Should I raise NDT?

[Joeyis7]

Hello. I would welcome advice on increasing my dose of Nature Throid. I've had to keep a basic background dose of thyroxine of 100mcg because my original dose was 250 mcg and I am used to high doses. When I tried to cut thyroxine totally and just take starting dose of NDT I was terribly ill, heart pounding out of chest, week, weeping, shaking after one day, very hypo. Having 100 mcg has worked better but I now feel very weak and hypo on 1 grain plus 1/2 grain later, p,us 1/2 grain later = 2 grains NDT plus 100 mcg thyroxine. Some of you commented earlier that this is a lot, yes, it is, and I realise that probably it's not possible to get answers to complex answers on a forum, even a great forum such as this one! My temps have dropped since starting NDT, used to be 36.7 about mid afternoon, now 36.4 or 36.3.

My adrenals are weak but supported via Dr P with 7.5 Prednisolone and 6 NAX. And one Swansons adrenal capsule.

People have varied experiences and I would so love to hear your comments, while expecting advice to be very diverse. My instinct is, my body is crying 'Give me more NDT!' But of course it could be saying the opposite. When you are as down as this, you can't distinguish between symptoms.

Above I meant 'answers to complex questions' but it won't let me correct!

Many thanks for reading, you must be sick of the sight of me!

Joeyis7

[shaws]

When you began taking NDT and dropped levo, did you do a straight swop-over to 2.5 grains? Which would have equalled to approx 250mcg most people do that.

With the above dose of NDT plus T4 equals around 350 mcg levo per day. It usually takes some weeks to settle into a new dose of thyroid hormones. If you were overdosed I would think your would be aware of symptoms of overstimulation but you feel hypo. If too much you would probably have a very fast pulse, feel very hot as well as uncomfortable.

When did you start on NDT?

[Joeyis7 in reply to shaws]

Thank you so much for replying, Shaws. I'm sitting here weeping, staring at my ipad. It's been nearly three years of hypo and adrenal failure. I've had enough and so I am glad to talk to another human being with thyroid issues.

I started Nature Throid 26 days ago, intending to dovetail with thyroxine, gradually lowering one while raising the other ( raising the NDT obviously) I read that Galatea tried a second time on NDT, doing a straight swap, and this worked better for her than going through low starting doses. She seems a sensible person. I'd like to try a straight swap, but I'm very afraid, after everything I try going wrong. I've read all the books available on thyroid treatments and seen Dr P three times with six phone calls and hundreds of postal diaries. I'm like textbook version of how to self-manage your own thyroid. I'm an ideal patient. I'm well-educated. But I can't get well, not even to a tolerable state.

I know I have Reverse T3 but experts discredit this lately eg Barbara Lougheed, Tired Thyroid. My T4 was way too high in the summer and I'm overdosed. The thyroid hormone isn't reaching the cells, or the receptors are blunted, as Dr P would put it.my pulse is 86 on my Omron home BP device with BP at 136/63, sitting down. Pulse is 94 with BP 132/73 when I stand up. I'm probably doing it wrong, though, as I do everything. I realise doses take time to settle but people must be heroes if they put up with this for six weeks.

Many thanks.

Joeyis7

[shaws in reply to Joeyis7]

We've all been in the same boat as you, at one time or another. You do wonder if anything will ever come right but it does and sometimes it works very quickly for one. If you are intolerant of levothyroxine a complete switch-over may have worked better. The more I reduced levo the better I felt but that's not to say that works for everyone.

I tried 3 NDTs before I found one that suited me. I am now on T3 alone but even that went feet up when the producer changed something in it. Luckily this one at present works well.

Don't worry about weeping we've usually 'been there - done that' it's not pleasant but we are unwell and our hormones have to be in balance to rectify things. I have also tried Nutri Adrenal but made my palps worse so had to stop, so it is trial and error sometimes.

Why not consider adding another 1/2 gr NDT and stop T4 as sometimes levo doesn't convert sufficiently for us. It took me about 6 years to fathom things out with the help of Thyroiduk and a little luck to get where I am at present. T4 takes about 5 or 6 weeks to come out of your system altogether. T4 being synthetic maybe NDT alone (being more synergistic with our bodies) might work better for you.

[Joeyis7]

Thank you, Shaws. I have a very easy day tomorrow with nothing going on so it's an ideal chance to try what you suggest. If it fails, it's only one more downbeat day, and can't kill me. I've been wary of cautions against raising NDT quickly and it backfiring but it's been an instinct to raise it because after my 1/2 grain dose I've felt my body heave a sigh of relief, as if a craving has been satisfied. After your last advice days ago I did cut Levo BUT didn't raise NDT to compensate, so was a gibbering hypo wreck.

Six years for you to get to a stable place! Well done!

Thank you so much for replying!

Joeyis7

[Jackie]

Hi It is best to only raise N.T. after a blood test. It is the FT3 that counts as T4 can well go down.I was overdosed by a thyroid doc by not doing blood tests.

Jackie

[Joeyis7]

That is very helpful, Jackie, thank you so much! I am actually due a test so will ring doc.

Thank you!

Joeyis7