Wilson’s Temperature Syndrome (WTS) is a concept that may be of interest to those with symptoms of hypothyroidism. This concept was developed in 1988 by Dr. Denis Wilson (not to be confused with Dr. James L. Wilson, the guru for adrenal fatigue). The hallmark feature of Wilson’s Syndrome is low body temperature. Dr. Wilson believes that the body needs to be at a temperature of 98.6 degrees F to be operating optimally. Those with Wilson’s Syndrome, however, have a chronically low body temperature, usually around 97 degrees. Just as the body can’t function optimally with a fever, it also can’t operate optimally when too cold. When the body is too cold, the result is symptoms that mimic hypothyroidism. The goal is to get the body temperature up to 98.6 degrees and when this happens, symptoms are supposed to disappear.
What Causes Wilson’s Syndrome?
Wilson’s Syndrome develops in response to stress. Stress may come from a wide variety of sources. The most obvious ones include childbirth, divorce, or death of a loved one. Less obvious sources include chronic pressures at work or relationship troubles. While the body is under stress, metabolism slows in order to conserve energy. Once the stressful event has passed, metabolism should return to normal, but sometimes it doesn’t. This produces symptoms of hypothyroidism. Thyroid tests will be normal, but the body will respond to thyroid treatment.
How is it Diagnosed?
Wilson’s Temperature Syndrome cannot be diagnosed with a blood test. Instead, when symptoms of WTS are observed, other related conditions are ruled out. Then, you may try the WTS protocol to see if your body responds positively.
The main symptoms of WTS are low body temperature and normal thyroid blood tests. Here is where things get tricky. Low body temperature is also an indicator of hypothyroidism, and one can have hypothyroidism and also have normal blood tests. Please refer to the section on hypothyroidism for more information on this.
Other conditions that cause similar symptoms are liver disease, anemia, leukemia, and diabetes. Blood tests should be run to check for these conditions first. You should also be checked for a heart condition and for Addison’s Disease. These conditions may be worsened by starting Wilson’s Syndrome treatment.
Once other conditions are ruled out, some further information is required. To see if your body temperature is truly low, your temperature should be taken by mouth with a basal thermometer three times a day, starting three hours after waking. This process should be repeated for several days. For each day, add the three temperatures together and then divide by three to get the average. If your temperature consistently averages below 98.6, then Wilson’s Syndrome may be suspected.
Treatment
WTS protocol involves taking sustained-release T3 every 12 hours, to the minute. Some people report negative side effects if they take their dose late by as little as 5 minutes. Treatment also involves checking your pulse and your temperature daily. The starting dose of T3 is 7.5mcg, and this is increased by 7.5 mcg daily until the temperature reaches 98.6. However, there are two exceptions to this. The maximum dosage of T3 is 75 mcg of T3, twice daily. This amount of T3 should never be exceeded, even if the body temperature doesn’t reach 98.6 degrees. Furthermore, you should not increase your dose if your resting heart rate is over 100 beats per minute, or if you have palpitations.
If your body temperature reaches 98.6 degrees, you can stop increasing your dose, but keep taking your temperature. Your temperature will likely go down again. When this happens, you can cycle up your dose until the temperature is back up to 98.6. When your temperature remains at 98.6 for three weeks, your temperature is considered “captured.” Once the temperature is captured, you can stay on that dose for a period of time as decided by your doctor. After this period of time passes, you will wean down off of your T3. However, you will want to decrease your dose slowly to prevent your temperature from dropping, so that means decreasing your dose by 7.5mcg every 2-8 days, depending on how your body responds. You will eventually wean off the T3 completely for about 2 days and then begin the process again. However, chances are that your temperature will be captured at a lower dose the second time around.
Temperature doesn’t always go up on the first round, but it usually does on the second. The process is repeated for about 6 months. The process of cycling up and down on T3 for about six months is supposed to reset your metabolism so your body temperature remains at 98.6 degrees.
Does this Work?
I tried the WTS protocol two years ago. I learned the procedure my doctor, not from Dr. Wilson’s website. Now I realize that I did not follow the protocol correctly. Therefore, I am not sure if my experience is the best indicator of whether this treatment is effective. However, it could serve as an example of how important it is to follow the procedure extremely carefully.
The first mistake I made was that I never took my temperature. I simply cycled up on my T3 by 7.5 mcg a day until I reached the maximum dose of 75mcg, and then I cycled down. My symptoms were horrendous. I had major heart palpitations that sometimes woke me up at night. These continued for a year after stopping treatment. I had never had palpitations before beginning the protocol. I was also so fatigued that I couldn’t think straight. Once I had to cancel a doctor’s appointment because I didn’t think it was safe for me to drive. This was the first time in 19 years of battling fatigue that I felt this way. I stopped treatment at the direction of my doctor in the middle of my second cycle.
It is difficult for me to recommend a treatment that I had such a negative response to, although my poor experience could have been the result of not doing it correctly. If you decide to try this, make sure that you fully understand the protocol. I have included links at the bottom of this article. It would be interesting to hear from others who have tried this treatment and to learn what their experience was.
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