Anxiety trying to change to NDT

[magsyh]

Hi im having quite a time heart rate not behaving trying to do the switch. I have been 3 months on levo. Upped it to 75mcg 3 weeks ago and since then the muscle pain, joint pain and stiffness had become unbearable. I got a prescription for ndt so i reduced the levo to 50mcg and added 1/4 grain ndt. I dont have much of a problem during the day but by evening my pulse rate varies between 95 and 105 resting. My anxiety not helping but i want to get rid of the levothyroxine. As when i went one day without it all the pain disappeared but my heart rate was all over the place. How do i do this safely?

[silverfox7]

Have you any results you can post with the ranges? It's difficult otherwise to see what is happening. Your doctor has started you on a low dose and should have told you to return in 6 weeks to be retested and he would have found you needed more medication and should have increased it by 25 as you have done and this is repeated until you are on the correct dose for you. So it can take more time but without any results it's not always easy to see what is happening. So if you could post the result that you were diagnosed with and any others that would be helpful. Things change very slowly with the thyroid and we can't speed them up and NDT is t easy for someone just starting out plus when taking it you can't tell if you have a conversion problem unless you are on Levo only.

Useful as well to test Vit D, B12, folate and ferritin as these help your thyroid to work better and we can be low in them.

[silverfox7]

Just looked back at your other posts and see I have said the same before. You are still under medicated so once that is fully addressed then it should be a clearer picture. Sorry though that your doctor is unhelpful.

[hemerocallis]

I think you’re trying to do too much at once. It sounds as if the levo and NDT together are too much. It would be better to come off levo altogether and then very gradually increase the NDT, perhaps a small increase every 2 weeks. When do you take your doses? A very useful book to read is Your thyroid and how to keep it healthy by Dr Durrant Peatfield.

[magsyh in reply to hemerocallis]

Dropping the levo makes my heart race and the only way i can stop it is to increase it again thats the scary bit. My private doc tells me because i was hypo so long without treatment my adrenals are very sensitive to change. If i could bin the levo and switch over to ndt id be happy im just so scared of the adrenaline The pain in my joints especially my shoulders is really getting me down. Im using nature throid which makes me wonder but the thought of another £85 for another prescription to try something else makes me want to get through this with what i have available

[Hidden in reply to magsyh]

I had thyroidectomy in 2016 was started on synthyroid and have had horrible feet,ankle,calves and knee pains. My Endo after a year added T3 to synthyroid and still had same pains ....forward to now on Armour Thyroid and still have pains although not as bad but still have them and still can't walk well. I had days and at times weeks of being house bound due to the pain and I would experience aniexty, remorse from it all the time and I still do because I think about how my health has been destroyed over these 2 yrs ...for me its a mind and body battle and dealing with Endos that say my pains have nothing to do with thyroidectomy and thyroid levels. I'm not convinced though.

Hope you feel better soon.

[magsyh in reply to Hidden]

The pain i have has changed in the last few weeks. I had about 6 years of burning pain in my muscles. Since starting the thyroid meds the first month i felt better but since hitting 75mcg on levo the pain is so different its like a horrible dull stiff ache that feels like its in my bones. Have read so much about people having this trouble with levo so id rather not take it if i had a choice. Im going to go easy on the ndt. Im keeping a check on everything. Hope you get some answers too

[Jodypody]

Do a direct switch

[Millie22]

I was on levothroxine for very many years 150mcg. When I changed to NDT, I stopped

levo one day, and started NDT the next. This worked fine for me and I havent looked back, but of course I did not have your heart rate problem. Could be the anxiety of trying to change, But really you need to know exactly what your levels of FT3 and FT4 are (as advised by Silver Fox), then you will have a better idea of what you need.

[SlowDragon Administrator]

What are your most recent vitamin results?

Your previous post shows you're a good converter. Why not just try 75mcg Levothyroxine

Was the increase in dose still same brand of Levothyroxine?

[magsyh in reply to SlowDragon]

The pain all got so much worse after 3 weeks on 75. Since I wrote this post i have discovered that their is lactose in my levo. I am dairy free because it causes me so much pain. I have managed to reduce the levo to 25 and have raised the ntd to 3/4 grain. Im feeling better already. My heart rate is down and my blood pressure normal so its looking hopeful

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to magsyh]

Teva Levothyroxine is the only UK one that is lactose free

It's a Marmite brand in that many hate it, but lactose intolerant patients can find it fantastic