5.5 months on NDT need help please.

[NataliAAA]

I have been on NDT since mid-December 2018. Diagnosis Grave's disease, total thyroidectomy in December 2017. Was on 100mg levothyroxine but did not feel well on it. In December 2018 started NDT.Now I am taking 2 and 1/4 grains of NDT. I need help with interpretation lab results of blood test as I think I need to increase my NDT? Could someone please advise me? I don't understand why my FT4 dropped despite increasing NDT.

5 weeks ago when I was taking 2 grains of NDT:

TSH-3.08 (0.27-4.2)

Free T3-5.06 (3.1-6.8)

Free T4-13.9 (12-22)

Blood test was taken on an empty stomach, previous dose of NDT was taken 24 hours before the test.

After I increase my NDT by 1/4 grain.

-Now when I am taking 2 and 1/4 grains of NDT:

(Blood test was taken on an empty stomach, previous dose of NDT was taken 11 hours before the test)

TSH-0.25 (0.27-4.2)

Free T3-5.8 (3.1-6.8)

Free T4-12.2 (12-22)

Many thanks

[hipolion]

Hello, you split your dose or you take all in one?

[NataliAAA in reply to hipolion]

I split my doze.1and 1/4 grain I'm taking at night whenever I wake up and 1 grain that I'm taking in the evening.

[jamesal0]

Hi Natali. Your numbers look fine, but on NDT you don't really use blood tests you steer it with but rather how you feel. If you're feeling normal then you have the perfect NDT tune. Leave it exactly as it is. But understand you will need slightly more in winter and possibly slightly less in summer. If you start jogging 45min per day you will need slightly more etc. Keep an eye out for side effects you can steer by, your temp a midday. 35.5C you need more, 36.6C perfect, 37 slow down. Tingles in the tongue (less), tingles in the fingers (less), feeling of hair standing on end (less) , skin is always dry (more), etc etc

Good luck

J

[NataliAAA in reply to jamesal0]

Since i started taking NDT [THIROYD] i always felt great. Even when i was under medicated with NDT. Just the problem was dizzyness. Which completely disappeared 1 month ago. Maybe because of my iron level which i managed to raise. I tried to measure my temeperate at 3 o'clock each day but it kept jumping up and down. So probably the temperature doesn't work for me. Yes i am jogging in the park 3 times a week. Just i don't understand why my FT4 has dropped despite increasing NDT. Is it normal? And thank you for your reply.

[jamesal0 in reply to NataliAAA]

Hi Nat. I split my NDT dose 3 ways to get around dizzyness. Temp is very dependent on food consumption, time of the day, recent exercise. The T3 in NDT makes it flap up and down heaps - mine varies from 35.5 all the way to 37 sometimes a couple of times per day. But I still think it's a good thing for people to understand how their temp works and its just another piece of information you can use to fine tune NDT. Try taking NDT an hour before jogging - I can swim or run 20% better when doing so. It dilates the arteries and airways in the lungs

[dbrowning02 in reply to jamesal0]

Jamesal0 I hadn't heard that with NDT you don't really use blood test so you are saying not to have blood test? I'm on Armour just switched from Natures and waiting the 6 wks to see how I'm doing since I do feel a little more jittery than when I was on the Natures.

[jamesal0 in reply to dbrowning02]

No - your GP uses Blood tests to get you in the ball park. You then use feel to optimize it. You still need blood tests but maybe not as often and they are more likely to be good when you get them back. There are so many different brands and strengths of NDT and Levo, which is good because you can find one that works for you. Jittery can be under or over subscribed, or a brand thing. Just try 25mg more or less per day for a few days and see what helps. Keep an eye on your midday temp.

[dbrowning02 in reply to jamesal0]

Thank you I will try that.

[NataliAAA]

I had my blood test at 9:20 am

[Celestialbeing]

NataliAAA, how are you feeling? Your levels are not too bad. They are similar to mine at one point. I just had to increase my NDT by 1/8 grain to get the levels where I need them. I use to scripts. One is my main dose that I cut in half (AM/PM) and the other is a smaller amount that I cut into quarters (AM mostly, occasionally PM).

[M33R4 in reply to Celestialbeing]

You do well managing to make such a smal grain into 1/8

[Celestialbeing in reply to M33R4]

I use a little knife to cut a 32 into 1/4s.

[SilverAvocado]

Hi NataliAAA, with NDT freeT4 will usually be low, this is completely normal. This is because it's really more about the T3 in NDT.

I've found when raising my NDT and doing blood tests that the numbers often don't raise as expected, my largest period of freeT3 staying the same was something like 6 increases!!

It you feel well where you are, the blood test looks fine. There is room for an increase if you want that, too, it's fine to take freeT3 all the way to the top if needed.