A Win with the Endo! Also any Experience with ERFA here?

[MrsBeasley]

The last time I saw my Endo six months ago he told me that if my symptoms and labs didn’t improve he would let me try NDT. Since then I have felt worse, weight gain, hair loss, constantly cold, developed eczema for the first time in my life, muscle aches, etc.

My most recent results from September were as follows.

FT3 3.56 (2.60-5.80)

FT4 10.5 (10.6-19.7)

He doesn’t test my TSH because I have a pituitary problem so he doesn’t really care about it. When I saw him yesterday he initially wanted to increase my Levo from 100 µg to 200 µg ( 25 µg at a time ). I reminded him that he had said I could try NDT and even though my T3 is in range he agreed and he has prescribed me 90 mg of Thyroid a day. Since I am in Canada, I assume it is going to be ERFA but I haven’t picked it up from the pharmacy yet. He wants me to take it twice a day so I can keep my levels fairly even, so I will take 45 mg at a time.

I’m just wondering if anyone here has been on ERFA and if it helped them. His other suggestion was to stay on the Levo and add a synthetic T3 in a separate pill. When I asked him which was better he didn’t have an opinion. I realize it’s not meant to be a weight-loss drug however I’m hoping the ERFA can help me lose some of the 40 pounds I’ve gained while on Levo and being inactive due to serious spinal surgery in August. I’m finally cleared by the surgeon to do physio and swimming now! It seems no matter how little or how healthy I eat I just keep gaining!

[shaws Administrator]

Unexplained weight gain when hypothyroid is the commonest complaint on the forum. This is usually due to not being on an optimum dose of thyroid hormones or our body doesn't function as normal, as replacement hormones are supposed to relieve symptoms.

I think it's good he has prescribed Erfa as the original thyroid hormones introduced in 1892 were NDT's and were prescribed upon clinical symptoms alone (no blood tests then) and small increases every few weeks until patient felt well again and lives were saved from then on..

This is a link which might be helpful, and this doctor only prescribed NDTs or T3 alone (for thyroid hormone resistant patients).

naturalthyroidsolutions.com...

stopthethyroidmadness.com/h...

[MrsBeasley in reply to shaws]

Thank you!