Hi, I have had a terrible 12 months of health issues. I have been hypothyroid for 26 years (I believe Hashi’s as I have both a gluten and lactose intolerance, but my GP has never tested my thyroid antibodies, but I paid privately for a test which showed elevated levels).
Recently, a blood test showed that I was thyrotoxic with high levels of T3 & T4. This, after 26 years of being hypothyroid came as a huge shock to me.
My question is, since I have been taking NDT for several years (and with great success), I have also over the past 12 months been targeting my nutritional health. As I am not taking any other prescribed medication, but I do use bioidentical hormones for menopausal support and have read reports that this can support thyroid function. This along with the very clean Ashwaganda I take, which also supports the thyroid, leads me to conclude that they may be having some sort of synergistic effect on my thyroid gland, in the absence of any pathology (I have been reviewed in the head & neck clinic).
Because I purchase my own NDT and refuse to rely solely on conversion via chemical T4, my local Endochrinologist has washed his hands of me, so I am wondering if anyone else has had a similar experience? I have reduced my NDT dose down from 2 1/4 grains daily (my stable dose since 2014) to 1 grain daily (divided into two daily doses due to the short half life of T3.
My other health issues are auto-immune related, and I have run significantly elevated levels of ferritin for the past 6 years, which my GP has remained fairly blasé about, but I believe have driven my recent autoimmune disease process. I also struggle to maintain my vitamin D levels without significant supplementation, again, my GP is unconcerned by this. Seeking any advice if possible?
Written by
JadisFox
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
i gradually developed overmedicated symptoms following the menopause, on the same dose of levo i'd been on for 17yrs (fT4 was only a little over range , and TSH only slightly lower than my 'usual' )
A slightly lower dose fixed the problem , but it had taken a long time to realise overmedication was the cause of all the varied symptoms i was having, (edited to add~ some of which were not typical / obvious hyper symptoms but bladder related, and a pain we all thought was kidney stones , but wasn't. Very jumpy / anxious/ overthinking , but heart rate not noticeably elevated)
reasons for this could be ~ estrogen levels have an effect on thyroid hormone binding / i've lost a lot of muscle mass as i've aged / am less active. So a combination of more T4 being available, and my body using/ needing less.
some people on here have had previously stable thyroid levels going 'off piste' following covid .
also it is possible ,but pretty rare. to become properly hyperthyroid (rather than overmedicated) due to Graves antibodies.
how high are the fT4/fT3 levels are you talking about ?,
Hi, thanks for your comments. I just went on my patient access to retrieve my test results but due to recent changes by my GP practice, not all information is visible to me but the FT4 was 30.5 (reference range 11-20). I think I need to pay privately for more blood tests for further clarification….. 🤔
hello, yes I’ve had Hashi hyper swings with FT4 at 28 and FT3 at 10. Was a bit 😳
Symptoms took some months to appear too, a lag. Sweating face, loose bowels, raised resting heart rate, boundless energy. Easy to miss in August in 30 degree heat when you are busy.
You could test TPO amd TgAb privately, I’ve just bought a £23 kit from Randox with the code BLACKFRIDAY. Prick a finger, fill a little tube, post it off and you get results in a few days.
Ashwaganda could cause an autoimmune response. Makes me feel dreadful. Lots of posts discussing it on the forum in the past. healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...
High ferritin was linked to me going over range too.
Mine took a few months to resolve, I’m on T4/T3 combo. I did something like this… stopped T3 altogether and stopped T4 for a week, took T4 half dose alternate days for a week, then did half dose daily for a month then started to feel hypo (bloods looked back to normal) and brought it back up slowly slowly and added a little T3 back. Took from Sept to February.
I was supervised by my T3 prescriber and an understanding GP who was happy to let me get on with it.
Thanks for your reply. I am so glad to see that you have a supportive doctor, unfortunately I don’t. I did not have any “classic” hyper symptoms other than chronic insomnia and when I did manage to sleep, upon waking up, it would be in a panic. My pulse rate actually went down from a 10 year consistent high of unknown aetiology plus I went through the menopause years ago and had been taking Ashwaganda for years without issue so I am at a loss personally 😟
I have reduced my NDT dose down from 2 1/4 grains daily (my stable dose since 2014) to 1 grain daily (divided into two daily doses due to the short half life of T3.
Get FULL thyroid and vitamin testing after 8-10 weeks on current dose
day before test split NDT as 2 or 3 smaller doses spread through the day, with last dose approximately 8-12 hours before test
Ideally full iron panel too
It’s possible to have high ferritin but low iron
Test early morning, only water to drink between waking and test. Avoid high iron rich dinner night before test
Thanks for the info, I have used private blood tests in the past so know the drill. Got high levels of B12 - cause? Not known. Serum Iron does not show anaemia - CRP, creatinine, U’s & E’s all normal, LFT’s - normal - Vitamin D now within range having had to take (& continue to take))5,700 iu doses of Vitamin D daily - I am a mystery all wrapped up in an enigma! But I can tell you this - there is something wrong with- just got to find out what 😓
In week before blood test, when you stop vitamin B complex, you might want to consider taking a separate folate supplement (eg Jarrow methyl folate 400mcg)
Post discussing how biotin can affect test results
Hi, I only stop Biotin 48 hours before a blood test, so that valuable information is new to me, thank you (this is why this forum is so useful!)
Yes, I do take zinc but have not tested levels (acute constraints on finances) also, taking a multi B-complex would be problematic due to my high levels o& B12 without supplementation ,,,,
I am just wondering whether the pituitary might be misfiring as I have other symptoms too … it can quite honestly say that the past 12 months have been the worst of my life 😓
Well, that sounds very much like a Hashi's 'hyper' swing. With an FT4 of over 30 it's not likely to be due to over-medication. It's possibly your thyroid's swan-song if you've had this condition for over 26 years.
I paid privately for a test which showed elevated levels
Then you do have Hashi's. And that doesn't go away.
I wouldn't worry about it. The levels well go down by themselves eventually - no way of knowing how long it will take, but eventually.
I do use bioidentical hormones for menopausal support and have read reports that this can support thyroid function.
Doubtful your thyroid has any function after 26 years of Hashi's, and taking NDT. So not much point in trying to support it.
This along with the very clean Ashwaganda I take, which also supports the thyroid, leads me to conclude that they may be having some sort of synergistic effect on my thyroid gland
As I said, your thyroid is beyond support, so no, I don't really think these thingss are having a 'synergistic effect' on your thyroid. Far more likely to be just a Hashi's swing.
divided into two daily doses due to the short half life of T3
The half-life of T3 is not as short as most people think. The half-life in the blood (where it doesn't do anything) is about 24 hours. That means that if you take 10 mcg this morning, there will be about 5 mcg left tomorrow morning. And tomorrow morning you will take another 10 mcg. So there is always a certain amount in the blood. T3 becomes active when it gets into the cells. And it stays in the cells for about three days, being constantly topped up. So, the half-life of T3 is not really a reason for splitting the dose. However, some people find that they don't tolerate the peaks after taking a dose very well, so minimise these peaks by splitting the dose. Other people, like me, do very well taking it all in one go.
I have run significantly elevated levels of ferritin for the past 6 years
Do they test your inflammation markers at the same time as your ferritin? With Hashi's it's highly likely that you have high inflammation and that will falsely raise your level of ferritin. Perhaps that's why your GP is blasé about it.
Hi there - thank you for your input. Yes I have had all my inflammatory markers checked, (even had tests for Sjogren’s Syndrome and Vasculitis before I was referred to a dermatologist who finally diagnosed me with what I argued I was suffering with ( with a GP ) in March of this year! Autoimmune disease! Another one to add to the list! Looks like thyroid antibody testing is the way to go and then a fight with my GP & the Endocrinologist to get my first ever thyroid scan? Rest in peace dear Thyroid gland 😢
also Greygoose, I admit that I never had a problem all those years taking my NDT all in one go and thank you so much for the valuable information with regard to the T3 half life that the arrogant endo was so concerned about!😀
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.
Becoming resistant to NDT dosage?
What are the optimal vitamin & mineral levels?
Would I benefit from T3?
UK: Please could you share your T3 and NDT trustworthy reliable online sources, and also any successes persuading your GP to prescribe NDT?
