I know this board is mostly for those who haven't felt optimal on a T4 only treatment. I, myself have been taking NDT for years, but since I'm contemplating making the switch to Levo/Synthroid and maybe even adding T3, I was wondering if there is anybody who HAS found success taking Levo only?
Sorry I don't have labs as of yet.
There are a lot of folks out there who have which is why they are not on here!
There are millions worldwide who appear to be healthy on levothyroxine. They would certainly not be searching the internet for help/advice.
True enough! I wonder if the millions that do well are the 20% of hypo patients who are subclinical, and aren’t hypo due to TT or Hashi. Personally, T4 only didn’t work for me when I first tried it but that was before I knew about FT3 or FT4 and I was prob on too low of a dose. I am hoping for a miracle that it will work for me this time.
Its fine for me on T4
I'm having trouble with this app. I thought I replied to you but it's not showing up. Anyway, I'm glad to hear it works for some people on here! Can you share how long you've been taking it and what your current dose is?
Five years ,on 150mcg .Started at 100mcg. Most folk on here are asking for advice being newly diagnosed or have not found the right balance of T4 or found it insufficient in itself. Also wanting advice on vitamins which is very important when hypo.
Thanks! So far, I've gleaned from the time spent on here that we need Vitamin D, B Complex, Iron, and Digestive Enzymes. I'm actively taking all 4, and just started on NAC as well. Anything else that I should add?
First of all: no, I didn't, probably because I'm a lousy converter.
You say: "Personally, T4 only didn’t work for me when I first tried it but that was before I knew about FT3 or FT4 and I was prob on too low of a dose. I am hoping for a miracle that it will work for me this time".
That would require you to be a good converter. Some are. Some members here have FT4 levels half way or less through the range, yet FT3 levels that are 75% or so through range on T4 only; that's what some doctors refer to as "super converters". They seem to do well on T4 only, and feel unwell on any amount of T3 (because they feel overmedicated so hyper on T3).
I struggled for ten years and went up to as much as 200 mcg of T4 daily without much improvement, and that's when I decided I needed a different kind of treatment.
You could be one of those people who are able to convert enough T4 to T3; nobody knows before you've tried it.
However, you also talk about taking T4+T3 instead of NDT. That's basically the same thing as taking NDT, except that synthetic drugs may be easier to get and less expensive. But, if you need to add T3 to T4, that's proof you are not a good converter. True, some seem to do better on a synthetic T3+T4 combo because that enables them to tweak the dosage, whereas NDT contains a fixed T3:T4 ratio, but still...if you need to add T3 to T4, you are not a good enough converter. No way to know before you've tried it, though.
Thank you for the detailed response. I agree that I am most likely a "bad converter" but I'm probably in denial about it. I think I'm looking for some small measure of reassurance that being on T4 only is going to be okay for me in the long run because hey, I want one pill to be the be all end all to fix my problems! 
I did notice a big difference when I initially switched from Levo to NDT and was hoping to stay on NDT for as long as possible, but due to the current state of NDT in the US, it's been a headache trying to get it all sorted out again. I'll need to jump through hoops again and go through much trial and error. I understand that's the price to pay to get my health back on track but it's not always easy when the bulk of one's time is spent on work and raising a toddler. Sorry, didn't mean to get whiny. One step at a time...
Going off topic, I wonder if having a hemangioma on the liver would make me a poor converter. The conversion takes place in the liver, correct?
I know some or maybe even most of the conversion takes place in the liver, yes, but some of it also in the kidneys and at cellular level. I hope others will know more about this.
I know what you mean...I struggled for years trying to make one tiny pill a day work for me.
Some say you can improve conversion by optimizing vitamin and mineral levels and gut absorption (if you have low stomach acid). I don't know enough about that, though, but hopefully others will chime in.
Before I found this forum, I took everything I read on the internet with a grain of salt. Most websites dole out good advice but also push a lot of supplements through affiliate marketing. But based on posts and comments I've read by other members on here, their experience does seem to match up with what I've previously read. Supposedly having healthy iron helps the body use the T3? And since being hypothyroid causes nutritional deficiencies, supplementation will restore those vitamin and mineral levels. Although if you ask me, there's a lot of supplementing to do, and my medicine cabinet raises a lot of eyebrows in my household.
PS. Just curious...what is the situation re NDT in the US right now exactly? I am wondering because I've been looking into the possibility of buying either Armour or Erfa in Europe, and was told only some strengths are available (30 and 60 mg Erfa, 30, 60, and 120 mg Armour) which would end up very expensive given my current dose (4 gr/day). I am on Thyroid-S but not happy about the fillers so have been looking into alternatives. However, if only some strengths of Armour and Erfa are available in Europe (the pharmacies I spoke to had no idea when or even if other strengths will be back in stock), I imagine it only reflects the situation in the US...and worldwide
I'm not sure if I am allowed to link to blog posts on this forum. If my post gets removed, I will PM you. These posts will give you the most accurate idea:
stopthethyroidmadness.com/2...
stopthethyroidmadness.com/2...
Basically, every single NDT in the US has gone through a reformulation which make patients sick again. I don't know why - could also be due to absorption issues from new filler ratios.
The only NDT that remains to be a viable option is Armour, although even though Armour was also reformulated a few years ago when the company got bought out by one of the biggest drug companies. And yes, Armour is very expensive, at $1.20 USD a pill. It is also not covered by most insurance (healthcare in the US sucks in general). To spend almost $100 a month to get medicated is a lot to stomach.
Also worth noting, and I don't know if this is true but based on hearsay, the company that makes Armour got acquired by the same makers of Synthroid, the brand name for Levo here in the US.
I've been taking NP Thyroid until it, too, went through some changes. Their company website states they changed the supplier for their API, and patients were quick to attribute this to their returning symptoms. I've experienced a reversal in my health as well and I'm a bit fed up at this point.
Also, I know you don’t like the fillers in Thyroid-S. I see it mentioned a lot on here and I was wondering what has been your personal experience on it?
I have been doing well on Thyroid-S during most of the time I've been on it (five years). I think it's important to remember that other things can affect your health other than your thyroid, although it's always easy to think there is something wrong with your NDT as soon as any new symptoms appear. in my case, I think sex hormones have played a role recently.
When I look at the long list of fillers in Thyroid-S, I wonder why they are necessary, and what their long-term effects on the body might be. I have never seen any thyroid drug contain so many fillers, not even the two other two (now discontinued) Thai brands, Thiroyd and TR. I don't even know what many of them are...they may be completely harmless in the amounts we're talking about here, granted, but sometimes I cannot help but wonder if all those substances are even approved in Europe. But I may be exaggerating and there are no risks involved. Anyway, I don't have much of a choice if I want to stay on NDT; only Armour and Erfa are available where I get mine, both are very expensive, and reported to work less well nowadays (although I know there are some people who continue to do well on them). Unless I want to try ThyroGold or glandulars such as Metavive, or switch to synthetic T3 and T4, Thyroid-S is currently the best (only) alternative for me that's still available at a reasonable price.
I know what you mean about the fillers in Thyroid-S...I've been worried, too. To the point of contacting pharmacies selling prescription NDT to check prices (my doctor prescribes NDT but I chose to switch to Thai NDT to save money). The cost for prescription NDT is just ridiculous, plus all brands are all said to be problematic. Even WP which many said was the best NDT ever available after Armour was reformulated Thyroid-S works well for a fraction of that cost, so I decided to stop worrying about the fillers. I feel it's stronger than glandulars and results in more stable FTs as its hormone content is standardised.
I tried Thiroyd a couple of years ago since it contained less fillers, but it did not work as well for me. I never tried TR.
Thyroid-S is said to be slow-release. I see that Eudragit is an SR agent. I don't know if that is why I feel better on TS than on Thiroyd; the latter seemed to make me jittery, despite containing slightly less hormones per grain. With TS, I don't feel my energy levels go up and down the way I did with Thiroyd (I take NDT once daily, in the morning).
PS. If anyone has recently tried both Thyroid-S and Armour, it would be interesting to know how they compare.
WP Thyroid has been reformulated as well, and even if money were not an issue, I wouldn't trust going back on it.
I was on WP for only a year and yes, it was the best! It smelled and tasted really clean and pure. My mood and energy levels were consistently lifted and I experienced no hard crashes. I dare say I felt like a normal person again. It was my first taste of normalcy after battling years of depression and puffiness. I could even see the outlines of my face again! Alas, all good things come to an end. The manufacturer encountered supply issues and I could no longer obtain it, as it was put on back order indefinitely. So I switched to Nature-throid since it is made by the same company, RLC.
Even though it didn't quite feel the same, it did the job. But sometime last year, Nature-throid started going down the hill too. I always know when I'm going hypo because the first telltale signs are insomnia and constipation.
I'm curious to know how how the new Armour and Thyroid-S compare too. Maybe I'll try Thyroid-S instead of Levo. Do you think you can PM your supplier? Wondering if they can ship to the US.
I can tell you right away my supplier does not ship to the US; s/he used to, but ran into problems with the FDA so had to rename website and, after that, decided not to ship to the US anymore.
There are a couple of sellers who might, though. Will PM you details.
PS. This is a list of fillers in Thyroid-S published on the STTM some years ago; a patient emailed the mfg and obtained it (it's the only info available as far as I know as Thai companies consider fillers proprietary):
Thyroid extract USP
Lactose (a milk sugar and is a filler)
PVP K90 (Polyvinylpyrolidone; water soluble coating/binder; no known hazard)
Avicel (microcrystalline cellulose; holds product together)
Aerosil (silicic acid powder; help disperse the ingredients)
Sodium starch glycolate (helps dissolute/disintegrate the pill)
Magnesium stearate (filling agent)
Eudragit (a common sustain-released coating)
Methocel (a water soluble cellulose — helps bind pill)
Talcum (a filler)
Ponceau 4r lake (red additive-aluminum)
Tartrazine lake (yellow additive-aluminum)
Brilliant blue FCF lake (blue additive-aluminum)
Sunset yellow FCF (yellow additive)
Titanium dioxide (white)
PEG 6000 (water soluble polymer; binder)
Dimethicone solution
Are you able to get Naturethroid (RLC labs) where you are? I’m reading reports that people are doing well on it again. I was on it last year but switched to NP Thyroid when RLC stopped working for me. Now I hear the mfg might have reverted back to their old formula. It’s a lot more affordable than Armour.
If I’m able to get on Naturethroid again, I’ll report back to you. Right now, I’m planning to experiment with Thyroid-S for a few weeks and see how it compares to all the NDT I’ve tried.
Unfortunately, no, only Armour and Erfa are available where I live and, of the two, Erfa seems the most problematic. However, Armour seems to work for some, so I have been considering giving it a try. It seems chewing the pills up can help...but it’s horribly expensive, over 2000$ a year at my current dose (4 grains/day).
It would be interesting to hear how you think Thyroid-S compares to other brands!
It's too bad you don't have more options. Seeing how problematic the different NDT brands are here in the US, maybe it's for the better. I'm still wary about the fillers in Thyroid-S, but right now, it's a matter of choosing between the lesser of two evils (the first being under-medicated on Levo/T4 only, as I can't find a doctor willing to give me T3 yet).
If Thyroid-S doesn't work either, I may just bite the bullet and fork over my hard earned dollars for Armour, as I am starting to feel a little desperate. It is expensive here too, but you are paying 35%-40% more on top of that. Is it due to shipping and import fees? I'm going to get my labs done this Wednesday. Perhaps I'll do a before and after post for Thyroid-S.
Yes, that would be very interesting indeed!
I recently checked with a pharmacy - a year's supply of Armour at my current dose (4 gr or 240 mg daily) would cost me 2000€ which is more or less 2220 USD according to currency converter.
I am sure import fees play a role, and maybe the pharmacies add a little extra to make money as there are so few options...?
I understand Armour is the most expensive brand and wonder why as they all contain the same raw material.
Reviews on Armour are conflicting to say the least; some give it ten star reviews, others claim it's worthless. Some say it worked much better pre-reformulation, others have noticed no difference. One review even said that if you weren't on it before it was reformulated, chances are you'd still feel OK on it because you'd have nothing to compare it to...not sure if that is good enough for me, though...
It would be really annoying to pay that much for something that turned out not to work so well in the end...
It's a shame the other Thai brands are no longer available, and I can only hope that Thyroid-S won't be discontinued as well, as it's the only OTC option left (with the exception of glandulars which I haven't tried). At least, Thyroid-S is prescription strength...and I try to tell myself the fillers are not that bad, after all...I just fail to see why they'd need so many of them in that tiny pill...!
Armour has been around the longest. The original company got bought out by a bigger company, which in turn got acquired by a third company. Each time the drug changed hands, there was a price increase, driven in part by the corporations and their investors.
Sadly drug companies are known to price gouge, and patients who are desperate have no choice in the matter but to pay up.
Now, the company that makes Synthroid (brand name for Levo in the US), wants to acquire Armour's company: wsj.com/articles/abbvie-nea...
I trust the reviews that say Armour is good for those who haven't had better to compare it to. I've been fortunate to try the best, as well as 2 decent ones along with their reformulations, to distinguish between the leader of the pack and the rest. Since I'm going down this path of self experimentation, I may as well try Armour too, later on, for the sake of comparison.
My guess is that the fillers in Thyroid-S help preserve the shelf life of the drug? WP has only one or two fillers and I remember when I was taking it, the tablets would a few shades darker if not consumed within a month. I think they had oxidized.
Which one is the best brand you've tried so far? Sorry if you've already mentioned this, there is so much info here to digest that I sometimes forget who said what...!
I try to tell myself that a lot of fillers does not necessarily mean problematic fillers, and that there probably isn't enough in each pill to cause problems...
Thyroid-S has a shelf life of three years, and in the five years I've been on it it has never been unstable or changed color or anything like that.
TR (now discontinued) had a shelf life of four years; maybe thanks to the sugar coating.
It sounds good that a drug only contains one or two fillers, but if the absence of fillers affects its shelf-life that may not be so good after all...recently, I've tried making my own lemon curd, without any preservatives. It would not even last two weeks in the refrigerator and I had to throw half of it away. So less is not always better...!
With drugs, we should not have to worry about their potency if we use them before the date of expiry.
Did you feel that the potency of WP was somehow compromised if not consumed within a month?
No worries at all! The best brand was WP Thyroid before it was reformulated. It tasted very clean and pure, and I felt the energy it gave me was "clean" too, if that makes sense. It's nothing like the artificially induced caffeine jolt you get from coffee or energy drinks.
On WP, I felt clear-headed, sharp, and at peace with myself. It gave me my life back and I was doing remarkably well at work. With these other brands, I still feel like I'm living with an illness and I'm still puffy all the time. Oh, that's another thing. WP was the only brand that completely eliminated my puffiness. I haven't been able to shake off this awful edema otherwise, and go to work everyday with pillow marks that linger on my face all day.
I don't think WP lost its potency when it turned color, but it was more crumbly and chalky.
In 2017, WP encountered serious back-order issues and I wasn't able to obtain it for many months. It was around this time, I took Synthroid for the first time and lost my job after failing to do well on it. Forgive me if I'm repeating myself here, but after Levo, I switched to WP's sister drug, Nature-throid, and was doing okay on it at first. Around Fall of last year, my hypo symptoms started coming back again and several months went by before I found out on the STTM site that Nature-throid, along with WP, had both been reformulated. There are recent reports that Nature-throid changed back to their old formula, but I can't really be sure of anything anymore. (STTM is my new source for any NDT-related news, but as with everything else, the content on their can be a bit biased.)
I feel bad for raving about the old WP Thyroid like this when it like this when it's no longer even available. Users report the new WP is not the same: drugs.com/comments/thyroid-...
So the question is, when it comes to experiencing the subjectively "best" drug there is, is it better to have had and lost, or to never have had at all?
Prior to taking Thyroid-S, have you tried other therapies before? Be it compounded drugs, or T4+T3? What made you decide to stick to Thyroid-S in the long run?
I was on T4 only for ten years (brand name Euthyrox), taking as much as 200 mcg daily without much improvement. It suppressed my TSH to around 0.05, but most hypo symptoms remained and I kept gaining weight during all the years on T4 (at the time, the doctor only tested my TSH but my guess is that my FTs were suboptimal or at the very least my FT3 levels were).
I then went to see a Hertoghe doctor who gave me a prescription for Armour/Erfa. At the time, the STTM was writing about how bad Armour had become, so I opted for Erfa, only to end up finding it not so great. Around that time, the STTM started reporting problems with it, claiming it had been reformulated although the company denied it. But I remember photos on the STTM showing "old" and "new" Erfa and the newer version looked different in color and also more blotchy.
After that, and given the price of NDT in Europe, I decided to try Thai NDT instead. Although Thyroid-S contains a lot of fillers, I chose it because I liked the fact that it contains a slow-release substance. My only problem with NDT has been that sometimes I can feel the effects of it (or probably the T3 in it) a bit too soon and too violently. With Thyroid-S, I did not have that jolt of energy I used to have on Erfa (I take my NDT once daily, in the morning).
I understand what you're saying about feeling that WP was the cleanest version of NDT. I guess that once all your symptoms are gone, including bloating, that means you've found the right drug for you. I think it's horrible that patients depending on NDT for good health are currently out of options after all the reformulations and backorders in recent years. The STTM paints a gloomy picture of the situation, too...
I think that, given my current options, staying on Thyroid-S is probably the most sensible (not to mention cost-effective) thing to do. I have not seen enough positive reviews on Armour to be willing to spend that much money on it. Also, I believe that once you are more or less stable on one brand, you should not switch brands unless absolutely necessary.
Given all problems with various brands of NDT in recent years, I have considered giving T3 + T4 a try. I used to be convinced NDT was closer to human chemistry than synthetic hormones but that is no longer the case...also, I am no longer convinced the other substances in NDT (T1, T2, calcitonin) are beneficial to us. That is what the STTM has always claimed, and I used to believe that, but many people do well on synthetics. Plus, when you take T3 + T4, you can tweak the dosage in a way you cannot on NDT.
Also, since only T3 and T4 are measured in NDT, there is no way of knowing how much of the other hormones you're getting.
I recently read a book by this woman (a successful career woman) who started going downhill when hypothyroid, who had to fight to get a proper diagnosis and then failed to recover on T4 only. She finally found a doctor who agreed to add T3 to her regimen and she got her life back (that is also the title of her book). She lost weight, got her mental clarity back, and her husband jokes he got his wife back...and all that on synthetic meds. When I read that, I said to myself that maybe I have been too obsessed with NDT, and not willing to consider other options. It does not seem like NDT will result in better metabolism than synthetic T3 (if low FT3 levels and poor conversion are the reason you're overweight on T4 only in the first place, as I was).
It's horrible to hear you lost your job because symptoms returned...how have things worked out for you since???
PS. This is the book I was referring to:
amazon.com/Helle-Sydendal/e...
I had no idea it had been translated into English but that is great as it will reach a much greater audience that way (the Scandinavian market being somewhat limited...).
Thank you for taking the time to share your story. I enjoy reading about other people's journeys, as I feel a gain more insight on this disease. What is a Hertoghe, btw?
I agree there's no need to jump from drug to drug once you've found what works for you. The lesson I learned from taking all these different brands is that it's important to have a backup or two in case something were to happen to our most current drug source.
Because yes, seeing that NDT's have not been consistently reliable, what if Thai NDT were to go the same way of US NDTs? Then we really won't have a choice. Synthetics are here to stay. In that case, it's probably better to find out sooner than later what the correct dosage of T3+T4 should be. My only hurdle would be obtaining a prescription for T3...although I am finding out on this forum that many drugs can be bought without prescription (with the exception of NDT made in the US).
I think what you're saying about the hormones found in NDT is correct. Personally, my FT3 was quite high but my FT4 a little below range. And I certainly don't know the health ramifications would be for me if I were to continue at those levels.
I do like the fact that we can tailor the T3 and T4 dosage according to our needs if we were to take synthetics. My hesitation is that it will require long bouts experimentation, feeling out of wack and continual lab work to monitor our levels before we find the appropriate dose? Or do you think it's as simple as taking the same dose of T3 and T4 found in NDT?
Well, I was at the peak of my career when I lost my job (and even then, when I say peak, that is laughable because it wasn't much, but I felt productive and I enjoyed going to work every day). Now I am just getting by again and trying to get back on my feet. I feel this deserves a separate post because I can talk about it at length, yet is is very mundane and boring subject and today I am brain foggy and having a hard time putting this together and comprehending what I've just typed when I read it back to myself.
I can't speak for everyone that works in the US, and of course I can't compare it to the labor force in Europe, as it is a vast continent and I doubt the countries operate homogeneously when it comes to work and play. I can only speak from experience and the personal opinion of little old me, which is that unless one were to specialize in a field or become a professional or academic, or an artist, the corporate work culture here is horribly toxic. Toxic and soul-sucking and terrifying.
But I am still on the road to recovery in terms of my health, or so I hope!
Sorry, I tend to forget that Hertoghe may not be as well-known outside of Europe.
Thierry Hertoghe, along with his sister Therese, is a famous Belgian doctor specializing in what is now known as anti-aging medicine (just like his father, grandfather, and great-grandfather before him). Dr. Hertoghe himself and his sister each has their own private practice in Belgium, but they train doctors from all over Europe (and possibly other continents as well). Dr. Hertoghe has even founded his own hormone academy for that purpose.
They are hypothyroid themselves, and take NDT, along with other hormones. He describes this in detail in his book "The hormone handbook".
The Hertoghe doctors prescribe NDT as well as other bio-identical hormones such as HRT, DHEA, pregnenolone, and human growth hormone. They also treat adrenal fatigue which is not a condition most conventional doctors recognize so won't treat.
There are several doctors trained by him in private practice in various European countries.
This is Dr. Hertogh'es website (most of it in English):
Thanks. You know what’s interesting is that most conventional doctors in the US don’t recognize adrenal fatigue as a disease either. Some call it a hoax. Can I ask if you are taking any other hormones too? You mentioned something about sex hormones in a previous post.
Yes, I am on bio-identical HRT - Oestrogel and Utrogestan, plus 20 mg of DHEA daily. DHEA is available online but often as 50 mg capsules (so difficult to split), so I had mine compounded by the pharmacy. I used to be on Medrol for adrenal fatigue as well but managed to wean off it after a few years as I did not feel comfortable taking it long-term, although my doctor said it is safe as long as you stick to physiological doses (up to 8 mg of Medrol, 10 mg of prednisolone, or 40 mg of HC daily). But I worried about suppressing my adrenals for good if I stayed on it indefinitely so decided to try to wean off it and I seem to be doing OK. I now take a supplement called Raw Adrenal Cortex (imported from the US) which gives me that extra energy without the nervousness and agitation I get when I take adrenal glandular which also contains adrenaline.
My own experience is that synthetic T3 is different than the T3 found in NDT, as the latter is bound to thyroglobulin so not immediately available for release (unlike synthetic T3). So it's possible you'd need less synthetic T3. But others may know more about that!
I wonder if I have to start on HRT eventually too. I have really bad PMS and insomnia around that time of the month. All the women in my family had premature menopause. My aunt stopped having her menses when she was 39. Would you happen to know if those of us with thyroid disorders would have a greater need or benefit from HRT?
What I do know is something that I read in Mary Shomon's book "Living well with hypothyroidism" that I read at age 31, right after being diagnosed with Hashimotos'...she writes that "menopause can wreak havoc on an already fragile endocrine system" and I believe that to be true...meaning that, if you've already got one endocrine disease, a natural transition such as menopause can be more trying than if you are metabolically healthy to begin with. Not automatically, of course, but I do believe there is a link between thyroid disease and problems related to menopause.
The only person I can compare myself to is my mother who does not have thyroid disease. She sailed through menopause and never even noticed it happening except that her periods stopped. I have experienced hot flushes, bloating, and moodiness in the past year which I attribute to menopause (I'm 50). I had regular periods until a year ago when they became erratic, stopped for three months, then came back with a vengeance, only to stop for six months, only to come back last month...which I understand is normal.
My doctor told me I could try to go from 200 mg of Utrogestan ten days a month to 300 mg ten days month. It seems that can help some women in my situation as 300 mg of micronized progesterone in ten days can cause you to shed whatever uterine lining is left...so I'll try that next.
Having said that, and not knowing how old you are, my most recent problems (hot flushes and moodiness) only started about a year or so ago, at age 49...so I did not hit premature menopause or anything.
The only other problem I've had - going back years - is very heavy periods with clots (lasting 8-10 days), making holiday planning and travel a true nightmare, plus causing anemia. I now know that can be a sign of PCOS; only, I never had any problems with skipped or irregular periods, just heavy (but very regular) periods.
When I grew up, the pill was the only way to regulate periods. When I was in my late 20s, an OTC option appeared in pharmacies: tranexamic acid (not sure if this is available in the US but that's the generic name). I used that for years with great results; it resulted in approx 50% less bleeding and I no longer had to be afraid to spend the night somewhere else during the worst 2-3 nights of the month as I had it under control...
Now, I just want it over with. I want to be certain I'll never, ever have another period again in my life.
Oops, I somehow missed this post. I'm 36 and I've had heavy, heavy periods all my life too. The type that leads to accidents and you'd think I should know better by now. The first 2 nights are the worse because I have to get up about 3 times throughout the night to change these maxi-pads the size of diapers, yet they are not all-nighters nor leak proof. I might as well wear diapers. My periods also last more than 10 days.
I'm on a 35 day cycle.
I was anemic and I've tried supplementing with iron but it doesn't raise my ferritin levels. Someone on another post said it could be the MTHFR mutation and I ought to test for that.
I should stay on top of this and look into tranexemic acid.
So many things to look into..
I know what you mean about diapers...throughout my teens, I dreaded spending those first two or three nights away from home. Whether it was summer camp or sleepovers at a friend's place, they always seemed to happen when most inconvenient...meaning I'd have to fill half a suitcase with maxi-sized sanitary pads if I wanted to go. And I'd always worry about incidents. I remember choosing to stay at home sometimes just to avoid ending up in that situation. I remember raising this with a doctor who did not seem very interested, but just told me I was perfectly healthy and should just accept this was normal for me...that is like saying to a woman going through menopause with horrible symptoms that she should just accept them and get on with her life...because heavy periods can be just as debilitating.
Now, statistically, it shouldn't be more than a year or two at most before it's over for good...cannot wait!!!
This is the product I've been using for years; it's OTC in the UK so I'd assume it is in the US as well. It's also inexpensive as you can see:
boots.com/boots-pharmaceuti...
I thought I was the only one with this problem! I was part of a social club in college and we had frequent retreats out of town. To this day, I remember each outing vividly because they were all punctuated by my period. I don't know how or why all these events coincided with my monthly until I realized these trips were usually scheduled around the same time of the month.
I recall these trips being mostly an unhappy affair because I'd be uncharacteristically emotional or upset over small, inconsequential matters and sometimes take it out on club members. My emotions would continue to bottle up over the course of the trip and culminate in the arrival of my period. No doubt I had uncontrollable PMS.
Thank you for the link. This is the first time I've heard of this product. In the US, we need a prescription for it. I'll see if I can go about obtaining it.
Well, your period days are almost over. There are things to look forward to in life after all
Yes, I sincerely hope so...although I read about someone the other day who was 58 and no end in sight...
However, back in September, my FSH came back at 18 (follicle stimulating hormone) and above 22 is officially menopause so it should not be long now.
I hope you find a way to get tranexamic acid. It's been the only thing that's helped me. I've always been unwilling to go on the pill because of the weight gain often caused by it, and I have always had a tendency to put on weight easily.
I think you have to look at the women in your family to see when you'll reach menopause. All the women in my family hit menopause in their early 40s, so I know what to expect.
I will ask for tranexamic acid during my next doctor's visit. I'm not sure why we need a prescription for it.
I hope your doctor will be willing to prescribe it for you! Please let us know how it goes.
That's a long list indeed! I would be wary too, especially since it seems like these drugs are not well regulated by third parties. I mean, here in the US, we experience drug recalls all the time, and these are for drugs that are regulated. One recent example is an OTC drug, Zantac. Not sure if it's sold in Europe. You never know if what you are taking can cause harm :/
I have a colleague who's had a TT because of thyroid cancer and she's been on levo only for ten years without a problem. She takes 125 mcg daily and feels fine and never put on any weight. Every time I talk to her, I feel like such a failure for not recovering on as much as 200 mcg daily when I still have a thyroid, albeit dysfunctional because of Hashi's...but I still have a hard time accepting the difference between her condition and mine. She had the operation one day and was put on levo the next and that was it. Ten years and she's never looked back, while I'm still struggling to find the right medication and dose for me even after 20 years...I don't know if being hypo for years, which we often are with Hashi's, affects us differently compared to someone who has her thyroid removed one day and is put on thyroid meds the next, but the fact remains: she has made a complete recovery on levo only, without a thyroid, whereas I haven't.
I think we have to remember to take into account that some people are super converters and others have compromised livers. Isabella Wentz talks about this too her in book. That’s why she recommends supplements and detox to clear a congested liver to make conversion easier.
Hi JaneyJaney, what kind of treatment have you found works best for you?
I think that certainly contributes!
I think it depends on if the autoimmune component is still wreaking havoc. For those without a thyroid, the immune system no longer has a "target" to attack and therefore the antibodies calm down. That's why it's still important to maintain a lifestyle that doesn't aggravate the immune system (e.g., reduce stress, eat clean and healthy, stay on top of nutritional deficiencies). It's harder than it sounds. When I was feeling normal, I thought I could eat all the bread and cake my heart desired, and I did.
Advice T3 / T4
? Drop in T4 with starting T3
T4+T3 combo
T4 T3 equivalent dose
T4 in NDT
