Help with results

[HarrietJW]

I have now switched over to NDT after a long time trying to manage my thyroid symptoms with various approachess. I have been taking medication and have now built up to 2 grains over 6 weeks. My results are as follows...

TSH

10.2 (0.27-4.2

T3

5.3 (3.1-6.8)

T4

13 (12-22)

FERRITIN

85 (13-150)

B12

209

VIT D

88 (50-200)

Whilst these are better than previous results (My TSH was 80!) I am wondering if I should just keep raising by half a tablet until they are in range?

(I split my dose the day before, I eat GF and DF, symptoms are: anxiety, weight gain, low body temp)

Many thanks!

[shaws Administrator]

I am not medically qualified but you may have raised your dose too quickly.

I believe one grain of NDT is approx equal to 100mcg of levo so may 2 grains might be a 'bit too much'.

Before blood tests were invented, all patiens were given NDT and it was increased very slowly and we took note of the symptoms that were reducing. There was no blood tests at all and it all depended upon how we, the patient, felt and that symptoms were reducing and they began to feel better.

My TSH was 100 and about an hour before my GP phoned to tell me I had no problems at all,

It was good I had already requested a blood test form a couple of weeks before and as it was the second blood draw of the day, the hospital queried with the surgery why I had two blood draws the same day.

I am fit and well on T3 and take 1 tablet when I awake and wait an hour before I eat. I have no clinical symptoms.

[HarrietJW in reply to shaws]

Thanks for your thoughts, I followed advice from this forum - start on 1 grain, go up 1/2 a grain every 2 weeks and then test at 2 grains.

If I was on too much, would I not feel hypo?

What would you suggest?

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to HarrietJW]

How much levothyroxine were you taking before changing to NDT?

greygoose might comment….

[greygoose]

Pretty sure no-one on this forum would advise you to increase by 1/2 grain every two weeks. 1/4 grain is the usual amount. And, once you get to two grains, you should hold that dose for six weeks before testing.

Is that B12 serum or active? One can tell from the range, even if it doesn't say. If it's serum, it's much, much too low, and that will cause hypo-like symptoms. If it's active, it's too high. Are you supplementing B12?

If I was on too much, would I not feel hypo?

No, you'd feel hyper. But, it's not a question of being on too much - you obviously aren't given those results! It's a question of not giving your body time to adjust in between increase in dose. It's so easy to miss your sweet-spot on NDT/T3. In fact, now you're at two grains, I think you should increase even more slowly - say 1/4 grain every month. Otherwise, if you go too far, you'll probably have to restart at the beginning again. So, increasing too fast is really shooting yourself in the foot.

[HarrietJW in reply to greygoose]

Hello,

Thank you. B12 is active and yes I have been supplementing so I guess that’s too high.

In answer to SlowDragon i was previously on 125levo and 20 T3. Ok so it sounds like my best course of action is to stick with 2 grains a while longer and test again?

Thanks again!

[greygoose in reply to HarrietJW]

If you're supplementing it doesn't matter if the B12 is too high. If you stop supplementing, it will probably drop again. So, just go onto a maintainace dose. For example a B complex with methylcobalamin should be enough to maintain a good level.

It's when B12 is high when you aren't supplementing that is a problem.

Yes, retest when you've been on two grains for at least six weeks.

[adin in reply to HarrietJW]

I think 2 grain is to little if your synthetic dose was 125/20. I don't know what ndt you use but in 1 grain you have 38 t4 of levo (and 9 t3). So if you want to riche the same dose you need about 3 and 1/4 grain.

[Venicefan in reply to HarrietJW]

I was on 100 levo and 30 t3 when I changed over to NDT.

I’ve been taking it now for about 3 years. I did increase gradually up to 3 grains when I started taking it, but have now gradually decreased again and settled on 2 grains (1 in the morning and one in the afternoon)

I feel really good on this. It is only the equivalent of 76 t4 and 18 t3.

I believe that the reason I don’t need such a high dose of natural thyroid is that my body didn’t know what to do with the synthetic hormones. NDT isn’t just t4 and t3, it contains all of the thyroid hormones that the gland would normally produce plus calcitonin.

[HarrietJW in reply to Venicefan]

Thank you for your reply, which brand do you take?

[Venicefan]

Thyroid S (from Thailand)