please could I have feedback on my results?

[Knackeredandcross]

I’ve been on NDT under a private consultant now since March and these are my latest results. I feel like my symptoms are mostly managed with the exception of sleep. Do you think I need a 1/4 grain increase or should I just leave be? My waking temperatures are still low although my general coldness has definitely improved. Not sure what, if anything, needs doing. Already gluten, dairy and soy free but I have let some of my supplements slip so I’ll get back on that. Thank you in advance

[Knackeredandcross]

is there anyone that can advise please?

[destiny234 in reply to Knackeredandcross]

They will, but if not, maybe repost in a day or two 🙂

[Knackeredandcross in reply to destiny234]

Thank you

[Brightness14]

Maybe even half a grain. Start perhaps with 1/4 grain and see how you feel. Your FT3 is too low to feel well. I don't know about the other things sorry. Which NDT are you taking and how much.

[Knackeredandcross in reply to Brightness14]

Thank you. I thought it should be higher but I don’t feel terrible but then that is compared to having complete fatigue usually. I take 2.5 grains erfa every morning presently.

[pennyannie]

Hello Knacheredand cross :

I'm glad you are feeling somewhat improved and close to your optimum dose of NDT.

Inflammation is a little high which could be driving up this ferritin reading :

If supplementing B12 and vitamin D aim now for maintenance doses and folate looks a bit high to me.

I now aim to maintain my ferritin ta around 100 : folate at around 20 : active B12 75 ++ ( serum B12 500 ++ ) and vitamin D around 100:

I take NDT and find my T4 quite low in the range when compared to my T3 reading - but too, and am much improved - I guess the differential could be down to down to one's own abilty to convert T4 well - and am with Graves - post RAI thyroid ablation - and with no thyroid and few antibodies to scupper my T3 and T4 stability.

Also timing does have a bearing on blood test results - I generally wait around 10/12 hours from last dose to blood draw and I just take one dose a day at around 2/ 3.00 am at a toilet break.

Maybe just try inching up by a 1/4 grain and see after a week or two if this settles well and you feel improved -

it's so difficult when with Hashimoto's you are liable to erratic own daily thyroid hormone production and read of some people having to adjust their dose up - or down - as this AI disease progresses to totally disable the thyroid.

There are some Hashimoto's patients who can't tolerate NDT because it's introducing more natural thyroid into their system and triggering their AI condition all over again - some others can't tolerate the fillers in NDT - and do better on synthetic T3 and T4 - sorry - haven't looked back to check to see if you've already been down these other paths.

[Knackeredandcross in reply to pennyannie]

Thank you, that’s very interesting as my antibodies have gone up whilst on ndt, albeit only slightly but they were coming down previously. The ferritin will be inflammation as I had something else going on when I had the test. I am a poor converter so I was even wondering whether adding t3 as opposed to extra ndt might be a better option? Or is that not even a thing. Thank you for your advice

[pennyannie in reply to Knackeredandcross]

Well - antibodies increasing on NDT is a ' thing ' and would therefore suggest a T3/T4 synthetic combo ?

Sorry I haven't looked back at your previous posts to know if this has already been discounted ?

You are converting the NDT - taking T3 as well as this dose may work - but I just don't know if it makes sense to mix different treatment options - as I don't think I would know how to manage myself - with what and when - at a later date - if not well :

Does that make sense.

[Knackeredandcross in reply to pennyannie]

It does, thank you. I did use to be on a synthetic t4/t3 combo but prefer to use natural wherever possible so I trialled NDT and feel so much better on it. My antibodies have never been crazy but they were down to around 100 before NDT and now around 200 so nowhere near as high as lots I see. I’m very careful with my diet and exercise. I think I will try a quarter grain extra first and see how I feel with that. My consultant wanted my t4 around 25 but if that isn’t producing enough t3 for me I don’t see that it matters if it has to be slightly higher in order to optimise the t3. Thank you for your advice

[pennyannie in reply to Knackeredandcross]

OK then - I don't understand why your consultant has a target of 25 for your T4 -

How long from your dose was the blood draw and do you fast etc as per forum guidelines and do you split your dose ?

[lostherpocket]

Have you tried splitting the dose? I am on Erfa and take 1 and quarter on waking and then half grain about 3pm. It works for me - hope you feel better soon. By the way when the colder weather comes I increase usually to one and half early morning.

[Knackeredandcross in reply to lostherpocket]

Hiya, thanks for the reply. Yes, I used to have a split dose but I never felt really good on it. It was suggested to try it all at once in the morning which I did and it seemed to suit me so much better. I used to find this with my t4/t3 too. I never knew the weather affected it? What’s the thinking behind that please? 🙏

[lostherpocket in reply to Knackeredandcross]

First of all this is just my experience - I have no medical training just trial and error for me since 2005. I think that my body struggles to keep warm so in the summer I feel better on a lower dose of Erfa. In winter I feel better if I increase just a wee bit - too much and it's no good for me. I was "lucky" in that I didn't have hypo until our children were older. I feel so sorry for those hypos and hypers who have others to look after as well as themselves. Don't get me wrong I still have off days - I know it's a cliche but I try to listen to my body and if the vacuuming doesn't get done so what? the dust will still be there tomorrow but I might feel ok to do it then! Keep experimenting is my advice and all the best.

[Knackeredandcross in reply to lostherpocket]

Thank you so much and I’m of a similar ilk. I try and listen to what my body is telling me. I’m so thankful I’m not school running/working anymore as there is absolutely no way I could be up now every morning and off to work at 8am. If I get up early now I cannot function for at least a couple of hours and it makes me feel physically sick for a few hours. People just assume I’m lazy but they don’t have to live in my skin. We must do what we need to do. Best wishes to you too ❤️