New Medication - Help please: Hi there, I'm new... - Thyroid UK

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New Medication - Help please

K1k1_belle profile image
14 Replies

Hi there, I'm new to the group. I'm just wondering if anyone here has taken 'Thyroidium' - I'm in The Netherlands (Thyreoidium) and have just taken this for the first time today!

I'm feeling a little funny but not sure if that is withdrawals from milk and sugar, stared this Thurs so could be effects of that today?

Just interested to know if anyone has taken Thyroidium as I've been on Eltroxin (100mg) for the past two years - was doing ok on it but started loosing a lot of hair so thought I'd make a change to a natural medication with T3 included. I hope I am making the right choice!

I'd appreciate any feedback,

Claire x

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K1k1_belle profile image
K1k1_belle
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14 Replies
Anthea55 profile image
Anthea55

I tried Thyroidinum, which is homeopathic. I had it in addition to my usual NDT, but I didn't get on with it. Is this what you are taking?

According to this website "Homeopathy and Thyroid Treatment"

progressivehealth.com/natur...

"The homeopathy remedy, thyroidinum, is obtained from the deep thyroid glands of sheep.

The extract of sheep thyroid gland contains thyroid hormones just like the human thyroid gland. However, rather than serving as a source of thyroid hormone replacement, thyroidinum supplies the body with the iodine present in sheep thyroid glands.

Therefore, it is used to treat goiter and hyperthyroidism. However, thyroidinum is recommended for patients who demonstrate restless melancholy."

So if this is what you are taking it gives you iodine, not thyroid hormones, so is not a replacement for Eltroxin and doesn't contain T3. You may not be deficient in iodine.

Hair loss can be due to vitamin / mineral deficiencies. Have you had these checked? You may find it useful to search on this site for 'Hair Loss' (use the search box top right of this screen).

helvella profile image
helvellaAdministratorThyroid UK in reply to Anthea55

I am not impressed by that site.

Batch Variations in Desiccated Thyroid Preparations

Although the USP (United States Pharmacopeia) specifies the standard concentration for T4 and T3 in thyroid gland preparations, the reality is that there is a wide variation in the concentrations of the thyroid hormones in desiccated thyroid extract available in the market.

For every 65 mg of desiccated thyroid, the USP specifies that 38 micrograms of T3 and 9 micrograms of T4 be present. However, a survey of different desiccated thyroid extract brands shows that T3 concentrations may vary from 8 micrograms to 59 micrograms while T4 is usually found in the 8 – 18 microgram range.

This variation does not only occur between different brands of desiccated thyroid. It can also be found within the same batch of the same brand.

This variation is caused by the manufacturers’ insistence on standardizing their desiccated thyroid preparations by iodine content and not by thyroid hormone content. Since there are other sources of iodine in desiccated thyroid besides T3 and T4, there will always be variations in the contents of desiccated thyroid pills.

In a way, the standardization of desiccated thyroid by iodine content represents the old method of treating hypothyroidism by increasing iodine levels.

Currently, endocrinologists prefer simply treating hypothyroidism with thyroid hormone replacements.

progressivehealth.com/can-d...

The underlined bit (my emphasis) is, simply not true. The manufacturers used to assay iodine content. But even then, companies such as Armour had animal testing laboratories to check the potency.

Nowadays, the companies can and do assay T4 and T3. Consistency is good.

I also didn't understand any of the information about deep thyroid giving iodine but not thyroid hormone.

greygoose profile image
greygoose

I don't think stopping milk and sugar would give you withdrawal symptoms (could be wrong about the sugar, but I don't think so). However, stopping your thyroid hormone to take iodine could definitely cause strange reactions. Especially if you have Hashi's, or if you are low on selenium. Not all hypo is caused by iodine deficiency, so iodine does not help all cases of hypothyroidism - and can make things a lot worse. I think you need to consider finding a) another brand of T4, b) adding some T3 (if you're not converting correctly, but only your lab results will tell you that) or taking T3 only, or c) investigating NDT (so-called Natural Dessicated Thyroid (pigs' gland) ). I don't know if doctors in Holland prescribe that, but you can buy it on-line.

If Eltroxin wasn't working for you, there are several possible reasons why : a), your dose wasn't high enough - once again, you need to refer to your blood test results, b) you weren't converting properly - blood tests again, or c) nutritional deficiencies. Have you had your vit d, vit B12, folate and ferritin tested? All these need to be optimal (not just in-range) for your body to be able to use the hormone you're giving it. :)

helvella profile image
helvellaAdministratorThyroid UK

K1k1_belle,

Do you know where the actual thyroid powder comes from for Thyroidium?

It is very interesting for us to read of your experiences.

K1k1_belle profile image
K1k1_belle

Hi helvella 🤗 I don't know anything about this medication to be honest!!! I'm in a new Country with a new Doctor (Functional) and she gave me the prescription to send off and I thought maybe Armour would come? Had never hear of Thyroidinium?? I will email my Doctor tomorrow as all the leaflets and info are in Dutch! I will keep you posted!

helvella profile image
helvellaAdministratorThyroid UK in reply to K1k1_belle

I get well and truly confused about what is what!

See this two-year-old thread:

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Doesn't get very much further!

K1k1_belle profile image
K1k1_belle in reply to helvella

Thanks helvella 👍🏼 I didn't take it this morning (felt fine again) - I'm going to talk to my Doctor and get to the bottom of what it is before I decide to go any further with it. If I can shed some light on it for you I will 😉

helvella profile image
helvellaAdministratorThyroid UK in reply to K1k1_belle

Is this what you referred to?

DENMARK’S THYREOïDUM for NETHERLANDS from Biofac in Kastrup, Denmark. Imported into the Netherlands from BUFA/Fargo, importers of pharmaceutical products.

½ grain = 29 mg (12.7 mcg T4 and 4.5 mcg T3)

1 grain = 57 mg (25.3 mcg T4 and 9 mcg T3)

2 grain = 114 mg (50.6 mcg T4 and 18 mcg T3)

Some websites state the T4/T3 ratio can vary from 2.3: 1 to 3.8: 1 depending on the lot. Meets standards of US Pharmacopoeia. Contains Microcrystalline cellulose as a filler. Also may contain lactose, sodium, chloride, starch, sucrose or glucose. (Thanks to Julia Hendryx of the Netherlands for alerting me of this desiccated thyroid!)

stopthethyroidmadness.com/a...

K1k1_belle profile image
K1k1_belle in reply to helvella

Yes helvella that is exactly it!! Thanks so much, I really appreciate your help with this!

So I have ca thyreoidum 90mg but it's in capsules not grains like I expected or is capsule/grain the same meaning in this context - I'm totally in the dark?

I'm also confused as to whether I take it alone as a replacement ( it mentions Levothyroxine) or with my normal medication?

Thanks for the link I will look into that now 😊

Anthea55 profile image
Anthea55

K1K1_belle

I'm not clear whether your 'Thyroidium' is the same as the 'Thyroidinum' which I tried and which was homeopathic. Do you know if it is?

My first reply only applies if they are the same.

My understanding of homeopathic preparations is that they have been diluted multiple times so contain a minute amount of the original preparation. I don't doubt that they can have some effect, but I can't see how they can contain T3 or T4.

K1k1_belle profile image
K1k1_belle in reply to Anthea55

Yes Anthea55 , I spelt it incorrectly unfortunately - it is Thyroidinium. I've never heard of it and am not sure if it's what I am looking for? I wanted NDT with T3 & T4?

Anthea55 profile image
Anthea55 in reply to K1k1_belle

I'm on NDT. I take Nature-Throid which is the best I've tried so far, but different makes suit different people.

This page from the ThyroidUK website may be useful

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/treatm...

click on the bar saying Non-UK Dessicated Thyroid

K1k1_belle profile image
K1k1_belle

I've actually just had an ah-ha moment 😳 I ate rice the night before I tried this new medication and that's the second time I have gotten very ill (flare-up symptoms) after eating rice! I must cross-react between it and gluten.

I'm going to try my medication again tomorrow and see how I do.

Rhannii7 profile image
Rhannii7 in reply to K1k1_belle

how did it all end up for you ? Are you still taking the sheep ndt ?

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