Am I overmedicated on NDT?

[Crankyoldbag]

hi

I started getting these symptoms about 2 weeks ago and they have gradually got worse and peaked today: nausea, night waking esp around 3-4am, weak legs, feeling of being hypoglycemic, needing to eat all the time including getting up to eat in the night, diarrhoea, brain fog, lack of concentration. I struggle most of the day and then feel more alive from 6pm - 9pm.

Before this current period I was constipated.

I take 1 gr NDT morning and 1/2 grain afternoon. My last labs were on 04/11/24 :

TSH 0.04 ui/ml (range 0.35-4.94)

FT4 12.61 pmol/l (range 9.01 - 19.04)

FT3 4.38 pmol/l (range 2.43 - 6.01)

Vit B12 344 pmol/l (range 138 - 652) Vit D 165 nmol/L (no range given)

Ferritin 87 ng/ml (range 10 - 204)

I've been on a gradually increasing dose of NDT (Thyreogland from Germany) since 22.03.23

I also did a cortisol saliva test in 2022 which showed very slight HPA axis dysregulation but nothing that could be medicated. I have just ordered another one to complete.

I also have a lot of gut issues going on that I am trying to resolve (h.pylori and sibo).

I am confused, am I over medicated? My endo assures me that TSH can go very low when taking NDT and this is nothing to be concerned about as long as FT3 not too high. Or is this a cortisol issue? Or even a malabsorption issue given my digestive problems which may include leaky gut - I'm trying to find this out

I went to GP today and they don't understand NDT dosing and effects and he just said he thought I was overmedicated purely on symptoms. I'm in provincial France and its extremely traditional here from a medical standpoint. NDT is not sold in France, only levo. I will try to get a distance rdv with my UK endo this week but he always says I can carry on until the FT3 is optimal (which it isn't yet). I am taking NDT because of a T4-T3 conversion issue apparently, so its not classic hypothyroid. I wonder if what I actually have is adrenal fatigue and that is what is interfering with the thyroid function. Perhaps I only need T3? Running out of ideas. I've had nightwaking ever since being post menopausal but mostly now I can't get back to sleep. Thanks very much

[SlowDragon Ambassador]

what vitamin supplements are you taking

Was this a U.K. based test or EU

Vit D 165 nmol/L (no range given)

U.K. units are nmol - aiming for vitamin D 100-150nmol

EU units are ng/ml - aiming for vitamin D at 60ng/ml

grassrootshealth.net/projec...

B12 and folate

Vit B12 344 pmol/l (range 138 - 652)

This is low

No folate result?

Are you taking any B12 and/or separate vitamin B complex

[Crankyoldbag in reply to SlowDragon]

yes i take a lipo Vit B complex every day. These are French lab test results

[Crankyoldbag in reply to SlowDragon]

could low B12 be contributing to my symptoms?

[greygoose]

Not only is NDT not sold in France, it's illegal! But, we do have levo and T3, and it's easier to get T3 here than it is in the UK. So, maybe you could try combination therapy, which would be more flexible.

An awful lot of hypos have a conversion problem. So, I don't see why you say it's not 'classic' hypo. What do you think 'classic' hypo is? And you probably do have adrenal fatigue because when the thyroid starts to fail, the adrenals take up the slack by producing more cortisol. But they can't keep that up forever. Sooner or later, cortisol levels are going to drop. But that is caused by being hypo, not the other way round.