feeling freezing cold on ndt

[markgreenhill]

hi i started ndt last wednesday so i've been on it  for 9 days now.i started on 1/4 grain its been a bit up and down with flu like symptoms ect but this morning i raised it 12 a grain and today i've been freezing my hands and  feet have been like blocks of ice even tho i've been in with the heating on what could this be?? 

[shaws Administrator]

Hi Mark,

I'm sorry you are having bad symptoms. I think your dose is too small for you and we do say to start gradually and your symptoms of cold are classic hypo. 

Some people start off on 100mcg of levo but more often it's only 50mcg i.e. (half grain NDT) and on NDT the increase is every two weeks. On levo it's every six weeks.

Although it is stated that 1 gr is approx to 100 levo I've read it can be between 75 and 100 as we all absorb differently.

I'd increase by 1/4 which would be 3/4 gr NDT but maybe stay on this dose for a week at least.

Others may have different solutions. I must admit it is a trying time trying to get to a dose which makes you feel more stabilised.

[markgreenhill in reply to shaws]

so my symptoms are basically a low thyroid,i did think this  was the case  im sacred to raise to much cause i've had so many problems in the past trying to raise i only raised from 1/4 to half today but maybe that's way to low.ill try and last out then for a few more days be4 i increase again.

[trekgirl44 in reply to markgreenhill]

I am currently on day 4 of NDT 1/4 grain and feeling flu like symptoms more so at night.  Sore achy thighs and feeling cold. My naturopath suggested I stay in this dose for 3 wks before raising.  Prior I was on Synthroid 25 mcg for seven yrs or so.

[markgreenhill in reply to trekgirl44]

yh its not a nice feeling at all puts me off taking it to be honest.things will get better we just gota  to hang in there.

[trekgirl44 in reply to markgreenhill]

I feel the same, wondering if I traded one evil for another.  My initial reason for switching was joint pain, fatigue and heart flutters. Increasing Synthroid increased symptoms which made my hyper.

[markgreenhill in reply to trekgirl44]

i think you have to way up the pros and cons for me i had no choice but to start it as in tests i had low t3 and high cortisol, so sooner or later that cortisol would have ran out the i would have been in trouble i think.

[Joanneconnor in reply to markgreenhill]

I am on thyroid s and take 4x60mg a day I was on Levo 250mg I have high cortisol, any tips for lowering it, I have tried a few supplements already

[markgreenhill in reply to Joanneconnor]

From what i've researched the main ones to lower it are Phosphatidyl Serine,zinc,holy basil and vit c.from what i know high cortisol come from being hypo its the body's way of keeping you going without the t3 ect.

[Joanneconnor in reply to markgreenhill]

Oh great so I'm doing the right things. I take phosphatidyl serine, high strength vit c, vit d,magnesium, selenium, vit b12, I do have some t3 do you think it's worth taking some with my thyroid s

[Joanneconnor in reply to Joanneconnor]

I have been taking these for a about 4-5 months now and the last few days I have been much more efficient in work and had a temperature mostly over 36, it even got up to 36.8 so I was really happy, although I wasn't use to the feeling of being a normal body temp like most people, lol

[markgreenhill in reply to Joanneconnor]

im the same i never sweat ive even got a sauna at home and it take me 30 mins to sweat at 90 c lol

[markgreenhill in reply to Joanneconnor]

i wouldn't know about the t3 issue as i haven't got enough experience  in it yet,but looks like you doin every thing else right.

[Joanneconnor in reply to markgreenhill]

I never sweat mark even on holiday in 38 degree heat, lol. And I wouldn't smell any different if I didn't have a bath for a month.....

[NatChap in reply to trekgirl44]

trekgirl44 have you had your vit D tested? That can be a cause of joint pain.

[trekgirl44 in reply to NatChap]

Yes I have not sure of my recent result but my naturopath has me on vit d daily and I recently started iron as that level is low.

[shaws Administrator in reply to markgreenhill]

It is trial and error and it's amazing the doctors/endos are completely unaware of how some people are so unwell and struggling to understand why they are when the medical profession are supposed to be the 'educated' ones but the suffering appears to be well over their heads. They'll also prescribe something else for the symptom rather than a decent dose of hormones.

I must admit that I have an aversion to taking new medication as, in the past, I've had reactions which the doctors don't believe it is due to meds but I know and once stopping it I recover.

I had similar experience with levo but am fine now I don't take it. I hope you'll begin to feel better soon but I know the time passes slowly when unwell.

[markgreenhill in reply to shaws]

yh thats so true about time going slow when feel crap.thanks for advice.mark.

[shaws Administrator in reply to markgreenhill]

Mark, read the question dated February 5, 2008. It refers to the Basal Temp Test so I'll also link to it as well.

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

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

[markgreenhill in reply to shaws]

thanks for that,i have been taking mine, but since i started ndt its dropped even more maybe it will go up once i get to a better dose.

[TupennyRush]

Hi

I moved from 100 mcgs levo to ndt (naturethroid) a year and a half ago. I started on 1 grain ndt and found it insufficient although I felt better on it than I had during the year on levo. After a few weeks we upped dose to 1.5 grains. I then split taking the tablets across the day. Currently on 1.5 one day and 2 the next

So I suspect You're on too low a dose. Did your endo advise such a low starting dose?

[markgreenhill in reply to TupennyRush]

no i haven't even got a doctor right now which is upsetting me cause i feel alone with all this its hard to do it on your own. i was under the car of doc p i had a telephone conversation booked 2 months ago cause it was all going wrong and i needed help and on the day i had it booked  i rang at the right time and he never answered i must have rang 20 times and left a message,i then left for a week and no body bothered to ring me back.so i tried again and finally i got through i spoke the secertery and told her i wasnt happy and she said im sorry and she did try and ring me back whic was a lie.she then said she would speak to him and ring me back with a new appointment and guess what, she never rang me back im well pissed off tbh its really bad they do this people.

[NatChap]

Mark I would try and stick with it for a while longer if you can tolerate the dose increases, give it a chance to work. I have been on Thiroyd for about 3 and half weeks now and i am feeling better than I have for ages. I am now on 1 1/4 and am going to try increasing by another 1/4 on Monday. I am expecting to feel 'odd' for a few days again but hopefully that feeling will go like it did after my last increase. 

The main thing I have noticed is that I'm not getting tired like I used to. I've been walking my dogs every day this last week. A few weeks ago I could only walk them every 3 or 4 days as it would take me that long to recover in between! I am not having any dips in energy which is such a great feeling.

I know you're feeling very despondent but know that we all understand, you aren't alone.. and hopefully you will start to feel an improvement soon.

[markgreenhill]

That's good to know,im glad your seeing improvement and it definitely sounds like your getting there.

ill just hang in there as best i can my body is so sensitive to these hormones.

Have you been doing your temps in the morning and what have you noticed?

[NatChap in reply to markgreenhill]

I must admit that I haven't been taking my temperature regularly but I'm not convinced my thermometer is accurate anyway. I haven't suffered with the cold though either like some people. everyone has different symptoms I guess. I am just going to go  by how I feel and then when I feel well I will order some private bloods and see where the results are at.

[debjs]

It took me a very long time to get to a decent dose of NDT. I am so sensitive I could only tolerate 1/4 grain increases every 2 weeks  & often had to drop the dose back for a couple of weeks & try again. My temp dropped too but I wonder if a higher temp on T4 was one of the many side effects I had.  I am still not there but very much better than on any other form of replacement. 

Make sure all your vitamins etc are ok as that has made a difference for me especially as I have calcium problems after thyroidectomy. A word of warning my TSH became suppressed on a lowish dose and has been now for 3 years. My endo tolerates it reluctantly as long as T3 levels are in range. Never take NDT before a blood test - I made that mistake once & panicked everybody! 

I found I felt dreadful - nausea, headache, dizziness, tingling etc on days 3-7 after an increase in dose but then things settled. I hope you feel better soon.

[markgreenhill in reply to debjs]

yh im not feeling to great right nowfeeling freezing cold and i've increased to 1/2 1 grain now but thanks for advice .

[debjs in reply to markgreenhill]

Could it be your adrenals?

[markgreenhill in reply to debjs]

well last test i had was in november and i had very high cortisol but that was 5 months ago and im not sure if my adrenals  are still high cortisol im worried they gone lower now cause not long ago i started getting low blood pressure and heart skipped beats i do have supplement here but im unsure how to treat it now i do need another adrenal test but its just money.

[debjs]

Yes the money is a big consideration. I take my first dose of Ndt at 5am & although have had some adrenal problems I think that stopped them becoming too bad. I have basically followed the circadian rhythm method described by Paul Robinson and have certainly found that taking a small dose at 5pm (1/4 grain) stops that waking at 3am freezing cold &  struggling for breath which I think is probably adrenal related. I sympathise as the cold feeling is horrible. I have recently had to reduce my dose as t3 levels went too high & the cold & flu like feeling came back so am sure it's related to dose as well.

Also are your vitamin d levels ok as I think low levels can cause flu like symptoms. Sorry if I am repeating others. I totally understand the need to feel better quickly but I made mistakes & had setbacks by trying to push things in desperation to feel better. 

[markgreenhill in reply to debjs]

i haven't lately cause the weather here in the uk is cold at the minute and we don't get much sun  i was in spain over xmas for 3 months and sunbathed every day so my levels should be ok as soon as the suns back out here ill be lieing the sun every day perhaps my body just needs to get used to it but them feeling are horrible i've had like tingling in my hand and feet also not very nice all.  

[debjs in reply to markgreenhill]

Yes I had the tingling too and get it when both under &  over replaced & for no reason at all! I used to see Dr Skinner before he sadly died & he said he thought that hypo people do not convert vit d from sunlight effectively. I was surprised my levels were low as I was a sun worshipper though not 3 months in Spain lucky thing! I guess you have checked b12 levels with the tingling? 

[ging]

Which NDT are you using and where did you find it please? My endo will not prescribe it as he claims that it may not be pure !!! Thank you.

[markgreenhill in reply to ging]

hi ill inbox you the details.