So my biggest and most stubborn Hashimotos symptom is brain fog / cognitive problems / dissociation. I’ve been gluten and dairy free for almost 7 months now. I’ve changed my thyroid meds to NDT. I’m in range in fact I’m actually slightly over medicated at the moment and I’m still suffering with a distance between me and reality. It’s a lot better than when this all started for me and it’s a lot better than when I first wrote on here but it hasn’t gone and some days it comes back quite strong. Anyone believe it will ever go (if you don’t please don’t tell me ! ) and does anyone have any ideas why it’s not going / gone? My vitamin b, d, iron, folate and ferritin are also now in the range we’d like to see on here.
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I was diagnosed with Hypo last year, then Ceoliacs....and other auto immune conditions. The worst but not the only symptom that has not improved with treatment and gluten free diet is brain fog. My job needs me to be focused. I have lost confidence at work and fear what is going to come out of my mouth next....I have slurred speech to boot....so everyone thinks I’ve been on the booze. ... I do so hope it’s not forever... for years I have been blaming menopause for everything and I have always been slim and now I’m gaining weight for fun.... I want my life back
The aim is a TSH of 1 or below and FT4 and FT3 in the upper part of the range. T4 is an inactive hormone and should convert to sufficient T3 and it is T3 which is needed in our millions of T3 receptor cells. The blood tests are not the most important as are relief of all our symptoms. Some doctors keep our TSH too high and rarely test the Frees.
Oh that sounds so horrible I do feel for you. The slurred speech sounds horrible. I’m guessing it’s a case of time. No one seems to have the answer for me. All the things I’m being told to do I’ve done and I still have brain problems. I’m 30 so no menopause yet hopefully I have that to look forward to one day....! I totally relate to wanting life back I feel exactly the same.
"In range" doesn't always mean 'optimum even though GP will be happy.
The main aim when taking thyroid hormone replacements is to relieve our clinical symptoms. A TSH of around 1 or lower and a Free T4 and Free T3 in the upper part of the range may do so but some of us need a very low TSH. The latter two are rarely tested and many doctors believe a TSH 'somewhere in range' is fine and stop increasing dose. When you say 'slightly overmedicated' do you mean your TSH is at the low end of the range? Or you feel you've taken too much thyroid hormones?
So my tsh is 0.03 which is fine but my free T3 is slightly over at 7 with 6.8 being top of range. I’m having lots of symptoms of being over medicated but if I reduce even slightly I immediately get worse head symptoms and the fatigue returns. I’m on 1 grain of NDT which I take spaced out throughout the day
As you are taking NDT your results will not be compatible as the tests were introduced along with levothyroxine (T4) only.
As you are taking NDT which contains all of the hormones so T4 and T3 results cannot be the similar to taking T4 only (levothyroxine).
I think your problem might be due to spreading your dose throughout the day and I do know that many seem to do this but I will give you a link by a doctor who would only prescribe NDT or T3 - never levothyroxine and his patients took one daily dose. Our stomachs have to be empty when we take NDT. It must be pretty difficult.
What Dr Lowe suggests when starting NDT is to begin a dose similar to what you were taking on levo, then after two weeks taking note of any improvement etc, is to add 1/4 tablet each time until you are symptom-free. Any high pulse/temp drop to previous dose.
Thankyou I will look into this! It definitely is a minefield trying to take on an empty stomach when it’s spaced out. This looks interesting. Thanks again.
Do you know what your Vit B12 / folate levels are? The brain fog could be a symptom of deficiency of one or both of those - it often goes hand in hand with thyroid issues.
Both quite good now, this is what I mean it all looks good on paper but still not much improvement. My vitamin d3 is now around 700 and my iron went from just 43 to now reading 89 I think.
Yes I have experienced a lot of this and it seems to me to be associated with T4 medication!
Sometimes it’s so bad the cognitive dysfunction makes it too dangerous to drive
It’s better when I limit the overall dose and the size of each dose, much worse when increasing the dose or, god forbid, trying to take the NHS recommendation of one massive (unphysiological) dose first thing in the morning......
Having some supplementary T3 seems to help as well.
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T4 crazy results any ideas?
Any ideas? 
Hypo or any other ideas please
Any idea what may be happening?
