New blood test, just checking for your opinions :)

[Windsinger]

Dear friends.

After some experimentation with thyroid meds I have settled with 1 grain of NDT and feel really good on it... 6 months of steady medication and I have done another blood test with Monitor my health...

Here are my results.

vit D 53 nmol/L

FT3 4.8 ( 3.1-6.8pmol/L )

FT4 11 ( 12-22 pmol/L )

TSH 0.09 ( 0.27-4.2 mU/L )

Cholesterol 9.8 mmol/L ( less then 9 )

HDL 2.69mmol/L ( more then 1.2 )

non-HDL cholesterol 7.06 mmol/L ( less then 4 )

Triglicerides 1.32mmol/L ( less then 4.5)

HbA1C between 42 and 47 mmol/mol ( increased risk of developing diabetes in the future )

I know, cholesterol looks high... Before thyroid medication it had been 12! So it is going down... Looking at my cholesterol and blood sugar you would think I am obese and unhealthy, but actually I have not had sugar for 18 years now, and low carb for about 3 years... I weigh 60kg ( 9.4 stone) at 168cm high ( 5.5 ")... I am fit, female, 56 yo... since taking 1 grain of NDT, no more depression, much more energy, almost back to normal...

What is going on?

Is my TSH too low? Is T4 too low? Should I worry about my HbA1C? My Cholesterol? What else can I do to make it better?

Before you point out that my D3 is low, I will tell you that when I was supplementing with D3 I developed skin condition called Granuloma Anulare, since I stopped D3 it has disappeared, so I do not dare to supplement again... If you have any thoughts or suggestions on all the above, please share with me. I would appreciate it very much.

[Lalatoot]

If you feel well don't change anything.

[shaws Administrator]

Your statement "1 grain of NDT and feel really good on it." is very positive and am glad you're doing well.

One of Thyroiduk's Advisers (deceased) - Dr John Lowe - only took one blood test for the initial diagnosis and thereafter it was all about relief of clinical symptoms by small increases. Unfortunately for us, Dr Lowe had an accident and died. This is some of his articles. which you will find informative/helpful. He would never prescribe T4.

naturalthyroidsolutions.com...

The following is another knowledgeable doctor - OH! if only other doctors would treat patients as he does - no wonder he cannot take on any more patients.

hormonerestoration.com/

Blood tests were introduced for levothyroxine (T4 only).

[Windsinger in reply to shaws]

Thank you so much 😊

[Windsinger]

Thank you for your reply. I leave 12 hours before the test. I feel so much better, then before meds... But may be I can feel even better? All is relative...I wonder should I add another 1/2ndt to see?

[pennyannie in reply to Windsinger]

Hey there Windsinger

So pleased to read you have stayed with NDT and reduced down from where you were before.

I'd adjust by 1/4 of a grain/tablet and give it a couple of weeks to bed in - and you sound like you're now close to your optimum dose.

I tend to think of a seesaw, balancing and nudging up just a little to feel ' buoyant ' for full mental, psychological, and physical well being.

The blood tests were introduced alongside Levothyroxine in the 1960's as the ' new way ' to treat hypothyroidism.

The TSH was introduced as a diagnostic tool to test for hypothyroidism and once o any form of thyroid hormone replacement it is the T3 and T4 levels that are more important, and once on any form of T3 it's the T3 measure that matters most.

With NDT you treat to symptom relief as there were no blood tests, just symptoms which were successfully treated with NDT for over a hundred years prior to Big Pharma capitalisation, guidelines, rules and blood tests.

Since you have Hashimoto's you might find you need a little adjustment to your dose as time goes by, and obviously vitamins and minerals can impact and compromise conversion, so ferritin, folate B12 and vitamin D need to maintained.

[Windsinger in reply to pennyannie]

Thank you for your detailed response. Sorry, just noticed it. I missed it somehow...😊

[greygoose]

Is my TSH too low?

No, it's where it should be when taking NDT/T3. The pituitary has sensed that there is enough hormone in the blood so has reduced its output.

Is T4 too low?

That's a very individual thing. Some people would need it higher. Some people (like me) don't need any at all. If you feel well, then that is the most important thing, so don't worry about it.

Should I worry about my HbA1C?

Sorry, can't answer that question, but I would think possibly not.

My Cholesterol?

Definitely don't worry about that! Your body needs cholesterol, that's why the liver makes it. It's been high because you've been hypo. But, it's not going to do you any harm. It doesn't cause strokes or heart attacks, as doctors believe. And, those with higher cholesterol tend to live longer.

What else can I do to make it better?

If you feel well, why does it need to be better? How you feel is the most important thing.

Just one question: how long a gap did you leave between your last dose of NDT and the blood draw?

[Windsinger in reply to greygoose]

12hours... Thank you for c your encouragement😊👍

[greygoose in reply to Windsinger]

OK, that's good.