What alternatives are there to Levothyroxine?

I piled on the weight on Levo but have lost a no effort stone since being on Nature Throid and feel alive again. Just lighter in the wallet because I have to buy it myself on line. But boy is it worth every penny!!

janveron1

Shond, I was in your place and for a year I had elevated liver function of unknown origin and pain. Nobody would switch me to see if it was the Levo. Finally I got a NP to do it and I feel great! No more chronic pain at night keeping me awake. I went on Naturethyroid. It is worth a try for you to feel better!

Low B12 and VitD are also causes of pain ... what are your levels ? Are you on any other medication ?

thanks for the response - Is Nature Throid NDT? are you able to give me some more information or suggest where I research it - this evening? (I have made an appointment to see GP tomorrow morning at 7.40am and need to have knowledge to give him!)

And do GP's prescribe this other drug Armour? or is this only prescribed by Endo's? thanks in advance

Synthroid is simply a brand name for a levothyroxine product. Admittedly, a product with a marketing and promotional budget higher than the healthcare budget of many nations. It is the market-leading product in the USA.

NDT (Natural Desiccated Thyroid) is a term usually used for prescription-quality products made from animal thyroid glands. All the current products are porcine. Makes/brands include Nature-Throid, WP Thyroid, NP Thyroid, Erfa Thyroid and the Thai products Thyroid-S and Thiroyd.

There are several other products which are made from bovine or porcine thyroids but, whatever their merits, cannot be regarded as prescription-quality because they do not declare their thyroid hormone content in public.

thank you for a nicely explained response Helvella - I have actually just been reading about synthroid too - just before your response came through - so it isn't syntrhoid I want as I believe Levo is causing the problems for me at the moment. With the few responses I received to my question, I think that it is NDT that might be better for me. I am now trying to get some advice from members who are on it e.g. how it works for them and how they source it - many thanks if you can help.

shonde2015,

My lower back pain went away once supplementing a high, but safe dose of vitamin D3, (worked almost over night, though we are all different) my pain comes back if I forget to take my D3, so I know my lower back pain is down to a vitamin D problem.

An idea to get your vitamin D blood levels checked maybe ?

I also have chronic lower back & hip pain combined with aching legs.

Had a total thyroidectomy in 1998 and put on 225mcg of Levothyroxine until 18 months ago when I was advised to increase it to 250mcg as my TSH levels were too high.

Got diagnosed with Polymyositis 9 years ago and put on steroids but saw a different rheumatology consultant at annual review last week who is doubting I have polymyositis as that doesn't usually effect the lower back as more of an upper body weakness.

Upon finding this place yesterday I am now wondering if it is the high dose of Levothyroxine that is causing my muscle pain. Rheumatologist said they had never had a patient on such a high dose before. They took bloods to test thyroid function & also CK levels and word of a possible MRI scan & muscle biopsy for proper polymyositis diagnosis. Between finding this place and the new consultant I at last have a glimmer of hope that this pain is not irreversible.

Oh well, got a letter from new rheumatologist today saying that 9 years after being diagnosed with polymyositis due to muscle pains that blood tests taken a month ago were all negative for presence of polymyositis but that thyroid function bloods were abnormal and GP informed to follow up.

Musle and joint pains have got far worse in past year or so. I'm on 250mcg of Levothyroxine and now wondering if this has been the cause of my muscle and increasing joint pain all along? Worst affected is muscles over both hips and increasingly lower back along with constantly aching, heavy legs.

Been told as I don't have polymyositis to come off the steroids I've been on to treat the muscle pain for the past 9 years but really worried pain will get far worse without them.

Don't know exact thyroid function test results. Will ask GP when he gets in touch. Should I be asking/demanding something other than Levothyroxine given muscle pain and increasingly weakness?