# Could my NDT have stopped working?!



## graves84 (Oct 7, 2013)

I want to give up. I switched from Synthyroid to Armour 2 years ago and then to Nature Thyroid and have gained 35lbs. I've been fired from two jobs because of weight gain and cannot get work (I work in entertainment)

I have done all of the recommended tests on adrenals, ferritin, iron etc etc etc and all are on the high end of normal ranges. I take adrenal support supplements as well.

I have been through 6 Dr's and now am waiting for an appt. for another one because they all refused to treat me on NDT.

I react very badly to t3 and was dropped from 97.5MG of Nature thyroid to 81.5MG because my heart rate is 95 resting and my BP is 135/85. My cardiologist told me I was in a danger zone if I stayed on that high of a dose.

So here is the weird part--We all know when NDT is working our TSH is suppressed. Well mine was for about 7 months. Now with every blood work my TSH has gone to more hypo levels on the SAME dose of medication. How is this possible?

I am so sick and frustrated I just want to switch back to Synthyroid and get a dose of cytomel for t3 so i'll at least have reliable levels and not be on this roller coaster. I have never been so sick or fat in my life as I have been on NDT. This stuff seriously doesn't work well for everyone as I had hoped.

LAB LEVEL EXAMPLES:::

T3 FREE: RANGE (0.40-4.50) result_January 9th 2017-* 3.19*-Feb 20th 2017-*4.1*

T4 FREE: Range: (0.8-1.8) result- January 9th 2017-*1.1*-Feb 20th 2017-*1.0*

TSH: Range: (0.04-4.0) result: Janueary 9th 2017-*0.99 *Feb 20 2017-*3.19*

T3 REVERSE; RANGE 8-25 Feb 20th 2017 result: 21


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## Pamzilla13 (Sep 9, 2013)

How were your labs on Armour and Synthroid? Do you have any to post?

Are you saying that since you have switched to Naturethroid all of your problems have cropped up?

Do you take your NDT before your (blood draw) labs or after?


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## Lovlkn (Dec 20, 2009)

I've always taken synthetic - have a friend who has been on synthetic (T4) + lilothyronine (T3)

While my weight has mostly held - I am 10lbs heavier 12 years after my TT, partly since my change from brand Cytomel to generic when I have gained 5lbs in the last 6 months which puzzles me as my labs are the same. My friend has gained much more weight than me with 3/4 range labs and had a horrible time on NDT and just recently switched back to synthetic.

I state these facts because everybody's system is different and reacts differently to thyroid hormone replacement.

The best chance you have is to get toward the 3/4 range for FT-3 consistently on NDT - have you been in that range?

Most importantly - how do you feel beside the weight gain?

I would have to agree with you that being on Synthetic can give you a bit of advantage to bring both the FT-4 and FT-3 to the 3/4 of range. For a very long time I could not lose weight - until I added Cytomel and got toward the 3/4 range.


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## graves84 (Oct 7, 2013)

I don't take my thyroid the day of labs until after. I don't convert T3 so on Synthyroid my TSH was good and t4 was good but t3 was low so I would require cytomel this time around. I had trusted the site STTM and the person who runs it gave me such bad advice I was in the hospital for 2 days when I started raising my armour dose at first. She isn't even a DR and it's sad that people like me get sucked into that site and can really get sick from her bad advice.

My labs on armour were different every time. All NDT works really horribly for me and I don't have years to sort out an adrenal or iron issue when I can take medication that will work even if I have a deficiency unlike NDT.


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## graves84 (Oct 7, 2013)

I alos want to add that my TPO antibodies went from 30 to 2785 on NDT. Scary. Does not work for everyone.


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## Lovlkn (Dec 20, 2009)

When is the last time you had an ultrasound of your thyroid?

Sounds like your thyroid is self destructing - probably filled with nodules as well.


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## graves84 (Oct 7, 2013)

About two years ago. I'm so annoyed because this idiot primary care emailed and said "your labs are normal"

I went off on him. I was like YOU THINK IT'S NORMAL TO HAVE A TSH GO FROM .91 TO 3.91 IN ONE MONTH ON THE SAME DOSE!? I AM ON NDT AND IT SHOULD BE SURPRESED! THAT IS NOT NORMAL! NORMAL IS NOT OPTIMAL FOR EVERY THYROID PATIENT! I AM BORDERLINE HYPO!

lol

I am just so sick of the idiots.


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## jenny v (May 6, 2012)

Oof, your Reverse T3 is way too high, which could explain a lot of things. When rT3 is high, it means the T3 isn't getting into the cells and is just building up in the system, unused. It's usually a result of inflammation--which could come from high antibody levels, iron issues, sex hormone issues or adrenal problems. I had this problem and NDT just would not work for me at first. I had to drop my NDT to one grain and slowly add in Cytomel until my rT3 cleared out. My issues came from adrenal problems, which I'm still working on, slowly but surely.


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## graves84 (Oct 7, 2013)

I have tried taking iron and adrenal support and nothing helps. I can't tell if i'm hypo or hyper at this point and I feel like death. I don't have time to sort out that whole thing and just need a pill that will work even if I have those issues (not NDT apparently). I don't have another two years to feel like this and get fatter and wait for adrenals to fix themselves which may never happen. I think i'm going to go off NDT entirely to get it out of my system for a few weeks before starting a new medication.

NDT is just not working for me and I hate that my sweat smells like pork. I just never had any of these issues on Synthyroid. Can't wait to get my heart rate and blood pressure under control as well.


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