Weight loss or weight gain on ndt?

[adin]

I'm curious if anyone has lost or gained weight on ndt, assuming the dosage is correct, given that ft4 decreases and ft3 increases on ndt (due the rațio in pig thyroid 4:1)

[greygoose]

given that ft4 decreases and ft3 increases on ndt (due the rațio in pig thyroid 4:1)

And, what about conversion? I don't think that would be the ratio that ends up in your blood.

I put on a ton of weight on NDT! I worked my way up slowly from one grain (had been on 200 T4 and 40 T3 before that). And I just put on more and more weight until I finally called it a day.

[adin in reply to greygoose]

Maybe you were not on an equivalent dose of ndt(aprox. 5grain a think). Yes the conversion is a variabile in the problem. I know that you are only on t3 now

[greygoose in reply to adin]

Omitted to say that I worked my way up slowly from one grain to six grains. which would have been 228 mcg T4 and 54 mcg T3. So, more than equivalent. Whereas I had been losing weight on the 200 mcg T4 + 40 mcg T3, even though I didn't feel well, NDT made me put it all back on plus a hell of a lot more.

[adin in reply to greygoose]

It's a huge dose, synthetic even ndt, I do not understand why. It means you have a thyroid hormones resistance

[greygoose in reply to adin]

I had it, yes. And I changed to 200 mcg T3 only. Now, I'm on 75 mcg, because my absorption at a cellular level has improved.

But, that's irrelevant to your question. NDT made me put on weight, whatever dose I took.

[pennyannie]

Hello Adin ;

My weight was the very last piece of the jigsaw to be resolved at around a year into taking NDT.

NDT was the original treatment option for hypothyroidism and used successfully for over 100 years - long before we knew about TSH, T3 and T4 - or ratios, or the science that doesn't appear to have done us any favours with regards to our health.

No thyroid hormone works well until your ferritin, folate, B12 and vitamin D are up and maintained at optimal and conversion can also be compromised by inflammation, any physiological stress ( emotional or physical ) dieting, depression and ageing.

Some people can't tolerate T4, - some people can't tolerate NDT - but considering you have had RAI thyroid ablation you will likely need to add back in some form of T3 whichever way you go :

I spent over a year having to build my core strength back up again, it's not a quick fix, no thyroid hormone replacement treatment option is, but I am much improved on NDT and now over 4 years in - details on my profile page :

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/306...

[adin in reply to pennyannie]

Yes I know. The worst thing after RAI I was left with vision and weight problems (on levo +t3). I recently started with erfa, I hope it will be better. I felt best on nature-throid once.

[pennyannie in reply to adin]

Ah, so you have tried NDT previously - ok so you know that you need to get your ducks in a row and first build up your core strength.

Wasn't Nature Thyroid recalled at some point ?

Such a shame if you were doing ok on it -

This is a continual concern, sourcing an NDT that works and which I can afford :

NDT is listed a ' named patient only prescription ' and still prescribed by some doctors within the NHS system but ' Hey Ho ' - who are we - having first been poisoned by this toxic substance we find no help nor understanding in our continuing ill health - which I find disgraceful - what happened to - ' first do no harm ' ?

[adin in reply to pennyannie]

I do not live in the UK and do not depend on NHS, I was lucky that my private endo worked for years in USA and she knows the NDT product, and write my recipe for ERFA, but the astronomical price is the problem. After nature-throid I tried some thai-ndt and I gained weight from them.

I hope Erfa will be good to me, maybe with an addition of levo. I switched fron synthetics on a 1,5 grains.

I s

[pennyannie in reply to adin]

Oh, where do you live - your profile doesn't say ?

I'm only on 1 + 1/2 grains and taking Thyroid S - I think the only accredited and available form of NDT from Thailand.

Thyroid S has a known content of 9mcg T3 + 38 mcg T4 :

What was the known breakdown of T3 and T4 in Nature Thyroid ?

Efra is, I believe, 8mcg T3 and 35 mcg T4 per grain :

[adin in reply to pennyannie]

I buy Erfa with the recipe from a pharmacy in Germany. I needed 3.5 grains of Thyroi-S, more than you, maybe because I'm bigger than you(115kg, I was 87 when I was healthy).

[pennyannie in reply to adin]

Efra is the Canadian brand of Natural Desiccated Thyroid :

I don't understand how a Germany lab can have a recipe -

We are talking about pig thyroid glands, dried and ground down into tablets referred to as grains and each grain will contain trace elements of T1. T2 and calcitonin plus a measure of T3 and a measure of T4 bound around thyroglobulin and all that that entails -

I am heavy, and at 5'10'' now about a size 16/18 dress size - I gave up weighing myself years ago :

[adin in reply to pennyannie]

I order Erfa to an online internațional warehouse Pharma based on Germany. I send my scaned prescription to pharmacy and they forward my request to Canada. I pay with credit card when the package arrives in Germany and is delivered to me.

[pennyannie in reply to adin]

So why can't you go direct and buy Efra from the States - as asked before - where do you live - as restrictions apply for every country.

[adin in reply to pennyannie]

I live in Europe, I don't find a reliable sourse in State or Canada. Maybe you know it.

[pennyannie in reply to adin]

We are not allowed to openly discuss suppliers of medication.

[catrich in reply to pennyannie]

I think Adin is referring to a prescription, not a recipe pennyannie. Prescription and receipt and recipe are often translated by one word in other European languages.

[adin in reply to catrich]

That's corect

[Sharoosz in reply to pennyannie]

Probably means prescription, not recipe. In Polish it's recepta, which sounds more like recipe than the prescription it is. 😅

[pennyannie in reply to adin]

There were some Thai NDT that on further inspection, and complaints from end users, got pulled due to unreliable content ?

[Hidden in reply to pennyannie]

Sorry to butt in (I don’t know exactly how to use this platform as I only just joined) but can I ask - what do you mean build up your core strength to tolerate medication? Do you mean literal strength training?

[pennyannie in reply to Hidden]

No, I mean your core strength of vitamins and minerals, especially those of ferritin, folate, B12 and vitamin D :

[Goatcheesesalad in reply to Hidden]

Hi I also asked that same question a couple of months ago, believing I had to start doing sit ups. I believe it means ensuring your Vitamin B12, Folate, Ferritin and Vit D levels are optimal.

[pennyannie in reply to Goatcheesesalad]

Yes, I remember - it's just that I could never imagine being that well to even consider going to a gym -so it doesn't cross my mind to keep writing vitamins and minerals - sorry !!!

Hidden

[Goatcheesesalad in reply to pennyannie]

Let’s hope that one day you do.

[pennyannie in reply to Goatcheesesalad]

It was never on my agenda -

The nearest I'd get to a gym would likely be the swimming pool and now at 75 I can't see myself starting off lifting weights or anything-

it's enough of a work out lifting bags of compost for my little garden !!!

[Goatcheesesalad in reply to pennyannie]

Far better to be outside in the fresh air lifting those compost bags then stuck in a sweaty gym

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to pennyannie]

Wasn't Nature Thyroid recalled at some point ?

It was recalled two years ago and has not returned to market.

Though I have no special information, I rather doubt it will ever return.

Link to the company's site:

getrealthyroid.com/voluntar...

[grumpyold]

I was on Armour throughout 2008. Within 5 months I lost the 3 stone I had been unable to shift on T4, almost effortlessly.

I couldn't afford to continue (I had titrated up to 3 grains) so had to revert to levo, and the weight all piled back on.

[FancyPants54 in reply to grumpyold]

That's so sad. We should not have to pay for these expensive medications (if you live in the UK that is).

[SmPea]

I lost a lot of weight on Levothyroxine to the point I was nearly underweight. GP’s did not believe the weight loss had anything to do with my Hashimoto’s. Went through loads of tests/procedures to discount anything sinister- all clear. In desperation went private and started trial of NDT ERFA one and a half years ago, put on nearly a stone and weight now stable, feeling so much better in general. It’s such an individual thing what works for some is an absolute no no for others!

[jamesal0]

Yes I control my weight to some extent with NDT tune. I’m 57y 90kg male. And have been as high as 107kg on levo and as low as 83kg on ndt.

[adin in reply to jamesal0]

Really interesting. On what dose of levo and ndt you were?

[Brightness14]

I had my thyroid removed over seven years ago and have been taking solely NDT ever since.The only time my weight had increased in my whole life was after my TT when I was on Levo for a few months. My height is 5ft 8 inches and I weigh 10 stone give or take 2 or 3 lbs. It never varies. I feel well on my dose of 2.25 grains a day taken in two parts. I have no gut issues at all. I think it depends on the person, everyone is different.

[1dolly in reply to Brightness14]

Can I ask which brand of NDT you take please?

[Brightness14 in reply to 1dolly]

I use thyroid s which I order online from the same supplier in Thailand.

[1dolly in reply to Brightness14]

Thank you, I was hoping you would say that as I have just ordered some and am running out of options! X

[Brightness14 in reply to 1dolly]

I have been using these for seven years now, always from the same supplier.

[jamesal0]

120mg minimum and around 150mg (60 + 60 +30) I start loosing weight. I but weight is just side effect - I'm looking for good body temps, good energy levels at 4pm-6pm not feeling like I need a Nana nap. But balancing against insomnia at 2am in the morning. I don't eat any gluten. I eat lots of meat and vegies. Lots of milk, butter, cheese, eggs , bacon etc. No added sugar or anything with sugar in it. Look for Low GI food. Look for natural - like I will eat potatoes but never potato crisps.

I was on 75mcg Levo and when I raised to 100mcg to try and get a TSH less than 4. I got all these side effects - the worst being a constant head ache

[Maya_83]

I wanted to know the same as I lost so much weight on t3 that I look ill. I was slim to start off with anyway.

Only started thyroid s from this morning so hoping I came regain some weight I lost.

[Docu20]

I have had under active thyroid since 2000 and the thyroid gland controls most functions of the body so the heat, weight gain is all part of it, the thyroxine should help you to control a lot of the issues arising from this, but heat is one thing it does not help, it gets worse with thyroid problems, this is just my experience of course. I gained a lot of weight, it went down after taking thyroxine, but it fluctuates.

[adin in reply to Docu20]

And now you take levothyroxin or ndt?

[Docu20 in reply to adin]

Yes have been since 2000, I hope they are giving it you if you have thyroid problems you should be on them.