Natural Desiccated Thyroid (NDT) - how long does it take to work?

[Tillimodo]

Hello

Recently it was confirmed I have Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, undiagnosed for a long time, my fault I never sought help until I could no longer function!

3 weeks ago I started NDT (Armour), I had previously been on Levothyroxine for 6 months but my symptoms persisted.

As recommended by my doctor I started on 1 gr per day and have increased by 1/2 grain each week since, so now at 2.5gr per day. My doctor advised me to expect that I would feel rough during this time, and I have.

Just looking for insights on others experience of starting NDT, how long did it take to work? how effective is it for you?

Thank you

Update:

I was on 100mcg of Levothyroxine before transitioning to NDT Armour Thyroid

Here’s my bloods just prior to starting NDT

[helvella Administrator]

Please, this is not criticism, but don't blame yourself.

Doctors all too often encourage us to avoid making appointments. Most particularly in the past couple of years.

Even when we see doctors, they can and do entirely miss that the person in front of them is extremely hypothyroid. Despite clear physical evidence. Despite a list of symptoms, many of which are extremely unlikely in any other condition.

I suspect members would like to know what dose of levothyroxine you reached before switching to Armour?

And may I check that you do mean Armour Thyroid - branded and packed as such? (Sometimes people, including medical personnel, refer to Armour as if it were a generic term for any desiccated thyroid product.)

You will have plenty of opportunity to observe doctors blaming you without doing it yourself.

[Tillimodo in reply to helvella]

Thanks so much for your message of support.

I’ll add details of tests and Levothyroxine dosage to my original post.

And yes, it is the branded Armour Thyroid I’m taking.

Kind regards

[pennyannie]

Hello Tillimodo and welcome to the forum:

I stopped 125 mcg T4 one day and started 1/4 grain of NDT the following day :

It takes around 6-8 weeks for the T4 to fully leave your body and in that time frame you slowly build up your NDT dose in weekly 1/4 grain increments monitoring your blood pressure, pulse and temperature twice daily, and presume you have taken bench mark readings of where your T3 and T4 were, before starting the transition.

There will come a week when you feel a little edgey and uncomfortable in your body, so drop back down to the previous weeks dose, and stay on that dose for 6/8 weeks and then take a blood test to so see where your T3 and T4 sit.

Your TSH will likely be low suppressed : your T4 lower than when on T4 monotherapy BUT your T3 should now be proportionately higher than when on T4 monotherapy.

If you get to 2 grain hold this dose for 6-8 weeks and then have a blood test to see what is happening - if your T3 is moving, you feel relief of some, but not all symptoms, simply continue the build up in 1/4 grain increments as before.

If you get to 2 grains and you still have symptoms and your T3 not moved it's likely that NDT is not the best option for you at this point in time.

No thyroid hormone replacement works well until your vitamins and minerals are maintained at optimal levels so you might like to get these checked out and post these results and ranges up for considered opinion along with your current results for T3 and T4.

Obviously having Hashimoto's throws a spanner in the works as with your gland failing and becoming disabled you will experience erratic thyroid hormone production and " likely swings " in hyper type symptoms and then the swing swinging back into hypothyroidism.

Dr Izabella Wentz has researched extensively on Hashimoto's as she herself is dealing with this auto immune thyroid disease and understand to reduce the severity of the disease you do need to look at healing the gut through certain foods such as gluten wheat and dairy so this might be worth reading up on as well.

Some people split their dose of NDT - others do not - and generally it is suggested that you take your medication on an empty stomach with a glass of water and wait around 1 hour before you eat anything.

P.S. I'm with Graves post RAI thyroid ablation in 2005 and started self medicating around 4 years ago :

[Tillimodo in reply to pennyannie]

Thank you pennyannie for taking the time to respond in such detail. It’s really helpful to have your experience, I didn’t appreciate it takes so long for T4 to leave the body.

I am having my levels tested again in 5-6 weeks so a) I’m hoping they will show the desired results and more importantly b) my symptoms are improved.

Thanks again.

[pennyannie in reply to Tillimodo]

No worries - are you getting your NDT on the NHS or are you having to pay for it yourself ?

I see you were on 100 mcg T4 but there are no blood tests included :

Quite why your doctor suggests " you'll be rough " is likely down to his understanding, or lack of, as to how NDT is meant to be dosed and monitored.

[shaws Administrator in reply to Tillimodo]

You may already be aware of how to get the best result when you have a blood test.

On the morning of your blood test which should be at the earliest possible time, it is a fasting test but you can drink water. Don't take thyroid hormones until after the blood draw.

If you haven't had B12, Vit D, iron, ferritin and folate tested. request these too.

[Aveidono in reply to pennyannie]

Thank you for this.

[greygoose]

As with all things thyroid, it varies from person to person. I hope you don't mind me saying this, but you did increase much too quickly. Normally, we would suggest increasing by 1/4 grain every two weeks, with a six week pause and retest when you get to 1 grain. But, if that's what your doctor told you to do... I don't suppose he knows that much about it. But, that could be why your felt/feel rough during the increasing period, because you weren't giving yourself time to adapt to each new dose.

I can't really tell you how long it takes to work, because for me in didn't. I was a thousand times worse on NDT than I was on T4 only. It doesn't suit everybody. For me, T3 only is the only way to go. But, that's just me.

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Results before starting on NDT

Which brand of levothyroxine were you taking

Did you always get same brand levothyroxine at each prescription

Was this test done early morning and last dose levothyroxine 24 hours before test

What vitamin supplements are you currently taking

As you have Hashimoto’s diagnosed by high thyroid antibodies have you had coeliac blood test and are you on absolutely strictly gluten free diet or dairy free diet

Test shows low folate