What type of NDT product/brand might suit me? Please help :)

[KJELLSTROM1234]

Hello Everyone,

I have Hypothyroidism and severe Hypothyroid myopathy.

Hypothyroid myopathy makes me:

• Very stiff and weak in muscles and joints

• Can't work or study

• Spend most of the day stretching or lying on the couch or walking outside

I have been taking Levothyroxine for almost a year and Liothyronine the last six months. Since I started with Levothyroxine I have better memory, more energy, less anxiety etc.

All medications I take:

• Levothyroxine (65 mg/day)

• Liothyronine (0.6 mg/day)

• Sertraline (125 mg/day)

• Lisdexamfetamine (30 mg every three days)

• Dextroamphetamine (30 mg every three days)

I want to try a NDT product because I have read that it can reduce muscle stiffness better than synthetic versions of the hormone.

NDT = Natural Dessicated Thyroid

Is there anyone here who has experience/ knowledge of which NDT product/brand I should try first?

Thanks in advance

Felix

Student living in Stockholm, Sweden

[helvella Administrator]

It could well be me misremembering, but I thought there were issues importing your own to Sweden?

Can you import your own? Or are you limited to whatever is already being imported?

(Just trying to clarify right at the beginning. )

[Jaydee1507 Administrator]

Welcome to the group. If you could complete your profile it helps members understand your thyroid journey so far and be able to advise you better. Click on your image icon to start. Fill out the free text box at the top.

Just checking if you are a small person, low weight as the doses of Levo & T3 you are taking are quite small.

What members of this group find is that they need to raise low vitamin levels to OPTIMAL to make their thyroid hormone work well.

Being hypo means we get low stomach acid and cannot absorb vitamins well from our food. Low vitamin levels cause many symptoms on top of hypo symptoms.

Have you recently or could you ask your GP to test levels of ferritin, folate, B12 & D3? Private tests are available.

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.

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.

Do you do tests 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, last T3 dose 8-12 hours before 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.

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Levothyroxine (65 mg/day)

• Liothyronine (0.6 mg/day)

Presumably you mean

Levothyroxine (65 mcg per day)

• Liothyronine (0.6 mcg per day)

That’s a very low dose. You could simply need dose increase

What are your most recent TSH, Ft4 and Ft3 results

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)

T3 ….day before test split T3 as 2 or 3 smaller doses spread through the day, with last dose approximately 8-12 hours before test

Essential to maintain optimal vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12

Are you on gluten free and/or dairy free diet

[Brightness14]

You sound as though you need an increase. Low FT3 sometimes causes this. You are taking lots of different medications too.

[Sunflower64]

I think the symptoms you mention can be caused by low T3, and you are already taking liothyronine. While I know some people claim that NDT has magical healing properties that synthetic thyroid hormones do not, I have found that not to be true. The T3 in NDT feels softer as it is absorbed more slowly, but it is not likely to resolve symptoms caused by low T3 any more than liothyronine. The only NDT available without a prescription that I know of is Thyroid-S from Thailand and it is quite expensive nowadays. My advice would be to try to make levo + lio work before trying NDT.