Having had a poor experience using thyroactive (which should really be called thyroinactive) I have now ordered Tru thyroid, only to find there is also plenty of negative feedback (although some positive) so was wondering has anyone on here tried "Real Thyroid"? Would prefer to stick to ndt rather than a glandular. Down to my last month of my trusted Thiroyd tablets and desperate to find a suitable replacement.
Would love to hear from anyone who has tried this? Or anyone who has found a replacement ndt that works. I am currently on 3.5 grains thiroyd and have been doing fantastically well on it.
Thanks
Written by
reliablerebel
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
Do you mean the Vietnamese brand? I know someone who tried it and didn´t like it. The pills are very big so difficult to swallow. She tried to chew them up but it was like eating sawdust...plus she did not find them as effective as Thyroid-S (which was out of stock everywhere). Also, Real Thyroid (the Vietnamese brand by Eastern Pharmaceuticals) contains seaweed. The supplier said the manufacturer had to include some ingredients to have it labeled as a supplement, and seaweed was one of them. However, seaweed = iodine, so not recommended in people with Hashimoto´s. Also, with supplements, you don´t know how much of each filler they contain, so you could be getting substantial amounts of iodine with each serving.
If this is indeed the brand you are referring to, the only person I know who tried it was not happy with it. As far as I know, it has not been around that long so maybe not many people have tried it (or even know of its existence).
PS. This is the info provided by the supplier re Real Thyroid (sent via email to customers on Thyroid-S looking for an alternative):
"Real Thyroid contains 60 mg of NDT (1 grain) of pig thyroid extract, T4 content 38,7 mcg, T3 content 9 mcg + T2, T1 and calcitonin.
It's lactose and gluten free.
It contains a small quantity of other active ingredients than thyroid extract:
Seaweed powder 65 mg, 10 mcg potassium iodade, 3 mcg of selenium yeast
Small quantities of active ingredients other than thyroid extract, were required to get Real Thyroid approved as dietary supplement (it's legal status in Vietnam). It's made by Vietnamese company called Eastern Pharmaceuticals. "
It is, in my view, wrong to claim it contains T2, T1 and calcitonin and then offer no further information. Not even "in trace amounts".
I am not aware of any evidence that calcitonin can be delivered by a desiccated thyroid tablet. It is because calcitonin is destroyed by enzymes in the gut that some forms which have been used were delivered by routes like nasal sprays.
Nor am I aware of the impact of the differences between pig and human calcitonin. They could be very, very similar or the differences could be significant.
The argument that NDT contains T1, T2, and calcitonin in addition to T3 and T4 is often used by functional doctors prescribing NDT. They say things like "they offer additional benefits", but nobody knows exactly what they are (I believe there is no research on the role of T1 or T2?), but that is an argument often used. I personally believe that if someone feels better on NDT than synthetic T3 + T4, it´s because the hormones in NDT are bound to thyroglobulin so not available for immediately release unlike synthetic T3, but that that has nothing to do with getting unspecified and unknown amounts of T1 or T2.
I very much agree that some people who should know better roll out the T2 and T1 and calcitonin line without any evidence.
Yes, desiccated thyroid is different. And, yes, it could be due to the thyroglobulin. Difference here is that you are admitting it is an opinion. Not making a claim.
There has been some research on T2 - and some of it looks interesting.
You mean fat-burning? I have seen supplements where the manufacturer claims to have isolated T2 from thyroid tissue and sells it as a fat-burning supplement...as far as I know, it´s not possible to selectively remove all hormones but one from thyroid tissue, but the fat-burning abilities of T2 are often mentioned in this context. The idea being that supplements containing only T2 contain more T2 than in other thyroid supplements so will speed up weight loss...
And in a healthy human, both rT3 and T3 convert to T2 - so we would expect the T2 to be present in amounts greater than T3. So a tiny amount that just might be in desiccated thyroid seems even less likely to be significant, as I see it.
A Thyroid Hormone-Independent Molecular Fingerprint of 3,5-Diiodothyronine Suggests a Strong Relationship with Coffee Metabolism in Humans
Maik Pietzner 1 2 3 , Josef Köhrle 4 , Ina Lehmphul 4 , Kathrin Budde 1 2 , Gabi Kastenmüller 5 , Georg Brabant 6 , Henry Völzke 2 7 8 , Anna Artati 9 , Jerzy Adamski 9 10 11 12 , Uwe Völker 2 13 , Matthias Nauck 1 2 , Nele Friedrich 1 2 , Georg Homuth 13
Affiliations
• PMID: 31571530
• PMCID: PMC6918876
• DOI: 10.1089/thy.2018.0549
Free PMC article
Abstract
Background: In numerous studies based predominantly on rodent models, administration of 3,5-diiodo-L-thyronine (3,5-T2), a metabolite of the thyroid hormones (TH) thyroxine (T4) and triiodo-L-thyronine (T3), was reported to cause beneficial health effects, including reversal of steatohepatosis and prevention of insulin resistance, in most instances without adverse thyrotoxic side effects. However, the empirical evidence concerning the physiological relevance of endogenously produced 3,5-T2 in humans is comparatively poor. Therefore, to improve the understanding of 3,5-T2-related metabolic processes, we performed a comprehensive metabolomic study relating serum 3,5-T2 concentrations to plasma and urine metabolite levels within a large general population sample.
Methods: Serum 3,5-T2 concentrations were determined for 856 participants of the population-based Study of Health in Pomerania-TREND (SHIP-TREND). Plasma and urine metabolome data were generated using mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, allowing quantification of 613 and 578 metabolites in plasma and urine, respectively. To detect thyroid function-independent significant 3,5-T2-metabolite associations, linear regression analyses controlling for major confounders, including thyrotropin and free T4, were performed. The same analyses were carried out using a sample of 16 male healthy volunteers treated for 8 weeks with 250 μg/day levothyroxine to induce thyrotoxicosis.
Results: The specific molecular fingerprint of 3,5-T2 comprised 15 and 73 significantly associated metabolites in plasma and urine, respectively. Serum 3,5-T2 concentrations were neither associated with classical thyroid function parameters nor altered during experimental thyrotoxicosis. Strikingly, many metabolites related to coffee metabolism, including caffeine and paraxanthine, formed the clearest positively associated molecular signature. Importantly, these associations were replicated in the experimental human thyrotoxicosis model.
Conclusion: The molecular fingerprint of 3,5-T2 demonstrates a clear and strong positive association of the serum levels of this TH metabolite with plasma levels of compounds indicating coffee consumption, therefore pointing to the liver as an organ, the metabolism of which is strongly affected by coffee. Furthermore, 3,5-T2 serum concentrations were found not to be directly TH dependent. Considering the beneficial health effects of 3,5-T2 administration observed in animal models and those of coffee consumption demonstrated in large epidemiological studies, one might speculate that coffee-stimulated hepatic 3,5-T2 production or accumulation represents an important molecular link in this connection.
Sounds more reasonable...the problem with supplements is that they are not subject to the same control as drugs so manufacturers can claim pretty much anything...
That is one of the big problems with iodine and iodine-containing substances.
In small doses, they usually act as an iodine supplement which could be appropriate for someone with confirmed low iodine levels. But in higher doses, it prevents the thyroid producing thyroid hormone - at least temporarily.
Some websites, incl the one run by Amy Myers, MD, claim that people with hypothyroidism should take iodine supplements or eat iodine-rich foods such as kelp and seaweed as iodine is required for normal thyroid function. Which I find hard to understand...not that it´s required for normal thyroid function, but since few - if any - of us will restore normal thyroid function, I´m not sure why we would need iodine for that reason...? After all, I imagine few of us are hypothyroid as a result of iodine deficiency...?
I have never taken iodine in isolation, but in the past I´ve used multivitamins containing 100% or more of the recommended daily intake, and I have always noticed that after a few weeks on it my throat would feel painful, like when I had strep throat as a child...it would go away after stopping the supplement. I have no proof it´s related, I just know that I have felt better every time I stopped taking the multivit. For that reason, I stopped using them and now only take vitamins I really need separately.
Thanks PurpleCat - I had read all the info but wanted to find people who had used it. Stuck between a rock and a hard place trying to source an alternative to thyroid.
Well, you could try the Real Thyroid; maybe you´d like it and find it a suitable replacement for Thiroyd. Just because someone else did not do well on it does not mean you won´t...it seems to be the same strength as Thyroid-S and the discontinued Thai brands, whereas Tru Thyroid is only available as 30 mg pills.
If you do decide to try it, please review it here as it could be interesting for others. The current situation is horrible, with Thyroid-S being unavailable and nobody knowing when or if it will be back in stock, and the other Thai brands having been discontinued...apparently without any prior notice to patients.
I just found this about potassium iodide...which is one of the ingredients of Real Thyroid:
I really would not feel comfortable taking this on a long-term basis since that would mean getting potassium iodide (along with seaweed) on a daily basis.
I still fail to see why they had to include this in the drug, since neither Thyroid-S, Thiroyd, or TR contained any of them.
PS. There is one thing I find slightly worrying: I read on the website of one of the suppliers of NDT that the reason Thiroyd was discontinued (and, I would imagine, TR Tman), and the production of Thyroid-S limited in late 2019, was because of Thai authorities restricting import of raw material due to African swine fever. It would seem Thyroid-S is still being produced in limited quantities only which is why it´s on backorder everywhere. So apparently there is still a shortage of raw material.
This makes me wonder how the Vietnamese manufacturer has been able to produce Real Thyroid without restrictions...because laws are less stringent there...? Just a thought.
However, it is possibly the transport of thyroid (as glands, frozen, as powder, or in any other form) across national borders that is the problem. If Thailand gets thyroid from China, USA or anywhere else, it could be prohibited. But, if the Vietnam product is made from Vietnamese thyroids, there would be no cross-border transport - other than of the end product to us.
Our lack of detailed knowledge about exactly what is done and where makes it almost impossible to properly understand.
Yes, that´s part of the problem...also, I cannot for the life of me understand why they´d put seaweed and potassium iodide in it. That decision does not seem based on scientific evidence.
Well now down to my last two weeks supply of thiroyd. No sign of my tru arriving, I have been in touch with them so I know what happened to it and it could be another month. So have now ordered metavive 11 from the uk. I know its a glandular, but it seems to have been used successfully by lots of people ( and unsuccessfully by others.) Anyway, it became necessary to find some form of thyroid replacement that would arrive fast. Will update in a separate post how I get on with the metavive 11.
You've wasted your money on the Tru, please do not endanger yourself by taking these pills. I've been posting on all the threads that have to do with Tru just to warn others that its a scam. I wasted 200 USD on them and I gained 10 pounds in a month and wasn't able to drive because I was so worn out.
hornehfrog thanks for the heads up - currently mixing metavive11 with the last of my thiroyd tabs quite successfully. Will try the Tru when I receive it. Everyone is different, and I know some who have failed with the Tru, but also some who seem to be using it successfully. I will keep your warning in mind.
Real thyroid is NDT - Metavive is classed as a glandular. Basically ndt gives quantities of T3/T4 in each grain it is classed as a prescription med and licenced as such. Glandulars are classed as a supplement, if they claimed to treat hypothyroidism, or gave quantities of T4/T3 they would have to be classed as a medication, and licencsed as such. Trial and error, some people say they don't work, some say they do. Everyone is individual.
Only if we believe the numbers presented and the quality control.
One of the biggest reasons Armour became the dominant product was their quality control. Even in the days before they could measure T4 and T3 levels.
(I'd also argue that a desiccated thyroid product as we usually recognise them has no additional medicinally relevant ingredients. Messing around with added iodine, etc., places it into an indeterminate category.)
Hi, how are you getting on with Metavive? Symptoms resolved or increased? Have you had any bloods since starting it? I’m coming to the end of my thiroyd so just starting to look at alternatives and people’s experiences of these?
Hi. I trialled the Real Thyroid from Vietnam for 8 weeks and felt terrible on it. I retested after my 8 weeks trial and my TSH had risen to 7.5 😩😱, very low t3 and t4. My TSH has not been over 0.03 for five years prior to trialling the Real Thyroid. 😢. And my ft3 and t4 were pretty optimal too. Not sure what is wrong with these Real Thyroid tablets, but they tasted very floury and tasted nothing like the Thyroid S and Thiroyd tablets I was taking previously. I’m wondering if it is the Cellulose(Avicel) they use as a filler, or whether it is the added iodine(potassium iodide) or the added manganese. Some Kelp has too much Mercury in it. 😩😢
HI Shubbaz,A friend of mine was contacted last month by her supplier and informed that Real Thyroid had been reformulated due to complaints: they switched raw material suppliers and are now using the ones that supplied raw material to the manufacturers of Thyroid-S and Thiroyd, and they also removed the cellulose and replaced it with dextrose. She was sent a free sample (a bottle containing 250 pills).
Unfortunately, she did not notice any difference. The pills do not taste sweet at all. They are too big to swallow so need to be crushed/chewed. She feels they are very ineffective, possibly not containing any hormones at all. Interestingly enough, since the alledged reformulation, the T4 content has now gone down slightly (from 38 to 36.9 mcg/grain), whereas the T3 content is said to be the same.
I am not sure why they added iodine (seaweed) and then potassium iodide to it, since the latter blocks the former...maybe that is (part of) the problem???
i purchased 5 bottles of the real Thyroid last year to supplement my Nature thyroid . I have not used them yet as i still have some Thyroid S .My problem is that I have tried to order some more and they do not accept paypal as my previous order <they will only accept a wire transfer .I have been emailed them several times via their contact page and they say that paypal will not accept payment as they know its a a drug and not a supplement .i am wondering if this is a scam as when you go to order on their web site and go to payment it states that their is a problem with paypal and to pay by some other method and it will not let you pay .any thoughts please .
Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them.
Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.
Are thyroid issues the real problem here?
Natural Desiccated thyroid (NDT)
NDT for impaired sensitivity to thyroid hormone?
Day one of Thyroid-S NDT... is this normal? 
Would people with no thyroid problems feel good on NDT?
