hi seen the programme on bbc trust me i am a doctor. I have thyroid problems i have medication, but this natural desiccated thyroid has got me thinking. i am going to mention it to the doctor but it sounds like not many prescribe it. Is it safe to buy it and self medicate? would be glad to hear from anyone.
thanks
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eviegar2017
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eviegar2017 It's very rare to get NDT prescribed although a few people do.
It's safe to self source from member recommended reliable suppliers and many members self medicate but it's important to continue testing regularly, either with your GP if he's willing, or do them through a private lab, to ensure you don't over medicate.
Thanks for your reply. I will mention it to doctor today. If she won't prescribe it I think I will buy some. When I have routine blood tests I can see if it has had any affect on my results.
eviegar2017 If your routine blood tests include FT3 then that's fine, if not you'll need to do private blood tests. It's important to keep an eye on FT3 when taking T3 in any form, either as synthetic T3 or in NDT.
Its a very difficult question to answer - is it safe to buy?
I am pretty sure that it is NOT safe to remain under-medicated for any length of time.
And I have self medicated for many years with NDT my main problem being with doctors who do not understand. I did have to fiddle for a while to get stable, and once over 10 years ago, my preferred brand became unavailable for a while. I tried a different one which seemed much less strong to me, and then luckily the one I wanted re-appeared.
Do you have any results you could share with us. Maybe you need more Levo - and to see if you are converting well too - by having both the FT4 and FT3 tested. Do you have anti-bodies ?
Also Ferritin - folate - B12 - VitD all need to be OPTIMAL for your thyroid hormones to work well - either your own or through taking Levo/T4
How much Thyroid medication are you taking ? I think you need an increase - even without the ranges - your TSH would appear too high and the FT4 too low. No FT3 result or anti-bodies - TPO and Tg.
If the VitD is measure in pmol/L - then it needs to be around 100-150 - so I doubt 2000 IU's will increase it. I would take 5000 IU;s along with VitK2 MK7 and a suitable Magnesium.
How are your Folate levels - they need to be good to work with the B12 you are having injected. Are you taking folic Acid or Folate ??
You could have the Home Testing done through Blue Horizon which will test the complete Thyroid Profile etc. Thyroid 11 is the most popular ....
The link I gave you above is for the Blue Horizon Home Testing Kit. It would be a good idea if you had the full thyroid Profile done to include the anti-bodies. You only have half the story and finding wellness depends on the full story
You need to know the FT3 level as your FT4 looks LOW even without the ranges. Do not forget to obtain the ranges as they vary from lab to lab ....
If you increase the VitD intake then ensure you also take VitK2 MK7 so that improved calcium in the blood is directed to the bones and teeth and not left circulating ...
It's not really a question of whether it is safe to buy NDT. It's more a question of whether it is safe to take levothyroxine. There may or may not be a few problems associated with NDT but IN MY OPINION that is a result of some doctors overmedicating in the past because of their inability to establish what was the correct dosage. Then, along came a synthetic medicine, more (but totally inadequate) understanding of how the endocrine system actually works and, hey presto!, you have created what we have today.
As the doc from the BTA said, it seems inevitable that we will once again have NDT as a prescribable medication, but it may take a long time. They could start the process by actually putting NDT as a subject to be taught to all medical students.
I and many others have asked the "authorities" to supply the actual PROOF that levo is a better product for hpothyroidism than NDT. I got no replies at all to my questioning, others were fobbed off with rubbish answers.
Did they test FT3 and thyroid anti-bodies ? Do you have your results ?
Whether it is worth your while buying NDT depends on several scenarios. Your doctor is wrong to say that you should save your money unless he is knowledgeable enough to understand all of your problems and how this product can often give a better life back to many people who would otherwise suffer daily with residual hypo symptoms for the rest of their lives. He will have had to do his own research into this as the subject does not seem to be on the curriculum at medical college. He is likely to be simply repeating the "expert" advice and recommendations he will have been given from his superiors. I doubt he will have done any such research.
If you could put onto forum your blood results, your history, symptoms and any other relevant information then it may be possible for someone to give you a better opinion than the brick wall you have so far experienced.
For me, thyroidless, in a state of constant complaining to to GP that I was on the wrong medicine, being met by blank stares and similar denials, NDT WAS the correct medication to take, for you it's not appropriate to say without further info.
Hi, I am 49 hypo since 1990 and have hashi's. I switched to Thiroyd thinking I had nothing to loose giving it a try after 25+yrs doing it the NHS way with little or no improvement. I have never regretted the choice. I feel amazing, I'm loosing weight and people are starting to comment on how well I look. I would add I followed the advice on this site and supplemented to ensure my overall health was at the max first and following this forum find that ndt is not for everyone. You do need to get the dose right (individual to you) but anything as an alternative to levothyroxine alone is worth a try.
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