What is the difference between Levo & NDT ?

[joannec123]

what is the difference? is one synthetic and the other natural? and do you need to get NDT on prescription?

[HarryE]

Levo is synthetic T4, which in theory your body should then convert to the active form T3. NDT is made from animal thyroid and thus contains all the thyroid hormones as your own would if it was working properly. These are T4, T3, T2, T1 & calcitonin. NDT is a prescription medicine, but you can legally buy it yourself without too.

[joannec123 in reply to HarryE]

ok, well I tried Levo back along (long story) and It really helped and seemed to agree with me etc. So, basically the NDT is natural. im veggie so don't know if this would be ok to take ?

Funny how my endo just told me that T3 is irrelevant to someone with HYPO?? lmao x

[HarryE in reply to joannec123]

Well it is made from animals (pigs), so that is a decision you will have to make depending on whether you get on with, or can get, anything else. It is working for me, and I think that something that naturally mimics your own body is better than a synthetic that only provides a little of what you need, but then I'm not vegetarian!

[shaws Administrator in reply to HarryE]

some NDT can be made from cows thyroid gland. You should look on it as a medicine which could be life-giving and symptom free. It is in pill form and more synergistic with the human body than a synthetic levothyroxine which has fillers/binds too which may not agree with us.

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to HarryE]

Harry,

A couple of points, I think this link says what I think about the T2 and T1 claim:

tiredthyroid.com/blog/2012/...

Also, the calcitonin is pig calcitonin - and I have never seen anything that properly addresses what differences there are between pig and human calcitonin.

(This is not anti-desiccated thyroid, simply trying to make sure it is evaluated on accurate grounds.)

Rod

[HarryE in reply to helvella]

No worries, happy to be corrected