I’ve been noticing the increasing costs of private doctors and Natural Desiccated Thyroid (NDT), and I’m starting to question whether I can keep up with the payments. It’s frustrating because while NDT has helped, I still struggle with symptoms like insomnia, anxiety, and depression. I also experience slow processing speed, difficulty finding words, weight gain, and hair loss, among other issues. I’m on a low dose of HRT, and while my T3 is now 5.01, my TSH has crept up to 1.42. Even though I could keep increasing my NDT dose, the rising costs make this unsustainable long-term.
I’d love to hear from anyone who has found a more affordable alternative—whether it’s another medication, a good supplement, or a different approach that has worked for them. Any advice or recommendations would be much appreciated!
Thanks in advance for your help.
Written by
MaxCoach
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Thank you, i will investigate your recommendation further. It does seem a minefield of spiralling costs and constant private testing. I do have a lot of respect for Functional medicine and some knowledge but difficult when brain is not working. The NHS GP has no time for me so what to do.
So we can offer better advice, can you tell us more about your thyroid condition, eg when you were diagnosed, ongoing symptoms, current medication & dosage, plus blood test results (with ranges in brackets) for:
TSH
FT3
FT4
Plus any antibody and key vitamin tests (ferritin, folate, vitamins D and B12)
In the first instance, do ask your GP for the above tests. We don’t recommend supplementing key vitamins without testing first (and sharing results with us).
If your GP is unable to complete all the above (eg if TSH is within range, some surgeries may not be able to access FT4 and FT3 tests), you could look to do this privately, as many forum members do, for a better picture of your thyroid health:
recent increase to Armour Thyroid - 1 grain AM + ½ grain PM latest script
Other Health Factors
Vitamin status: My B12 is usually on the higher side, and everything else appears normal.
Genetics: I have MTHFR heterozygous and D102 variant.
Iron levels: Recently had an issue with high TSAT, but it was likely due to a multivitamin with iron.
Next Steps: I’m about to do an adrenal stress test and want to explore hepatic toxicity and urine elements due to my ongoing symptoms. I am very sensitive to stress but previous adrenal tests have not shown very much.
The recent increase in dosage has shocked me financially and cant afford especially with all the further testing.
I’d really appreciate insights from anyone who has dealt with similar symptoms. Has anyone found alternative medications, supplements, or testing that helped them address these lingering issues without increasing NDT further? Also, if you’ve explored liver detoxification or heavy metal testing, was it helpful?
To help members, it is useful to add information about your ‘thyroid journey’ to date on your profile page- eg when diagnosed/ treatments explored (eg Levothyroxine)
Also, do share actual results for key thyroid vitamins if you have them (ferritin, folate, B12 and vit D)
The ratio only applies when taking T4 monotherapy.
Are all these results from taking NDT - and the February result showing a T3 at 5.10 on 1/2 grain AM & PM which is when your dose was increased to 1 grain AM + 1/2 grain PM :
How long do you leave between last dose and the blood draw and do you do a fasting blood test around 10-12 hours from last dose ?
No thyroid hormone replacement works well until your core strength vitamins and minerals - those of ferritin, folate,B12 and vitamin d are up and maintained at optimal levels -which we can also advise on if you care to share results.
What NDT brand are you currently taking and how many grains daily? Is it privately prescribed and do you have to pay for issuance of a prescription in addition to the medicine each time?
I am in the UK and have to pay for the the private doctor's report, the script and the expensive Armour thyroid. Recent bill for the meds alone was £375 dollars for 100 x 1 grain and 100 x 2 grain.
Still not sure whether i actually benefit from the NDT.
If that is the price for both a 1 grain bottle along with a two grain bottle (together) then sadly I think this might even be a good deal as Armour prices go🫠 The prices have become ridiculous as competition has left the market along with other things.
As far as I know, the most cost effective NDT brand is Thyroid S 500 tabs a bottle. But some people find the quality variable however many do well on it. You could try that, whilst keeping enough Armour to fall back on.
NP thyroid is a bit cheaper than armour. I don't know if you can get that prescribed.
I feel your pain. I won't be able to afford it myself, this may be my last bottle unless I consider not forfeiting bill payments.
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