ndt summer time

[ramsfs10]

felt like i finally hit right dose 2.5 grains of naturethroid been steady for 2-3 months.. but now feeling overmedicated now summer time has come and been laying out in sun... my pulse stays high all day should i drop a .25 grain during summer time? and maby readjust for winter?

[Rapunzel]

should i drop a .25 grain during summer time? and maby readjust for winter? Yes to both... .25 grain may not be enough. See how you feel and if you still feel overmedicated after 2/3 weeks, drop another .25. I upped my NDT by .5 grain over the winter...now I keep thinking I've left the central heating on.

[ramsfs10 in reply to Rapunzel]

why does summer time make people feel overmedicated? does the sun give you more t3.. because i take a high dose of vitamin d3 year round. have gotten my vitamin d levels to optimal

[Rapunzel in reply to ramsfs10]

I haven't got a clue! But I'm an old timer now and know what works for me. The wisdom of the forum led me to do this, usually to coincide with the clocks springing forward and falling back... Perhaps a wise one will be along to help with the why, tomorrow.

[ramsfs10 in reply to Rapunzel]

funny u say that cause when the clocks changed recently is when i started feeling over. thanks i will drop a 4th. never ending struggle

[jamesal0 in reply to ramsfs10]

You use thyroid to make heat (37 deg C) and in summer you don't need to heat your body as much. summer here in Australia I back off by 30mg

[Hidden in reply to ramsfs10]

The Sun just keeps the body warmer that's all.

[cabro2 in reply to ramsfs10]

Because your body's metabolism doesn't have to run as high to keep you warm. So you are burning less thyroid hormone.

[GKeith in reply to ramsfs10]

The sun gives you more than enough vitamin D3, so you need not supplement it in the summer with an hour or more a day.

[ramsfs10 in reply to GKeith]

not nessicarily i was in sun everyday and my vitamin d was bottom of range

[GKeith in reply to ramsfs10]

What do you mean by everyday and where.? I am in Florida where the sun shines 90& of every day.

[ramsfs10 in reply to Rapunzel]

what are your other symptoms of overmedicated? do you get high pulse rate also? its got me worried!

[posthinking01]

Hi the thyroid is the thermostat of the body - so when warmer it doesn't have to work so hard to keep you warm - so yes you can feel over medicated and need more in Winter.

[dtate2016]

You may find that the reduction will stay reduced. Could also be increased Vit. D. My experience is that When Vit D is optimal, metabolism of hormone is likewise optimal.

[Dadondadda]

Needing less in the summer is normal as you don't use up as much keeping your body warm.

2.5 grains, depending on your stats, is also a pretty high dose for a lot of people, although it's not obviously excessive.

In a few different books some well known doctors have mentioned 2 grains being the most common dose.

A few years ago I saw a post on another forum, which discussed a pamphlet from an anti-aging conference where the doctors listed what they took personally - and Dr. Hertoghe himself (the Belgian endocrinologist) took 1.5 grains daily. He also took all the other hormones - which is interesting, as he didn't take too much of any one but a healthy, balanced amount of all of them - practicing what he preached.

[Rapunzel in reply to Dadondadda]

2.5 grains, depending on your stats, is also a pretty high dose for a lot of people, although it's not obviously excessive. What?

I have to disagree - it's not a high dose; from my experience it's a level at which many people may start to feel better and some need a higher dose.

[Dadondadda in reply to Rapunzel]

I said I don't think it's obviously excessive. But the poster feels overmedicated. Good chance it's the summer issue but if reducing in summer still doesn't help...

2.5 grains is 95 mcg t4 and 22.5 mcg t3. Post absorption that's 21 mcg t3 and ~ 63 mcg t4. If you assume 1/4 of the t4 gets to t3, then that's 37 mcg of t3 turnover a day, which is on the high side of 25-35, which is the "normal" range, assuming 0 natural production. This ignores lots of stuff obviously.

Not super high, but again, if you feel overmedicated, something to consider.

I've always wanted to see the average total t4 from 100 people on 3 grains/day. I'm curious if that is low like it is with 2 grains. I wonder if they feel better due to the dose finally being enough t4.

[jjyankee]

Not really sure why this happens but it does. In the book, "The functional Approach to treating Hypothyroidism," (great book by the way) Dr.Blanchard writes about lowering the dose of meds during warmer weather and increasing again come winter (he practiced in Massachusetts so a long harsh winter).

Unfortunately, I cannot not remember his reasoning but know that many of his patients suddenly felt over or under medicated with the drastic weather changes. He also talks about changing doses with weigh loss/weight gain which is not something I really would have thought of- apparently, even small weight changes can effect how your dose works. They don't call these meds "Cinderella drugs" for no reason; the therapeutic window is so very small and there are so many variables that can throw us off the rails.

[silverfox7]

I felt the need to raise meds in the winter on T4 but not on NDT. But we can all react differently. Going back to your low Vit D even though out in the sun. Once you get a tan you stop any benefit of being out in the sun as the tan makes a barrier. The same with skin tone, the darker it is the less Vit D you can absorb. I was surprise to read a few years ago now that Vit D levels are very low in South Africa. So you make be better taking a good vitamins D medication but also remember you need the co factors of Vit K2 and Magnesium. Vit K sends the excess calcium into the bones and teeth and the Magnesium locks it in.

When we take VIT D or calcium levels can rise as well and can cause kidney and gall stones. It can even calcify muscle resulting in pain and also remember our heart is muscle as well. My calcium level shot up well over range but then I read about this and started taking the K2 and it dropped very quickly. It's K1 that affects clotting. It even so if you have that problem you must talk to your doctor before taking K2.

[ramsfs10 in reply to silverfox7]

does this actually show higher levels t3 levels on blood test during summer or is it just a symptom. wondering if i should get another blood test during summer months when i drop?

[silverfox7]

Can't say I've noticed one way or the other. I seem to be pretty static throughout the year.