Being diagnosed as a six year old with Hashimoto, which had already destroyed my thyroid I was always wondering what other treatment options are out there.
Over the last some years I found out a lot about related illness that I have like high cholesterol, teeth problems, on and off iron deficiency etc. Doctors are usually ignorant when I point out the relationship to Hashimoto and therefore I feel very much alone with my thoughts.
I also developed over time other autoimmune illnesses like lichen scoliosis and fibromyalgia.
I red n article about the damage that thyroid meds can do over time and that ndt might be an alternative and I really would like to know more about this and other approaches.
Written by
Barb59
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
Fibromyalgia is not an autoimmune disease. It is a syndrome. A syndrome is a bunch of symptoms. Symptoms have to be caused by something. And, as you are hypo, it's more than likely that it is under-medicated hypo that is causing the symptoms. But, doctors are so ignorant about thyroid, and only tend to look at the TSH to dose by, and when the patient doesn't improve, they diagnose them with fibro to get rid of them. After that, whatever you complain about is put down to your fibro and ignored. Fibro is a handy 'dustbin diagnosis' because there is no treatment and no tests to 'prove' you haven't got it.
High cholesterol is not a disease it is a symptom of low T3. And, no, doctors have no idea about that. And even dentists don't know how the thyroid affects teeth! I've had many a battle with dentists when they accuse me of neglecting my teeth.
I red n article about the damage that thyroid meds can do over time and that ndt might be an alternative
By 'thyroid meds' I take it you mean levothyroxine? That is what most hypos take. But it's not a 'med' in the normal sense of that word. It doesn't cure anything. It is thyroid hormone replacement. The thyroid hormone T4. It's synthetic - i.e. made in a lab rather than a thyroid - but it is exactly the same as the T4 made by your thyroid. I cannot imagine what or where you read that it can cause damage over time. Some people take it from birth because they're born without a thyroid. So if it were damaging to take it long-term, I think we'd all know about it. It might be, if you take too much. But you're far more likely to be under-medicated than over-medicated.
NDT is the so-called 'natural' version. It's made form dessicated pig thyroid. But, exactly how 'natural' it is once it's made into a pill is anyone's guess. But a lot of people do better on it because it contains T3 as well as T4. T4 is basically a storage hormone that doesn't do much until it's converted into T3, the active hormone. And not all hypos are good at conversion and need some T3 with their T4.
But, just as levo doesn't suit everyone (it didn't suit me), neither does NDT. It didn't suit me and I'm better on synthetic T3 mono-therapy.
The problem with NDT is that it is difficult to get hold of. Not many doctors are willing to prescribe it because they don't understand what it is - although I have no idea how things stand in Australia with regards to that. And, doctors regard it as old-fashioned and out-moded. The majority of doctors are reluctant to allow patients to experiment to find what suits them best, unfortunately, out of pure ignorance.
So, do you not think that levo suits you? How much are you taking? Do you know how well you convert? Levo can be difficult to get on with if you have nutritional deficiencies - which most hypos have. So, have you had your vit D, vit B12, folate and ferritin tested? If not, it might be a good idea to do so.
For full Thyroid evaluation you need TSH, FT4 and FT3 tested
Very important to test vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12 at least once year minimum
What vitamin supplements are you taking
Low vitamin levels are extremely common when hypothyroid, especially with autoimmune thyroid disease
Recommended that all thyroid blood tests early morning, ideally just before 9am, only drink water between waking and test and last dose levothyroxine 24 hours before test
This gives highest TSH, lowest FT4 and most consistent results. (Patient to patient tip)
As you have Hashimoto’s are you on strictly gluten free diet and/or dairy free diet
Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them.
Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.
Hashimoto's 
Hashimotos 
Hashimoto's?
Hashimotos?
Hashimotos
