Experience of Novothyrall 100?

[NadeNud]

Hi

I've just been prescribed Novothyrall 100 (I live in German at present).

Each tablet contains 100 mcg Levothyroxin and 20 mcg Liothyronin Sodium so it is a combined T4 and T3 medication.

Can anyone tell me of their experiences on this form of medication.

I checked earlier posts so I found a very helpful translation, too.

Many thanks

[leroi01]

Hi NadeNud,

I have been taking Novothyral since 4 weeks (doctor in Austria). I was previously on Levo 100mcg but I was feeling cold (low basal temp), had low energy and my FT3 was in the lower quartile. Since taking it I have warmed up (basal temp) and pulse has ticked up too. I will wait for another few weeks and will do a blood test again. I am sort of self-medicating with an easy-going GP, but his general view is that I was quite under-medicated prior compared to his other thyroidectomy patients. Issue with Novothyral is that the T3 dosage is a one-off daily whereas many on this forum recommend splitting the doses across the day. How are you finding it?

[NadeNud in reply to leroi01]

Hi Leroi1

Am about to start taking it today so will get back to you on that.

Thanks for the reassuring feedback. Kept telling my doctor that too much exertion made me hypothyroid but she started to suggest psychological help!!

Anyway, thanks to this forum, I was told that my low ferritin would result in a poor T3 conversion which explained so much. I then informed her and, to her credit, she admitted she hadn't heard of that.

So, I hope this will help, as well as concentrating on my nutrition for optimal conversion....

Thanks again for the reply

[shaws Administrator in reply to leroi01]

I think it's good if a combined T4/T3 tablet can give the relief to symptoms. I also think that people who have had a thyroidectomy should be given more than T4 alone.

Thankfully, I haven't had a thyroidectomy and take T3 alone at present once a day as advised by Dr Lowe. Excerpt:

And finally, why do I specify that the typical patient use one full dose of non-timed-release Cytomel for life? Because extensive testing has shown that this is safe, effective, and most economical—when used within the context of our entire protocol.

web.archive.org/web/2010103...

[leroi01 in reply to shaws]

Shaws, thanks for this link. My hunch is that most thyroidectomy patients are poorly managed and probably have sub-optimal blood values but simply put up with it. Certainly in my case, I was on levo 100 only for 20 years and just got on with life and raised the kids. All the while my weight steadily went up, LDL too and so statins became also part of the daily regime and all the while, FT3 was technically ok but effectively too low. Going forward with a new T3/T4 protocol, I am a little edgy with Dr. Lowe's view that blood values are secondary to how one feels and am much more comfortable with technical targets of "top quartile FT3, body temp, pulse rate". Generally this website very interesting for those with thyroid issues, and who have some sort of own thyroid functionality, to educate them about treatment options. But for those with no thyroid at all, it is not a relative issue anymore, its gone, so their options are quite limited and mandatory.

[shaws Administrator in reply to leroi01]

We have to go by our instinct and what suits us. Unfortunately, when we are first diagnosed we haven't a clue how our lives will be affected and get used to being 'under the weather or extremely unwell'.

I think that Natural Dessicated Thyroid hormones (they contain everything that other replacements dont) which unfortunately are not prescribed very much in the UK should be permitted, particularly for people without a thyroid gland.

Re 'how we feel etc' that's how patients were treated before the blood tests were invented. Doctors diagnosed by symptoms alone but nowadays doctors don't appear to know, or take notice of, clinical symptoms and prescribe different medication for the 'symptom' but not an adequate dose of thyroid hormones. We are also medicated according to the TSH despite being quite 'hypo' re symptoms.

I hope you feel better soon.

[NadeNud in reply to shaws]

Thank you, I'm beginning to feel better already as I'm concentration on raising my vitamin and iron levels now. I've learnt so much from this forum, I am totally in awe of the patient knowledge which has far surpassed the 'professionals' I blindly submitted myself to!

I still can't believe that my recent doctor attempted to convince me that my hypo symptoms were psychological and ignored all my reports of very typical symptoms! The physical discomfort was not imagined!

Anyway, after the amazing feedback on my blood results from this forum, she finally listened and admitted she didn't know about ferritin levels and T3 conversion.

Thank you all for your wisdom and help!!

[NadeNud in reply to leroi01]

Hi

How are you finding the Novothyral?

I'm thinking of stopping it as I feel a bit strange - a semi-hot prickly feeling. Don't feel as comfortable in my body as when I took the Levo, really.

I think I might order some T3 small dosage tablets of 25 and use when I have hypo feelings.

Nadine )

[leroi01 in reply to NadeNud]

Hi,

Yes I saw a blog from a user in Austria who preferred just levo, with the option to add in the levo as they feel like it. Isn't feeling semi-hot a sign of becoming hyper? Maybe try levo again for a while and see what happens. I think Novothyral is available in different T3 doses. I am on 20mcg T3/100 Levo but I think there is a 10 and a 5mcg T3 available.

Have you had a thyroidectomy? If so checking your FT3 blood value is majorly important as we really must have adequate T3 as we are only getting it from our meds.

Me I am fine. I also take 25mcg T3 (cytomel) at 6pm. Haven't done the blood test just yet. No sign of hyper symptoms at all so I still think am under-medicated so am ready to increase again. I am also downing B12, iron and vit D3, just in case there are too low.

David

[NadeNud]

Yes, it usually is a sign of being hyper but then I also started getting hypo symptoms (muscle cramps, mood dropping).

Thanks for you reply. I'm also concentrating on the B12, iron and D3 thanks to this forum.

Will look into additional cytomel, too. Also, yes, I had a thyroidectomy so only just realized this summer how important all the blood values are (after getting hypo due to substantially increased exertion).

Good luck