Lactose In NDT and Possible Milk Intolerance dilemma 🤔

I have been using Thyroid-S for some time now and have found it to be the best medication for me. I have also been gluten free for two years which has helped. I am however, experiencing chronic sinus issues which I' ve had for a long time on and off well before I was diagnosed with Hypothyroidism. I have read recently, that an intolerance to dairy could be a cause of sinus problems.

Two weeks ago, I took a self prick allergy test from my pharmacist to see if I had a milk intolerance. The test showed a faint, broken line on the positive section of the test indicating that I could have a sensitivity to milk. I have since tried going dairy free but have noticed that there is Lactose in the Thyroid-S and in Piriton which I use on occasions when I have a sinus sneeze melt down (the Piriton does help calm me down).

I am not sure if the Lastose in the Thyroid-S is significant enough to be concerned or not! I have just bought 1000 more meds and it is best for me as I have tried numerous other meds without success. I have even tried lactose free thyroxine (T4) in the past with horrible side effects, so I don't really want to change from Thyroid-S. I thought as I do not have a full on allergy only intolerance or sensitivity, then it may be ok.

Has other folk had this dilemma, and if so, how did they overcome it?

[adin]

I don't think such a tiny dose of lactose(in the pills) matter, what thyroid-S dose are you taking?

[Hidden in reply to adin]

Thanks for your thoughts... I take 2 and 1/2 grains a day, split into two doses

[JumpJiving in reply to adin]

Never downplay lactose reactions as not serious. They can be fatal at one end of the scale.

[JumpJiving]

Tiny doses can matter. It all depends on how sensitive you are. Unfortunately, people who should know better often downplay lactose issues as just a minor inconvenience, when they can be just as serious as nut allergies at one end of the scale. People do die from lactose reactions and it makes me mad when not just restaurants, but even pharmacists, come out with the "it's only a tiny amount" line.

I was accidentally given the wrong type of NDT as a result of a mistake at the pharmacy earlier this year. I didn't notice until I'd taken a couple of tablets. The trace amount of lactose from just those two tablets set off my reaction. The pharmacy immediately replaced the NDT with the correct one. I don't know what consequences they could face were I to take action over it, but I suspect they could be in serious legal trouble were I to get litigious.

For NDT, when I looked into lactose-free types, the choice came down to NP Thyroid or Armour. I ruled out Armour though, as it contains titanium dioxide, so I take NP Thyroid. There have been some issues with NP Thyroid recently (see STTM's website for details), but I have always had good batches, and recently stocked up on a year's worth of a good batch.

[Hidden in reply to JumpJiving]

Thank you... I understand your concern how people can downplay allergies... I certainly don't, however, I am just 50 and have had dairy all my life without major consequences, so my issue is probably a sensitivity if at all. I have gone dairy free for over a week and still feel rough with my sinus problems, so I'm wondering if dairy is the real issue here. I don't even know how accurate these self tests are.

As for NP Thyroid, I've tried that and felt pretty rough on it, then I switched to Thyroid S and felt a marked difference so I'm thinking if that's the case, the lactose can't be enough to affect me.

[silverfox7]

I know that continuing ThyroId S may have a ? with it at the moment but I also take it and recently heard that the S stands for slow release. I take mine all in one dose and it certainly behaves like I would expect for something that is slow release. Having said that though it may be you can take a lower dose overall. Initially when building it up I kept forgetting my second dose so I started taking just the one and built up from that so I’m taking 1.75 on two days and 1.5 on the third.

[Hidden in reply to silverfox7]

Thank you! I don't want to reduce as I am at my optimum level now. I don't feel any adverse reactions when I take it, I think my issue is when I consume dairy in quantities over a period of time. I am thinking it is the casein protein I am probably sensitive to as I think the sinus issue is an as autoimmune response.

[silverfox7 in reply to Hidden]

I wasn’t really suggesting a reduction but I’ve often wondered if my dose was low because I was taking it all in one go rather than two. When we take NDT then our body uses the T3 first and may not even need to use any of the T4 element and will attempt the same with the second dose. So I was wondering that you may not use much of the second dose then it might be not cost effective to take more but see how you go increasing the first dose and build it up till you feel good. Initially when I was first diagnosed over 30 years ago now I was put on NDT by the NHS and I was on a grain for many years then noticed I was t coping as well so doctor gave me a second dose and I was fine. So yes the body takes what T3 it needs and leaves the rest. We never got tested back then and we were dosed on how we felt on NDT!

[Hidden in reply to silverfox7]

I see what you mean, thanks!

[Valeriu]

I am also now taking THyroid-S before the next private blood test; Till now I've taken NP by Acella which is gluten & dairy free and I preferred it as it also comes in 30mg which is what I used along with 10mcg T3 (which at present is giving me a pounding heart ) which I'm not sure about.....trying to correct and get rid of the reverse T3 ....the rest of the frees were great....

[Hidden in reply to Valeriu]

I tried NP but didn't feel well on it, so switched to Thyroid-S and felt better on that and it's cheaper. Thanks for your thoughts!

[Angel22]

Years ago I had painful sinsus problems and migraines. It all stopped on giving up dairy. I tested positive for dairy intollerance and started on lactose free Thyroxine. However I am allergic to the fillers so am seeking a filler free Thyroxine.

[helvella in reply to Angel22]

There is not, and cannot be, a filler-free thyroxine.

The simple physical size of, for example, 100 micrograms of levothryoxine is so small it would be impossible to manage.

While formulations vary, they all contain at least one excipient (non-active ingredient). Even when people have capsules compounded to special order they will have something else with the levothyroxine and the capsule shell itself.

[Angel22 in reply to helvella]

Yes, all of the tablets and oral solutions contain fillers. Some have said they had a liquid gel capsule that contains water, gel and Levothyroxine. One is called Tirosint. These come from the USA.

[helvella in reply to Angel22]

Tirosint actually comes from Switzerland! It is sold under other names across many European countries.

ibsagroup.com/therapeutic-a...

Manufactured by: IBSA Institut Biochimique SA, 6903 Lugano, Switzerland.

tirosint.com/

[Angel22 in reply to helvella]

Great links, thanks 😎

[Hidden in reply to Angel22]

I too have exactly the same problems and did not do well on Thyroxine. I switched to Thyroid S and regarding thyroid issues, l've done much better. I am struggling to give up dairy completely as I love coffee but not black and I cannot tolerate any of the milk alternatives. Thyroid S does have a small amount of lactose in it. It depends on whether you are lactose intolerant or Casein (milk protein) intolerant. People aren't usually both and so if you are Casein intolerant meds with lactose in is normally fine.

[Angel22 in reply to Hidden]

A person consuming lactose in their diet wouldn't benefit from having lactose free medication.

[helvella]

As I understand, there are two strands to milk allergy/intolerance. The lactose is one. The proteins (casein) is the other. Possible to tolerate one but not the other, or to be intolerant of both.

Which did the test identify?

Pure lactose as used in medicines might be low enough in milk proteins that it does not cause a reaction.

Some people have reported that using lactase (an enzyme readily available in shops) allows them to better tolerate lactose.

[Angel22 in reply to helvella]

When a person has been dairy free for years an intolerance can turn into allergy. Often a person isn't aware that the symptoms they're experiencing while consuming lactose is due to intolerance. When a person excludes dairy from their diet for a couple of years their dna changes, blood structure and gut tissue composition including enzymatic and bacterial. What was an intolerance can become an allergy and be life threatening. This was my experience following incorrect food preparation and subsequent ingestion. Given time without dairy, our guts and bodies develop as intended. Yes there are preparations available to mask the intollerance symptoms, some people cope with taking antihistamines alongside lactose meds, however it is possible that consumption of the item, in this case dairy can lead to other health conditions, which are often over looked as being connected to the dairy intollerance. Casein is known to be addictive and affects brain chemistry and neurological pathways.