Switch from Thyroid-S...?

Sorry if this question has been asked before, but I am currently reviewing my options: staying on Thyroid-S, trying any of the other Thai brands instead, or giving Erfa another chance (I do have a prescription for Erfa but don't like the critical reviews going back a couple of years). It's also possible I could find a pharmacy willing to send me WP Thyroid or NP Thyroid as I have a valid prescription for Erfa and all NDT brands are considered bio-identical..but, given the price of NDT in Belgium, I would need more info before I went down that road. Only a very good reason would warrant going through all the trouble of swithcing to yet another brand of NDT, without any guarantees of success.

I have also considered ThyroGold, but the mixed reviews make me hesitate.

I have been on Thyroid-S for the past year or so. I have felt OK most of the time, but more tired lately. On Thyroid-S, I never feel the rush of warmth and energy that I remember from when I first took Erfa, back in 2012. To be honest, I cannot say I feel that much different on Thyroid-S compared to how I felt on thyroxine.

My latest labs, from August of this year, showed very low FT4 levels (bottom of range) and mid-range FT3 levels, along with a suppressed TSH, on as much as 7 grains daily (I had not taken any meds 24 h prior to going to the lab). This seems to indicate to me that I don't absorb Thyroid-S very well, for one reason or another (fillers? Low cortisol? Low iron? A combination of all three?)

However, I have slowly and steadily lost weight over the past year, and am now back to more or less my pre-hypo weight. That I never managed to do on any other thyroid drug.

I don't know if this means that Thyroid-S is working although my FTs are lowish on it? Many say FT4 levels don't matter when on NDT and I have no problems accepting that, but my FT3 levels were not in the upper third range where many say they should be when optimally medicated on NDT...

Thyroid-S contains a lot of fillers compared to other NDT brands, including cellulose. I have no idea why any drug would need to contain a dozen or so fillers...

The reason I opted for Thyroid-S was that it was and is available from a UK supplier, and I knew delivery would be no problem.

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated, especially from people who are on or who have previously tried one or several of the Thai brands.

I find this article interesting, but have still not managed to understand completely what it means; that Thyroid-S is working, as well as Thiroyd, but that this may not necessarily result in the same lab results...?

thyroid-s.com/natural-desic...

[silverfox7]

That is a pretty high dose and the fact that you are losing weight could suggest you may be taking too much which can give you similar symptoms. I realise we are all different but I'm taking the same and am well on 1.75/2.0 grains. I went up to 3 grains when I started and then realised I had actually felt better on the way up so dropped back slowly till I found my right dose for me.

[Hidden in reply to silverfox7]

Yes, I know symptoms of hypo and hyper (in this case under- or overmedicated) can be confusingly similar...but my levels on 7 grains were not indicative of being overmedicated, quite on the contrary (from August of this year):

FT4 0.8 ng/dL (ref 0.7-1.5) so bottom of range

FT3 2.9 pg/mL (ref 1.7-3.7) so mid-range

I think that high FT4 levels when on NDT could cause rT3 dominance, so I am not really worried about my low FT4 levels...just wondering why FT3 levels are not higher...?!

[silverfox7 in reply to Hidden]

My Endo says that TSH virtually zero on NDT and FT4 usually half way (wish he would tell the rest of the staff that) so maybe you aren't converting the T4 in the NDT. FT3 is at least on the up side of middle. When I was in that position I was told to hang fire as it could be on its way up-I was skeptical but it did go higher but as a back up I would check that minerals are healthy as well.

[Amyjay74]

Have u checked your Vit D levels? I take Thyroid S and found when I did have periods of tiredness my Vit D levels were too low..

[Hidden in reply to Amyjay74]

In August of this year, my vit D levels were 36 ng/mL and should be >30. But they have maybe decreased now as the days are getting colder and darker...so maybe it's time to try some vit D supplement.

[Amyjay74 in reply to Hidden]

That seems quite low to me, I would definitely get some supplements.. : ) I take 10,000 a day although the doctors would have you believe the low dose ones are ok in my experience they are not enough..

[Hidden in reply to Amyjay74]

Could you recommend a special vit D supplement?

[Amyjay74]

Cant remember the brand I bought, However I do know they were 10,000 strength D3 tabs from Amazon. You get about a years supply for around £10-£20 : )

[Hidden in reply to Amyjay74]

Thanks, I will check it out!

[Ruthi]

Interesting article indeed!

I'm not familiar with the details of the chemistry, but the thing we can take away from it is that NDT is not the same as synthetic, and Thiroid is not the same as Thyroid S. I don't concern myself with the details because I have no problems with the fillers in Thyroid S. If they are causing you no problems then I wouldn't worry unnecessarily.

In terms of switching it means that whenever you switch its an experiment, and things might or might not improve.

Personally I think its probably a good sign that you don't get a high from Thyroid S. What we are aiming for is to feel normal. You might have felt relatively good when you first started Erfa because you started from such a low point. But once you are well supplemented, any kind of reaction is pretty undesirable, and indicates that things aren't quite right.

It is probably worth trying Thiroid. Its a cheap experiment, after all. I bought it once when I couldn't find Thyroid S and it didn't do it for me at all. I eventually chucked the lot out. But lots of people report that its an improvement.

[Hidden in reply to Ruthi]

I think you are right; on some brands of NDT, I tend to feel kind of "high" for a short while after taking it (usually crashing in the early afternoon but then, again, I only take NDT once, in the morning). With Thyroid-S, I don't have these ups and downs. It's a good thing that I don't have to take it several times a day.