Are there any natural remedies to replace Thyroxine?

[esc1]

Hi,

I have just had the results of my 2nd blood tests, taken 4 months apart, and my TSH levels have risen from 6.8 to 16.9, and my Thyroxine levels have increased from 11 to 12. I have opted not to take Thyroxine just now and have a further blood test in 3 months time. I was wondering if anyone knows of any natural replacement for Thyroxine?

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK]

Esc1,

What is a natural remedy?

Something you can get without prescription?

Something that happens to come from a plant or an animal?

Your body needs thyroid hormone. Every cell of your body needs that thyroid hormone. And if your body doesn’t get the thyroid hormone it needs, it will be damaged. Potentially every cell of your body will deteriorate through lack of thyroid hormone. The damage caused by long periods of lack of thyroid hormone is, in my view, a major contributor to the difficulty that people have recovering when they eventually start on thyroid hormone.

There is no alternative to thyroid hormone – whether that comes from human (your own), animal (desiccated thyroid) or pharmaceutical sources.

You can go searching the internet for the many ‘thyroid support’ products. The best might help your thyroid to produce a bit more thyroid hormone. But I see that really as a bit of a stopgap. It might be significant for those who have dietary inadequacy – but it is unlikely to be a long term solution.

Your lab results suggest that you are driving your thyroid as hard as possible and it still isn’t making enough thyroid hormone.

In summary, it looks like you might be misguided in refusing thyroxine.

All the best

Rod

[esc1]

Hi Rod,

Many thanks for responding. I just didn't want to go straight onto Thyroxine as once you start taking it, I believe you have to take it for the rest of your life. Thought it was a long shot about natural remedies, but best to ask anyway. My GP was happy for me to wait and have my blood tests again in October and if the results are still the same then I'll go onto tyroxine.

Thanks again,

Elaine

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to esc1]

Elaine,

I wonder if you are interpreting the "rest of your life" message too literally?

There are people who have taken thyroxine for a while - weeks/months/years - and yet have ended up not needing it. The "rest of you life" is a reasonable prediction as most people who need it do have to continue. (And suddenly stopping is a very bad idea.) But it is not to be taken as an absolute "once started you could never stop".

At less than total replacement levels all you are doing is augmenting your own body's production of thyroid hormone - it isn't a "drug", rather a bit of Hormone Replacement Therapy - but for thyroid rather than menopause and beyond.

If I were your GP I would *NOT* be happy about you waiting for another 2 or 3 months - I'd want you to start now. To avoid your body accumulating damage from being hypothyroid.

And I would certainly have done antibody tests (Anti-Thyroid Peroxidase and/or Anti-Thyroglobulin). After all, we really want to know WHY you are hypothyroid, if possible.

All the best

Rod

[Chippysue in reply to esc1]

Elaine, I am assuming that you are not suffering with awful symptoms? In my opinion it would be silly not to act upon your blood test results as they can become worse and then it can take a very long time to get your levels correct.

[esc1 in reply to esc1]

Hello Rod,

Maybe I have interpreted the "rest of your life" too literally but it was me that said to my GP, that once I start taking thyroxine I have to keep taking it, and she didn't disagree.

The main reason all this has happened is due to me asking for a 'health check' earlier in the year, but I haven't been asked if I've had any symptoms or any other problems, only if there are thyroid problems with immediate family.

I have called the surgery and my GP should be ringing me back this afternoon, so I will ask if she will do the antibody tests for me.

Will let you know how I get on.

Many thanks,

Elaine

[Tattyhead53]

I was on Eltroxin for several years and now find it unavailable. Have had Levythyroxine for two days now and feel a bit weird. Clamping round head, bit spaced out and a bit like I am on the edge of a panic attack so have been searching the web for a natural alternative. Have come across Natural Dessicated Thyroxine (NDT) which is dessicated pigs thyroid gland. Its what was used before the big drug companies became involved. I am wondering if this available in the Uk. It contains elements of T1, T2, T3 and T4 as opposed to thyroxine et el which are generally T4 only.

[Rinal in reply to Tattyhead53]

I like this one amazon.com/gp/product/B00J4...

[tegz]

You can get NDT prescribed in the UK [from many on posts here] but usually needs a friendly Endo or a private GP who have the nous to stand outside the RCP guidelines, which 'aren't really guidelines' in the UK.

I know the weird you mention and baled out of T4, for now.

[Tattyhead53]

Thanks Tegz. Will tackle my Gp see what can be done!

[Hidden]

In my case, I had to start on levothyroxine 8 years ago but I was asked, by my GP, to stopped now 'cause my levels stabilised, and I think it was because I searched a lot about natural ways of cure this thing and did it at the same time always, never stopped the treatment.. Natural ways are only foods that increase our metabolism and help regular thyroid.