people who have clear thyroid symptoms have an auto immune disease known as Hashimotos ... many don't know they have it because Dr's sometimes don't check for it.

Key is to calm the immune system with Vitamin D, Curcumin, Omega 3's, Glutathione, relax, yoga, etc.
5 results - showing 1 - 5