First NDT blood results - wow 😃

[AnnaSo]

Hi everyone 👋🏼

I have my first NDT blood results after 6 weeks on Thyroid-S. 2 grains - 1 grain in the morning. 1 in the evening. Last med taken in the evening(9pm) before the test (9am).

I was worried especially about antibodies as know they can get set off by NDT in Hashis. But they remained stable at 57 for TG and 258 for TPO, the same level they’ve been since February (I check every month).

Thyroid panel results, last results in brackets

TSH 0.02 (0.10) / 0.4-3.8

T4 10.1 (14.6) / 10-22

T3 4.9 (2.9) / 2.5-6.5

This is the highest T3 I had in my life! 😃 so excited. Based on the above, how much further can I increase? 1/4 or can I go straight for 1/2?

Other:

D3 42 (49) / 50-150 - I take 7k a day with K2 and magnesium supplements

Ferritin 76 (78) / 15-200

B12 356 (373) / 138-800

Serum Folate 24 (28) / 16-71

Serum Zinc 14.3 (10.2) / 10.7-17.7

Thank you ☺️

[FancyPants54]

You forgot to tell us how you feel. What your symptoms are like now.

[AnnaSo in reply to FancyPants54]

I’m much better but still very very swollen and fatigued 😞 however brain for gone, better digestion and elimination, happier 🤗

My new GP is lovely and said EBV (I had reactivation recently) and low Vitamin D cold be the reason for the fatigue. The swelling due to thyroid but will take time he said.

[shaws]

Taking account of your clinical symptoms and as they are relieved you can raise NDT by 1/4 tablet every two weeks. Blood tests aren't so important - only a guide when on NDT or T3/T4 or T3 only. Blood tests were invented for the use of levothyoroxine (T4 only).

Others will respond how to increase the following:-

D3 42 (49) / 50-150 - I take 7k a day with K2 and magnesium supplements

Ferritin 76 (78) / 15-200

B12 356 (373) / 138-800

Serum Folate 24 (28) / 16-71

drlowe.com/QandA/askdrlowe/...

[AnnaSo in reply to shaws]

Thanks Shaws! I’ve increased by quarter grain as of yesterday 😊

[shaws in reply to AnnaSo]

I should also have stated that you should take your pulse/temp several times a day when increasing and if either goes too high, drop to previous dose and that should be your optimum dose.

[AnnaSo in reply to shaws]

I do check, all good so far. Temperature could be higher only at 36.3C

[phoenix23002]

In order to feel some control and to give you real guidance as to raising NDT, it is always a good idea to keep a daily log/journal. List your dosage, body temp/heart rate and how you are feeling. Take temps about 3 pm or so. Between 3 - 4 - 5 is when body temp is highest. Be sure to list symptoms as well.

It is recommended by some that Free T 4 should be mid-range and Free T 3 should be in the upper 1/4 of range. TSH should be less than 1.0. Judging by that (and with no body temps or heart rate to go by), you do have room to increase some more.

[AnnaSo in reply to phoenix23002]

Hi Phoenix,

Good tip, might start a journal as there seem to be so many variables to look out for, don’t want to miss anything ☺️

[SlowDragon Administrator]

As you have Hashimoto's are you on strictly gluten free diet?

This can help lower antibodies, improve vitamin levels and reduce symptoms, especially mucin

Vitamin D is terrible

Do you use vitamin d mouth spray? This can give good results as avoids poor gut function

Are you supplementing any B vitamins?

A good quality daily vitamin B complex may be of benefit, one with folate in not folic acid

If you are taking vitamin B complex, or any supplements containing biotin, remember to stop these 3-5 days before any blood tests, as biotin can falsely affect test results

endo.confex.com/endo/2016en...

endocrinenews.endocrine.org...

Some EBV links - you probably seen them all before

thyroidpharmacist.com/artic...

drhedberg.com/epstein-barr-...

hypothyroidmom.com/hashimot...

drchristianson.com/epstein-...

[AnnaSo in reply to SlowDragon]

Hi SlowDragon,

Yes I have been gluten free since 2009. Not sure if it’s making any difference, it never helped with neither antibodies, weight or nutrients levels but I’m persistent.

I use an oil capsule Vitamin D but I only just started few weeks ago (two brand I tried previously gave me very bad side effects so I stayed away from as was worried) and I am not very good at remembering to take it every day. The same with B complex 😕 but will try harder now on. It’s just there are so many to take 😫

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to AnnaSo]

Have you tried Vitamin D mouth spray by Better You?

Its absorbed in mouth so avoids poor gut function, so many of us with Hashimoto's find it very good. Nice minty taste too

[Boon79]

Were you on levothyroxine before NDT? Can I ask how much? I'mstruggling with dosage of NDT

[AnnaSo in reply to Boon79]

Yes I was on 150 Levo. Currently on 3 grains and feeling great. It’s all personal though so you have to slowly work out what dose suits you. It took a lot of patience.

[Boon79 in reply to AnnaSo]

Thank you. So I guess 2 grains is around 100mcg. I still felt hypo on 2 grains but I maybe should have held at 2 for 6 weeks and then tested?

[AnnaSo in reply to Boon79]

I never went with conversion to Levo I just kept adding quarter by quarter until I started to feel well long term. It is true what others might have said here, that after an increase you might feel better for a week or two and then rubbish again. If that’s the case, it means you need another increase. I went 1/4 every week or two. It worked well for me, but some might need to take it slower.

If you still fee hypo on two grains I’d say you might need to go higher. To be honest if two grains were right for you would feel right too. No point torturing yourself.

According to the blood tests my T3 is slightly too high (8.3 at 2.5-6.5 scale) but I feel well, no palps, my awful swelling (check my previous posts) that was haunting my for yeaaaaars went away, so did the brain fog and body aches and I feel like a human again. So if it takes slightly elevated T3 to get there I’m happy with that 🙂 after all it’s only a test and I’m not dosing for the number but for my wellbeing 🙂

[Boon79 in reply to AnnaSo]

Thank you AnnaSo. I will increase from 2.25 grains to 2.5 grains in a few days as I'm obviously not quite there. I remember a thumping heart just before ever being diagnosed with hypothyroidism so it seems I need a touch more.

[AnnaSo in reply to Boon79]

No worries at all, happy I could help 🙂

Just another idea: getting a dose right on NDT can be difficult if you are iron or cortisol deficient (check thyroid madness website for details). Have you ever had it checked?

My iron was very low and I needed two IVs to get to some decent level. No tablets, no injections worked but IV.

[Boon79 in reply to AnnaSo]

I regularly get my ferritin tested and it's good. Perhaps I just need to plod on until I get full thyroid blood test. Thank you so much for your help!

[AnnaSo in reply to Boon79]

Good as in high in the range? Just within the range is not enough. Just to be sure 🙂

[Boon79 in reply to AnnaSo]

High in the range. I take iron tables once a day too.

[AnnaSo in reply to Boon79]

Perfect 👌🏼 🙂

[Boon79 in reply to AnnaSo]

😁

[nugoori]

May i ask how you take your throid-s? Do you swallow them or chen them before?