Changing from Naturethroid to Levothyroxine

[Laurien]

I have been on Naturethroid for ten years with no issues or so I thought!! My initial issue was converting T4 to T3.

I moved to UK a year ago and couldn’t get Naturethroid but continued to obtain from USA. Of course no blood tests from UK GP for thyroid for a year.

I am currently back in USA and went back to my doctor here (GP) and we did tests for TSH, Free T4 and Free T3.

A few months ago I started to wonder if I was over medicated as I have had some strange issues for the past year. Firstly I moved back to Scotland from Hawaii and expected to be cold - and it never happened - I was hot all the time. One of the reasons for leaving Hawaii was the fact that I had become intolerant to the heat.

I then had five months of chronic insomnia and my first attack of AFib. (I have badly calcified arteries so didn’t think much about that) Then I started wondering about my thyroid! I reduced my dose from 1.5 grains to 1 grain one month before the blood tests and it still showed up as me being over medicated.

My doctor is now not wanting to prescribe the Naturethroid any longer as she says the T3 spikes can lead to AFib and the other symptoms I have been having likewise. I am now changing to 100mcg of Levothyroxine once a day. I have been dreading this moment as I knew it was only a matter of time before it happened as of course I would need to continue sourcing my Naturethroid from overseas and paying for it - on my pension this was not going to be good long term..

Anyone else moved from Naturethroid to Levothyroxine? Any other thoughts?

Here are my labs

TSH 0.18 L uIU/mL 0.27-4.20

T4, Free 0.9 ng/dL 0.9-2.1

T3, Free 2.6 range 2.2-4.4

Thanks for any insights.

[SlowDragon Ambassador]

Unless you have been regularly testing and supplementing....Likely your vitamin levels are not optimal.

Low vitamin D is widespread issue in UK

For full Thyroid evaluation you need TSH, FT4 and FT3 plus both TPO and TG thyroid antibodies tested. Also EXTREMELY important to test vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12

Low vitamin levels are extremely common, especially if you have autoimmune thyroid disease (Hashimoto's) diagnosed by raised Thyroid antibodies

These four need to be optimal to help thyroid hormones work well

[Laurien in reply to SlowDragon]

Thank you. I supplement with a combination AKD from Naturapath because of my blocked arteries and take dha/epa fish oil. I have just had a full blood count and nothing wrong with my minerals or blood. Just waiting for 24 hour urine analysis as my kidney test was low (although I notice they changed the range from low being less than 60 to now being less than 90 and I have 77) I also eat low carb high healthy fats and medium protein for two years so not sure if that has been healing my body and I no longer need the same levels of thyroid meds. Now that I know there is an issue I am trying to figure it all out.

[SlowDragon Ambassador in reply to Laurien]

Low kidney function can be linked to be

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...

[Laurien in reply to SlowDragon]

Thank you for taking the time to post this article - it was very interesting and I learned a lot from it. I think there is a strong link between my thyroid and artery issues and now I see there is a link to the kidney function as well. I still can’t understand why I became over medicated after ten stable years!

[SlowDragon Ambassador in reply to Laurien]

There's no range on FT3 result....so impossible to say if you are over medicated or not

When taking any medication that contains T3 (as you do) then TSH is almost always suppressed

FT4 is rock bottom

No range on FT3....but it looks low

[Jazzw]

What’s the laboratory reference range for the FT3 result? I’m not seeing overmedicated results there, but that would depend on the range for the FT3...

[Laurien in reply to Jazzw]

The fact that my TSH is only 0.18 appears to indicate that I am over medicated. FT3 is 2.6 and FT4 is only 0.9. I take T3 as part of the Naturethroid.

[Jazzw in reply to Laurien]

No, you see—actually it doesn’t. TSH is a pituitary hormone, not a thyroid hormone. It’s triggered when the body senses a lack of thyroid hormones. When T3 is detected it tends not to “fire”. So a suppressed TSH is to be expected when you take any T3-containing hormone replacement. It doesn’t mean you’re overmedicated.

The only way to get a feel for whether you’re overmedicated is to see how high in range your FT3 is, hence me asking if you knew the range?

[Laurien in reply to Jazzw]

The range for free T3 here is 2.0-4.4 and I am at 2.6.

[Jazzw in reply to Laurien]

Ah, so definitely *not overmedicated. Have read your post below too.

Yes, I’m afraid UK doctors aren’t fans of NDT at all (in the main) and generally know very little about how to treat thyroid disorders. That’s one of the reasons why this forum has so many members.

[london81 in reply to Laurien]

i take nature throid at a high dose. my tsh is always suppressed as taking t3 causes this ( confirmed to my gp in writing by consultant endocrinologist) my t3 is only at top of range and free t4 mid range which tells me my conversion isn’t great ( i’m on 5.5 grains)

,your t3 levels are not showing over medicated at all the doctor should review this rather than relying on tsh which is never going to rise when taking t3. i can see from your old posts you were monitored over a few years when abroad- what were your levels then? the passage of time may just mean you need more nature throid or similar?

[Laurien in reply to london81]

Sorry for slow reply due to my current 10 hours behind UK time difference. I am very confused! My TSH has always been in 1-2 range while taking Naturethroid 1.5 grains and is now 0.16 and I appear to have symptoms of hyperthyroid - too hot, occasional AFib (sent you A and E four months ago) and chronic insomnia for at least 5-8 months. Not often tired during the day either - although keto way of eating can also cause this.. GP insists I am over medicated and she has been taking my blood tests for 9 years with no concern.

I had a hair test done privately in UK and it showed I have pituitary issues as well as thyroid issues. I am taking all the minerals that were shown to be deficient in my hair test. I will be forced to go see my Naturapath here who costs a fortune (I am no longer working age 65 so not earning!). I have Medicare in USA so still get my normal doctor visits paid for.when I visit my daughter.

I have taken my first Levothyroxine - 50 mcg last night and 50 this morning. Will move to 100 in a few days. I will be given another blood test before I leave in 6 weeks. My Dr in UK has also refused to write private prescription for Naturethroid and won’t do the blood tests as he isn’t treating me for thyroid! After being very stable for ten years this all makes me a bit nervous. I very much appreciate all of your input. Thank you.

[Laurien]

UPDATE

have been on 100 mcg of Levo for almost three weeks. I visited my American cardiologist 10 days ago and he has diagnosed that my bad episode of AFib was the result of overmedicated thyroid meds causing hyperthyroid heart issues (as did my American GP) I have been with both doctors for ten years since start of my thyroid issues so they know me well and I have tolerated Naturethroid at 1.5 grains for 10 years with all results in range and feeling well for that ten years. Both have said I cannot risk T3 meds any longer!

With the exception of slight weight gain I am feeling ok (occasional tiredness in first week but now ok so my T4 must be converting to T3. (That has been my problem not Hashimoto’s).

I will have my blood tests done again in two weeks before I return to Scotland so I will post again when I know the results. I have been low carb low sugar no grains healthy fats and healthy proteins for two years so I may well have healed the T4 to T3 conversion. While staying with my daughter for two months I have not been strict on this way of eating so that may be the slight weight gain reason.

I have now done a lot of cardiology research and indeed over-supplementing T3 is a well documented cause of AFib and other heart related issues. I have had no palpitations or shortness of breath since changing over to Levo. I am also no longer hot all the time!