NAC for myxedema/mucin

[Emporio_Invictus]

How many actually had success with N-Acetyl-Cysteine for these awful mucin deposits? I tried it with zero improvement last year (1,8g every day). Also, no matter how much T3 I take my myxedema won't go away! Such a terrible symptom when you used to be good looking!

[Supul]

Can't answer your question, sorry.

Can you explain the deposits please?

I have recently been told by orthopaedic consultant that I have pockets of fatty tissue (I think are mucin), on the back of my lower legs. I was offered surgery to remove them but declined.

My lower legs, and sometimes, my feet too, swell and feel very heavy, lead Laden feeling. Most uncomfortable!

[greygoose in reply to Supul]

Mucin is not fat. It is part of the skin which, when you are hypo, attracts and retains water. And, it's very difficult to get rid of the water. Having Hashi's, I've had several 'hyper' phases, and it all disappeared. However, as soon as I went hypo again, it all came back, and over-dosing on thyroid hormone did not have the same effect! I've been searching for an answer for a long time, but haven't found one, I'm afraid.

[ShinyB in reply to greygoose]

I have no idea if this would work and am just thinking/typing out loud here... years ago, before I knew for certain I had a thyroid problem, I tried a weight loss regime from a magazine called (awful title!) The Fat Flush Diet, by a nutritionist called Ann Louise Gittleman. It was designed for weight loss, detox, boosting the metabolism and decreasing water retention. I lost 2.5 stone very easily. At the time I hadn't heard of mucins but I certainly noticed that my legs were a much nicer shape and looked chiselled! Funnily enough I have been thinking about it again this week and that I might give it another go. I was so impressed with it at the time that I bought her book, which I still have somewhere. I'll have another read of it, but I do recall that it talked a lot about releasing fluids from the cells.

[greygoose in reply to ShinyB]

I don't know that diet, but I have my doubts. Did she explain how you release water from the cells? I don't imagine that book was aimed at hypos though - were you hypo at the time?

[ShinyB in reply to greygoose]

She did but this was a long time ago, hence saying I'll have another read of the book! I think I've been hypothyroid since my early teens. No, it wasn't aimed at hypos but what I said in my comment was that my legs were more 'chiselled'. As I said, I was thinking out loud really....

[ShinyB in reply to greygoose]

Just had a quick look online. This is obviously updated from when I did it about 20 years or so ago! It does mention the thyroid. fatflush.com/choose-your-pl... If you use the search facility on this site and put in thyroid, it brings you up with case studies of people who had thyroid problems.

[greygoose in reply to ShinyB]

OK, I'll check that out when I have a minute. Thank you for the link.

[Emporio_Invictus in reply to Supul]

In my case its very unlucky cause I only have it in my face. My nose is wider/bigger than before and my cheeks fuller. It all started when I first took T4 3 years ago and never got better, only worse.

[Supul]

Ps what are your myxoedema symptoms? I was told I had myxoedema 28 years ago.

My body appears very 'spongy, bugg2y' and heavy.

Endocrinologist has just increased levothyroxine from 75mcg, to 100mcg, now 125mcg, after titrating my dose.

I suffered autoimmune thyroiditis 4 years ago, after being stable on 125mcg for around 15 years.

During thyroid crises, GP would not help, I saw Dr P and took metavive and adrenavive as he advised.

Other health issues took me back to NHS Dr, whereby they were not happy I had stopped levothyroxine. I went back to levothyroxine after being referred to rheumatologist and then endocrinologist. I felt obliged to.

It's been a journey!

[shaws Administrator]

Have you had an up-to-date blood test? A Full Thyroid Function Test will be more informative than the one a doctor takes (usually TSH and T4 only) when a Full Thyroid Function Test is more informative, if one is having symptoms/problems when on thyroid hormone replacements.

If you are in the UK, it seems that doctors have been directed that TSH and T4 give sufficient information. In fact it isn't sufficient if we have symptoms.

I doubt your GP will do the following but you can have a private one from one of the recommended labs that do home pin-prick tests and if you decide to do so, then make sure you are well-hydrated a couple of days before doing the following:-

Make an appointment for the earliest possible, fasting (you can drink water) and allow a gap of 24 hours between your last dose of levo and the test and take afterwards.

Before blood tests were introduced, instead of doctors' skills, mucin was one of the common symptom which doctors recognised and prescribed NDT. (Natural Dessicated Thyroid Hormones) until patient felt better with relief of symptoms.

You need TSH, T4, T3, Free T4, Free T3 and thyroid antibodies.

Get a print-out from your surgery, with the ranges and post for comments.

If you have not had a recent vitamins/minerals tested ask for B12, Vt D, iron, ferritin and folate.

You may be on insufficient thyroid hormone replacement which may have caused mucin.

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...

[Emporio_Invictus in reply to shaws]

My FT3 is always over range, I'm on T3 only. I currently take 125mcg all at once in the morning. Can't increase anymore cause my pulse gets too fast.

[shaws Administrator in reply to Emporio_Invictus]

It could be that you have something called 'Thyroid Hormone Resistance' as your dose of T3 at 125mcg is high - compared to mine which is around 40mcg. The following is about Resistance and read March 17, 2000 in particular and the whole thread may be informative. You are doing the right thing by 'listening' to how your body is behaving when increasing doses as your dose is already high.

web.archive.org/web/2010103...

This is a past post about mucin which I thought may be informative, i.e. have you been checked for diabetes?

[Emporio_Invictus in reply to shaws]

I don't have diabetes. I'm actually very fit, around 10% body fat and I go to the gym 6x week. The crazy thing is that my face still looks fat at 10% BF because of the mucin. Before I had this myxedema I was at 14% body fat and my face looked way leaner. The difference is huge.

[AnnaSo in reply to Emporio_Invictus]

I can totally relate to the swollen face btw, skinny or plump my face always looks swollen 😐

[AnnaSo]

Hey, I am taking it but no effect yet. Only need few weeks. How long have you been taking it for?

[Emporio_Invictus in reply to AnnaSo]

I took it for 6 months. I really don't believe it can help with mucin. I only read about one single person on the internet that had success with it and this could also be for other reasons (weight/fat loss, more thyroid hormones etc.)

[AnnaSo in reply to Emporio_Invictus]

6 months is a good going! Sorry to hear it didn’t do it for you though. On the flip side NAC is meant to have other positive effects on the body.

[jgelliss]

NAC is very beneficial for lungs and the liver . It's a precursor to Glutathione . We can not exist without Glutathione .