Hi, sorry if this has been asked a million times already- but just looking for people’s experiences with NDT. My endo has prescribed it for me. I’m hoping it’ll stop the massive weight gains every time I eat more than 1200 calories a day😓 I’m on 50mg/75mg levo, my weight jumped up after starting it and is impossible to lose. I was actually taking Saxenda until last week, but after 6 weeks I only lost 4lbs- which isn’t really worth the price tag. And in a few days it’s all gone back on! 😩
So I’d like to know if NDT has helped weight loss, how it has made you feel, and where is the best place to get it from please?
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Melodica8
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I like WP & Nature Throid NDT. Thyro-Gold caused a nasty reaction, & Thyroid S a milder one. I'm far from thin, but have increased my calorie intake by about 60% so I'm not constantly hungry, & stay around the same weight. I eat a wholefood vegetarian diet with a lot of pre & probiotics, & avoid processed foods. I also started restrictive eating, the 16:8 type, before taking thyroid hormones, which helped with weight control rather than loss, as it still does. There are other health benefits to intermittent fasting, even though not eating for 16 hours isn't radical. Some folks prefer the 5:2 approach. I also take T3, & have lowered my overall dose of both THs after improving my micronutrient intake. NDT isn't a magic bullet, & still needs cofactors to work well. Perhaps avoid processed foods & ensure you have optimal intake & levels of the vitamins & minerals that we all need to function at our best, then the thyrod hormones you take might start to work better for you.
ps Did you read the contraindications for Saxenda: Serious side effects may happen in people who take Saxenda®, including:
Possible thyroid tumors, including cancer. Tell your health care professional if you get a lump or swelling in your neck, hoarseness, trouble swallowing, or shortness of breath. These may be symptoms of thyroid cancer. In studies with rats and mice, Saxenda® and medicines that work like Saxenda® caused thyroid tumors, including thyroid cancer. It is not known if Saxenda® will cause thyroid tumors or a type of thyroid cancer called medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) in people.
Yes I knew about the Saxenda possible nasties- that’s partly why I wanted to stop!
Diet wise I eat well overall, don’t really have processed food as I cook from scratch and tend to follow a slimming world style way of eating (but avoid the aspartame and hydrogenated fats) and I do try to have fewer carbs. I’ve also heard the 16:8 is a good option. Tbh I’m tempted just to stop levo and see how my body copes! I’m sure the levo is stopping the weight coming off. Because I’m on such a low dose I think I’m in hypothyroid denial- especially as my private endo started me on it when my t4 was within range, albeit right down the bottom. And I was symptomatic. And I felt a lot better to begin with on levo. Still in denial! 😅
I disagree with low fat diets such as slimming world as we need fats to function. Try counting nutrients, & fill up on high fibre foods. Eating resistant starch that’s filling might help. Make sure you get enough healthy fats. We can go into storage mode with too few calories & this also deprives us of essential nutrients. I’m sure it’s one of the reasons I couldn’t loose weight when hypo. Changing when I ate definitely helped as I could eat more.
Resistant starch is fibre we can’t digest, but healthy gut bacteria can. Green bananas, or potatoes/pasta that has been cooked then cooked & left until the next day. I’m using my phone, so can’t give you links, though you could do a web search yourself.
50mcg of Levothyroxine is only a starter dosage, I would guess your still under medicated. With Levothyroxine you increase by 25mcg every 6-8 weeks.
Then take another blood test, testing TSH, T3 & T4. Just testing TSH & T4 is not adequate. Make sure bloods are tested before 9am don’t take your Levothyroxine before hand and drink water only.
It’s advised to aim for a TSH of around 1 and your T3 & T4 in the higher end of the lab figures whilst in Levothyroxine.
By only taking 50mcg or 75mcg your not giving Levo a chance.
It also depends on the brand, many find TEVA not good at all.
Normally you don’t take both NDT & Levothyroxine.
Are you planning on ditching Levothyroxine and then just trying NDT?
How much has NDT have you been prescribed.
If I were you I would ask for an increase in Levothyroxine first.
Yes but when I was on 75mg of levo, my t4 was over & my tsh was really suppressed, and I felt over medicated. Couldn’t sleep and jittery. So my gp put me down to 50/day, my endo suggested one day 50mg, one day 75mg.
I’ve been told to just take NDT. And 1.5 grains a day, 1 in am and .5 at lunchtime.
Previous posts you took Levothyroxine before your blood test, this causes faults readings.
Having a suppressed TSH is fine, don’t listen to the GP or endo that says it isn’t.
Your March results, do you not feel well on those?
If you try NDT as advised split this, I take mine 6am and 2pm.
Levothyroxine did nothing for me so I’m on NDT now, but I’ve added a small amount of Levothyroxine. What was happening was my NDT was pushing my T3 results over range and Making me feel anxious, jittery.
I’m on 2 grains of NDT and currently 12.5mcg of Levothyroxine every other day. I’m sticking to this for 6 weeks to see how I feel.
If it's low now, it's unlikely that you'll be able to fix it with diet (or it would already be OK). However, once it is optimal you might be able to keep it there with diet - plenty of red meat, especially organs, and eggs. Sublingual methylcobalamin.
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Some folks prefer the 5:2 approach. I also take T3, & have lowered my overall dose of both THs after improving my micronutrient intake. NDT isn't a magic bullet, & still needs cofactors to work well. Perhaps avoid processed foods & ensure you have optimal intake & levels of the vitamins & minerals that we all need to function at our best, then the thyrod hormones you take might start to work better for you. 
Considering NDT
Reducing NDT add in T4
Three weeks on NDT...
NDT
NDT
