How much levo in 60 mg NDT?

[foxglove]

Maths not my forte! anyone able to help?

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

There is no levothyroxine in NDT. Levo is synthetic T4. NDT is T4 and T3 from pig's thyroid.

You have Thyroid-S which contains 38mcg T4 and 9mcg T3 per 1 grain/60mg

[foxglove in reply to SeasideSusie]

Much thanks, I will start by halving a tablet (G.G.'s recommendation) and advice on tablet container and see how I go

[shaws Administrator]

I doubt there's levothyroxine in NDTas it is made from pigs' thyroid glands and they are all 'natural' hormones but levo is a synthetic T4.

Extract from following link:

"Although desiccated thyroid extract is not widely used, this study showed that many patients preferred this option as compared with levothyroxine. This result was observed despite there being no differences in thyroid function blood test and psychometric test results, although use of desiccated thyroid extract was associated with some weight loss. These results suggest that there may be a certain number of patients in who desiccated thyroid extract might be a reasonable treatment option. Further research is needed on this topic to confirm which patients this might benefit the most form desiccated thyroid extract therapy!"

thyroid.org/patient-thyroid...

[foxglove in reply to shaws]

Thanks shaws, I had completely forgotten that levo only contained a manufactured T4

[TSH110 in reply to foxglove]

I understood it was still levothyroxine albeit in its organic form...seems I am wrong natural T4 is plain old thyroxine

[foxglove in reply to TSH110]

Not sure about this

[TSH110 in reply to foxglove]

From what I read T4 made in a thyroid gland is thyroxine T4 made in a test tube is Levothyroxine. I think they are supposed to be chemically identical - although some might disagree.

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to TSH110]

Not quite identical. Levothyroxine has a sodium atom tacked on (instead of hydrogen).

Whether this makes any difference whatsoever is open to question and, given quite a number of people do reasonably well on levothyroxine, it doesn't seem very likely it has a significant impact. By the time the molecule gets into the bloodstream, I suspect it has lost the sodium atom. Though I wish we had far better science on the issue.

[TSH110 in reply to helvella]

Yes it would be interesting to know if there were any significant differences. Can thyroxine be isolated from T3 in their natural state I wonder so it could be tested against Levothyroxine. Although I felt bad on T4 I can’t say it was bad in itself just on its own it was not very efficacious although it did help in some ways and kept me alive which is quite important 🙄🤣😂

[Hidden in reply to TSH110]

The prefix "Levo" is just to do with the way the thyroxine molecule is arranged, "Left handed" instead of "Right handed" (dextro). Like the difference between your right and left hands.

I think that most biological molecules have to be one or the other. Peptides (the building blocks of protein) are one way around, DNA is the other way around. Otherwise they wouldn't fit together to make a chain and would be useless. That's right, isn't it helvella ? I get muddled sometimes, as you know

I don't know what the added sodium does though. Maybe it stabilises it because it doesn't have the protection of the natural substances in the body?

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to TSH110]

Yes - thyroxine has been extracted from hog thyroid glands. Paper describing it is available here:

ISOLATION OF THE IODINE COMPOUND WHICH OCCURS IN THE THYROID

FIRST PAPER.

BY E. C. KENDALL.

(From the Section of Biochemistry, Mayo Foundation, Rochester, Minn.)

(Received for publication, June 10, 1919.)

jbc.org/content/39/1/125

1919. One hundred years ago. Thank you, EC Kendall.

If that link doesn't work, try this:

dropbox.com/s/ewkdsejeyvwwr...

[Hidden in reply to TSH110]

Thyroxine itself is organic. Just means it has carbon atoms, often linked together in a chain or a ring, with other things added on.