NDT reduction muscle and neck stiffness back.

[Peanut31]

Hi

It’s been just over 4 weeks since I reduce my NDT from 2 & 1/2 grains to 2 grains.

The reason for the reduction was due to me feeling anxious, jittery and a high heart rate.

Internal vibrations (like the bed was shaking) especially in the morning, and my blood results being over range.

TSH 0.01 (0.27-4.20)

T4 17.60 (12.00-22.00)

T3 8.29 (3.1-6.8)

I’m been making notes everyday and I started to feel better since the reduction. However, my neck stiffness and very sore shoulder muscles have come back.

This was one of my major symptoms before, my muscles feel so tender to touch, and I’m restricted with my neck movement.

I have also started feeling shaky again in the morning, and cold.

I haven’t done anything different to cause my neck stiffness and painful muscles, and recognise the pain from before I was originally diagnosed and when I was on Levothyroxine via the NHS.

I’m 100% certain it is connected to my thyroid levels.

Would you suggest maybe doing a finger prick test for my TSH, T3 & T4 to see what’s going on?

I then thought after the results, maybe try and increase my NDT back to another 1/4 grain to 2 & 1/4 grains, or maybe add some T4 in the mix by cutting a 25mcg in half = 12.5mcg.

Obviously, I need to make the changes one by one and slowly but I’ll discovering one size doesn’t fit all.

Has any one experienced muscle and neck stiffness with a reduction of thyroid medication.

Best wishes

Peanut31

[adin]

I think you are overmedicated, it might be better to reduce the ndt dose and add a little levo.

[Marymary7]

Yes, I get terrible problems with my neck and shoulders. They feel as if they will go into a strain type pain if I use them much. I get frozen shoulder which is now healing up. One funny thing is I can't have a draught on my shoulder or neck, not even in bed I can't breath on it, I have to have the covers right up or it goes into painful spasms type feelings. A doctor told me once that the muscle is weak due to the lack of thyroid hormones and goes into spasm. Sadly he left the practice , he knew straight away what all my symptoms pointed too.

[shaws Administrator]

When adjusting doses it should be by 1/4 tablet at a time up or down, whilst taking note of your symptoms.

Blood tests were introduced along with levothyroxine, i.e. T4 only. Therefore when taking T4/T3, or NDT blood tests cannot correlate they just tell us that at a certain time what is in our blood. I shall give you a link which might be helpful. The doctor who made these links only took one blood test for the initial diagnosis of his patients and thereafter he took none at all but it was all about small adjustments and relieving symptpoms. (when NDT was all that was available there were no blood tests).

naturalthyroidsolutions.com...

p.s. also make sure your vitamins/minerals are good.

[Peanut31 in reply to shaws]

Thanks shaws

I was encouraged (not on this forum) to increase my NDT despite my symptoms, but, I did a blood test and it explained my symptoms.

My T3 was too high, had I increased I suspect I would of felt worse as my T3 was over range.

I did the test leaving 8-10 hours after my dosage of NDT per advice on here.

Maybe I should of decreased by 1/4 grain only as you said, but I couldn’t cope with my symptoms.

Once again thank you.

Best wishes

Peanut31

[shaws Administrator in reply to Peanut31]

I know exactly what you mean. It is stressful when trying to ease symptoms especially if we're trying to reach a dose which relieves them.

[Hidden in reply to Peanut31]

I reduced fairly recently from 2.5 grains to 2 this was about 8 weeks ago and I feel much better. My FT3 was still over range on 2.5 so it made sense. If I know that I am doing lots of exercise I take an extra 1/4 grain just in the morning on that day and it appears to be working. The only time I feel a little tired is after lunch until 2 pm when I take the next dose.

[jgelliss]

IMHO I would have tried 1/4 grain reduction first and see how that felt . Give your body time to acclimate to new changes each time . Nutrients are Very Important too .

Vitamin "D"/K2 , B-Complex , B-12/folate , Iron if low , magnesium , Vitamin "C", Celtic Sea Salt for Adrenals/Electrolytes .