New user of NDT

[Georgie2386]

Hi

Through consulting with a private UK based doctor, I have recently started to take Armour Thyroid 1 grain (60 mg) each tablet contains Levothyroxine 30mcg and Liothyronine 9mcg. Instructions are 2 take half a tablet twice a day. This is because after blood tests it looked like my body struggles too convert T4 to T3.

Before I was only taking 100 mcg Levothyroxine one tablet once a day.

When I only took the Armour Thyroid prescription after around 3 weeks I started to feel really tired and have now energy.

I then stopped taking Armour and reverted back to only taking 100mcg Levothyroxine. I do feel a bit better only taking Levothyroxine, but still feel tired and my weight issues are getting worse.

Any ideas on what I could do would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

#t3 #armourthyroid #t4 #liothyronine #levothroxine

[Jaydee1507 Administrator]

Before you switched back to Levo did you get a blood test or talk to your private doctor about your dose of NDT? You probbaly just needed to increase. 1 grain of NDT is a low starting dose so you should have increased at that point.

You could try adding some T3 via your private doctor now.

Are all key vitamins at OPTIMAL levels - ferritin, folate, B12 & D3?

What are you supplementing with?

[Brightness14]

I think that you needed an increase to at least 1.5 grains per day. I don't think that 1 grain is the same as 100 Levo but 1.5 is. Only my opinion.

[pennyannie]

Hello Georgie and welcome to the forum :

Can you please share a little more information with forum members so we an try and help you better -

What is your diagnosis - how long have you been hypothyroid and can you please share these blood test results and ranges that show you not able convert well the T4 into T3.

Armour is the leading brand of Natural Desiccated Thyroid - are your tablets/grains in an Armour bottle as that should state the known content as 9 mcg T3 + 38 mcg T4 :

It's suggested that you start by running a TSH+T3 and T4 blood test before switching to NDT

as then you have bench mark readings to compare to - and then you stop T4 one day and start NDT the next - and you start building up your dose by 1/4 grain increases weekly/fortnightly -- and as one support system decreases in your body ( T4 ) another ( NDT ) builds.

It's generally suggested that if you reach 2 grains you stay on this dose 6-8 weeks and then run a blood test to see if your T3 has improved/moved - from bench mark readings -

There comes a week where you feel you have gone a bit backwards and likely a bit anxious and uncomfortable in your skin - so you drop back to the previous dose where you felt well - stay on this dose 6-8 weeks and then run a blood test so see where your T3 and T4 sit.

This happened to me at 1 + 3/4 grains - so I dropped back down to 1 + 1/2 grains and let this dose ' bed in ' for 8 weeks and then ran my blood test and my T3 and T4 had swooped positions from when being on synthetic T4 and now my T3 is around 90/ 110% with my T4 at around 25/30% through it's range and I am feeling very well and pleased I switched treatment options.

I also monitored physical symptoms of blood pressure, pulse and body temperature twice daily - AM and PM - and whilst these first 2 remained constant my temperature slowly rose from 35.4 to 36.6 where it is today some 6 years later.

I also ensure my core strength vitamins and minerals - those of ferritin, folate, B12 and vitamin D are up and maintained at optimal levels -

as no thyroid hormone treatment option works well if any of these are not at a good healthy levels - which we can advise on - if you care to share more information.

So - anyway - that's how I did it - if you want to try again -