Hypo help

[Simba145]

Hello, I have hypo, just wondering if anyone was given t3 instead of just t4 and if that helped them feel better

[Hypopotamus]

Yes, many of us needed either Liothyronine or NDT before we felt better. But you are extremely unlikely to get them prescribed on the NHS so you will need to find a source on-line, and try them yourself. There is a ton of information on these forums, and I suggest doing some research before you go off and buy something on-line.

[Ness54]

I could not move hardly, I could not dress myself as my joints hurt so much on Levothyroxine. As soon as my gp took me off it and put me on NDT all these debilitating symptoms went away. I’m now very active and feel so much better. I have a gp who listens and cares, very rare breed nowadays.

[Batty1 in reply to Ness54]

Your lucky that NDT took away your joint pains....Im on Armour Thyroid and still have pain ...stinks

[Ness54 in reply to Batty1]

Yes I’m on Armour and never felt so well, I suppose as we are all individuals, one medication cannot help all, for me it was Levothyroxine that nearly killed me, sorry to hear it’s not worked for you.

[bandicoot66]

Hi, I was finally given t4 after 15 hrs of feeling exhausted on t4 only. I had to insist on being tested for t3 levels and was found to below the lowest acceptable level. I then looked up the specialists locally at the nhs hospitals and found that patients had been given t4. I requested my dr to see one of them. I am tested 7 monthly to check I'm in range. It has made the most amazing difference to my life. I now have energy feel so much better in myself and have lost weight. I couldn't now go back to just t4.

[bandicoot66]

Sorry that was 15 years before any treatment.

[Aurealis in reply to bandicoot66]

You can click on ‘more’ to edit your post x

[Treepie]

You may be better posting your blood test results with ranges as you may be under medicated and need more T4.

[Simba145]

Thanks for the responses people, tbh I don’t really remember what it felt to feel optimum so I don’t know if I’m there yet with just t4, what products would people suggest for an experiment and is there anything I need to know in terms of dose

Kind regards

[Hidden]

There can be lots of reasons why you still feel ill despite diagnoses, Unfortunatly doctors do little if any training in regard to thyroid health so often stuff gets missed or treatment is very poor. T3 is often a big life changer for many people who do not do well on levo but levo is often prescribed at a much lower dose than needed or vitamins and minerals needed by the body to make use of thyroid hormones are at a level too low. it is best to try and sort out what is going on first before trying to get some T3 as T3 is often quite an expensive route. You are entitiled to a copy of your blood results from your doctors, just need to ask reception. Hopefully you will have had taken your B12, vitamin D, folate and ferretin, our TSH and your T4. If not maybe you could ask to have them done. Also when you have your bloods done leave twenty four from the last dose and have them taken as early as possible in the morning and stay nil by mouth until taken.

[LAHs]

Yes, that is a very significant point. Levo is prescribed at too low a dose. If you increase your dose to the point where you begin to feel well - because you have enough T4 inside you to generate a sufficient level of T3, you doc says, "Oh, your TSH is too low, reduce your Levo!" ... and so on and so forth, you become ill again.

I would say, try the docs dose as a first approximation, take your vitamins and minerals to optimal levels including selenium (which is the catalyst for the T4 to T3 reaction) then if that doesn't work, keep the Vits etc up but start increasing your Levo dose. If that still doesn't work try to get on T3 or NDT.

The above was pretty much my own path. The last bit is difficult but keep trying even if you have to go round knocking on surgery doors (like I had to).