Interesting story about thyroid treatment back to 1955

[GarryB]

Our handyman - who is a good friend after so many years - was working here today and we got on the topic of my thyroid issues and he said his mother had a health problem (he thought it was cancer in her neck) before he was born and she had part or all of her thyroid removed and she took "three little white pills every day." The surgery was in about 1955 in Canada. I said did the pills look like my ERRA thyroid? And he looked and said hers were white, but flecked like mine. He thought they were the same size and shape. I highly suspect she was taking NDT since I don't think Synthroid was available then. He said she was healthy and energetic. I thought this was interesting.

[phoenix23002]

My grandmother had thyroid cancer in 1957, gland removed, and took Armour thyroid all her life. She lived to be 96 before passing from old age back in 1994. There was no synthroid or TSH test way back when. Then, doctors treated by alleviation of symptoms, heart rate and body temp. Would that we were so lucky.

[C70rol]

My grandmother was also taking NDT. My own doctor who prescribes me the same said that when he first started in general practice there was only NDT for patients. The big drug companies hadn't been in operation then .

[phoenix23002]

You are so right about the medical profession relying on their tests etc. Nowadays, far too many doctors enter the profession because it can be lucrative, not because they have the desire and God-given talent to help people.

Our family doctor was an old-fashioned General Practitioner which means he had 'been there, done that, seen it all'. He even delivered my babies and I never had a pediatrician. I have the utmost respect for doctors who are truly doctors, who listen and who care. Their ilk is getting harder to find, unfortunately.

[elwins]

I started taking medication way back in the 1950's, seen a lot of changes as to how thyroid medication has changed over the years and to how it is treated. My mother had to fight to find out what was wrong with me and to get me put on thyroxine, just wish they did annual testing like they do today.

[GarryB]

I might look at medicine then and now the way "craftsmen" (sorry for the gender specific term - it's the one we are used to) would be compared to "technicians". There are similarities between a handmade wooden pail a plastic bucket but the people making them and the way they do it are vastly different. Analogies are imperfect but maybe medicine is similar.

[babsi]

Levothyrox only saw the light of day in the 70ties. So of course she was treated with Dr Hertoges granddads invention. Who was from Canada, but marketed his pruduct in the USA.

Now Erfa Canada again.

And of course it was a life saver. Dr. Hertoges story, you can read up on it with google.

But there still is no proof for me , of which is better, NDT or synthetic. For me it turned out to be a mix. Maybe it is , that pig thyroids contain more T3, then human thyroids do.

Maybe it is that I´m a good converter. T4-T3.

His great grandson is now into anti age, working from Belgium.

I had contact with people that went to see his pupils,

in his privat clinic for 350 Euros a visit.

They still had to find their own way in the end.

Thought I´d add this , for people that think the all natural would safe their life.

I would like to add, for the ones with too much brainfog:

Keep a diary, where you note your changes, symptoms, and labs.

Helps .

[phoenix23002 in reply to babsi]

babsi... for those of us who are lousy converters, NDT and/or synthetic T 3 is a godsend. I was on Synthroid for a year and prayed to die because I felt so horrible altho my labs said I was fine. Within a week or two of taking NDT, the heavens opened up and the angels sang. I could not believe the improvement. It saved my life. I can only speak for myself and my experience with NDT. I have a sis with hashis who does just fine on Synthroid and has been on it since the eighties with no problem. I say.... whatever works.... go for it. We are all different.

[TSH110 in reply to phoenix23002]

phoenix23002 it was just the same for me switching from Levo to NDT like being reborn! Also my mother and sister felt/feels great in Levo but I most certainly didn't. NDT was my saviour.

[phoenix23002 in reply to TSH110]

TSH110... just goes to prove that 'one size fits all' does not apply when it comes to thyroid meds. I just thank the good Lord that conversion seemed to be my only problem and that NDT took care of that.

[TSH110 in reply to phoenix23002]

phoenix23002 Me too 😎

[JOLLYDOLLY]

When I started taking them in 1960's - I took 2 little white tabs each day for my underactive thyroid

[GarryB in reply to JOLLYDOLLY]

Awesome! May I ask what strength they were?

[JOLLYDOLLY in reply to GarryB]

Not sure to be honest as I was a child, born in 1961 with a non working partial gland. I know they had to reduce it for a while when I was five as my bone age was 7. But by the time I was 15, I was on 200 mcg until my 30's (long long story after that) but ironically back on that dose now. Never had any problems whatsoever apart from the long long story saga lol).

I have a second cousin, who is 8 years older then me, she was diagnosed with a under active at 1 years old but she was on a different medication to me, not sure what though.

[silverfox7]

I was diagnosed in the 80's and started taking NDT on the NHS from Canada. I never knew the strength but it was a case of take one but increase if temperature very low.