NDT vs T4 T3 combination therapy

[Alex_N]

Hello everyone. Please share your experience NDT vs combination therapy. Currently I am on combo but still have symptoms (I have no thyroid). I am doing better on combo than on T4 only. I want to try NDT and see if it will make me feel better. Since both of them mainly contain T4 T3 may I expect significant change after switching to NDT? Not sure but is it possible that natural hormones may work better than synthetics? Please share your experience with me. I know that after T4 only to NDT can be significant change, but what about from combination to NDT?

[pennyannie]

Hello Helloworl and welcome to the forum :

A fully functioning working thyroid would be supporting you on a daily basis with trace elements of T1. T2 and calcition + a measure of T3 at around 10 mcg + a measure of T4 at around 100 mcg - with T3 said to be around 4 times more powerful than T4.

Whilst some people do get by on T4 monotherapy I can only speak from my own experience :

I am much improved taking NDT - which I see as the ' fullest ' of all the treatment options and a ready mixed ratio of 1/4.22 - T3/T4 - which suits very many thousands of people as it stands - though read of some people adding in a little T3 or T4 -

and if with Hashimoto's some find taking NDT triggers their immune system response, and so need to stay on the synthetic treatment options.

NDT contains all the same known hormones as that of the thyroid gland and is derived from pig thyroids, dried and ground down into tablets, and referred to as grains.

NDT was the original treatment for hypothyroidism successfully used for over 100 years and on the back of which Big Pharma launched their synthetic treatment options in around the middle of the last century and then went about gaining market share.

I have never tried to find my unique balance ratio of synthetic T3/T4 - but am sure this treatment option also ' does the trick ' going by the number of forum members feeling better than when on T4 only.

No thyroid hormone replacement works well until your core strength vitamins and minerals - those of ferritin, folate, B12 and vitamin D are up and maintained at optimal levels.

[Alex_N in reply to pennyannie]

Hi pennyannie, thank you very much for the reply. It gives me a hope that I can make a step closer (with NDT) to the person I was before surgery. My Vitamins are supplemented and always at good level. 🙂

[pennyannie in reply to Alex_N]

I know now - that I need to maintain my ferritin at around 100 - folate around 20 - active B12 125 ( serum B12 500 ++ ) and vitamin D around 125 :

[grumpyold]

Hi Helloworl,

Since my thyroid "journey" began 25 years ago, I have been on levo alone, combo of levo + T3 and NDT (Armour, then Erfa, then Thiroyd)) alone.

I felt the best on Armour, gradually titrating up to 3 grains a day. I would have stayed on it, but getting hold of NDT became too expensive as I was self sourcing and self funding.

Everyone is unique, so it's all very much trial and error, but in my experience, I felt well on Armour.

[Alex_N in reply to grumpyold]

Hello, thank you for sharing your experience.

[AKatieD]

I started on T4 that was not much help.

Moved to Armour thyroid which was much better. However the price increased rapidly so I switched to other brands to save money. These brands one after the other had problems. I could not put up with keep feeling ill when one after the other had quality problems.

I knew I had to have T3 in the mix and so went the synthetic T3&4 route for hopefully a more consistent supply. But did not think that the T4 was doing much for me, so been T3 only for a 3/4 years and that seems fine.

[MindfulMoments]

Hi. I've been self medicating with Thyroid-S for quite a few years after not doing well on Levothyroxine. After my first full panel blood test, I found that my FT3 levels were barely in range so I purchased Thyroid-S to see if that would help. It did, and I have been on it since, with a few alternative trials in-between. I would have liked to try Armour, but it's way too expensive for me. The only issue with NDT, especially Thyroid-S, is that each batch can differ in potency so you have to continually tweek doses. This is because it is more natural than the synthetic medication. I have also tried synthetic T3 monotherapy, but I couldn't tolerate that in high enough doses, so I am trying to stick with the NDT. It's all about trial and error when it comes to thyroid medication in my experience. It's worth giving NDT a go.