Ndt possible switch to t4 and t3

[Lozzer66]

Hi all ...I've been stuggling with ndt for the last year (self medicating ) and have decided I'm going to have one last bash at raising it up before I throw in the towel and revert back to levothyroxine ( i switched as i felt rubbish but in hindsight It could of been low vits and iron that I hadn't known at the time needed to be adressed!)I have a gut feeling that I will end up going back on it but I am worried about going about it.My t4 result from this week is 9.2 (10.40-24.50) and has dropped from about 12ish (it's said it doesn't matter what t4 is when on ndt )t3 hasn't been done but it was only just over mid range when a few wks ago when my t4 was 12ish on practically same dose of ndt so I suspect that too is also still low.When I tried raising ndt just by a quarter to rectify those poor bloods I struggled with symptoms and I'm still experiencing hair and weightloss...anyways. ...if I go down the t4 route how long will it be before its built up and I start converting to good levels of t3?Or have I messed that ability up by taking ndt?..and if that's the case that I poorly convert and say I was on 100mcg levo how much of that would I drop to add in a little t3??......Or...should I drop some of the ndt I'm taking now (2 grains )and add in some t4?....if so how much should I drop and how much t4 should I add?I really appreciate the advise on this forum as right now I'm at a crossroads and need to make the right decision ,thanks.

[Rapunzel]

Hey. What about trying a different NDT before you give up on it? What are you taking at the moment?

[Lozzer66 in reply to Rapunzel]

Hi Rapunzel. .I'm taking thiroyd from Thailand thanks ...I've thought about trying a different brand ...I haven't reacted before but ever since I raised up my vits and iron when I try to raise up ndt I get this shocking scalp crawling tingling head and cheek then when I drop back it subsides. ..I'm not convinced that t4 on the floor is a good thing even though it's said it doesn't matter on ndt

[Rapunzel in reply to Lozzer66]

What about the Thai one, Thyroid-S ? Maybe that has different fillers and might be worth a go? Not that I have a financial connection to either, just that now wouldn't appear to be a good time to be making a switch relying even partly on the availability of T3

[Lozzer66 in reply to Rapunzel]

Yes the thyroid' the one I take but haven't tried ' thyroid S' from them ...I believe it has more fillers...I totally get what you are saying about t3 availability. ..I have already asked someone who's going Mexico in a week to fetch some back for me.I was hoping I may go back to converting (I used to on levo)and may not even need to add t3 ?

[Rapunzel in reply to Lozzer66]

I was hoping I may go back to converting (I used to on levo)and may not even need to add t3 ?

I would hope that too, but I tried...just 25mcg T4 at night added back into my unwieldy mix of T3/NDT. Inside of a week, I could barely move my fingers and everything hurt. We're all different, Lozzer so that's a choice you have to make...

If you're thinking of trying this I would counsel you choose a period ahead of you where you could temporarily stand the reasons/reactions that meant you came off/reduced levo in the first place returning.

[Lozzer66 in reply to Rapunzel]

Yeah I thought about that and I have a week off in October so may be a start.I came off levothyroxine as I blamed it for my constant 24/7 headaches with migraines thrown in as all other avenues were and have been exhausted. ....anyways. ..they have never gone on ndt ..sadly.....and sometimes I wonder if I wasn't tip top on levo it could of been because I didn't adress vits and iron as I didn't even know til joining this forum in May how important they are !...the problem is feeling shocking whilst I start converting.....or if I switch to a different brand ndt how long i will be suffering before it arrives as my bloods continue to drop ...raising seems out of the question without the nightmare effects! !grrr! ...what brands have you tried and are you on now? ?

[Rapunzel in reply to Lozzer66]

Well, here's the thing Lozzer I'm happy to share but what works/doesn't work for me I see posters not getting on with/raving about so infuriating as it seems, nothing's a Dr Feelgood for us all.

Acella NP and Nature Throid NDT equally efficacious for me. Tiromel doesn't do a thing; Unipharma and Mexican Cynomel do the trick.

Just reading that back makes me angry when there are so many different meds to treat depression, hypertension, headaches and just a solitary one (T4) available in the UK GP's kitbag for hypothyroidism. This condition sucks enough without medics' hands being tied ( and I know some of them hold out their hands for the bondage) by those who have other agendas beside helping to make us well again...

[Lozzer66 in reply to Rapunzel]

I totally agree with you yes ...one lousy option !Of course there's a few things to try still ...getting very impatient though now after @rsing about for several years with thyroid and all its fury plus menopause slapped in middle of it all just for good measure !...I'm deffo coming back as anything but a woman next time (if there is a next time)methinks !!Maybe my delivery of Mexican t3 could do it for me also. .!who knows?!...we are all so unique! 🤕

[mischa]

How are your ferritin/iron levels? You need good levels of iron for NDT.

High/low cortisol with affect absorption of thyroid meds. Low stomach acid will also prevent meds from working.

[Lozzer66 in reply to mischa]

They are all good thanks mischa ...folate could do with a smidgen but everything else is top banana. .