Anyone on LEVOTHYROXINE for low thyroid?

I would get the FT3 and FT4 tested too

Good to have all three done pre treatment and then again after you’ve been on the meds for several weeks.

Also - you might want to test the thyroid antibodies

25mcg is where you start but there is a slim to none chance that will be enough. A lot of us like myself take natural desiccated thyroid which has T3 in it too. Like Girlie said get your FT3 and FT4 checked, and it wouldn't hurt to check antibodies for autoimmune issues, and maybe RT3 too.

ok thanks guys I didn’t know that. Did you have any issues with side effects?

Thank you jb! Is this something I’ll have to be on long term or will it eventually repair itself? Will the Cowden protocol do anything to help fix it?

Hearts - no one can tell if it will be long term or temporary but the hope is once the infection clears your thyroid will heal itself. But only lower it if you're starting to get hyper - that will tell you when it's time that you can go off it. At 25mcg you might as well be taking nothing though.

HeartsinPain said...
Thanks guys. Do you find it odd that my TSH levels became low so far into treating (8 months?). Is that normal? I’m on LDN which I thought was supposed to help with any issues hmmm.

Not at all odd. Your med requirement is very low, meaning your thyroid so far has not faltered much at all. This is a very touchy gland, enough that gluten of all things can even set it off. Many people here prob have temporary thyroid issues and dont know it. The whole endocrine system is very sensitive to stress. These infection stress the body.

Id get the two autoimmune tests for a baseline though. These are regular tests that insurance recognizes.

I would avoid Synthroid and request that they prescribe a natural desiccated thyroid medicine. Much, much better for you. WP Thyroid, NP Thyroid, and Armour are some brand names. They still require a prescription but they are natural thyroid hormone, not the synthetic, chemical hormone that Synthroid is.

"I would avoid Synthroid and request that they prescribe a natural desiccated thyroid medicine. Much, much better for you. WP Thyroid, NP Thyroid, and Armour are some brand names. They still require a prescription but they are natural thyroid hormone, not the synthetic, chemical hormone that Synthroid is."

Well, there are pros and cons to both types. One is something about keeping it simple. If synthetic thyroid hormone works (gotta try it) and you feel better on it, thats great,.and VERY affordable. I would guess at low doses, its hard to tell if either do anything for symptoms though. Thjat fact that low thyroid symptoms overlap with tick infection symptoms can make this confusing too.

Cost: The retail price of pig thyroid is going crazy, and many insurance companies no longer cover it. I use it, after trying everything else, but wish I did not need to. I know people who use the synthetic and are fine on it.

One thing I do like about natural thyroid, is you can take it sublingualy as long as your mouth is rinsed out from the last meal. Might need to grind it up a little and let sit in cheek for 15-20 min. T3 cannot bind to food protiens, T4 can. By taking sublingualy you can avoid the "taking on an empty stomach" inconvenience.

jb1994 said...
Girlie - same, my labs would indicate I'm hyper and I'm only "regular" TSH when I've got all symptoms of hypo as well as very low FT3. I hate TSH. It's why I don't go to endocrinologists even though my doctor insisted I do (GP, not Lyme doc).

What do you mean you’re “regular”
TSH?

My TSH is in range - but close to the bottom of the range - and my FT3 and FT4 are all good - upper end of range

I read that most meds/meds ingredients come from China or India -
They get repackaged over here
Or maybe it was one of those news shows like 60 Minutes.

Anyone know if it’s true?

jb1994 said...
TSH is a poor indicator of anything really. The only time you should pay attention to it is if it's really high, in which case you need medication. You can still need it if it's very low.

Or if it’s really LOW - indicating hyperthyroid.

My thing about trying synthetic first is not just that its affordable, but almost any Dr will RX it and give you thyroid tests if your on it, ............its widely available and Dr friendly.

Natural pig thyroid / NDT is not just expensive , but hard to find a Drt who RX's it.

Im guessing replies to this will be "my LLMD / my natural path" Rx's it no problem. Thats part of the problem. People here are so used to spending most all of their money on health and Drs they forgot what its like NOT to.

Its great to be well again, doing things, making money and most of all...........away from the endless health spending I was stuck in for a while which I broke out of.

I was lucky to find an insurance taking endo who Rxs Pig thyroid and I get my regular FULL thyroid labs covered at 100%. Was hard to find this place/Dr...... Most here will NOT find that. Most endos suck.

That alone from a non -insurance covered chiro/LLMD/natural path is at least $400 (on the cheap) for the visit and lab testing, which is nuts when I get it for $40.

Personally, I think it SUCKS that I need NDT to feel well, when I know people on synthyroid who have NO problem on it, can get it anywhere for cheap, and any Dr will Rx it.

I have actually used six brands of natural thyroid, there used to be several more in North America before the 2009 FDA inspection crackdown. Time Caps and Major were two lesser known brands that I had used in the past (smaller companies), both made in the US.

All the US made NDT thyroid ingredients (the pig thyroid powder itself)come from the same one US supplier. Its a monopoly. The fillers are what make the brand differences.