Hi,
I have just read yesterday that T3 could be better for me than NDT.
Could you please tell me how to take T3?
I feel better since I started taking NDT but still not as it used to be.
For some reason my T4 and T3 levels remain the same, although my TSH became lower. I do not understand why my T4 remains at 12.4 (normal range 11.5- 22) in spite of taking 2grams of NDT nearly everyday.
Because the T3 in NDT keeps it low. That's perfectly normal and probably not a problem. The most important number is the FT3. Besides, there's only 76 mcg T4 in 2 grains.
taking 2grams of NDT nearly everyday.
What does that mean? Do you forget to take it some days? Or do you take a lower dose some days? That's really not a good idea. You need to take the same dose every single day with NDT.
What's your FT3 result, plus reference range, tested at the same time as your latest TSH and FT4?
Why would T3 be better than NDT for you?
It's how you feel that's the most important thing. When on NDT (or T3) you cannot use the TSH to tell if you're on the right dose for you as T3 will almost always suppress the TSH. So you need to go by symptom-relief and your free Ts, especially your FT3.
If you want to raise your FT4 levels you should not switch to T3 but either raise NDT or add T4. But I think it's too soon to consider pure T3. You may just need an increase in your NDT.
But it's really impossible to tell without knowing your FT3 levels.
As Greygoose points out, it's not a good idea to take alternate doses of NDT, but you should take the same dose every day to keep your FT3 levels even.
I think that 2 grams of NDT might be too high for me and that the ideal dose will be 1.5grams. I thought that I could just take it 5 times a week and do not take it for other 2 days.
I take it at night on an empty stomach. If I do not wake up at night, I will not take it as I am drinking coffee in the morning.
I still do not understand. I started taking NDT 3 years ago and my T4, might be FT4 remains the same....There is T4 in NDT so how come it remains the same?
I had my T3, FT3 tested a long time ago and 2 months ago my TSH and probably FT4.....
I feel certain days that I have energy. I do many things then. The next day I feel drained out and have no energy to do anything. this is why I was thinking about taking just T3.
There is no reason not to take the same dose of NDT every day. It's better to tweak the dosages rather than not take it at all on some days. This is because T3 has a shorter half-life than T4 so should be taken consistently.
Don't you have any recent labs including FT4 and FT3? The TSH on its own will not tell us anything.
But your symptoms are indicative of hypo, not hyper.
@Ania22 - Stop worrying about blood tests they dont work with NDT. Focus on how you feel. You have to take NDT each day and most of us take it 2-3 times a day. Small doses - often. Your body gets lazy about converting the T4 in NDT and thrives on the T3. It will use the T4 if it really really has to but you feel pretty bla while you wait for it to convert. Most people need about 60mg (1 grain) - 180mg (3 grains perday. Start at 60mg cut the pill/tablet in 3 and have 1/3 with breakfast, 1/3 with lunch and 1/3 with afternoon tea. Do this for a week and see how you feel. If you feel cold or low energy maybe add a little more. If you feel your heart pounding you are taking too much. NDT is pretty immediate - you will get a response within a day or two and once you are correctly titrated, you can feel if you are off within an hour. Don't worry about taking with food, tea, coffee, at worst it depletes the NDT by 10%. The best bit is it spreads the NDT T3 hit out across a few hours.
Symptoms
Feel Cold - take more. Take your midday temp with a digital thermometer under the tongue
Metal hand rails feel abnormally cold - take more.
Sweats - take less
Heart Palps - try taking less but it can be not enough too
Finger tip pain - take less
Heel and ball of foot pain - take less
Painfull joints - experiment, happens at both extremes
Painfull tendons or small bones in feet - normally take more
Thyroid gland hurts or refereed pain up jaw into ear - take more
Clicking joints - take less
Rib cartilage pain - take less
Dry eyes, eye pain - try more
Kidney function test bad - take more
Cholesterol bad - take more
Breathless - take more - although not if it's a heart attack 
B12
You need massive amounts of B12, most hypo's cant get it from their diet or supplements any longer. I buy B12 ampules from the chemist and self inject one every 6 weeks. Its water soluble and you really have to try to OD on it.
J
Apart of low energy the day after I have done many things I have muscles pains, something what I would probably describe as a brain fog......I saw a gp about it, I was told that I might have fibromyalgia....but he never came back to that topic..and was sort of brushing things under the carpet...
Brain fog is B12. Inject it and get in the 900-1400 bracket. Muscle pain more NDT. But watch for the symptoms of too much NDT. When I increase NDT, I always end up over doing it - I don't intend to, I just mess up and have to halve my increase after a few days. Need to do weights every second day to keep muscles, tendons and bones strong. Part of the pain thing is being a Hypo but the other bit is we are not a young as we once were
Re - fibromyalgia. Every time I convince myself I have one of them fancy diseases (thank you dr google). Its really just a thyroid supplement problem. I'm taking too much or too little or the wrong flavor. The best place to start is have a rest for a few days, and then 25mcg Levo and 30mg NDT per-day for few weeks and slowly increase until you get optimal.
These are my test results: Serum TSH level1.4 mU/L (0.10 - 4.00) July 2019
Serum TSH level 0.42 mU/L
11 Oct 2018
Serum TSH level 0.49 mU/L
7 Jun 2018
Serum TSH level 0.36 mU/L
July 2017 serum TSH level 6.8 mU/L Abnormal
7 Mar 2017Serum TSH level 4.8 mU/L (0.10 - 4.00 )Abnormal
31 Mar 2016 Serum TSH level 1.9 mU/L
10 Jul 2019 Serum free T4 level 11.8 pmol/L 9.5 - 22.0 Normal
7 Jun 2018 Serum free T4 level 12.4 pmol/L 9.5 - 22.0 Normal
17 May 2018 Serum free T4 level 11.5 pmol/L
5 Feb 2018 Serum free T4 level 10.6 pmol/L
16 Oct 2017Serum free T4 level12.2 pmol/L(9.5 - 17.5)Normal
11 Jul 2017 Serum free T4 level 13.5 pmol/L 10.0 - 22.0 Normal
7 Mar 2017
Serum free T4 level
13.0 pmol/L
10.0 - 22.0
Normal
14 Feb 2017
Serum free T4 level
15.5 pmol/L
10.0 - 22.0
Normal
31 Mar 2016
Serum free T4 level
12.1 pmol/L
10 - 22 pmol/L
Your FT4 levels are low but we'd need to see your FT3 levels, too.
I will take 1.5 grams everyday and take it from there.
Am I not able to take NDT with any food?
I was just thinking if I could take it later on during the day after having coffee at 7.30am if I would not manage to take it at night.
Why not take it when you go to bed, there's no issue with failing to wake up then?
If I have dinner around 7.30, would I be able to take it at 10? I always thought that it should be taken on an empty stomach and best in the morning...
Some take some or all of their NDT at bedtime without problems. Others find that the T3 in NDT keeps them awake. No way of knowing until you've tried it.
The usual recommendation is to take thyroid meds either one hour before or two hours after meals. Since this is a medication you'll need to be on for the rest of your life, you need to find a routine that works for you.
T3 only - how to check via testing?
Benefits of switching from T3 + T4 to NDT...?
Changing from NDT to T3 only
Meeting with endo, question re my abnormal T3 reading
