Natural alternatives?

[Tiff35]

Hi all

So I have stopped levothyroxine on advice of GP over a month ago and almost all the disturbing symptoms I have experienced over the last 9 months of taking the medication has gone. Internal vibrations, overall body weakness, joint pain, muscle twitches, brain fog, anxiety to name a few. I have just had my blood tested and my TSH is 5.7 and T4 11.7 (T4 just within range). Previous high antibodies so hashis.

I’m obviously still hypothyroid on paper. The only real symptom I have noticed since stopping the medication is fatigue.

GP says I’m boarderline for treating so happy for me to continue without medicating as they agree it sounds like some sort of adverse reaction .

So I wandered Is there anything else I could take which could help without causing these other symptoms? I feel worried that I’m slowly destroying my body just because I can’t cope/function with daily life on the medication they prescribe

[SlowDragon Administrator]

So have you had vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12 tested at all, or since stopping Levo?

These are often too when we are hypothyroid and may need supplementing.

What supplements are you currently taking?

Are you on strictly gluten free diet?

Changing to a strictly gluten free diet may help reduce symptoms, help gut heal and slowly lower TPO antibodies

Ideally ask GP for coeliac blood test first, plus vitamins if not been done already

amymyersmd.com/2017/02/3-im...

chriskresser.com/the-gluten...

thyroidpharmacist.com/artic...

scdlifestyle.com/2014/08/th...

drknews.com/changing-your-d...

thyroidpharmacist.com/artic...

[Tiff35 in reply to SlowDragon]

Thanks for the reply and those links. I have been on vitamins b6 b12 selenium and off and on iron supplements following my last pregnancy and thyroid diagnoses. Vit d always ok. They have all be in range since stopping medication. (Although supplementing) Yourself and others on here have been very helpful. I managed to get them mid range apart from ferritin that I can never get higher than about 30. I Also have Ibs on top of this. I did gluten free for about a month which actually felt good but then had an unrelated emergency ectopic surgery that stopped it. So I think I will try this again. I actually do think I have been hypo for a very long time as my nan said she had it as a child, and how i am unmedicated is my norm.

[Judithdalston]

Did your endo try a variety of levothyroxin brands?

[Tiff35 in reply to Judithdalston]

I’ve tried two different brands as far as I am aware that’s all there are? I haven’t been referred to an Endo, I just see the GP

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Tiff35]

There are several standard brands of Levothyroxine

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/treatm...

Teva is only lactose free tablet - many people don't get on with it

Liquid Levothyroxine is another option but expensive so difficult to persuade them to prescribe

Alternatives are NDT or T3

Many find strictly gluten free diet helps or is essential

[Judithdalston in reply to Tiff35]

There are more, admittedly rather similar, it's not so much the T4 that upsets some but the fillers etc binding the tablet together. What dose of T4 did you get up to? One administrator never got on with levothyroxin at all and just has T3; another found that still needed a bit of T4 with T3 to feel ok. Perhaps check your VitD, b12, folate, ferritin again for maintenance and try gluten free diet again.