Metavive dosing? : Hello everyone. I'm just... - Thyroid UK

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Metavive dosing?

DonnyJam profile image
29 Replies

Hello everyone.

I'm just reading up on metavive because it looks like I'll have an extended wait for my ndt.

The info I can't seem to find:

Do we try to match mg for mg when switching? I take 2 grains of ndt 120mg so would the initial aim be to take 120mg of metavive?

What's the difference between bovine and porcine? Is one more effective than the other?

I've got a year's worth supply of ndt on the way but have been advised due to air freight restrictions due to covid they have been shipped by sea freight which is double to triple the shipping time so if any of you are leaving it till the last moment to order like I have be aware of the extended shipping time you may face.

Thanks, Jamie

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29 Replies
helvella profile image
helvellaAdministratorThyroid UK

That is the problem with all non-prescription glandulars.

Bovine has a higher T4:T3 ratio.

SeasideSusie profile image
SeasideSusieRemembering

DonnyJam

I have heard that a pig's thyroid contains more T3 than a cow's thyroid. But, of course, Metavive is a glandular with no declared hormone content. Some people have found it as effective as NDT, others haven't. All you can do is try it and see how you get on, adjusting dose if you feel the need.

RedApple profile image
RedAppleAdministrator

I don't have any experience of these products. But on the description of both bovine products it says 'with added Nucleotides', which it does not state for the porcine one. I have no understanding of the nucleotides bit at all! :) My instinct says that if I wanted to replace my prescription NDT with a glandular, I would first try the porcine one as prescription NDTs are usually porcine.

DonnyJam profile image
DonnyJam in reply to RedApple

That was my thinking about the porcine glandular being closer to ndt but I was also wondering if the bovine ones were better because of the nucleotides 😂 I dunno, 🤷🏻‍♂️ guess I will probably try porcine first. Hopefully I will only have to use a month or so supply before my ndt arrives

fibrolinda profile image
fibrolinda

I was on 1 1/2 - 1 3/4 Thyroid s and now get very similar test results on 3 x Metavive 1 a day and feel pretty good... For me that is! Plus no worries about getting them. Dosage is trial and error as have read of some needing 5-6 Metavive 2 a day when they were on 2 NDT! Glad I only need low dose as sure couldn't afford a large dose like that 😯

Good luck

Howard39 profile image
Howard39 in reply to fibrolinda

Hi

Is that 3 x 30 mcgs?

Thanks.

RedApple profile image
RedAppleAdministrator in reply to Howard39

Howard39, fibrolinda says she's taking Metavive 1, which comes in 40mg caps according to their website.

fibrolinda profile image
fibrolinda in reply to RedApple

15mg actually 😁

RedApple profile image
RedAppleAdministrator in reply to fibrolinda

Hmm, not what it says on their site! Or am I misunderstanding something?

Metavive I Porcine Thyroid Complex 40mg (180 Caps) the-natural-choice.co.uk/Me...

RedApple profile image
RedAppleAdministrator in reply to RedApple

fibrolinda I've just seen this in their description, which probably expains the apparent confusion :) :

NEW FORMULA with added Nucleotides

Note for Regular Customers: Please note that the change in weight of active ingredients shown on the new product label is simply due to the addition of nucleotides to the original formula. The weight of meat within each capsule has not changed, so to all our regular customers who are used to the original formulation, please continue using this new product the same as you did previously.

fibrolinda profile image
fibrolinda in reply to RedApple

Ah it's new with added nucleotides, what ever they are lol. I just ordered last week and the ones that arrived are still the 15mg. Says in the bumph the added weight is just due to this addition and previous buyers of the 15mg should simply buy the 40mg in future. Sigh... As if my brain doesn't struggle enough. Just hope they work the same still 😯

Hey does that mean we are both right 😁😆

Howard39 profile image
Howard39 in reply to RedApple

Sorry missed that

Spalio profile image
Spalio in reply to RedApple

Yes, my understanding is that Metavive1 now contains Nucleotides in the new formula which is Porcine Thyroid Complex 15mg plus 25mg Nucleotides totalling 40mg.

fibrolinda profile image
fibrolinda in reply to Howard39

No I take the 15mg ones, metavive 1, metavive 2 is 30mg😃

Dorey69 profile image
Dorey69 in reply to Howard39

I’ve just bought metavive 11 which says 80mg on it. Don’t know what that’s equivalent too. But I’ve halved them as I’ve just started them. I can’t take levo unfortunately, so did some research and found metavive, still not sure what I’m doing, learning curve. But TSH is high. So just trying to sort my health out myself

Fakrah profile image
Fakrah in reply to Dorey69

Hiya, can i ask if these suited you at all?

Jaydee1507 profile image
Jaydee1507Administrator in reply to Fakrah

This thread is 4 years old and its unlikely you will get a response.

Honestly, trust me, you need to work on getting vitamins to optimal and get a few Levo dose raises before beginning to think if you might need anything different. The majority of hypo people do well on Levo if they get onto the right dose and sort out low vitamin levels.

There are no quick fixes.

Fakrah profile image
Fakrah in reply to Jaydee1507

Thanks. I guess its wishfull thinking of a magic pill!

Jaydee1507 profile image
Jaydee1507Administrator in reply to Fakrah

Sadly I have no magic pills to offer although I wish I could.

Howard39 profile image
Howard39

Hi

If your ndt is coming from say Thailand it will take 3 months to arrive.

I swapped one of my grains with metavive ( porcine) just to try it and after an initial headache found it fine.

The cost is not cheap but I am lucky as my specialist has Metavive 111 ( at the moment) 60 mcg so the cost is far less than having to buy the 30 mcg and double up. I’d save £14 a month.

I can’t say I’ve completely swapped over as I am ok for a while, that could be a different story.

I did not particularly like the beef one.

SeasideSusie profile image
SeasideSusieRemembering in reply to Howard39

Howard39

I am lucky as my specialist has Metavive 111 ( at the moment) 60 mcg so the cost is far less than having to buy the 30 mcg and double up.

Metavive 111 is bovine, is that what you take?. The new packaging says 40mg and the old was 32.5mg.

Or is it Metavive Pro (Porcine and only available from practioners) which is 60mg capsules (unless they've changed that as well now)?

Howard39 profile image
Howard39 in reply to SeasideSusie

No, as I said my specialist has the metavive 111 which is 60 mgs and porcine.

Metavive 1V (4) is the bovine one. That’s not altered. It’s 80 mgs .

I only said I tried the porcine not that I am taking it.

SeasideSusie profile image
SeasideSusieRemembering in reply to Howard39

According to their website, Metavive 1 and 11 are porcine, Metavive 111 and 1V are bovine, always has been.

Before adding the nucleotides they were

Met 1 - porcine 15mg

Met 11 - porcine 30mg

Met Pro - porcine 60mg

Met 111 - bovine 32.5mg

Met 1V - bovine 65mg

Since adding the nucleotides they are showing as

Met 1 - porcine 40mg

Met 11 - porcine 80mg

Met 111 - bovine 40mg

Met 1V - bovine 80mg

Even Dr Myhill's website says drmyhill.co.uk/wiki/Conduct...

Start with 15mgs of porcine thyroid (Metavive I), or 32.5mg bovine thyroid (Metavive III)

Procepts website showing Met 111

procepts.eu/metavive-iii-bo...

The only 60mg porcine one has been Metavive Pro which is only available from practioners.

helvella profile image
helvellaAdministratorThyroid UK in reply to SeasideSusie

Does anyone know why they added nucleotides?

Seems to have caused much confusion. Unless there is a real benefit, it could look like an own-goal causing actual and potential customers to be confused.

SeasideSusie profile image
SeasideSusieRemembering in reply to helvella

This is what I have found on the manufacturer's website

For specific further information on the nucleotide complex that has recently been added to their formulations, please visit this website: nucleotides4health.org/

I haven't read it but on the website which sells Metavive they say

Nucleotide Nutrition

Nucleotides are the building blocks of DNA and RNA. As such, they are needed by all cells of the human body, particularly during periods of regeneration, growth and repair. Nucleotides are also involved in cellular energy production, help to mediate cellular signalling and regulate certain enzymes, along with many other cellular functions.

The body has an ability to produce small amounts of nucleotides itself, as well as to salvage them from old, non-functional cells. However, in tissues which normally have a high cellular turnover (e.g. in the gut, the production of immune cells, or in athletes), or when environmental stressors normally generate an increased demand (e.g infection or injury), then these synthesis and salvage pathways may not be sufficient to supply adequate amounts of nucleotides to the body. So depending on current circumstances, additional nucleotides derived from the diet can become essential for the body.

Historically, organ meats and fermented foods were the richest natural sources of nucleotides in the diet. But as intakes of these wholefood sources have declined in the modern diet, recent scientific interest has focussed on finding additional sources of nucleotide supplementation. As such, the purified complex of all four primary nucleotides added to this new formula, perfectly complements this premium quality organ meat supplement.

Spalio profile image
Spalio in reply to helvella

I've only heard from my practitioner that the Nucleotides can 'spice up' the NDT causing it to have a greater effect and result in some people needing less of the product than usual.

Howard39 profile image
Howard39 in reply to SeasideSusie

Apologies I was multitasking and made a mistake. Yes it’s the pro I had in mind.

reliablerebel profile image
reliablerebel

Hi DonnyJam just wondering if you went down the Metavive route?

NiishaC profile image
NiishaC

I have just received two bottles each of Metavive II and IV as currently I am taking a bovine NDT (NutriMeds) having swapped this time last year due to lack of supply of my porcine NDT from Thailand. Now NutriMeds are becoming reluctant to send out their product from the US but I'm not sure it's suiting me 100% anyway. Options are rapidly dwindling. I have struggled a lot more with my weight this last year. I always gain in the winter but it comes off easily in the spring. Not so easily last year. I am so confused as to how much to take of the Metavive products. I am currently on 130mg x 4 pure bovine thyroid per day, having increased from 3 to 4 capsules when I discovered I was only just in the normal ranges for free T3 and T4 and still some way off optimal for both. The ratio of T3 to T4 is lower in bovine thyroid. A capsule containing 30mg of the Metavive II pig glandular contains half the T4 and T3 of a 60mg grain of pig NDT but I've seen reports of people needing a lot less of the Metavive to get the same effects. I'm going to have to hope so as by my calculation, which surely can't be right, I'm going to need 25 tablets per day to get the equivalent T4!!!😱 But the amount of T3 would be enormous. 112mg as compared to 48mg per day. That will be a bad idea as I've tried supplementing the bovine with Cytomel to make the ratio more similar to pig thyroid and it totally sent me over the edge. I am so confused!! Presumably, if I am taking that much T4 (*and T3) and still only ending up just in the range of T3 then there is a conversion issue and an absorption issue so going back down much lower with the T4 but higher with the T3 should help. (I need a RT3 and RT4 test but these are harder to get here) But I would still need 11 capsules per day to match the amount of T3 in my 4 bovine capsules if there is a direct equivalence. That just sounds crazy and a bottle would only LAST A FEW days. I don't know what dosage to start on. I clearly didn't think this through when ordering but my options have reduced pretty much to this being the last product I can find that is in stock and will ship to France. What a pity so much of the weight of this product is taken up with rice bran! Anyone know why? My current glandular is pure. So much easier to know what you're getting and that you can rule out your body reacting to fillers and extraneous ingredients that seem to serve no purpose but to add bulk.

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