how to find the best treatment for hypoT?

I really need some advice from others here who have been through the same thing.

I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism (Hashimoto's) fifteen years ago, after feeling crappy for years and being told I suffered from depression, and that my weight gain was only due to junk food and lack of exercise...

Anyway, three years ago, I went to see a Hertoghe doctor in Belgium. I was put on Armour, Medrol, and several other hormones, including testosterone, estrogen, and progesterone.

I did great on Armour for the first six months, working my way slowly up to 5 grains (300 mg) daily. Then, I got new batches from the pharmacy and, this time, I decided to go for 240 and 300 mg pills rather than smaller pills, the only reason being to save money...I quickly went downhill, started feeling cold again, putting on weight, having trouble falling and staying asleep...but I did not make the connection with Armour at the time, since I had been doing so great on it the first time around (and, since this was in 2012, I must have been on the reformulated version of Armour, not the old one...).

I have been on Erfa for the last year, doing fine on some batches and not so good on others. Batches seem to vary a lot as far as consistency and efficacy are concerned...no idea why that is, as Erfa denies any reformulation.

I am not sure what to do next. I don't feel that ordering more Armour would be worth the extra money (it's very expensive, at least in Belgium), given the poor results I have had in the past couple of years. Erfa is the only other NDT drug available in Belgium, and it seems most pharmacies can substitute one for the other, as long as you have a valid prescription.

I have been considering Thai NDT, but the problem is that they cannot be legally imported into my country, so I fear I would always be nervous about them not arriving...especially if I decided to go down that road and felt great on them.

So what remains? Thyro Gold, which seems quite potent, although many thyroid advocates seem to think that, somehow, porcine thyroid is superior to beef thyroid...and then there is Nutri-Meds porcine and bovine thyroid; I read somewhere than one capsule equals 15 mg or 1/4 grain of NDT...the good thing is that both are available OTC.

One additional problem, for me, is finding a pharmacy willing to substitute one drug for another. I read the other day that a prescription issued in one EU country is valid in all other EU countries...but how does that work in practice??!?!

I'd appreciate any input on this.

[Clutter]

thecat346, a member had her Thai NDT confiscated by customs when she tried to import it into Belgium.

UK residents have faxed their NHS prescription to pharmacies in Germany to buy the equivalent dose of alternative brands. I don't know whether the arrangement is reciprocal or Europe wide.

NutriMeds don't declare how much active hormone is in their product so I would be very wary about switching to it from Erfa. Tammy Lowe will guide you re switching from Erfa to ThyroGold if you email her.

[Hidden in reply to Clutter]

That is exactly the reason I'd hate to depend on Thai NDT; if I did great on it, I'd always be nervous about not getting the next shipment...;.-(

I went through the same with Isocort; I did great on it for a couple of years, then it was reformulated, I did not do as well on the reformulated version, and then it was taken off the market altogether...I'd hate to go through the same thing again.

In Germany, there are pharmacies selling compounded thyroid. Does anyone know if any pharmacy would be willing to substitute compounded thyroid for Armour/Erfa (the only things I can get a prescription for?)

[Clutter in reply to Hidden]

thecat346, contact the pharmacies and ask whether they'll compound x mg if you provide a prescription for x mg Armour or Erfa.

[Hidden in reply to Clutter]

I just found some official information saying that it's Europe wide, and that a prescription issued in one EU country is valid in all EU countries. In theory, at least.

That sounds great but, in practice, could lead to some practical and linguistic problems (what if, for instance, I went to a German pharmacy with a Lithuanian or Estonian prescription???)

[Clutter in reply to Hidden]

thecat, no problem if it says Armour 60mg x 60

[Hidden in reply to Clutter]

Great, thanks! long live the internal market, right