Giving Erfa a go

[Brightness14]

I wonder if anyone is on Erfa NDT and can tell me how they find it. I was on Thyroid s for years but now it doesn't work for me. I have no thyroid and no gut problems either. At present I am on Levo plus T3 which I find difficult. I need to get my levels perfect for June when I go in to hospital for an operation for my Ear Tumour.

[Margo]

Good luck Brightness!

[Brightness14 in reply to Margo]

Thank you Margo

[Jaydee1507 Administrator]

What is it that you ar finding difficult about Levo + T3?

It's actually far easier to 'fine tune' your dose with the T4/T3 combo as opposed to NDT.

I believe NDT is a very personal thing and what suits one may not suit another.

[Brightness14 in reply to Jaydee1507]

I was on Thyroid s for over seven years I have become so ill now that my operation may need to be cancelled. It was perfect for me and easy. I cannot work out my dosage on the Levo plus T3 I wish I could it's free for me here in France. The T3 seems to be very fast acting unlike the T3 in NDT. I have been ill now for over 5 months and never go out or walk the dogs anymore, just stuck indoors trying to get myself well again.

I am on 125mcg Levo plus 3 x 6.25mcg of T3 which is too much. I did ask for help months ago but was given the wrong information and now I haven't a clue for the first time in my life I just don't know what to do. Do you take Levo plus T3. How do you manage your dosage. I have Cynomel which is 25mcg. tablets.

[Jaydee1507 Administrator in reply to Brightness14]

We are here to help you with blood results if you have any you could post?

Have you tried a different brand of T3? Do you have any that are lactose free which might be better for you?

Do you have latest blood results for your key vitamins - ferritin, folate, B12 & D3? We need OPTIMAL levels for our thyroid hormone to work well.

Are you taking any supplements, if so what?

I do take Levo + T3, am i the UK. I prefer lactose free formulas of both hormones.

Managing dose is far easier with the combo as you can fine tune each hormone individually. Post your latest results and people can comment.

[Brightness14 in reply to Jaydee1507]

I know about blood rest results thankyou. I have no allergies just looking for people taking Erfa.

[papayarose in reply to Brightness14]

your levo dose t4 equivalent to ndt would be 86 mcg. i would split your 3 t3 doses into 6 doses. you can take your t4 dose all at once or split that up also. it is safest to take them together but w t4 you only need to take it once a day or you can take it twice a day.

[Brightness14 in reply to papayarose]

Thank you for your advice. I had started splitting my T3 dose into eight but they do not cut well. I am now on 125mcg Levo first thing and 3 x 6.25 T3 but taken with food which someone on here suggested. Watch this space.

[pennyannie]

Efra is just another brand of NDT:

Thyroid S contains 9mcg T3 + 38 mcg T4 as does Armour - the leading USA brand :

Efra is Canadian NDT and meant to be more ' pure ' with less fillers and said to contain

8 mcg T3 + 35 mcg T4 :

[Brightness14 in reply to pennyannie]

I know about Armour and Erfa ingredients thank you I wanted to know if anyone on our site was taking it and how they got on. It's much more expensive to buy than Thyroid s so I was looking for answers regarding patients experience, thank you for your reply.

[pennyannie in reply to Brightness14]

Oh, ok, - I'm sorry this NDT hasn't helped and you are unable to find relief from the synthetic T3 and T4 options.

I do wonder if the surgery you are waiting on is causing a down regulation of T4 to T3 ?

Just another thought - no thyroid hormone works well until ferritin, folate, B12 and vitamin D at up and maintained at optimal levels.

[Brightness14]

OK thank you all of my levels are fine. Apart from the FT4 and most importantly FT3 which is now rock bottom.

[Imaaan]

I'm on Erfa but its prescribed. I was given 2 online pharmacy links by a dear member many moons ago when I was desperate . Let me know if interested I can send you the links in pm.

[Brightness14 in reply to Imaaan]

I worded my question wrongly what I meant to ask was people actually on Erfa and what dosage. I know where to buy it thank you.

[Imaaan in reply to Brightness14]

I'm on 150 mg of Erfa, 6.25 mcg of T4 and 1 capsule of Ancestral supplement's thyroid.

For reference I'm 47 kg

[Brightness14]

Thank you that's very helpful as a rough guide. I weigh 63 kg so quite a bit heavier. I am 5ft 9 inches tall though. When I was on Thyroid s for years I took 2 .25 grains per day split. i.e. 86 T4 plus 20.25 T3. This always suited me until they changed the formula. What a nightmare it's been too. I am grateful for this site and your reply. Just a question. Have you got a thyroid?

[Imaaan in reply to Brightness14]

I do have my thyroid but the ultra sound mentioned it was smaller ie atrophy

[papayarose]

how was your blood work on the latest thyroid s? is it possible the batch was too strong instead of too weak & tanked your adrenals which is what's making u feel awful?

[Brightness14 in reply to papayarose]

It was only when starting the 2022 batches of thyroid s that they never worked. I had been taking it for over seven years with no problems. After 44 days on the 2022 batch I was falling over and my FT3 was now. 2.76 it was always over 6. before. I noticed straight away that it was different, greenish, shiny and it never smelt. Anyway after the low blood FT3 blood test I had some of the old 2021 one left which I used for 8-10 days. I was then walking 3/4 hour per day and felt back to normal. My BP /HR increase with too much so no.

[papayarose]

for the levo/ t3 i'd suggest taking the t4 before bed and nibbling on very tiny doses of t3 every few hours throughout the day.

[Brightness14 in reply to papayarose]

That sounds like a good idea, thank you. Before I had my thyroid removed it was still working perfectly so I had never had any medication until 2015. I was put onto only 100 mcg of Levo for 6 months I didn't know anything about the thyroid, then I joined this site and started my self on Thyroid s. I am now trying 125 Levo I have been on this for over two weeks but with T3 added. I have 25mcg tablets of T3 and can just about cut them into 8 but it's difficult. I can't get the T3 compounded into slow release here in France. When you say nibble how does that work for quantity. I have gone from Yoga 40 plus years walking, swimming to just sitting so not good. I also lost 6 lbs in two weeks on T3 taking 6.25 x twice a day. I don't need to lose weight either. Sorry for the long answer.

[papayarose in reply to Brightness14]

just cut them up & take piece every few hrs. you'll tinker around & figure out what feels best. unlike t4, it's best to take t3 with food. the 6.25 2x a day is prob fine also since you don't have a thyroid but you would def need to take that dose with food. i hope u start feeling better soon!

[Brightness14 in reply to papayarose]

Ok thanks for that I will have another go. I have managed to cut the 25 into 8 so far.

I will take them with food to make 4x 3.12 i.e. 2 x 6.25 just about to start. Perhaps the food will help. I need some T3 I am starting to fall over again today.