NDT & T3

[Meeshy1234]

I’m confused, I hear all the time about NDT, armour thyroid, thyroid S and T3. Are these all the same thing ? I have just been put on T3 with my Levo ..

[fuchsia-pink]

No ... NDT or natural dessicated thyroid is derived from pigs but has a specific consistent content (unlike metavive) and includes T4 and T3 content in a particular ratio. Armour and thyroid S are brands of NDT. T3 medication is lab-produced (like T4 medication). In the UK, T4 meds are sold/dispensed as levo and T3 meds are sold/dispensed as liothyronine (lio) and under other brands including cynomel/cytomel overseas.

In practical terms (from a UK perspective), it is possible but tricky to get lio prescribed on the NHS - it can only be initiated by an endo but NDT is all but impossible to get from a GP or endo as it is no longer authorised - and even non-prescription supplies from overseas are tricky at the moment (shortage of pigs in Thailand because of disease).

I take levo and lio and have found it brilliant. Go slowly on the lio to start with - some people find it VERY strong - so build up from 1/4 tablet a day for the first week or so to two 1/4 tablets taken several hours apart until you are on a full tablet or whatever has been prescribed. It's fine to take with your levo - and you may end up taking it all in one go or keep it spread out into two or more part-doses, as you prefer. It's often best to spread it out as it has a very short half-life.

Going forwards, when you next have your bloods tested, leave a gap of 24 hours from your levo and 8 - 12 hours from your last dose of lio to have a good representative amount in your blood. Expect your TSH to drop once on T3 meds - perhaps considerably - it's just what happens when you take lio and nothing to worry about (although it may well freak your GP and/or endo as they all seem to know so little about it). With any luck they haven't reduced your levo as you started on combination therapy - unless free T4 was close to or over the top of the range before ... lots of us like both "frees" to be nice and high when taking levo and lio but have levo reduced too much initially, so it takes a while to find our "sweet spot" of the right level of both meds.

Good luck x

[Meeshy1234 in reply to fuchsia-pink]

Thankyou - so basically NDT you take on its own & T3 is taken with your Levo. I’m just starting T3 ( picking up prescription next week from nhs endo ) not sure what dose he has said but he has said to split dose into 2 and to lower my 250mg Levo to 200. ,,, really excited to start and have my fingers crossed it will help with my Continual symptoms. Thanks again

[fuchsia-pink in reply to Meeshy1234]

Sort of - but some people just do T3; and some people take a bit of levo with their NDT if the fixed ratios in NDT aren't quite what they want.

But for you, that's not too much of a decrease in levo - so drop this first for a few days and then start lio, and build up your dose slowly until you are on the final amount in two doses [always best to do one thing at a time, so if something really doesn't work you know which it is] - and let's hope it suits you x

[Itileguy in reply to fuchsia-pink]

What if your doc added t3 to your armour ?Would that bring your ft3 up as mine is low

2 grains of armour and 5 mcg of lio

[fuchsia-pink in reply to Itileguy]

I suppose it ought to - but don' t know for sure - I'm on levo and lio not NDT