Does anyone have any experience or advice about porcine thyroid. I am not getting along with taking levothyroxine. Since I started taking it I’ve had insomnia and am still symptomatic ( sever constipation and eczema) A nutritionalist recommended I takeBiotic Gta-Forte II. Which contains vitamins and minerals to support healthy thyroid function and porcine thyroid.
Any aside very gratefully received.
So far as I can see, says absolutely NOTHING about its thyroid hormone content - if any.
Nor, again so far as I can see, does it tell you how much selenium, copper, zinc, rubidium, Superoxide Dismutase or Catalase.
You are left rather at the mercy of the nutritionalist or, possibly, the supplier/manufacturer. And you cannot readily reduce any of those ingredients without also reducing the porcine thyroid it claims.
There are many members who have experience of desiccated thyroid products with known thyroid hormone content.
Do you have any more background information? How did you reach this point? Have you had any blood tests?
Editing to add details that I eventually found!
Supplement Facts Serving Size: 1 Capsule
Zinc (as zinc gluconate) 10 mg
Selenium (from vegetable culture) 26 mcg
Copper (as copper gluconate) 0.25 mg
Rubidium (from vegetable culture) 5 mcg
Porcine glandular concentrate 20 mg
Superoxide Dismutase (from vegetable culture) 20 mcg
Catalase (from vegetable culture) 20 mcg
Thank you for your reply.
I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism two years ago. My TSH was originally around 6 and now it’s around 3. I have been taking Levothyroxine for two years. My current dose is 50 one day 75 the next. I have tried several brands but they all seem to cause insomnia. I have never struggled with sleeping before taking levothyroxine. I’m currently taking Teva as it seems to be the least problematic for me.
I also have Alopecia which started around the same time as my hypothyroidism. Probably triggered by menopause. I am 53 and post menopausal now. I have been tested for thyroid antibodies but don’t appear to have hashimoto.
I am quite confused about what to do with my medication as it really doesn’t seem to be helping and if I’m not sleeping properly how can my body heal.
The reason its not helping is because you arent taking enough of it.
Most people feel well when their TSH is at or just under 1. Your TSH is far too high and you need a dose increase.
Thyroid patients often need to become their own health advocates and drive their treatment with their GP.
Have a good read around this group, learn a little and get some confidence up to challenge your GP and insist on a dose increase. Don't take no for an answer, try different GPs at the same practice and keep going back until you get it.
Also get vitamin levels tested as likely they will be low if not deficient and supplementing them to optimal will improve how you feel.
Insomnia is a common hypo symptom.
Few of us would feel right with TSH at around 3. Most of us need someone near or below 1.
Personally, I dislike alternating dose by day. I have tried many times, trying to persuade myself it is me being fussy or silly, but I am always happier on the same dose every day. I was on a dose of 112.5 and tried that as 100 alternating with 125. And I felt wrong every day. Hence I split tablets to get 112.5 every day. (Or nearly so - at least, it was closer than alternate day dosing!) But have more recently been on 125 every day.
I also take mine at bed-time.
Some get on well with this approach. Others don't.
You could also split your dose within the day (say, 50 in the morning and 25 at bed-time - or the other way round).
Remember, you can try any of these approaches - and either carry on if it works for you, or go back if it doesn't.
You are absolutely right - sleeping well helps enormously.
Have you had any other tests? Like vitamin B12, folate, ferritin and other iron tests, full blood count, etc.?
And have you had Thyroglobulin antibodies tested? It is perfectly possible to have TGab but not the more commonly tested Thyroid Peroxidase antibodies.
helvella - Bed-time dosing of levothyroxine
Discussion about taking levothyroxine at bed-time. Several linked references to relevant papers.
helvella.blogspot.com/p/hel...
Hi, thank you so much. That’s a really good idea about taking the same dose every day. I’ll try that.
Regarding my vitamin and mineral levels yes I was tested a couple of months ago and remarkably everything seemed in normal range.
I will request a Thyroglobulin antibodies test from my GP.? Thank you for this advice. I’ve recently switched to a new doctor as the previous one was pretty unhelpful/ uninformed.
Many GPs either don't know, or the lab won't test but worth asking.
I'm afraid that just being in normal range might not be good enough. 
Can you post your results and reference intervals (ranges)?
This is a link to a very good article in the British Medical Journal discussing what the 'normal range' really is. Very readable.
The normal range: it is not normal and it is not a range
helvella.blogspot.com/p/the...
TSH
3.20 mIU/L • Normal
Normal range: 0.27 - 4.20
(8 Jun 2024)
T4
14.3 pmol/L • Normal
Normal range: 9.0 - 23.0
T3
3.7 pmol/L • Normal
Normal range: 2.4 - 6.0
thyroid peroxidase Ab conc
0.10 IU/mL • Normal
Normal range: 0.00 - 5.00
thank you for your help, this is much appreciated. The paper was helpful. I will persevere respectfully with my new doctor and I’ll also increase my dose and take 75 every day. Hopefully this will help. I am having my blood tested again in 10 days, then a follow up appointment with the doctor who said she will speak to an endocrinologist in the meantime. I’ll keep reading the invaluable information on here too so I’m informed. Many thanks
Most of us would need an increase given your TSH/FT4/FT3 results.
Do come back with new results.
Timing is a touch unfortunate in that it can take some time after a change in dose for blood tests to stabilise. Typically six weeks is quoted but the majority of any changes occur faster than that.
Thank you. I’ll do just that . Much appreciated.
I am having my blood tested again in 10 days
Rebook test for 6-8 weeks after increasing dose to 75mcg daily
Likely to need further increase in dose after that
Regarding my vitamin and mineral levels yes I was tested a couple of months ago and remarkably everything seemed in normal range.
please add actual results and ranges
Normal is not necessarily optimal
Thank you, this is helpful.
Date tested 8th June
Serum Folate
13.1 ug/L • Normal
Normal range: 2.4 - 9999
Vitamin D
74 nmol/L • Normal
Normal range: 25 - 125
B12
277 ng/L • Normal
Normal range: 160 - 800
Note re rebooking tests for six weeks after u do this current increase. I think after reading all of the suggestions on here that your hunch is right I might need another increase in dose. I was afraid to increase my Levo dose as I thought this was the cause of my night waking and inability to go back to sleep. It’s very useful to find out here that this could be caused by the hypothyroidism itself.
I am feeling hopeful and better informed thank you all.
Often people are left on not enough Levo, are possibly not converting T4 (levo) to T3 or have got low vitamin levels caused by the low stomach acid that comes with being hypo. This means you cannot absorb vitamins well from food.
Do you have a copy of your latest blood results that you can share with us? You are legally entitled to a printed copy of your results, ask at GP reception. In England you can get the NHS app and ask for permission to see your blood results on that by asking at GP’s reception.
It's ideal if you can always get the same brand of levo at every prescription. You can do this by getting GP to write the brand you prefer in the first line of the prescription. Many people find that different brands are not interchangeable.
Always take Levo on an empty stomach an hour away from food or caffeine containing drinks & other meds. Many people find taking it at bedtime works well for them.
When hypo we get low stomach acid which means we cannot absorb vitamins well from our food, regardless of a great diet. For thyroid hormone to work well we need OPTIMAL levels of vitamins.
Have you recently or could you ask your GP to test levels of ferritin, folate, B12 & D3? Private tests are available, see link for companies offering private blood tests & discount codes, some offer a blood draw service at an extra cost. thyroiduk.org/testing/priva...
There is also a new company offering walk in& mail order blood tests in London, Kent, Sussex & Surrey areas. Check to see if there is a blood test company near you. onedaytests.com/products/ul...
Only do private tests on a Monday or Tuesday to avoid postal delays.
Do you know if you had positive thyroid antibodies? Many with autoimmune thyroid disease aka Hashimoto's benefit from a gluten free diet. A smaller percentage of those also need to remove dairy from their diet to feel well. These are intolerances and will not show up on any blood test.
Do you do the test as per the protocol recommended here?
Recommended blood test protocol: Test at 9am (or as close as possible), fasting, last levo dose 24hrs before the blood draw & no biotin containing supplements for 3-7 days (Biotin can interfere with thyroid blood results as it is used in the testing process).
Testing like this gives consistency in your results and will show stable blood levels of hormone and highest TSH which varies throughout the day. Taking Levo/T3 just prior to blood draw can show a falsely elevated result and your GP/Endo might change your dose incorrectly as a result.
Thank you so much. This is all very helpful.
My recent test results were as follows
TSH 3.20 mlU/L
8 Jun 2024
T4 14.3 pmol/L
T3 3.7 pmol/L
I have cut out gluten and dairy following a full auto immune protocol diet. I definitely experienced reactions when I reintroduced these foods so I’ve eliminated them completely now.
I take only the Teva brand, my chemist has a note on my records and I read a paper that suggested taking it at bedtime was best, I experiences a drop in my TSH from 5 to 3 by taking it at night rather than in the morning,
I’m still symptomatic and wondering if I should increase the dose but am also reluctant to because of the insomnia. It’s feeling like a double bind hence my confusion,
Its important to include the reference range for each test - numbers in brackets after your result. Ranges vary between labs.
By most ranges your results look on the low side so likely you need a few dose increases before you get optimally replaced.
Your FT3 looks quite low which will be causing a lot of your symptoms.
Increasing Levo should help insomnia not make it worse.
Having optimal vitamin levels also helps conversion of T4 to T3 so is very important to gt those levels tested. Start a new post when you have the results.
Thank you so much, this is super helpful and hopeful. Much appreciated
Guidelines of dose Levo by weight
approx how much do you weigh in kilo
Even if we frequently start on only 50mcg, most people need to increase levothyroxine dose slowly upwards in 25mcg steps (retesting 6-8 weeks after each increase) until eventually on, or near full replacement dose (typically 1.6mcg levothyroxine per kilo of your weight per day)
pathlabs.rlbuht.nhs.uk/tft_...
Guiding Treatment with Thyroxine:
In the majority of patients 50-100 μg thyroxine can be used as the starting dose. Alterations in dose are achieved by using 25-50 μg increments and adequacy of the new dose can be confirmed by repeat measurement of TSH after 2-3 months.
The majority of patients will be clinically euthyroid with a ‘normal’ TSH and having thyroxine replacement in the range 75-150 μg/day (1.6ug/Kg on average).
The recommended approach is to titrate thyroxine therapy against the TSH concentration whilst assessing clinical well-being. The target is a serum TSH within the reference range.
……The primary target of thyroxine replacement therapy is to make the patient feel well and to achieve a serum TSH that is within the reference range. The corresponding FT4 will be within or slightly above its reference range.
The minimum period to achieve stable concentrations after a change in dose of thyroxine is two months and thyroid function tests should not normally be requested before this period has elapsed.
Some people need a bit less than guidelines, some a bit more
TSH should be under 2 as an absolute maximum when on levothyroxine
gponline.com/endocrinology-...
Graph showing median TSH in healthy population is 1-1.5
web.archive.org/web/2004060...
Comprehensive list of references for needing LOW TSH on levothyroxine
healthunlocked.com/thyroidu....
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi...
If symptoms of hypothyroidism persist despite normalisation of TSH, the dose of levothyroxine can be titrated further to place the TSH in the lower part of the reference range or even slightly below (i.e., TSH: 0.1–2.0 mU/L), but avoiding TSH < 0.1 mU/L. Use of alternate day dosing of different levothyroxine strengths may be needed to achieve this (e.g., 100 mcg for 4 days; 125 mcg for 3 days weekly).
I weigh 66kg, based on this information a more suitable dose for my weight would therefore be 100mcg. This is all making much more sense. I’ll speak to my doctor about my dose and the timing thereafter of testing. I can’t thank you enough.
Hello there 👋 reading your initial post, I would try introducing a magnesium supplement (oral or transdermal) before bed. This should help with the insomnia and constipation. Normal blood magnesium levels don't reflect body stores. Can take weeks to replenish so give it time ❤️Better you magnesium gel or spray is good, they do a night time one with lavender if you fancy some aroma therapy. I use the gel as it has more magnesium in it.
Thank you, someone suggested Magnesium Citrate which I will receive today. Is this the correct Magnesium?
Yes
Magnesium citrate can help with constipation
Calm Vitality magnesium powder is cheap and easy to use. Start with small teaspoon in small glass warm water, drink while fizzing. Increase dose slowly over next week or so until get desired results. Too much can cause diarrhoea
Most magnesium supplements help with improving sleep
Best taken afternoon or evening (at least 4 hours away from levothyroxine)
Thorne Magnesium citramate doesn’t affect bowels. Large capsules, again can tip into glass water to drink
Thank you so much. I’ll try the powder 🙏
That's fab! Different kinds of magnesium supplements have different effects/absorbencies and pros and cons. Yes magnesium citrate is fine and should help your constipation. I do oral and transdermal because being hypo can make absorption via digestive tract impaired so I do both to ensure I get enough especially when taking vitamin d as it's needed for proper use.But try it and see, you'll soon know when you're taking too much orally as the constipation won't be a problem anymore ifkwim 🤣
thank you so much
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