Nature thyroid as good as armour?: I have been... - Thyroid UK

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Nature thyroid as good as armour?

jengibbon01 profile image
24 Replies

I have been started on levothyroxine and not feeling great. A while back I bought nature thyroid. Is this as good as armour and is it worth giving it a go?

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jengibbon01
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24 Replies
RedApple profile image
RedAppleAdministrator

It's an individual thing. Some find they get on best with Nature-Throid, some prefer a different brand of desiccated thyroid. The only way to know if it's the right one for you is to try it :)

shaws profile image
shawsAdministrator

I haven't used Armour but have other NDTs. I found Nature-throid very good and it is also hypo-allergenic which might also solves problems if you have sensitivies to fillers/binders.

adin profile image
adin

Armour make me ill, red spots on my face and then when I switch to nature throid everything was fine. For now i take combo levo+ndt

Pepekins profile image
Pepekins in reply toadin

I was told not to mix the two, maybe I have got that wrong. I take levo and wanted to supplement with Nature Thyroid ,so I got some T1 & T2 but thought I read that it was not a good idea. Please put me right!

adin profile image
adin in reply toPepekins

Hi pepekins, I know that is not a great idea(nobody told me why) but if i don't take the mix i don't feel well (just on ndt).

What does it means; you "got some T1 & T2 "

sry for my bad english

jengibbon01 profile image
jengibbon01

Thanks for all your replys. I've basically been prescribed Levo privately and since I started it (only a week) a dark mood and depression hash it me. I'm bought nature thyroid a while back and now I might try it as I've read loads of stuff about Levo and depression and bad experiences. If I'm only on 25mg of Levo should I start with 1/2 grain and what time is best to take it?

Thanks again for your replys

adin profile image
adin in reply tojengibbon01

25mcg of levo is a start dose and 1/2 ndt is aprox.50mcg of levo, it's a little bit to much in my opinion because contains T3. Wath is your TSH, fT3,fT4 ?

jengibbon01 profile image
jengibbon01 in reply toadin

Results were: t3 3.9 (3.50-6.50) t4 14.9 (11.00-23.00) tsh 2.25 (0.35-5.50). The doctor says I wasn't digesting fats and need to up my t4 (diagnosed hypothyroid). She also suggested added in digestive enzymes if stuff didn't improve so I'm not sure whether to change to ndt or take the digestive enzymes which are expensive.

adin profile image
adin in reply tojengibbon01

you could try a tiny dose of ndt(1/4) to see how you feel. on the other hand you don't know how you feel if you will increase the levo dose. The t3 it' s a little bit low.

jengibbon01 profile image
jengibbon01

Yeh this is true maybe I will try and increase the Levo before changing to ndt. What time do day is best for taking the ndt?

adin profile image
adin in reply tojengibbon01

up to you, I take mine at 7(+levo) in the morning and the second dose at 14 and a small dose at 20-22

jengibbon01 profile image
jengibbon01 in reply toadin

Can I ask why do you take the Levo with the ndt? Have you tried both separately?

adin profile image
adin in reply tojengibbon01

Because I noticed that my condition has improved due to t3 in the ndt. Yes I tried separately but not working for me.

jengibbon01 profile image
jengibbon01 in reply toadin

Ok thanks for your reply. I've decided I'm going to take 1/4 grain of the ndt tonight. Not feeling well on the Levo

adin profile image
adin in reply tojengibbon01

Tonight? hmm.

ndt cause insomnia in some people who's taking the drug at the bed time. Try and see if it's a good idea.

jengibbon01 profile image
jengibbon01 in reply toadin

I have read it's a good idea to take it in the morning. Do I take it with or without food?

adin profile image
adin in reply tojengibbon01

Hm, I'm not sure. I take the morning dose with levo and

I do not drink ,eat one hour after

Clutter profile image
Clutter

Jengibbon01, You haven't given Levothyroxine long enough. It takes 7-10 days to absorb Levothyroxine before it starts working and up to 6 weeks to feel the full impact of the dose. 25mcg isn't likely to be very helpful but symptoms should be improving by the time it is increased to 50mcg.

NDT also has be introduced gradually and built up. If you do switch to NatureThroid you can start at 1/2 grain (30mg) which is bioequivalent to 37.5 - 50mcg Levothyroxine. It can be taken morning or night time, you may have to experiment to see which time best suits you. It should be taken on an empty stomach 1 hour before, or 2 hours after food and drink, 2 hours away from meds and supplements, and 4 hours away from calcium, iron, vitamin D and oestrogen.

When you increase dose which should be no sooner than fortnightly, do so in 1/4 grain increments as 1 - 1.25 grains is likely to be sufficient based on your results and you may overshoot your optimal dose if you increase in 1/2 grain increments. Most people split doses 8-12 hours apart when increasing dose, but again, you'll have to work out timings to suit yourself. TSH and FT4 are likely to drop due to the T3 in NDT, but FT3, which is low, will rise.

The dry sponge analogy in the link below may be helpful.

thyrophoenix.com/adjusting_...

_______________________________________________________________________________

I am not a medical professional and this information is not intended to be a substitute for medical guidance from your own doctor. Please check with your personal physician before applying any of these suggestions.

jengibbon01 profile image
jengibbon01 in reply toClutter

Yeh I'm not vey good at sticking to stuff. I will try a few more days before making a change. Will probably change my mind tomorrow sadly!

Clutter profile image
Clutter in reply tojengibbon01

Jengibbon, don't expect quick results with thyroid dysfunction. Whether you try Levothyroxine or NDT, realistically you're looking at 5-6 months for a good response to the meds. It's fine if you want to switch from Levothyroxine to NDT now but you won't do yourself any favours if you switch back and forth between the two.

slinksterd profile image
slinksterd

I buy Thyroid S from Thailand ndt wouldnt go back to levothyroxine never got rid of hypo symptoms 225mg daily take 3 grains of ndt now feel hundred times better :-)

jengibbon01 profile image
jengibbon01 in reply toslinksterd

Thanks for your comment. I have bought both thyroid s and nature thyroid a while back. Was going to taken the nature thyroid but do people have preference on which is better. I took the Levo again tonight 😔. Will see what tomorrow brings. I have contacted dr m who prescribed me it but will have to wait till Monday. Not sure whether to jump the gun or wait to hear back from her.

Crlnfly profile image
Crlnfly in reply tojengibbon01

Just be careful when u start introducing the T3, do it SLOWLY. I went from 200mg of Levo to 2 grains of Armour, recommended by my Doc, it was too much too fast, i felt Terrible :( Thanks to the guys on here and the great advice i got, i cut down and started on a half grain and increased slowly until i got to 2 grains.

We are all in a hurry to get it into us, but unfortunately our bodies need to get the T3 slowly, so we can get used to it, takes at least 6 months in my opinion to get the dose right xxx

Beverleyb profile image
Beverleyb

I took armour for a couple of years, changed to Nature throid and what a difference I feel great on it!

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