What is NDT?

[Carrot1]

[Clutter]

Carrot, NDT is natural dessicated pig thyroid hormone containing T4 and T3 and trace amounts of T1 and T2. There are also brands containing dessicate bovine hormone. Levothyroxine (T4) and Liothyronine (T3) are synthetic hormones.

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to Clutter]

But when did the name change from simply "desiccated thyroid" (or Thyroid BP, or whatever else) to have "natural" at the front of it?

Rod

[shaws Administrator]

Natural dessicated thyroid hormone is the Original hormone for replacement when there is a dysfunction of the thyroid gland. It is more synergistic to our human body than synthetic levothyroxine. It has been in use for more than 100 years successfully. Before the blood tests were introduced, patients were diagnosed on their clinical symptoms alone and prescribed NDT - even on a trial basis and meds were raised until the patient felt well, with no pains/aches, insomnia etc etc.

When the blood tests and levothyroxine were introduced, it was deemed that levothyroxine was the only medication to be prescribed. In the USA, apparently, doctors are paid by the pharmaceutical companies to use specific products for their patients. So the companies make huge profits as there are millions of hypo people in the USA.

The problem which has arisen over the use of blood tests as it is used nowadays when the TSH is used to determine whether or not we have a problem with our thyroid gland. The BTA is insistent that the TSH is the 'be all and end all' of tests so many doctors diagnose only on the TSH and ignore blatant clinical symptoms until the TSH should ever reach 10 before being medicated. Some doctors do prescribe, thankfully, before 10.

Since the blood tests were introduced, many people were complaining of symptoms which after about ten years were named as CFS, fibromyalgia or ME as their TSH wasn't compatible with the new regime.

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Many do fine on levothyroxine but many do not or they are on too low a dose to make them well as their TSH is kept 'within range' and the British GPs are forbidden to prescribe Natural Dessicated Thyroid hormone and the BTA have also made false statements about it's use.