NDT to Levo

[Hypo50]

Has anyone successfully managed on Levo only after years of taking NDT?

I have been on various combinations of Levo, NDT and am currently on 100mg Levo + 1 grain Thyroid-S for around 10 years.

I tried 2 months of Levo only in the past but I started to put on weight and my TSH remained suppressed. I am wondering if I should have given it longer for my body to adjust.

[helvella Administrator]

I wrote a blog and document to question the official equivalence of desiccated thyroid and levothyroxine:

helvella - Desiccated Thyroid Equivalence

A short document which explains how you can approximately convert dosages of desiccated thyroid and levothyroxine.

Direct link to document:

dropbox.com/scl/fi/t9mei9mf...

Last updated 28/12/2024

Link to blog:

helvella.blogspot.com/p/hel...

[Hypo50 in reply to helvella]

Hi Helvella, you are extremely knowledgeable and I am very grateful for your reply. Reading your document clearly shows that on my last attempt at trying Levo only I clearly did not take enough as I miscalculated the NDT to Levo! Could have been my problem all along. Many thanks for your advice.

[helvella Administrator in reply to Hypo50]

Do be careful and don't over-compensate!

TSH can take a long time to change after being suppressed. Like months - or never. You cannot use TSH as a guide to dosing.

[Hypo50]

That makes sense. I usually go on FT3 & FT4.

[Margo]

Interesting you combine the two. I have thought of doing that, as Thyroid S is not cheap. How do you feel on the combination?

[Hypo50 in reply to Margo]

Great!

[Margo in reply to Hypo50]

thank you. that’s encouraging to learn.

[greygoose]

Can I ask why you want to do this? And how is your conversion? If you are a poor converter then you're going to miss the T3 in NDT. And you would have to take a lot of levo to convert enough to T3 to keep you well. And high FT4 is not good long-term. Can you not change to T4 plus T3 instead?

[Hypo50 in reply to greygoose]

To let the NHS manage me and due to cost of NDT and having to buy privately.

[greygoose in reply to Hypo50]

ok

[Bladerun]

Hi

Ive been on Levo for three years now. Started on 25 microgram tablet which my GP tweaked to 50 microgram last year. It brought my TSH to 4.5 from 6.7 and T4 to 17 from 14. My weight has remained pretty constant throughout at about 11st 10 lbs and BMI fine. I get check next week so can update if any strange anomolies but feel ok

Hope you find solution

[Astro16]

There are mny on here who know a great deal more about the thyroid than i, but my gp put me on 125 levo and then after a couple more years and i suppose bpdy change myself he told me i was over medicated and lowered it to 100 mg, so ive stayed on that,,, i still cant lose weight easily and certain foods make me bloat.. i dont think i m the best person to ask, but this is how my gp is dealing with my hypothyroidness, i think its worth getting more detailed advice if possible as thyrpid probs are tricky !!

wish you all the best

Astro 16