Hi
I have ashimoto Thyroid was told at Christmas I’m on thyroxine 50mg it’s just been upped but still feeling crap, depressed, foggy, aches and hair loss I asked about a T3 test but my dr just keeps saying no.
I am about to move from the south to Scotland can anyone recommend a dr that I can register with who would help with this there ? Please pm if you can, also can anyone tell me more about NDT? Can I ask a gp/endo dr for this?
Thank you
Welcome to our forum and I am sorry you have hypothyroidism.
Few doctors know best how to treat patients as they seemed to have learned that just taking the TSH into account is all they should take notice of.
We have to read, learn and ask questions. I will say that to be on a 50mcg starting dose since Christmas is dreadful and you should have had a 25mcg increase every six weeks until you felt well, with a TSH of 1 or lower.
Unfortunately, again, doctors believe once TSH is somewhere in the range their job is done. No it isn't. The aim should be to relieve all clinical symptoms and make patient well.
NDT is the very original thyroid hormone replacement, since 1892 up until the 60's when the introduction of the blood tests and levothyroxine began to replace NDT. Doctors used to prescribe it but I assume with big pharma's promotion of it and especially in the USA with monetary rewards, NDT has fallen out of favour and will rarely be prescribed in the UK.
You may be well on levothyroxine and millions do fine on it, but there is a section who cannot as it is synthetic T4 only and has to convert to T3. T3 is the only active thyroid hormone required in the billions of receptor cells. You can look upon T3 as the battery of the thyroid hormones.
You need higher doses of levothyroxine and the new doctor will do so. Levothyroxine converts to T3 but you must have a high enough dose (gradually increased).
If you've had a recent blood test get a print-out each time you have a blood test for your own records and you can post if you have a query. for responses from members.
The usual doses members used to get were between 200 and 400mcg NDT. but the organisations have reduced doses down, sometimes too far and ignoring symptoms.
When you have blood tests for thyroid hormones it has to be at the earliest possible time, fasting (you can drink water) and allow a gap of 24 hours between last dose and test and take it afterwards. This allows the TSH to be at its highest as that seems to be the only number doctors notice.
Always get a print-out of your results for your own records. To recover it is a slowish process as we have to increase hormones gradually.
thank you for this, i forgot to say i was started on 25, this has gone up in the last two months to 50. Is there anywhere on here to get Dr recommendations? as on top of all this and the move north I have started a masters degree (reason for move) , and the uni have just tested me positive for dyslexia too, so lots of things to process and my thyroid symptoms are not helping .
If you are on Facebook, (I am not a member and don't know how it works) but Lorraine Cleaver has a Facebook page and she has a case before the Scottish Parliament at present about changing the guidelines for treating hypo patients. Maybe she could advise on a doctor but they are few and far between it seems to me who know best how to diagnose/treat.
You can email louise.roberts@thyroiduk.org.uk who has a list of doctors but am not sure of there whereabouts.
If you post your most recent blood test results including ranges members can advise, you may well be under medicated
As you have Hashimoto's it's very likely you have low vitamin D, folate, ferritin and/or B12
If they are too low they stop Thyroid hormones working. Have these been tested, if not ask that they are.
Hashimoto's very often affects the gut, leading to low stomach acid, low vitamin levels and leaky gut.
Changing to a strictly gluten free diet may help reduce symptoms. Very, very many of us here find it really helps and can slowly lower antibodies.
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