The Complete Guide to Using Nature-Throid

The Complete Guide to using Nature-Throid for Thyroid Patients

Update 8/17/23: Nature-Throid is still not available, however, this information is still updated and relevant. Please see this post for more updated information regarding the status of Nature-throid and when it may come back in stock.*

Is Nature-throid the missing link to helping you FINALLY feel better?

The short answer: Maybe…

Like most things in life, the answer is never straightforward!

And that’s why I’ve created this guide. 

I will show you which patients do best on Nature-throid when you should consider switching to NDT and what to do if Nature-throid isn’t enough for your body. 

But first, we need to dive into some basics…

What Is Nature-throid?

Nature-throid is a medication used to treat Hypothyroidism

This particular medication is unique among thyroid medications in that it is created from desiccated (or dried up) animal/porcine thyroid glands. 

It contains a combination of T4 and T3 hormones which is why many people feel it is superior when compared to T4-containing medications (like Levothyroxine or Synthroid).

It also contains other hormones including minor amounts of Calcitonin, T1, T2, and even Iodine. 

All of these ingredients are normally found in thyroid gland tissue (even the human thyroid gland) so it makes sense that they would all be in there. 

In fact, it is widely believed that these extra ingredients found in thyroid extract may be why so many patients prefer this medication (1). 

Nature-throid falls into the class of thyroid medications known as Thyroid extract or Natural Desiccated Thyroid (NDT for short) along with other medications which we will discuss in this guide. 

Nature-throid bottle image which shows that Nature-throid has been around for 75 years.

One of the reasons you may have found this article is that you’re currently being treated with Levothyroxine and you have heard that Nature-throid or Armour thyroid might be a better option for you. 

And that may be true for many people…

But we need to discuss why: 

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Is Nature-throid Better than Levothyroxine?

Many people actually do better on Natural Desiccated Thyroid hormone instead of T4-containing medications. 

Not only is that popular opinion on the internet, forums, and blog sites – it’s also been confirmed in clinical studies (2):

A study that compared the use NDT to levothyroxine with the title highlighted.

These various studies show that many patients actually prefer to be treated with NDT over T4-only thyroid medications. 

Some of this preference may have to do with the fact that patients who switched from LT4 medications to NDT experienced greater weight loss. 

The authors of this study did not conclude that the patients experienced an improved quality of life, but if you lost weight without exercising or changing your diet, wouldn’t you be pretty happy about that?

The conclusion of the study between NDT and levothyroxine with the conclusion underlined.

So why is that? Why do patients prefer these medications?

A big part probably has to do with the composition of thyroid hormones found in these desiccated thyroid extracts. 

Nature-throid contains a combination of T4 and T3 thyroid hormone but more than that it contains it in a ratio of about 23% T3 to 76% T4 and this ratio is fairly close to the 20% T3 and 80% T4 that your thyroid gland produces naturally

If you recall from basic thyroid physiology, T3 is the active thyroid hormone and T4 is the inactive thyroid hormone. 

By providing your body with both sets of hormones you are re-creating normal thyroid physiology (or at least close to it). 

This can be compared to treatment with T4-only thyroid medications which must be metabolized into the active thyroid hormone before they are usable by the body. 

So why don’t Doctors use these medications more frequently?

Most Doctors believe that providing T3 to the body is unnecessary as the body will take T4 and convert it into T4 at a constant rate regardless of the individual or genetic makeup of the patient

That turns out to not be the case in many individuals which may explain why so many patients feel terrible while taking these medicines (3). 

The hesitation to use Nature-throid and other thyroid extract medication stems from a fundamental disagreement in thyroid management philosophy and the current treatment paradigm

Patients Who Should Consider Switching to Nature-throid

If you are one of the many patients who isn’t feeling well on T4-only medication you’re probably wondering right now if Nature-throid will help you feel better…

And for many patients, the answer is yes (though not everyone!). 

Certain patients tend to do better than others but the general theme is that if you are taking LT4 and not noticing a difference you may benefit from the switch. 

In my experience, patients who fall into these categories tend to do well on Nature-throid or other forms of Natural Desiccated Thyroid:

If you fall into one or more of the categories above then there is a good chance that Nature-throid may be right for you.

Switching From Levothyroxine to Nature-throid

If you’re on Levothyroxine and would like to try switching to Nature-throid there are a few really important things you need to know. 

The dosing, side effects experienced, and lab tests all differ dramatically when you switch from LT4 medication to thyroid extract. 

If you (or your Doctor) aren’t familiar with these differences then you may falsely believe that something is wrong or that this medication isn’t working for you when the opposite is true. 

Making sure you follow the steps below it will ensure that you’ve given Nature-throid a fair chance at working for you.

1. Titrate Slowly

When switching from T4-only medication to NDT it is VERY important that you start out slow with your dosing. 

T3-containing medications can be very stimulating to patients who have never been on them before.

This means it’s best to start with less medication compared to the equivalent T4 dosing, at least in the beginning. 

During this transition, and as you drop your dose, you may feel slightly worse until the dose gets ramped up and as your body acclimates to the new medication. 

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This process of titration may last for several months. 

If you find that switching medication is too stimulating for you it may be best to split your dose. 

You can split your total dose into 2 or 3 smaller doses (while keeping the total dose the same) taken throughout the day

A sample dosing schedule may look like this:

  • Take half of your dose first thing in the morning
  • Take the other half of your dose in the afternoon or evening
  • You can even split it up even further into 6 or 8-hour intervals if necessary

This helps reduce swings in T3 concentration in your bloodstream and, therefore, in your tissues. 

Symptoms of too much T3 in your body include:

  • Increased anxiety or agitation
  • Heart palpitations or rapid heartbeat
  • Heat intolerance or hot flashes
  • Uneasy feeling or overall feeling worse
  • Increased fatigue
  • Dizziness or the sensation of being light-headed

If you have any of these symptoms it doesn’t necessarily mean Nature-throid is NOT for you, instead, it might mean you titrated too quickly. 

Starting doses may be as low as 16.25mg to 32.5mg taken in the morning and/or in the afternoon. 

If you experience the symptoms above they may resolve over time, or they may not – if they persist beyond 2-4 weeks, it’s likely that they will stay.

If this happens you may need to switch to T4 + T3 combination medication or back to LT4 medication.  

2. Get Your Dose Right

Dosing is also very important when switching medications.

Any time you add T3-containing medications the TSH will always drop very quickly (9).

Because of this many doctors will unintentionally under-dose thyroid patients when switching from LT4 to NDT or Nature-throid and then use that as an excuse that the medication doesn’t work.

Of course, your TSH will rise when switching medications if you are under-dosed or if your new dosing is not equivalent to your old dose. 

The only way to determine if your medication is sufficient is to follow TSH, Free T3, and Free T4 both before and after the transition. 

If these values do not align afterward then you know your dosing is insufficient. 

When switching medications it’s important to start low and titrate slowly. 

That means a starting dose of 16.25-32.5mg with an increase every 10-14 days unless you experience symptoms of excess T3 (stated above). 

Instead of basing dosing off of the TSH, dosing with T3 medications should be based on a combination of the following: lab tests (free t3/reverse t3/sex hormone binding globulin), subjective symptoms, body temperature, metabolism, and heart rate.

This approach creates space for differences among individuals including genetic differences, the presence of medical conditions, and other factors which may alter dosing at the individual level. 

Newer studies have shown that in order to achieve normal free thyroid hormone levels, it is necessary, and safe, to lower the TSH to non-suppressive ranges (10). 

Using this standard, the traditional dosing recommendations based on TSH may result in undertreatment for many patients. 

3. Monitor your Symptoms

Whenever you switch to T3-containing medications I recommend that you follow both your resting heart rate and basal body temperature. 

Both of these will increase when taking T3-containing medications (direct effect from thyroid hormone) and tracking them will help prevent accidentally overdosing. 

In addition, make sure to track your symptoms of Hypothyroidism. 

The rise in body temperature and heart rate usually indicates an increase in metabolism as your body produces more energy and more heat. 

The rise in body temperature stems from an increase in energy production from improved mitochondrial function.

This is from the direct effect of T3 on your mitochondria (11). 

Will Nature-throid Help You Lose Weight?

Many people want to know if Nature-throid will be the magical medication to help them lose weight. 

The answer to that is almost always no. 

While it is true that Hypothyroidism can damage your metabolism and lead to weight gain, at most this usually leads to an excess of 10-20 pounds of extra weight.

If you have gained more than that amount of weight it is almost always due to another hormone imbalance.

To explain this effect further I’ve elaborated on the combination of hormone imbalances that occur in hypothyroid states which contribute to thyroid weight gain

Having said that, some patients will experience some weight loss after switching medication. 

Patients more likely to experience this weight loss usually are those who don’t have problems with T4 to T3 conversion or who have relatively low reverse T3 levels.

Generally, the higher your reverse T3 levels and the more metabolic damage you have (from calorie-restricted dieting), the less likely Nature-throid will help you lose weight.

That doesn’t mean it won’t help you feel better – because even if it doesn’t help with weight loss it still is more likely to help reduce your symptoms when compared to levothyroxine or Synthroid.

But the weight loss you are most likely looking for may not occur unless you also address other factors such as hormone imbalances, damage to your metabolism, your diet, and so on. 

Low thyroid hormone may lead to an increase in insulin resistance (12), leptin resistance, (13), and sex hormone imbalances (14) that may compromise more than just your thyroid.  

You can find more tips to help you lose weight with hypothyroidism here. For tips on how to lose weight with Hashimoto’s please see this post.

How to Get Nature-throid

While many patients stand to benefit considerably from switching to Nature-throid (or other forms of NDT), unfortunately, it can be difficult to obtain, especially from conventional physicians. 

Most Endocrinologists and Primary care providers are not comfortable prescribing Natural Desiccated thyroid or any medication which contains LT3. 

A portion of this hesitation stems from the fact that NDT contains the active T3 thyroid hormone. 

In addition, they also erroneously think that NDT results in unstable thyroid levels and concentrations throughout the day and that the exact dosages of T4 and T3 in each grain of NDT are not standardized. 

The current standard of care and treatment paradigm within the insurance model is to treat hypothyroidism with T4-only thyroid medication and base dosing off of the TSH.

Unfortunately, this treatment usually results in persistent symptoms of hypothyroidism, consistent weight gain among hypothyroid patients, and overall a reduction in quality of life. 

The takeaway here is that you may need to spend some time and energy searching for an open-minded physician who is willing to work with you.

Finding this kind of physician to help you may be difficult but is certainly worth the wait.

In my opinion, you can’t put a price on finally feeling healthy and getting your life back and the single most effective thing you can do is find someone to help guide you along the way.

Managing your thyroid is very complex and involves multiple hormone systems, so figuring this out on your own may be possible but will take a considerable amount of time. 

Consider these resources to help find someone who may be able to help you further: 

Note: Try to find providers who can prescribe medications including thyroid hormone replacement as these form the cornerstone of thyroid management.

How much does Nature-throid Cost?

Compared to other forms of Natural Desiccated thyroid, Nature-throid is reasonably priced as you can see from the chart below:

Chart outlining the various types of NDT formulations available with checkmarks displaying their ingredients.

If your insurance will not cover Nature-throid you can use Goodrx.com to find the cheapest cash price near you. 

Goodrx.com will provide you with a coupon you can use to take to your pharmacy to get a cash “discount” on medications (including other prescription medications you may be taking).

Simply go to the website and type in Nature-throid:

goodrx.com website homepage.

You will then be brought to this screen which will show you where the medication is cheapest and how to get your coupon for the discount:

Cost of nature-throid at various pharmacies using the goodrx.com search feature.

You can even use Goodrx.com for other medications (including Armour thyroid, levothyroxine, etc.). 

The average price of Nature-throid will depend on both your location and local pharmacies, but you should expect to pay no more than $10.00 per month for a 1 month’s supply

What is in Nature-throid?

Are you a sensitive person that reacts to fillers/dyes/etc.?

Nature-throid has a very limited amount of ingredients as you can see below:

Highlights from the manufacturer regarding the hypoallergenic ingredients used in nature-throid.
List of active and inactive ingredients found in nature-throid.

Active ingredients include:

  • Thyroid USP (desiccated porcine thyroid)
  • Triiodothyronine at 9mcg per grain
  • Thyroxine at 38mcg per grain

Inactive ingredients include:

  • Colloidal silicon dioxide, Dicalcium Phosphate, Lactose Monohydrate, Magnesium Stearate, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Croscarmellose Sodium, Stearic acid, Opadry II 85F19316 Clear 

Dosages and Formulations include:

  • 16.25mg (1/4 grain)
  • 32.5mg (1/2 grain)
  • 48.75mg (3/4 grain)
  • 65mg (1 grain)
  • 81.25mg (1 1/4 grain)
  • 97.5mg (1 1/2 grain)
  • 113.75mg (1 3/4 grain)
  • 130mg (2 grain)
  • 146.25mg (2 1/4 grain)
  • 162.5mg (2 1/2 grain)
  • 195mg (3 grain)
  • 260mg (4 grain)
  • 325mg (5 grain)

It’s important to note that it is gluten-free and safe to use if you have Celiac disease or non-celiac gluten sensitivity

It also does not include artificial flavors, artificial colors, fish, rice, soy, gluten, peanut, egg, or shellfish. 

It does, however, contain porcine (pig), so if you don’t consume animal products you should take this into account. 

It’s also important to note that WP Thyroid has even fewer ingredients, so if you react to Nature-throid you may want to consider WP thyroid as an alternative.

What to do if Nature-throid isn’t Working

While Nature-throid may be enough to alleviate the majority of your symptoms and issues it may not be enough to get you back to 100%. 

If you have any of the following then you may need further treatment beyond thyroid medication:

In these instances, it may be beneficial to consider adding T3 (Cytomel or Liothyronine) to your Nature-throid or NDT. 

Cytomel is a medication that contains pure T3 thyroid hormone and is the most powerful thyroid hormone medication available. 

Use Caution if You Have Autoimmune Thyroiditis or Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis

Any patient with autoimmune thyroiditis or a known diagnosis of Hashimoto’s thyroiditis should be careful when using Nature-throid or any other form of Natural Desiccated Thyroid. 

Why?

Because NDT is porcine-derived, meaning it is an animal product and may contain porcine tissue. 

Even though the hormones themselves are bio-identical (meaning they are the same hormone your body would have produced naturally), components of the animal still remain in the formulation.

Like any piece of foreign tissue, it is possible for your body to create an immune response to it (16).

For this reason (and many others) some patients may actually feel worse when switching to Nature-throid and feel like their symptoms come back even though their TSH may be normal or low. 

This leads patients and providers to believe that the medication doesn’t provide stable thyroid levels and this isn’t necessarily true.

It doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take Nature-throid if you have Hashimoto’s or autoimmune thyroiditis, but you should take this into consideration when switching medication and monitor for adverse effects. 

If this does occur, you can check your thyroid antibody levels to determine if they raised in conjunction with starting Nature-throid.

If this occurs you may need to stop the medication. 

Treating any GI-related issues like low stomach acid can improve your digestion and absorption of Nature-throid and may reduce any antigenic stimulus from the medication. 

Nature-throid vs Armour thyroid

Even though Armour thyroid and Nature-throid are both forms of natural desiccated thyroid they are NOT the same medication. 

Believe it or not, I’ve had many cases of patients who have simply switched from one form of NDT to another and have had many of their symptoms resolve spontaneously.

This same sort of effect is seen in patients switching from Levothyroxine to Synthroid or Synthroid to Levothyroxine even though they technically contain the same active ingredients.

Studies have shown that some individuals are exquisitely sensitive to minor differences in medications and that these medications cannot be considered bioequivalent for all patients (17). 

I want to provide a word of caution to you, especially if you fall into this boat.

Don’t assume that ALL forms of NDT (Nature-throid, wp thyroid, Armour thyroid, etc.) won’t work for you if one of them isn’t currently working for you.

Much of this tolerance is likely due to the various fillers and binders used in each medication.

While all forms of NDT do contain the same amount of bio-identical thyroid hormone, they differ in these inactive fillers and binders.

In the case of Armour thyroid, the formulation was recently changed which reduced the amount of dextrose and increased the amount of methylcellulose in the formulation.  

Highlighted text from another blog which shows changes to the armour thyroid formulation in 2008.

This change either dramatically improved or worsened the tolerance of the medication in some patients. 

The binder methylcellulose acts like a “glue” in the body and delays the absorption of the medication. 

This is the same binder that compounding pharmacies use for sustained-release T3.

This example really highlights the importance of these fillers and binders and helps to explain why some people do very well on certain types of medications. 

If you are on Armour thyroid and it isn’t working for you, then it would be worth a trial of switching medication to see if the switch improves your symptoms. 

You can find more information about Armour thyroid here.

Heart Palpitations with Nature-throid

One of the more concerning symptoms that patients may experience while taking Nature-throid is the sensation of a rapid heart rate otherwise known as heart palpitations. 

These palpitations result from the T3 that is inside the medication.

Recall that Nature-throid contains a combination of both T4 and T3 thyroid hormones, compared to levothyroxine or Synthroid which contains T4 only.

T3 is the active form of thyroid hormone in your body and it activates certain receptors in all tissues in your body. 

In your heart, T3 acts differently than it does elsewhere by directly activating calcium channel pumps (18). 

This may lead to an increased force of contraction of the heart combined with an increase in the heart rate (19). 

Because serum levels of T3 usually spike around 2-3 hours after ingestion of thyroid hormone, this is usually when patients experience heart palpitations. 

These palpitations don’t necessarily indicate that the medication is harmful to your body, but they may mean that you are getting too much T3 too quickly.

You can combat these symptoms by changing how you take the medication.

Simply spacing your dose (take half in the morning and a half at night) may be enough to alleviate this problem. 

Alternatively, taking your thyroid medication at night may improve your symptoms by altering how quickly your body absorbs it. 

Many patients report heart palpitations in the middle of the night (usually 2-3 am) which likely stems from changes in cortisol levels and other hormones. 

You can learn more tips and tricks on how to take your thyroid medication in this article.

Conclusion

Nature-throid is a medication that contains both the inactive T4 and the active T3. 

Because of the active T3 and combinations of other thyroid hormones (listed above) many patients actually do much better on Nature-throid instead of T4-only medications like Synthroid and levothyroxine.

If you are considering switching to Nature-throid (especially if you are switching from T4-only medications) make sure to start LOW and titrate SLOW. 

That means starting at a lower-than-normal equivalent dose but increasing your dose slowly every 10-14 days.

Doing this will prevent unwanted side effects from the T3 in the medication.

And remember that Nature-throid is not a magic weight loss pill, but it can help some individuals lose up to 10-20 pounds.

Now I want to hear from you: 

Are you currently taking Nature-throid?

Did it work for you?

Do you believe you need different thyroid medication?

Why or why not?

Leave your comments or questions below! 

Scientific References

#1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4045230/

#2. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23539727

#3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5763098/

#4. https://journals.lww.com/co-endocrinology/Abstract/2017/10000/Persistent_hypothyroid_symptoms_in_a_patient_with.10.aspx

#5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19190113

#6. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23539727

#7. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17465862

#8. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28056660

#9. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/494987

#10. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27700539

#11. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11174855

#12. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3041250/

#13. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC377492/

#14. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9846161

#15. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5869352/

#16. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19869635

#17. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3565118/

#18. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2820695/

#19. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5746964/

why naturethroid beats levothyroxine every time pinterest image.

picture of westin childs D.O. standing

About Dr. Westin Childs

Hey! I'm Westin Childs D.O. (former Osteopathic Physician). I don't practice medicine anymore and instead specialize in helping people like YOU who have thyroid problems, hormone imbalances, and weight loss resistance. I love to write and share what I've learned over the years. I also happen to formulate the best supplements on the market (well, at least in my opinion!) and I'm proud to say that over 80,000+ people have used them over the last 7 years. You can read more about my own personal health journey and why I am so passionate about what I do.

P.S. Here are 4 ways you can get more help right now:

#1. Get my free thyroid downloads, resources, and PDFs here.

#2. Need better symptom control? Check out my thyroid supplements.

#3. Sign up to receive 20% off your first order.

#4. Follow me on Youtube, Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram for up-to-date thyroid tips, tricks, videos, and more.

436 thoughts on “The Complete Guide to using Nature-Throid for Thyroid Patients”

  1. Hi Dr. Childs,

    I found your site last night and have been glued to it ever since. I’m fascinated with all your posts! You are the first doctor I have encountered that has a different mindset and who truly has an understanding of what sufferers go through instead of thinking it’s all in our heads.

    One question about Reverse T3. I’m looking at my labs and can’t find Reverse T3 on there. Would it be called something different on my labwork? I see Triiodothyronine,Free,Serum; Thyroxine (T4) Free, Direct,S; Thyroid Peroxidase (TPO) Ab and then my thyroglobulin levels were also checked.

    My second question is this. I had a TT almost 7 years ago so I’m always technically considered hypo. Do these posts about people suffering with hypothyroidism also apply to someone who has had a TT?

    Thanks so much for all this information!!

    Reply
    • Hey Amy,

      I’m glad you have enjoyed the posts!

      1. Reverse T3 is labeled as Reverse T3, so it’s unlikely that anyone has ordered it for you thus far.

      2. Yes, these posts still apply to those without a thyroid. T4 still must be converted to T3, reverse T3 levels still matter, etc.

      Reply
  2. I take 97.5mg of Nature-Throid and still have symptoms. I read that having low cortisol (which mine is very low), decreases the T3 from enter into the cells. It effects the receptors. Is this true?

    Reply
    • Hey Eileen,

      Cortisol can definitely impact thyroid function and conversion. It’s also possible your dose is insufficient or you need a different medication.

      Reply
    • Dr. Child’s, I am currently taking Armour thyroid 90mg. Blood tests: 4.24 Free T3, 0.77 freeT4, 0.01
      TSH. The physician wants to change meds. Symptoms- fatigue. I want to stay with NDT. Would Naturethroid be the next step? I do not know Reverse T3 levels. More testing more appropriate? Thank you soo much for your time and videos/blog.

      Reply
  3. I have been on Levothyroxine (currently 125 mcg) for 20+ years. I’ve been feeling lousy the past few months with fatigue, muscle/joint aches, hair loss, brain fog, etc. My Dr. did labs and said my levels were perfectly “in range”. However, my TPO is at 224. I’m so frustrated! Your thoughts please??

    Reply
  4. I was on compounded thyroid when the dr decided to pulse the dose 70% very quickly. Of course I had every symptom you mentioned above. I stopped immediately. Is it possible to keep the numbers and symptoms in check strictly by diet. I feel that I screwed up my thyroid. I was able to lower my antibodies significantly by being gluten, dairy, sugar and soy free. Also what’s the best way to wean off of ndt?

    Reply
    • Hey LB,

      Some people can manage their thyroid function with lifestyle changes alone, but many cannot. I wouldn’t recommend weaning yourself off of NDT without physician supervision to prevent any negative side effects.

      Reply
      • My Doctor asked me to come off NT To retest my bloods , I asked did I need to ween off it ? She said no just stop The medication right away?

        Reply
        • Hey Suzie,

          I can’t comment on why your physician made those recommendations, but as a general rule it’s better to slowly wean off of medication as opposed to coming off of it abruptly.

          Reply
  5. Am on Naturethroid X 8 months after a disastrous trial of Levo that left me feeling worse with increased fatigue and hair loss. Gradually titrated up t0 3.5 grains of Naturethroid and initially looked and felt great with nice weigh loss and cessation of hair loss with FT3 at 6 but FT4 unchanged. TSH suppressed as expected. In recent months I have been feeling symptomatic again with fatigue & ++ hair loss- FT3 has dropped to 4.6 again and not sure why? Reverse T3 has never been tested- the GP says she has never heard of this? Any ideas gratefully received.

    Reply
    • Hey Sandra,

      Happens all the time. Your body uses thyroid hormone like it does other hormones in the body – more during times of stress/illness/etc and less at other times. Demand for thyroid hormone is NOT static, it is dynamic. You could have an increased demand due to a variety of reasons or an increased amount of reverse T3 secondary to stress, etc.

      Reply
      • Hi Westin,

        This is interesting. If demand for thyroid hormone is NOT static then how do we manage symptoms with a prescription that is inherently consistent? If I have a week of high stress and my symptoms return because my current prescription is not sufficient for the increased need, I don’t have time to go through the process of seeing my doctor, getting tested and raising my dosage, which for that matter, may not even be needed after the week or two of stress passes. Is self-dosing the answer? This inability to adapt to the unavoidable waxing and waning of life seems like a major flaw in the paradigm of thyroid treatment. Please advise.

        Reply
        • Hey Sarah,

          The best patients are intuitive and understand their body. They dose based off of demand, stress and other variables in their life and use a combination of sustained release + immediate release formulations. It’s similar to the basal/bolus method of dosing insulin in type I diabetics.

          Reply
          • So when you exercise very intensely, for example a hiking trip, do you need more thyroid? (I feel that I do, but have never had this technically explained)

          • I find this dosing according to the body’s symptoms and needs very appealing. By basal, do you mean tracking with am basal temperature? The prescription might not run out at the expected time and could be flagged as a medication abuse… Your thoughts on how to proceed in a discussion with doctor on intuitive dosing? Are sustained release capsules always compounded (expensive) or is there a pure company that sells T3 sustained release? Is that the Cytomel?
            Thank you for the education. I know there are years and relationships that could have gone better for me if I’d have a better handle on thyroid and female hormones.

  6. I get a constant headache when taking 1 grain or higher on NDT – I have only tried Armour and Nature-Throid. Seems to be worse with Armour. Does this mean I cannot take NDT at all?

    Thank you.

    Reply
    • Not necessarily, but some people do get headaches with T3 – I see it more commonly with liothyronine, but I have seen it with both armour and naturethroid. You could consider WP thyroid instead.

      Reply
  7. On Nature-throid for years and works well. Hashimoto symptoms returning and Dr. will not increase dosage because of my age (69). Currently taking 162.5MG. She is giving too much attention to THS 0.05. Says it is too suppressed. Since when do we pay attention to THS? Afraid I will have heart problems.

    Your opinion and any studies I can refer to.?

    Reply
    • Hey Lynne,

      Most doctors ONLY pay attention to the TSH, that’s the “standard”. I’m not really sure which studies you are looking for?

      Reply
        • I think you’re confused… I don’t treat based off of the TSH, but I’m telling you that most Doctors do which means you need to find a new Doctor willing to help you out. To say that the TSH is completely useless is certainly not accurate, however using it to base dosing recommendations is obviously not a wise decision.

          The TSH has the most value in determining the sensitivity of a patient to thyroid medication and with the initial diagnosis of hypothyroidism if it is > 2.0, but beyond that it’s not very helpful in management.

          I think your problem is with your Doctor and their management, not how I look at and treat patients. If your goal is to take studies showing that the TSH isn’t helpful to your Doctor to hopefully “convince” them to change their mind, you are most likely wasting your time.

          Reply
          • I have a doc that follows your ideas but…. I have been experiencing same ole Hashi symptoms and wanted a small increase in dosage. Doc said no because I am old (69) and could have a heart attack because TSH is suppressed. I have never had a heart problem and no history in family. How can I convince her to increase dosage?

            I think her rationale is stupid as I have done research and can find no coherent finding to suggest an increase in dosage for an older person with no heart history and suppressed TSH would be detrimental.

  8. Hi, I am a 52 year old female.
    I have been on cytomel 5mg. for about 11 months. I experienced terrible hair loss. It is to the point that my scalp shows and causing major anxiety/depression. I recently had my labs redone by two different doctors. Labs were taken within 2 weeks of each other.
    Labs came back:
    TSH 1.720
    T4 free – 1.6
    Reverse T3 – 16.4
    TPO AB- 8
    Triiodothyronine, Free, Serum – 2.4
    Dr. originally wanted to up the dosage but I expressed my concern about hair loss. Dr. also noticed major hair loss and suggested stopping the meds for two weeks to see what happens. I have been off of the meds for 5 days now.
    Second lab results from Gyno.
    T3 Free – 2.8
    TSH – 0.900
    Total T4 – 7.50
    Thyroid Perox ab – Less than 10

    Second dr. suggests taking Westhroid 65 Mg.
    I am scared to death that the Westhroid might cause additonal hair loss. Have also seen some people have good results with hair recovery on this med.
    Not sure why one dr. would suggest one and the other suggest something different.
    Labs also indicate High Ferritin level and both indicate low b12 and low vit. D. May main concern is the massive hair loss. More like a hair shed.
    Any insight would be greatly appreciated!
    Thanks so much for you time!
    Stephanie

    Reply
  9. Hi Dr. Childs. I was on 162.5 naturethroid & found it was too high a,dose .can I go back to the 130 dose I used to be on to get the numbers normal or should it be gradual & start w the 146.25. which my new doctor just put me on.
    Thank u for ur time.

    Reply
  10. I started Nature Throid 32.5 three days ago. I stopped levothyroxine .100mg at that time. Today I feel tired and some heart palpitations. Is this a good amount to start with? Do I need some time to adjust? My doctor said take this for 28 days, then increase to twice that much after that.

    Reply
  11. Does anyone have a doctor reference in Chicago for me? I was just diagnosed with Hypothyroid and put on Levothyroxine 3 weeks ago and have insomnia, headaches and an appetite that won’t quit. I would like to try Naturethroid. My Endo won’t prescribe. Thank you!

    Reply
    • Hi. I am in Chicago area and see Dr. Rowena Chua in Evanston. She’s pretty amazing. Has me starting on Nature Throid .. I don’t have her number on hand but do look her up.

      Reply
      • Hey Kelli,

        Thanks for your comment. I obviously can’t speak to the treatment that this physician provides but if you are out of options it would certainly be worth a look. I would caution against providers who use NDT (such as naturethroid) in isolation without giving thought to T3 or reverse T3.

        Reply
    • Dr Alicja Poleszek in Elmhurst. She is amazing and she is family medicine doctor but she also treats patients with autoimmune disease and thyroid disease. She prescribed WP thyroid for me.

      Reply
  12. I have been on naturethroid for 3 months an my tsh keeps going up instead of down it is 23.I have no thyroid. Can you help me figure this out. My anxiety is horrible.

    Reply
      • Hi,
        I am fixing to start taking nature-thoid from my doctor,because of my low T3 levels.. this may sound minor, but I have read many things on the web about hair loss when taking this supplement. Is this true for many ??

        Reply
      • My Dr. put me back on synthroid because all my levels were so bad on naturethroid. Now being back on that I don’t know what else I should take. Any help with be great. I am tired of feeling so bad. I do take mag. and vit d and b12 Thank you

        Reply
      • After being on naturethroid for almost 4 mos. my levels were tsh 23.45 free t4 .02 free t3 2.40 I had thyroid removed 13 years ago for cancer with 3and a half parathyroids removed also,I have severe anxiety and have never felt good because they can’t get my numbers right. I don’t know what else to do. They just put me back on 100 synthroid because of bad levels.

        Reply
  13. Hi Dr. Westin,

    I’ve started on Nature Thyroid in June with 1 pill of 65 mg and then increased the dose slowly to 1 pill and 1/2 of 65 mg. I did my lab tests 1 month ago and my results are:
    Tsh – 0.11 L
    T4 Free – 1.0
    T3 Reverse – 17
    T3 Free – 3.3

    My results are better but I still feel exhausted and I would like to increase the dose to 2 pills. The dr that prescribes them is my family doctor and she usually prescribes Sythroid and I convinced her to try the Nature Thyroid.

    I would really like your opinion about it and if I should increase dose, what are the arguments for doing that with my dr. Unfortunately I live in a small town and I don’t have other doctors to go to.

    Thank you,
    Cristina

    Reply
  14. I started Nature Throid (65mg) 3 months ago. Just had a follow up test and my TSH is 18.85 ! (range 0.27 – 4.20). Is this normal to have skewed results while to Nature Throid? My T4 free is 0.9 (range 0.9 – 1.7)

    Reply
      • Thank you for your response the endo I saw today was no help and wants me to stop the Nature Throid and go back on levo, which I took for 15 years wasn’t working for me. And to add Cytomel.
        Instead I’m going to go back to the doctor that prescribed the Nature Throid initially and hopefully she will up my dose.

        Reply
  15. Hello,

    If you have time, do you mind taking a look at my message above? I would really appreciate your feedback.

    Thank you,
    Cristina

    Reply
  16. I have been on Naturethroid for the past 3 years. I started on 1.5grain and then went up to 2.5 grain and was wondering about raising the dose to 3grain or 4 grain and see how I feel because I am fatigue and brain fog. I do take mag/vit d3/with k2.

    I know I don’t have my numbers here but wanted to know your input

    Thank you

    Reply
    • Hey Widalys,

      I would never recommend the titration of medication without at least following lab testing. You shouldn’t base dose off of labs alone, but you also shouldn’t neglect them completely.

      Reply
  17. hello! First off thank you for the best article I’ve ever read on thyroid meds. Very helpful! I just started naturethroid this week. I’ve been on synthroid for 20 years after a diagnoses of hashimotos. In the last year I’ve developed a lot of food allergies which trigger my hashimotos and my heart rate goes crazy. I have a temperature of 96.9 to 97.4 depending on the time of day. Im losing my hair and I’m tired. A lot. I was on 150 mcg of synthroid and my dr put me on 165 of naturethroid. My heart rate goes up quite a bit as soon as I take it so tomorrow I’m going to take your advice and split it in 2. Smart. How long should I try this dosage – after reading your article it seems she might have started me on too much. Oh I’m a 40 year old woman – single mom of 5 kids. Thanks!

    Reply
  18. Hi,

    My Doctor sent me to order nature thyroid because I have my T3 a little low on 2 and she wanted to increase to 4, I want to know in what grain I should start.

    Thanks!

    Reply
  19. Hi, help!! Need your opinion: 4 weeks ago I switched from Levo to desiccated thyroid. I feel horrible (the fatigue is debilitating, my skin has broken out, and brain fog is bad). I was on 150 mg of Levo and when I stopped my doctor said I was in a hyper state. Now on the desiccated thyroid I just did my blood test and my TSH is 6.5. I started on 30 mg of the desiccated thyroid and worked up to 45 mg, 60 mg, 75 mg and now at the 4 week mark I am now at 90 mg (taking 60 in the am and 30 in the afternoon). I know it’s still early in the process but I feel so awful that I am wondering if I made a huge mistake switching medications and I am wondering how long of a chance I should give this? I switched from Levo because I thought that maybe I could feel optimal on the desiccated thyroid. I saw in your article that I may feel worse before I feel better on desiccated thyroid. Is there a typical timeframe that I can look forward to that will be around when I should start feeling my best? I literally feel like my body completely crashed as I went from hyper back to hypo in 3-4 weeks. My doctor has never prescribed desiccated thyroid so there is a bit of a learning curve, but I feel like giving up and going back to feeling semi okay on Levo than terrible on desiccated thyroid. Am I giving up too soon? I am just shocked at how drastically my health deteriorated in a month as I thought I would see subtle improvements each week.

    Reply
    • Hey Mandy,

      I can’t say because I don’t know your situation, some people just don’t do well on NDT and others do quite well it just depends.

      Reply
  20. Hello,
    I was wondering if you’d come accross anyone who experiences dizziness/balance issues upon starting Naturethroid? I started three days ago. Day one I felt fine, day two and theee I can’t stand without holding onto something so I don’t fall. I’m not doing anything else different, so I will assume it’s the Naturethroid. Another thing, my heart rate won’t drop below 100, even while resting. I am only taking 32.5 (as I was on 50mcg of Levo before this). My anxiety has also increased and My throat feels right, as if I had a balloon in my thiroat. Seems like a lot of symptoms for such a small dose. Please advise.

    Reply
    • Hey Romina,

      You will have to take those symptoms to the Doctor who prescribed the medication, plenty of side effects can occur when starting a new medication and I don’t understand the intricacies of your case.

      Reply
  21. Hello,

    I want to know if I can take two pills of 1/2 grain to make 1 grain of NatureThroid, or I need to take the one grain pill?

    Thanks!

    Reply
    • Hey Lisbeth,

      You will have to take that question to the provider who prescribed you the medication, I don’t know anything about your history so I can’t comment.

      Reply
    • Hey Julie,

      You will have to talk to the Doctor who prescribed it to you, I can’t direct you further if you aren’t my direct patient.

      Reply
  22. Hi,
    I’m 45 Y/woman, diagnosed with Hashimoto and taking Synthroid for last 7 years.
    My new endocrinologist gave me nature thyroid and I took it this morning for the first time. around noon I felt horrible but then i got better till tonight that I couldn’t sleep, heart palpitation, very dizzy that couldn’t walk. it’s 1:00 AM and i just took my Synthroid to call the doctor on Monday.
    I would like to split it in half, as you recommended but the symptoms were so strong that i don’t know if i can even switch….

    Reply
    • Hey Sheila,

      Some people don’t tolerate NDT for a variety of reasons, it’s hard to say why you reacted the way you did without more information.

      Reply
  23. Hi Dr. Childs,
    I switched from Levo to Naturethroid back in September because I was shedding hair and it had become very dry. My doc went from 75 mcg Levo to 65 mcg Naturethroid. Lost weight and had heart palpitations, so we scaled back to 48.75 in October. While weight has stabilized and I don’t have heart palpitations, It is almost December, and my hair loss continues. However, I am also seeing some new growth and my hair seems less dry. I don’t know whether to stick with Naturethroid at this dose, go higher, or go back to Levo. Any suggestions for next steps would be great. Thanks so much.

    Reply
  24. Dr Westin,
    About 2 months ago, my regular doctor took me completely off my naturethroid (I was on 32.5) cold turkey, and within 6 days I began experiencing pins and needles and burning in my feet and sometimes my hands. Found an endo who put me back on medication – 50mg of Synth and 12.5 of liothyronine. It has been just over a month. The symptoms have not gone away. Original labs were taken on 10/25/16 before the endo put me on the synthroid and liothyronine, and my numbers were TSH – 3.34, Free T4 1.12, Free T3 3.1, and Reverse T3 was 21. I am at a loss and not sure what to do. Of all the research i have done, it seems as if I am not getting enough T3 into my cells because of the RT3. I dont know what to do – my endo said she does not want to touch my meds and I am beyond frustrated.

    Reply
    • Hey J,

      You will probably need to pay out of pocket to find someone willing to give you more T3. I can’t really overstate the importance of having someone knowledgeable helping out on your case because no matter how much research you’ve done there’s a big chance you are missing something.

      Reply
    • Did you find any answers to your thyroid med problem? I am on Armour Thyroid and no energy since they changed formula. Tried all the other NDTs but came back to Armour. Now I have prediabetes and take cinnamon and Bilberry and control diet and that helps Now heart feels weak at times and blood pressure goes up. I m older now 70. Go to an Endo but she has no idea

      Reply
  25. After switching to WP Thyroid I see hair growth back and overall feel better, however I am becoming insulin resistant. I use an insulin pump and have had to increase my basals by 10 units per day since going on WP. I also tried Naturethroid with side effects of rash at hairline. Why is WP causing increased blood sugar?

    Reply
    • There is a relationship between T3 and insulin sensitivity but generally it works in the opposite way you are describing.

      Reply
  26. Hi. I saw for the first time a Naturophatic doctor, after being seen with so many doctors with no answers. The Naturophatic doc did a thyroflex test. The results were 153. She said is hypothyroidism. She gave me Nature Throid 65mg. But does this means Im hypo? I already have lost a lot of weight, and have tachycardia every single day, low and high blood pressure, headaches and fatigue. I haven’t started the nature throid. Will it help in my case?

    Reply
    • Hey Diana,

      You will have to take that question to your provider, too many variables can impact how your body reacts and I don’t have the information to answer it for you.

      Reply
  27. Hi. My Naturophatic gave me Nature thyroid after doing a thyroflex test. The results were 153. Is this means Im hypo? Im still waiting for labs results. I haven’t started nature thyroid. Should I take even though I don’t have my labs results. Im scared its first time they found hypothyroidism. I already have lost a lot of weight, have tachycardia every day headaches fatigue dizziness. Please reply back. Thanks.

    Reply
  28. WOW was this interesting reading, I saw an integrative doc, wow amazing doc, I am a mess and hopeful. I am taking Nature Thyroid 1gr morning/ 1/2 afternoon, and am having tight throat, lite headache, lite weird breathing which started immediately when I began 2 weeks ago after taking synthroid for 9 years, I have a goiter and Hash. I am hanging in there and hoping I adjust. I am excited to find a real doc. THANK YOU for this blog, wow have I learned a lot!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Reply
  29. I have been on Nature-Throid for years, I recently developed dizziness and I believe its attributed to this medication.
    after taking it in the am I begin to feel dizzy? Does this make sense?

    Reply
  30. Is it dangerous to take a little T-3 25mcg Citomel along with the NatureThroid if you feel like your Naturethroid is not enough? I don’t have the money to see the doc again to get a higher dose, so can I use one Citomel in addition to the Naturethroid (I have Citomel left over from a previous doctor)… if I monitor my symptoms closely?

    Reply
  31. Hello, I am currently taking 125mg synthroid and 15mcg compounded t3. I am wanting to switch to 2 grains of the WP thyroid. I know you say titration slowly, however since I’m already used to t3 do I still need to do that?
    Thank you

    Reply
    • Hey Shala,

      I can’t give recommendations over this medium, but I approach each situation differently because each patient is unique. Some people react negatively to certain medications so I generally recommend slow titration.

      Reply
  32. I am currently taking 1.5 grains of Naturethroid and am experiencing vertigo/dizziness on a daily basis since I raised my dose. I still have hypo symptoms and my doc refuses to believe it’s thyroid related. How long should I wait this out? It’s been well over a month.

    Reply
    • Hey Kari,

      Many conditions can create thyroid like symptoms, it’s possible you are either under dosed or attributing some of these symptoms to your thyroid when they are related to something else.

      Reply
  33. I’ve felt bad on naturethroid and synthroid. I’ve gained 40 pounds since I started naturethroid. I’ve been on 2 1/2 grains. I feel awful. I have blood sugar problems. My legs are weak and I have heart palpitations especially at night. Now I’m so depressed. I’m trying to lower but that is hell too! Please help!
    Thank you for any help!
    Norms

    Reply
    • Hey Norma,

      The best thing you can do is find a provider locally who can help you sort through your symptoms to figure out where they are coming from. Not everyone does well on NDT in general and some reactions like you are experiencing are quite common – you just need someone who knows how to deal with the symptoms to help guide you.

      Reply
  34. Hello Dr. Childs:

    I started out on 65 mg and not take double the dose. Why is it that the dose has to be increased increased over time? I switched from synthroid and had to increase the dose as well. Does it mean my thyroid function is deteriorating over time? I have hashimoto’s.

    Reply
    • The main reason to start out slow is to allow your body to acclimate to the higher doses of T3 and to ensure that you don’t react negatively to the medication (including the inactive fillers). It isn’t necessarily a reflection of native thyroid function, though that may also play a role depending on the person.

      Reply
      • I also meant to ask why do I have to keep going up on the dose every so often due to symptoms of hypothyroidism. For example, I started on 65 mg which was fine then my free t3 and free t4 dropped and had to inc the dose and had symptoms. If that happens does that mean my thyroid function is reduced to the autoimmune attack? My last anti TPO were 292.

        Reply
  35. after a thyroidectomy I was put on levothryroxine for past three years. felt awful on and off and switched to naturethroid two weeks ago. I had also been suffering from sudden gastric problems, which I thought to be viral about a month ago and am confused about what has been happening to me since I started taking nature throid as I don’t know if my current symptoms relate to switching medication or to something else I need to get checked .could it just be coincidence I feel worse than I’ve ever felt and have face and gum pain, and a rash has come up on my forehead and my face is a bit swollen and puffy. I was put on a dose of two grains of nature throid daily to be increased to 3 in a week’s time. please advise.

    Reply
  36. After almost 2 years of juggling medications, I am now on .75 mcg of tirocint and 1,25 of SR T3 and I do feel great!. The only concern is that the t3 is not covered by insurance(because it is a compound) and it iS $130/month. My doctor is all for starting me on NP thyroid and so am I but I am very nervous about the dosing. I don’t want to feel awful again until we get it regulated.. What is the closest dose to what I am taking presently.
    Thank you for your assistance.

    Reply
    • Hey Helene,

      I probably wouldn’t recommend changing medications if you are feeling great. The risk of doing poor is too high for minimal reward, you can always find a different pharmacy with cheaper prices for the SR T3.

      Reply
    • Hey Heather,

      It really depends on the person, what they were on before, what symptoms they have, what other hormone imbalances they have, etc. there really isn’t a cookie cutter answer because each person is so different. I would seek further assistance with whoever prescribed you the medication (hopefully they know and understand how to titrate it correctly).

      Reply
  37. Hi,
    My natropath started me on 16.25 mg of Wp in July this year. My main concerns prior to starting were my hair loss/breakage and low end free t3 . She upped slowly..and now in December I’m on 1 grain well mybhair has never improved in fact it worsened in the months in Wp. Is it possible Wp isn’t for me? I didn’t have any thyroid symptoms prior to starting Wp other then the hair and after 5 months the hair is scary worse. High rt3 and antibodies now. Both of which I was fine with before Wp. I want to go off altogether but everyone says that’s impossible. Seeing my np in January but she isn’t much help wanted to know if it’s possible to come off Wp altogether and work on my high cortisol

    Reply
  38. I switched to naturthroid about 45 days ago after being on synthroid for about 21 year. My Synthroid dose was 0.112mg. My Nature-Throid dose is 113.75 mg. I received my blood work results and my TSH is low at 0.06, T4, free 1.27
    T3 free is high at 8.7.

    My gynecologist was the physician who wrote my RX to switch brands because my internist disliked any brands other than Synthroid. I need to change the dose but I don’t think my gynecologist has knowledge of how to regulate it properly. Can you provide me with assistance on correct dosage since thus far it hasn’t been managed very well?!

    Thanks,

    Lisa

    Reply
    • Hey Lisa,

      There is no way to accurately “guess” how much thyroid hormone a person will need, it takes a combination of lab tests, hormone levels, body weight, energy levels, metabolic rate, etc. The best thing you can do is find someone to help guide you through this process because it can be difficult (almost impossible) to figure it out on your own.

      Reply
  39. I’ve just been put on nature throid having taken levothyroxine for past four years (150) following a thyroidectomy. started two weeks ago with 2 grains nature thyroid daily which upped to three a few days ago. have felt ‘spaced out’ and slighty queasy after taking and only noticeable difference so far is i’m sleeping longer at night.
    also unsure if I need to leave time before and after eating when I take 2nd and third grains during the day.

    where I live in England endos are like hen’s teeth and few gp’s know anything about nature throid. it’s been a pretty rough ride so far and i’d had frequent hypo symptoms for years.

    Reply
    • Hey Carol,

      Each person reacts different to thyroid medication so it does take some degree of trial and error to figure out how/when to dose your medication.

      Reply
    • Carol, my story is the same as yours I’m in the UK too. Any luck with it now in April? I’m looking at Nature Thyroid but scared now. Louise.

      Reply
  40. I’m currently taking Naturethroid and my last test shows my TSH at .934, free t3 is 2.5 and freet4 is .87. Some are saying my freet3 is too low and I should add cytomel. Would this help? I’m still always tired, skin very dry, etc. thsnks!

    Reply
    • Hey Deb,

      You might benefit from the addition of T3 but it’s not as easy as determining by looking at lab tests alone so it’s hard to say with that information.

      Reply
  41. I started on 65 mg which was fine then my free t3 and free t4 dropped and had to inc the dose to double just to feel the same. Why would I need a higher dose just to feel the same at half the dose over a period of 2-3 months. If that happens does that mean my thyroid function is reduced to the autoimmune attack? My last anti TPO were 292.

    Reply
    • Hey Lisa,

      Much like other hormones in the body the demand for thyroid hormone changes based on multiple variables. You don’t ever need just a “static” amount of thyroid hormone throughout the day. Your body would naturally produce the amount based on numerous factors such as stress, hormonal changes, etc. Your demand may reflect any or all of these variables (including gland damage from autoimmune attack).

      Reply
  42. Hi Dr. Child’s,
    I was diagnosed with Hashimotos about 7 years ago. For the past 5 years, my TSH has been consistently in the normal range by taking 75 mg of Synthroid once a day for 6 days and then taking double the dosage on the 7th day. I have battled fatigue the entire time and have some brain fog, so my doctor has switched me to 65 mg of Nature-throid once a day. After two months on the medication, I have begun having a racing heart, sleeplessness, some shakiness in my hands and weight loss. The brain fog seems much worse. I went to my doctor thinking perhaps my dosage needed adjusting. We thought due to the symptoms I might have become hyper. When the blood work came back it was the opposite. My TSH levels were high again. Are palpitations and a rapid heartbeat a known side effect of Nature-throid or the transition from Synthroid to Nature-throid? Is there any way to get rid of the brain fog regardless of what type of thyroid medication I take? Any advice you have would be so appreciated.

    Reply
    • Hey Jennifer,

      What you just described happens all the time. Providers switch patients from levothyroxine to NDT (or other T3 containing medications) and generally under dose them because they aren’t familiar with the medications. Usually they then say that the medication didn’t “work” because your TSH elevated. In reality they just switched medications and dropped your total dose.

      The answer to your question is complex because palpitations could be a side effect of hypothyroidism, or secondary to the T3 or a combination of both. Because of the nuances involved in switching and managing medications I almost always recommend you seek out someone knowledgable to help guide you through the process.

      Reply
  43. Hi. im getting switched over to Naturethroid from Synthroid. My Doc told me to just switch right over to 162.5mg and not take it slow because i do not have a thyroid. Do you agree with this??

    Thanks

    Reply
    • Hey Alex,

      I’m not really in a position to agree or disagree with your provider because you aren’t my patient and I don’t know your history. Having said that, you may react negatively to that dose of T3 if you aren’t used to it – but you might also be fine, it really just depends.

      Reply
  44. I am a physician that fad a large acoustic neuroma. I gave had t3 surgeries, spinal fusions etc. I am on narcitic medication. On bad days I take more for pain, but then become more hypothyroid. Yitrsting my medication is very hard. I’m on armor thyroid. Would any of the other medications benefit me more then at our. I have had to take a beta blocker for adverse effects of pvcs and pac s on armour thyroid. Can you help?

    Reply
    • Hey Dr. Gomori,

      Thanks for stopping by. As you correctly suggest the combination of beta blockers + narcotics will be blunting your native T4 to T3 conversion, but at least the narcotics will be necessary due to the chronic pain you are suffering from. The problem with armour thyroid in this setting is the inability to dose the T4 and T3 separately. One of the first things I would consider is adding Sustained release T3 and dropping your total dose of armour thyroid. The sustained release component will take demand off of your cardiac tissue (decreasing the need for beta blockers) and will decrease the substrate for T4 to reverse T3 conversion. This should help both areas at once.

      Reply
      • Thank you for your answer. I apologize for the errors in my post. Tried to resend it. Is nature thyroid better then armour in terms of cardiac side effects? Second, what would you use as a sustained T3 medication. Would cytomel be acceptable. I don’t see endocrinologist for six months. There are few here. Very busy. I change doses via a family practioner, and do monitor lab. On synthyroid, I was getting terrible cold sweats. They were so bad, ruinined my life. When I switched to armour, they disappeared. It was a miracle. Now they have returned intermittently, not sure why. I try to stay on same dose of narcotic, but it is nearly impossible. Good and bad days. Was wondering if armour had run its course. Never had cardiac effects on synthyroid., was on it for 19 years with the last year being terrible. So much time in bed, lethargic, with those awful sweats. I will try a t3 med, and reduce dose of armour. Any suggestions as to which would be best? Thank you so very much.

        Reply
        • Naturethroid is generally tolerated better than armour thyroid, but I usually prefer WP thyroid over other NDT formulations. Sustained release T3 is cytomel that is compounded to methylcellulose (usually) to delay GI absorption. Cytomel is rapidly absorbed which can lead to high serum levels and cardiac issues. In terms of which will be best for you personally it’s hard to predict and requires some degree of trial and error used in conjunction with lab tests.

          Reply
  45. Dear Dr, I did get my physician to switch me to nt from levothyroxine, and my dose of Lego was 100 mug daily and now he put me on 97.5 of naturethroid. I feel better but in the pm after dinner my ears start ringing and I feel a bit dizzy should I have added it in slowly like 50/50 and is that even possible?

    Reply
    • Hey Chris,

      I’ve pretty much have seen every and any reaction you can possibly think of, so yes anything is possible.

      Reply
  46. I am hypothyroid and take 50mcg of Levo each morning. My MD says my TSH is now in range and that is all that matters although I still have many symptoms of underactive thyroid. But I also have an issue with keeping weight ON – which is not a typical hypo symptom. Would Naturethroid possibly help someone with a weight loss issue? Thanks.

    Reply
    • Hey Jim,

      If your symptom is due to a deficiency in thyroid hormone then naturethroid may help, but it’s impossible to predict at this point and without further information.

      Reply
        • Hey Jim,

          Unfortunately even if I had the information I wouldn’t be able to offer you any sort of medical advice unless you are a current patient of mine. The best thing you can do is find someone who understands the information in this article to help you further.

          Reply
  47. Hi Dr Childs
    Can I ask you a question please. Does an autoimmune thyroid condition react badly to ndt replacemnet. ie does immune system see ndt as the same baddie as it does the thyroid, and produce more antibodies to eliminate it? Would love to hear your opinion. Thank you.

    Reply
    • Hey Karin,

      Some people seem to react negatively to NDT with hashimoto’s and other autoimmune diseases. This is likely due to the fact that the medication is porcine sourced and may be antigenic to the body due to GI related issues.

      Reply
  48. I have been taking naturethroid for 4 years and it has been great – Blood tests never showed a problem so I tested myself with temperature test, and realize needed help. Went to alternative medicine and got naturethroid. Found I have multiple nodules but have ot increased in size and monitor with ultra sound once a year by a thyroid surgeon. Recently my eyelashes started getting sparse, and at first I thought the mascara, but with weight gain (no change in diet or exercise), drying and brittle hair, and sluggishly sleepy I realized it may be thyroid. My general dr down in the area I snowbird in took a blood test and it showed that thyroid levels fine. I don’t trust those tests, and wonder if am taking too much or not enough. How do I get an accurate reading?

    Reply
    • Hey Rosalie,

      The best thing you can do is find someone who is knowledgable about thyroid function and other hormones to help guide you. You should also get a full comprehensive thyroid panel (the one I recommend on my site) as a starting point.

      Reply
  49. Dr. Childs,

    I am 64 year old female and have been on desiccated thyroid (except for a 6 month period on Synthroid) since age 26. I have had several heart tests this year and after the heart catherization experienced palpitations, supraventrical tachycardia. I have a heart monitor on now. I am questioned about my thyroid since my TSH is suppressed 0.02. I respond that the free T3 and free T4 are in normal range, but they think I am over-medicated. I cannot say if the SVT is thyroid related. My dosage is 1.5 grain or 97 mg Nature-throid. I noticed with the monitor that I am sensitive to chocolate. Could I have developed a sensitivity to the Nature-throid. I really do not want to risk the fatigue, depression, sluggish thinking that return when my thyroid is not at right dose. Can I assume the SVT will resolve itself? I will reschedule with my functional physician, but wanted to hear your thoughts. Thank you in advance.

    Reply
    • Hey R,

      I can’t comment on your situation because I know nothing about you or your health history, but in terms of thyroid and SVT in general – it needs to be evaluated and T3 can aggravate nodal pathways that may trigger and make worse the condition. In terms of myocyte activity, some patients seem to be particularly sensitive to serum levels of T3 which probably has to do with genetic differences in activity of calcium channel pumps.

      Reply
    • Hey Madelaine,

      It really just depends on your situation, but probably not unless you don’t have a functioning thyroid.

      Reply
  50. Two days ago I asked my doctor to switch me to NT from Synthroid/Lio and it seems to be to high a dose as I am getting jittery, racing heart, sweaty. I am getting a new lower dose tomorrow. If I am coming from 88mcg of Synthroid and 5mcg of Liothyronine-and my doctor said my tsh levels are still to high and needs to be reduced. She started me on 81.25mg NT and is giving me a lower dose. Is there a dose you recommend to start at? Thank you for all the information and guidance you provide, it is a blessing! I have not been happy with Synthroid and after reading all of your info I see it contains gluten which I’m not supposed to have and am very pleased to see NT doesn’t have all the “extra’s” that I need to avoid. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

    Reply
  51. Hi Dr. Childs,

    This is the 2nd time I am trying Naturethroid. I am starting, like last time, at 16.25. Last time, I stopped after a week due to increasing headaches. This time, prior to starting, I supplemented my iron due to low ferritin levels. I am not getting a headache, but I am feeling odd and dizzy. Is this something that will resolve?

    Reply
    • Hi Michele,

      Perhaps, though it’s also just as likely that you simply don’t tolerate the medication for a variety of reasons.

      Reply
  52. Hello,
    I had been on synthroid for 22 years and recently switched bec was experiencing extreme hair loss and bloatedness. I had been taking armour thyroid for a month still not right. I have now been on nature throid for 3 weeks on 65 I have been experiencing acid reflux and my cycle is 12 days late. My dose of synthroid was 100 so same dose but switched a lot. I don’t have much hair loss but am exhausted still. Are those symptoms related to nature throid?

    Reply
  53. I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism about 6 years ago after gaining some 30 lbs – after a lifetime of never gaining an ounce and I’m a senior citizen. I was put on a synthetic but I felt worse than before and after research, convinced my doctor to switch me to Armour thyroid. That worked until they changed their format and I went to Naturethroid – 65 mg one day and 32.5 the next. I just received my test results on the tests that Medicare would allow them to run – TSH 1.02 – FreeT4 0.87 – FreeT3 – 230. I’ve not had the FreeT3 run before – was just the TSH and FreeT4.

    I still have dry skin, thinning hair, and weight gain. Because I’m only 5’3″ and have arthritis in leg joints as well as myasthenia gravis (some 30+ years), I need to lose weight so the muscles and leg joints have less to carry around. I can’t find anything on line that gives information on test results while on medication – only to help diagnose it. My doctor says the results are good as long as they fall between the numbers the lab gives. Do the recent numbers indicate that the dosage is in a range that would appear to be appropriate since I still have symptoms and can’t lose weight no matter what I do.

    Reply
    • Hey Gayle,

      Thyroid dosing should be based off the approximation of tissue levels of thyroid hormone and that isn’t clear from standard thyroid lab values.

      Reply
  54. Dr. Childs,

    Thank you for your work! I feel like I have a handful of problems that all need to be fixed a bit.. and I am not sure which comes first…

    I am a 43 old female.

    I am estrogen dominant. Seems to be getting worse, at least from symptoms. Haven’t had recent testing.
    I have HPA Axis dysfunction – Hypercortisolism. I follow the healthy daily cortisol rhythms but my cortisol is just a little high.
    I have low functioning Thyroid (TSH: 3.74, freeT3: 2.8, freeT4: .98, ReverseT3: 5.96)
    I do not have any Thyroid autoimmune antibodies.
    p.s. had gut dysbiosis and small yeast overgrowth – fixed both with antimicrobial supplements.
    also – taking supplements for compound heterozygous MTHFR.

    Lastly, my most recent CBC showed my SHBG to be 143.8. Two doctors didn’t know what to make of that number being out of range and told me not to worry about it. You are the first person that has mentioned that could be related to Thyroid health. What do you think of this number being high?

    Because of my Thyroid panel, My doctor put my on Naturethroid, starting with 1/4gram. After a week (two days ago), I moved up to 1/2gr.

    I am not feeling any better – still sooo sluggish.
    How soon would I start to feel better?

    I know you cannot comment on my specific situation but when you see patients with the above symptoms, what would you suggest they attack first?

    THANK YOU SO MUCH!

    Reply
  55. Hi Dr. Childs-

    Wow how frustrating this is. And, after my last blood test results I’m really concerned. I was diagnosed with Hashimotos 15 years ago.I was on Synthyroid for years. I was finally tired of being sick and tired and feeling like crap so I requested that my new Endocrinologist change me over to Nature-Throid. Of course he’s another one of those “only treat via blood work results” kind of guys. I’ve been on 32.5 MG of Nature-Throid and.5 Cytomel for the past 15 weeks and when I received the results of my more recent blood work I couldn’t believe how high my TSH was.
    Results were;
    TSH 22.37
    Free T3 2.37
    Free T4 0.40
    Reverse T3 5.0
    Sex Hormone Binding Globulin 93.8
    He raised my Nature-Throid to.65 and said to continue the .5 Cytomel however I don’t feel that’s the right call. Since I’ve raided the Nature- Throid my hair is starting to fall out. I’m at a complete lose with what to do.
    What is your take on this?
    Thanks so much

    Reply
    • Hey Jill,

      The best thing you can do is seek out someone who is knowledgable about thyroid management and NDT/T3 thyroid hormone replacement. You also need a more complete panel including nutrient testing to manage your other symptoms.

      Reply
  56. Dear Dr.

    My head has been shaking for two years or more-I take Armour Thyroid 60.mg made by Actavis-and 15mg. made by Forest. I stopped taking the 60.mg. made by actavis and simply took five a day of 15.mg. made by forest-my head shaking has stopped-I’v been doing this for over a month–however-in tome my pharmacy will run of Forest products-should I wish to Natur-thyroid?

    Before 2008 I was fine on Armour made by Forest- os should I have a compound pharmacy make up the 60.mg using the Forest formula?
    Thank you very much . Sincerely,grandmadruskis@gmail.com

    Reply
    • Hey Beverly,

      I would recommend you take that question to your current provider, I don’t have all of the information necessary to help you.

      Reply
  57. Switched to naturethroid last summer and seemed to work very well … lost 10 pounds and a craving for sugar. Labs showed I might increase dosage which we did but I felt worse and Dr and I are now playing around with levothyroxine/naturethroid combination … which seems to be working ok. Next labs in 3 weeks.

    I read this morning on several websites I have been in error because I’ve been taking levothyroxine in morning with my cups of coffee (I take naturethroid in afternoon, usually with a coffee as well). I drink about 4-5 cups a day, 2 when I wake up, 1 at morning break and 1 about 3 pm.

    3 questions:

    What are your thoughts on taking combination of natural and synthetic?

    Do you think taking a natural and synthetic at the same time or diffferent time would be best?

    Ibuprofen. How much time before and after dose?

    After years at rigid kaiser I’ve found a doc willing to work with me and seems open and knowledgeable. Your thoughts most welcome. Thank you for your post and information.

    Reply
  58. I started taking Naturthroid on 1/14/17 after two years on Levo/Synthroid(88mg). I took half a pill for a week and started taking the whole pill each day after. I’m on 65mg once a day. I noticed about two weeks ago I started getting a red looking rash on my left breast, it seemed like it was only after a shower but now it is worse and is spreading but only on my torso and chest area. The only thing I’ve changed in the past few weeks was this medicine and I’ve started eating a hard boiled egg for breakfast, usually a good 3-4 hours after taking my Naturthroid. I’ve never had issues with eggs before so I can only think it would be the Naturethroid. Is this something to be concerned about or will it go away as my body gets used to the medicine? It doesn’t itch or seem to bother me, except for the fact that it is getting worse. I do not want to call the doctor quite yet because I don’t want him to make me stop taking it because I’m starting to feel better on it than with Levo. Thanks.

    Reply
  59. I recently started Naturethroid. I understand it should be taken at the same time every day and at least an hour before I eat.

    To keep the time I take it consistent (I wake up at different times each day), can I wake up at the same time, take the medicine and fall back asleep? I don’t mind doing this but is there any harm in doing that?

    Also I was told to wait an hour before eating to increase absorption of Naturethroid. Is it okay if the amount of time I wait before eating varies – some days it is 1 hour before I eat but some days is 3-4 hours before I eat (especially if I took it and then fell back asleep)?

    Thanks so much!

    Reply
    • Hey Ali,

      You will have to take those questions to your current provider because multiple factors can influence absorption such as supplement routines and/or medications, etc. I don’t know your story/history/symptoms, all of which influence how I recommend patients take thyroid medication.

      Reply
  60. I’ve been on levothyroxine for 30 yrs. My dose before switching to nature thyroid was 137mcg. My naturopath converted my dose and I began taking 1 and 1/4 grain. I developed insomnia so she backed up my dose to 1/2 grain x 5 days, 3/4 grain x 5 days. I started to sleep again at 1/2 grain but now I’m stuck at 3/4 grain with insomnia again and feel unable to titrate up. Ive also gained 8 lbs since starting the nature thyroid. I initially started converting about a month ago. Ive never had enough energy on levo alone and I notice the change in energy levels and dont want to give up. Are we ramping up too fast? Would it help to see where my levels are at now before proceeding with a dose change? Do some patients need a combination of levo and natture thyroid?

    Reply
    • Hey Neena,

      I never put any patient on the combination of NDT + levothyroxine because you have much more flexibility with T4/T3 combinations compounded. The best thing you can do is find someone knowledgeable to help guide you because 10+ factors may be influencing your current symptoms.

      Reply
  61. Dear Dr. Childs, When I was on Forest Armour Thyroid-I was fine-then when Actavis took over my head started to have tremors-so for the last month I’ve been using up my 15.mg armour thyroid produced by Forest -instead of taking the 60mg. Actavis armout thyroid-i must have about 300 pills of the 15mg-so I take four to five a day-my tremors have stopped-so apparently the Actavis tablet did not agree with me-the pharmacy has always given me 60mg. of Actavis and 15mg. armour thyroid made by Forest-If I change to Nature -thyroid would that be better or should I have a compound pharmacy make up Armour thyroid using the Forest recipe?
    I have never told my Doctor about the tremors-he isn’t one to prescribe medicine –
    Thank you for any response.

    Reply
  62. Dr. Westin Childs,

    Great article although it seems most people have a difficult time on T4 only and/or switching to NDT (myself included) which is very frustrating. I have been on Levothyroxine (175mcg) for about 7 years and never felt good. I tried NT once but the side effects almost put me in the ER. I don’t think that particular Dr knew what he was doing. I have found a new Dr that is willing to try NT with me once again but I am nervous about the transition. When I tried NT in the past I had all the symptoms mentioned above. I recently did an adrenal saliva test which came back normal but my reverse T3 was above normal. (on T4 only)

    My main question would be, should one slowly wean off Levo while slowly adding NT? If my body is used to 175mcg of T4 daily, to simply cut that off and replace with an initial low dose of T4/T3 seems counterproductive. If I go 2 days w/o 175mcg of T4 I will crash hard and be extremely sick. Since even 1 Grain of NT has only 38 mcg T4, how do people transition properly and with the least amount of issues. I understand one will most likely be worse before they get better, but having the, “do I need to call 911” conversation is not an acceptable transition.

    Thanks in advance for your insight.

    Reply
    • Hey Jayson,

      There are many ways to do this correctly but deciding which avenue to use depends largely on the patient. For your information, as long as you transition correctly, you really shouldn’t feel worse in the process.

      Reply
  63. Dr. Weston Child’s,
    My doctor prescribed Nature-Throid one grain after my TSH was high on two different tests(15). After being on that amount for two months, I just got results of new blood test. Wow, the TSH went down to 2.27, which seems great. However, my total T4 went down from 5.8 to 5.5, and the free T3 went down from 2.7 to 2.2. Shouldn’t those numbers have gone up to mid normal ranges instead of dropping? Even though basal temp has improved, it is still low. Also my bowels are more sluggish than before. I do feel better when I arise each morning. I believe an increase in the meds would be helpful, but I haven’t heard from doctor’s office yet.
    Could you tell me if this result is good? Will my T4 and T3 go up as I continue on this dosage over time, or Would a higher dose be beneficial? I want to understand, and I want to feel energetic and be as healthy as I can be. The lower numbers on thyroid hormones concerns me.
    Thank you ahead of time for your suggestions.
    Denise

    Reply
    • Hey Denise,

      Individual thyroid lab tests should be looked at in conjunction with other lab tests. Like other hormones in the body, thyroid lab tests change each day, which means that if you checked your lab tests 1 hour later or 1 hour earlier they would be different. Because of this (and other reasons) it’s more helpful to look at trends than individual lab values.

      Reply
  64. Good Evening. I am 22 years old and have been diagnosed with Hashimoto’s almost 11 years ago now. I was taking 120 mcg of Levothyroxine, then switched to Armour Thyroid and now I am on 130mg of Nature-Throid. I am gluten free and have a very limited dairy intake. I feel hopeless in this whole endeavor as my symptoms have gotten drastically worse. On my current dose of Nature-Throid I am experiencing the following symptoms: I am overweight by 10-20 pounds, thyroid gland is physically hurting even without touching it, fatigue, body aches and joint pain,and brain fog. I am concerned that I am doing something wrong, since my medicine doesn’t seem to be working. Are there any specific labs you suggest for me to ask my doctor to order to ensure that I am on the right medication as well as the right dose. I am supposed to go on my honeymoon in June and it sure would be nice to finally feel well after all this time.

    Reply
  65. Very interesting! Thank you for this info. I started on Nature throid 65 mg and none of my symptoms improved. My physician then added Levorhyroxin 25. After a few months I felt better than I had in years. Muscle aches, gone. Energy, back. Clear thinking, improved mood, off the charts. My T3 levels at that time were on the high side but she left me at that dosage for 10 weeks. Over the last 3 weeks my symptoms have started to return. Especially muscle aches, lack of energy and moodiness. We just rechecked my levels and my T3 is now in the “normal” range. Based on how I am feeling, I was much better in the “high” range. Thoughts?

    Reply
    • Hey Kim,

      Thyroid levels change throughout the day, so unless you can account for every possible variable it’s not necessarily helpful to look at individual thyroid lab tests. Also, T3 by itself is not the best way to evaluate your thyroid function and base your dosing on.

      Reply
      • My new labs show everything is in balance except my T3. Prior to meds I was at 2.9, with the combination in Dec I was at 4.5 – which is when I felt great. Now, same meds, I’m back down to 3.2 with similar symptoms as at 2.9. Dr. is at a loss of what to do…
        Suggestions? I’m not a physician but it appears to me that we need to find the underlying reason if all my other labs look good.
        Thanks so much, love the info you provide on this site.

        Reply
  66. I am new to hypothyroidism. Have recently started naturthroid. I’m about 2 1/2
    Months in and my anxiety has shot through the roof. I’m also on Bioidenticals for hormone replacement. Could the anxiety be related to the thyroid med?

    Reply
  67. Hello Dr. Childs, I’m a 59 year-old female. I’ve been on Levothyroxine since I was 27yrs old. I’ve finally have a Doctor who is willing to change my meds to naturthroid. I’ve been on a dose of 65mg and I do exactly what you mentioned earlier I cut it in half through out the day to not feel jittery. It seems to be working the only thing is my OBGYN has taken me off of my estradiol and I’m getting night sweats & some day ones too. Can you recommend something natural for my sweats.
    Thank you!!!
    Cyndy

    Reply
  68. I have been on Naturethroid since 11/2016. Started on 32mg have increased to 97.5 this week. Feel terrible, sluggish, no stamina or energy, no motivation to do anything. My Reverse T3 was 19.3 in November. I am beginning to think this is the problem. Am I on the right track?

    Reply
    • Hey Betty,

      Possibly, it’s hard to say for sure without a complete evaluation but a high reverse T3 isn’t something you want to ignore.

      Reply
  69. I switched from Levo to NDT (Nautrethroid) about 7 months ago. At that time I had an amazing “honeymoon” period of a month. I felt incredible increase in energy and mental clarity. At this same time, I went gluten-free, soy-free, corn-free and mostly dairy-free. So, I assume both contributed to me feeling better/different. My dose has increased to currently fluctuating between 113.75 to 130 (2 grains) per day. I also have MTHFR and started high doses of Vitamin D and Iron due to a deficiencies. However, over the last couple of months, I have noticed an increase in “new” symptoms and I have been writing it off to a general progression of my Hashimotos or peri-menopause. My TSH remains super suppressed (0.03) but the T3 and T4 have remained in normal ranges (reverse T3 was 17 in AM), although my TPO slightly increased & my
    TSI increased from 1.3 (12/15) to 4.4 (last month) after steadily decreasing since 2011.

    I’ve read that a small percentage of Hashi patients who experience their immune systems attacking the porcine/thyroid glandular and actually making more antibodies. The most concerning symptoms are dizziness, anxiety, and eye pressure/super light sensitivity (as well as startling easily) for about two plus weeks now. I am wondering if I need to decrease my NDT – or – if there is an “average” dose is you see patients do well on? Are the symptoms I am experiencing from being overmedicated. I see a DO and he suggested RAISING my NDT, I am uncomfortable with that.

    Reply
    • Hi Katie,

      Yes, some people with Hashimoto’s do react negatively with an increase in antibodies and “flare” up symptoms when taking NDT – presumably due to the animal component.

      In my practice each person is incredibly different in terms of their dosing and the amount of T4 to T3 that they take, so I couldn’t give you an “average” dose or anything like that because it depends on so many factors.

      Reply
  70. Hello my questions are for months ago my hormone doctor put me on armor thyroid 60 mg I don’t believe it worked I still felt like crap and I was always extremely cold . They recently changed me to nature thyroid aid 65 mg. I actually feel a lot better I have more energy the way is slowly coming off a little bit more but I am so cranky irritable and can’t sleep is that normal ? I thought maybe the dust was too high but that is the lowest one so I started cutting them in half to try to get used to it is that OK any suggestions to help that would be wonderful .

    Reply
  71. A couple of wks ago my gynocoligist put me on Naturethroid. She said results of my bloodwork showed my thyroid is low. I am not educated on the subject of thyroid to know how low it even is, so I went along with it. 130 mg 2x a day, Basic Nutrient 2x a day, ADK10 and Iodine is what she prescribed. The Naturetrhoid bottle said once daily but paper from Dr said 2x a day. Pharmacist said 130 mg is not lowest dosage & not us usally prescribed 2X a day, insurance will only cover 1.5 a day. She called Dr to explain about ins., Dr said keep it 2x a day. I don’t have any follow ups w/ Dr. After doing a little research I am a little concerned that I should be somewhat monitored. I am nervous about taking the amount of medicine, especially if I don’t need it. I am thinking I should go see an endocrinologist.

    Reply
    • Hey Amanda,

      You should discuss these concerns with your current physician because there is always logic behind each decision (but sometimes they don’t explain it to you), but in general I have to say that most pharmacists do more harm than good because they are not clinicians. There are many times when I prescribe medications certain ways that pharmacists don’t understand which leads to questions on their part and confusion for the patient.

      Reply
      • Thank for your reply Dr. I will definitely discuss these concerns with her & get a better explanation for her diagnosis & dosgae.

        Reply
  72. Hello Dr. Childs,

    I was taking Amour Thyroid for almost a year (I unfortunately can’t remember the mg dose). I felt better in many ways: about 5 lbs of weight loss, bloated feeling went away and not as tired all the time. However, I was sweating like nobody’s business! During the day, and also at night, which kept me from having a solid night’s sleep. My naturopath switched me to Nature-throid (32.5mg) and my excessive sweating has gone away, and therefore, I am having a better night’s sleep. However, I’ve gained back that 5 lbs (and it’s climbing), am very tired again (despite the good nights sleep), and I have the heart palpitations you mention. So, I’m wondering what you think of this. I’m guessing it’s an easy fix – either back to the Amour, but maybe a lower dose (?), or a different dose of the Nature-throid. My goal is to go back to losing that 5+ lbs, no excessive sweating, sleeping through the night, no heart palpitations and not feeling so tired and bloated all the time. I am on the lower side of things when concerning hypothyroidism, but we thought we’d tackle it before it become more of a problem (both my mother and sister have always struggled with it). I look forward to hearing your thoughts. Thank you so much for your information on this page – it’s a gem!
    I will be talking to my doctor again, but thought I’d see what you had to say, as well.
    Thanks again!

    Reply
    • Hey Maria,

      Some people do better on one version of NDT over another. It’s always worth switching back to equivalent dosages of different versions of NDT to see how you tolerate it.

      Reply
  73. Is it safe to stop taking Naturethroid if your T3 is too high (4.8) and are experiencing hyper symptoms? I have both Graves and Hashi antibodies but have been treated for hypo for the past five years. After 7 months on NDT my TSI has increased and I am appearing hyper (TSH 0.001 and T3 and T4 high). My Doc suggested stopping NDT for a few days and resuming at a lower dose. Not sure if I dose was too high – or- I am experiencing a reaction to NDT.

    Is it safe to stop NDT abruptly?

    Reply
    • Hey Katie,

      Because of how volatile changes to thyroid hormone can be you should make those changes under physician supervision. Generally it’s best to avoid making large changes all at once, but sometimes it is necessary – each case depends on the person and their situation.

      Reply
  74. Hi Dr Childs –

    I’m a 50 yr old woman with a long and complicated medical history. The shortest re-cap I can give is: I received some vaccines in 1995, the day of I became incredibly ill, developed burning rashes on my skin, extreme fatigue, nausea and vomiting, and dizziness upon standing. I had four really sick years and never got a diagnosis. They told me had lupus then went back and forth with a whole host of other conditions and in the end said, yeah, probably lupus, not sure, good luck.
    After all that I avoided doctors for years and just have lived my life always being sick.
    About four years ago I started lactating (for no reason, I’ve never been pregnant and never delivered a baby) and all my hair has started falling out, plus the fatigue has been overwhelming. At this point I decided that despite the fact I’d be happy to never see a doctor again in my life, I better go in.
    Another long story made kinda short I’ve now been diagnosed as narcoleptic and I’ve found out that I’m low in free T3 and T4. My western med doc refused to treat me for the thyroid issues and only wanted to give me some form of medical speed. I threw the speed away and I found a naturopath who is treating me with Nature Thyroid.
    My question is: I’m still incredibly tired and I’m rapidly going bald – both things are causing me huge distress and I’m wondering if some people just don’t respond to Nature Thyroid? Are there other supplements I could/should be taking to help with my symptoms? Can Nature Thyroid actually increase the hair loss?
    Thank you for whatever response you can give, I know this is a long question and honestly I feel like a hopeless case….
    Sincerely,
    Liz

    Reply
  75. My son (7years old, Down Syndrome, Hypothyroidism) was on levothyroxine for a couple of years. In October we switched him to NatureThroid and we just repeated labs to see about dosing and his TSH is at 3 (we like to see it under 2) but his FT3 was elevated for the first time ever. Historically, his Reverse T3, FT3 and FT4 were always normal. My son is prone to anxiety which can lookalike restless body and sometimes aggression. He takes 32.5 in the morning and 16.25 in the evening. I want to see his TSH lower, but I’m wondering if the NatureThroid could be the reason his FT3 is elevated and does this mean it’s not the right medication for him? Because the symptoms of hypothyroidism can closely resemble the symptoms of DS, and because my son’s ability to articulate “how he feels” at this stage, I am somewhat reliant on labs. Any insight?

    Reply
  76. Hello
    I am currently on 135mg of nature thyroid and I feel awful. I do think my adrenals are stressed but since I’ve switched to nature thyroid 2 years ago I immediately gained 15 pounds and now I’m up to 40. I’m very quick tempered as well. Im wondering if it’s time to switch back to t4 plus cytomel? I’m gluten dairy she refined sugar free… supplementing with probiotics and iron. .vitamin c..selenium.
    Thank you so much for ask the info !

    Reply
  77. I follow your website closely. I started Nature-Throid Nov. 2016. At that time my RT3 was 19.3 and FT3 was 2.4. I followed
    the scale of increasing the dose every 2 weeks by 1/4 gr. Cannot tolerate 65 or 97.5 mg. Side effects are terrible. Feel
    terrible on 48.75 also. Very tired and no stamina. I have concluded that my problem may be the RT3. Plan to decrease
    NDT and add Cytomel. (My doctor is great and willing to help me but is not experience in this. We are following your
    information.) How much lower should I decrease the NDT before starting Cytomel. Any suggestions we would
    appreciate. thank you.

    Reply
  78. I just found your article.. So in August my doc put me on 90 mg Armour for sub-clinical hypo. At the 5 week point, I began having panic attacks and the shakes. I stopped the Armour. I then did a saliva for Adrenals and results were very low morning cortisol levels and high eve, plus Dhea almost non existent. I started 20mg Cortef and then my doc put me on 20mg Cytomel. So now around 4-5 months later my Rt3 is low (8.1), Ft4 low (0.75), and Ft3 should be higher (2.5). It’s like it did nothing for me… Now doc is having me start Nature Throid. Is this what you would do? I read most people have problems with high Rt3, but not much is mentioned about when it is low.. Any insight is much appreciated. Blessings, Heidi

    Reply
    • Hey Heidi,

      Your reverse T3 is low because you were on T3 only thyroid medication, it will always do that. There aren’t any articles on low reverse T3 because it’s not felt to be a problem by itself.

      Reply
  79. I recently had my blood work done and all my numbers look good although TSH was very low. I have been taking naturethroid for a few years now and was currently taking three grains. I mentioned to the nurse practitioner that I had had some heart palpitations so she wanted me to decrease my dose to 2 1/2 grains. I took the lower dose today and felt awful not myself….rough day at work. Could that have made a difference so quickly just in one day, one dose? I think I might try what you mentioned in the above article about splitting my dose in half and continue on the three grain like I have been. For the most part I have been feeling pretty good
    Thanks!

    Reply
    • Hey Kim,

      Changes in your energy level could be due to a bad nights sleep or a hundred other things including your thyroid dosing. I wouldn’t base your decision to change thyroid dosing on one day of symptoms. If this continued for several days to weeks then that would be a different story entirely.

      Reply
  80. Help! I started naturethroid about 2 months ago and increased my dose about to weeks ago to 48.75 mg. Since then I’ve felt so exhausted, all I want to do is sleep. I’ve also gained about 8 pounds since starting this medication. I was hoping for the opposite 🙁 Any idea what could be going on?

    heres some numbers:

    Pre treatment: free t4: 1.10 (.93-1.7)
    TSH 1.090 (.27-4.2)
    free t3: 2.54 (2.0-4.40)

    Four weeks into treatment (she increased after this)
    free t4: .96
    TSH 1.17
    free t3 2.63

    Reply
  81. If I am currently taking 100mcg of synthroid, what would be the appropriate dose of naturethroid?

    thank you very much for taking time to address my question

    Reply
    • Hey Margie,

      There is not an “appropriate dose” necessarily, but generally dosages may range from 65mg to 130mg depending on tolerance, adrenal function, reverse T3 levels, etc.

      Reply
  82. 2012 -Hyper
    2013 – RAI removal of thyroid
    Treated with Levothyroxine not very effective and lots of symptoms : constantly falling asleep, aching limbs, brain not always properly operating and steady weight gain (28 lbs). In addition a cardiac “event” resulting in two stents placed in cardiac arteries. Refused offer of 80mg Lipitor. T3 never tested by labs.
    2016 October Had private full blood test. T3 at bottom of range. No T3 prescribed In UK. Decided with learning support from ThyroidUK forum to go it alone on Nature Throid which I import privately from NZ.
    Started by combining 100 Levo with 1/4grain carefully reducing Levo and upping N T every two weeks. Now have been on 2 + 1/4 grains for 3 months. Feel normal again, have lost 10lbs and T3 is 5.8 (3.1-6.8) range.Thank you for this report. We amateurs need all the help we can get!

    Reply
  83. I’ve been hypothyroid for 20+ years. I had a thyroidectomy 2 years ago.(non cancerous nodules) Been taking naturethyroid for 1+ years. My TSH levels have been 0.59 – 1.02 last few lab draws. I can tell when my levels are off. I get my levels checked with self pay through Sonora Quest labs, since my doctor only does it once every 6 months. Todays level was 5.69. ??? I have taken my Naturethroid consistently. I take 195 mg 5 days a week, and 162.5mg 2 days a week. Gained 5 lbs this month! always a bit heavy….
    I have had a lot of joint pain, hunger, low energy, heart palpatations, hot flashes in the last 2 months. How can my level jump that much? My endocrinologist is pretty useless, so I’m asking you instead. Sounds like you know your thyroid stuff. I take no other meds. Supplements I take: fish oil, VitD, daily multivitamin, biotin, occasional naproxen (joint pain..tendonitis), advil. Would appreciate insight.

    Reply
    • Hi Tracy,

      Thyroid function and status fluctuates over time and throughout the day. This sort of thing happens to my patients as well and is usually due to changes in metabolic function, liver clearance of thyroid hormone, improved metabolism, etc.

      Reply
  84. I have been taking Naturethroid for 8wks started with 1 grain for two weeks and was definitely undermedicated,then increased to 1 1/4 grains as advised by my Endo did have some palpitations and jittery spells so eased off for a day.My sleep improved and body temp however my Tsh had risen to 5.9 ! Endo advised increase to 1 1/2 grains for two weeks then 1 3/4 grain however I am struggling on 1 1/2 grains hot flashes, palpitations so should I go back to 1 1/4 ? I have Hashimoto’s thyroiditis.

    Reply
  85. Hello, I was diagnosed by my endo as hypo due to Hashimoto thyroiditis after my internist said labs showed Tsh of 30. After 6 weeks on Nature Throid my labs were 0.38. I’m feeling better overall however I do feel bloated & weight will not budge despite watching what I eat & frequent exercising. I have noticed my appetite has increased since being on NT & have to carefully watch everything I eat. Actually my weight is at an all time high. Endo said hormones are to blame since I’m (fingers crossed) 1 month shy of reaching menopause. I have chosen not to take prescribed estrogen & only take chaste tree & Endo really had no other suggestion. I’m very tempted to go the phentermine route (which she would not prescribe) but with a history of anxiety & panic attacks am hesitant to try. Any suggestions for additional supplements to curb appetite/weight loss or help with my hormones would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for your time.

    Reply
  86. I just was switched from Synthroid 50 mcg to WP Thyroid 16.25mg. It has only been five days but my symptoms of dizziness and tiredness has seem to return. I am uncertain if I have not gave the medication long enough or my dose might be to low. I am just looking for guidance before consulting my physician if I should just give it more time. Thank You for your response.

    Reply
    • Hi Margie,

      It’s difficult to say but your current set of symptoms may be related to your dose – thyroid lab tests should help guide you.

      Reply
  87. Hi, I am currently alternating 32.5mg & 48.75 mg Naturthroid monday thru friday, & saturday & sunday 32.5 mg.
    Is it good for the body to have an alternating incease & decrease?
    Thank you,
    Sue

    Reply
  88. Hi,

    I was diagnosed with adrenal fatigue in feb 2015 and was only able to tolerate thyroid meds starting aug 2016 (without getting heart palps). Nature Throid (currently at 48.75) seems to lower TSH and raise T4 but Free T3 continues to go down. Added Cytomel 5mcg AM and Free T3 went down again to 2.2, it is now the lowest it has been. TSH=1.34 Free T4=1.10.

    Tried adding another 5mcg of Cytomel at lunch time and got heart palps and stopped that dosage.

    Any advice or guidance would be much appreciated.

    Reply
    • Hi Susan,

      Playing the “number game” with thyroid labs is not the best approach to treatment. You need to be looking at other factors such as your symptoms, basal heart rate and metabolism.

      Reply
  89. Hello, Thanks for the article 🙂

    My mum has just been taken off Naturethroid 3 grains and Nutri adrenal 300mg daily for 6 weeks (with a referal to an endo and blood tests at 6 weeks) as she ended up with atrial fibrillation in A&E twice where they batteled to get her heart rate down.. BP was ok. Shes been off them for 2.5 weeks now and is starting to feel very hypo again (although palaptations and atrial fib have gone), i’m wondering if Naturethroid leaves the body more quickly than Levothyroxine?
    I’m also concerned that her referral will take much longer than 6 weeks to come through and she is completely untreated hypo all this time.. She has Bi-polar too. i read in your article that T3 only is preferable for Bi-polar Px.. Why is this? If i manage to get her on T3, is it likely she will see a return of AF and assoc symptoms? She was on Levothyroxine for 2 years with no improvement and has a dysfunctional cortisol cycle.. low in morning, high at night, often leaving her awake for much of the night. Thanks

    Reply
  90. My thyroid issues started 17 yrs ago with Graves. 9 months after diagnosis, RAI Followed by 15 yrs of synthroid, lexoyl, etc. Never felt great switched to armour for just under a year, not great, doc switched to nature thyroid, numbers are in good range, but I’m experiencing massive amounts of hair loss. Gained 10 lbs too. Doc thinking back to synthroid and adding T3. Any thoughts?

    Reply
  91. Hi Doc,

    I’m totally on board with Nature throid looking at T3 supplementation. I have patients though that have low normal T3 and TSH (ie, a current patient with a 0.9 TSH, 0.8 T4, 2.6 free T3. She is a weight loss patient. Is it possible to start her on Nature throid and not throwing her ito hyperthryoidism as her TSH drops?

    Reply
    • Hi William,

      Yes, the vast majority of patients do well on NDT, but some patients will need smaller doses of T3 only medication. You will have to use trial and error to figure out who needs what (based on labs, symptoms, etc.)

      Reply
  92. I recently was on Armour thyroid and changed to Naturethroid. Since taking Naturethroid, I have headaches every day. Is this normal? 65 mg tablet. Thank you.

    Reply
  93. Hi Doctor Childs: So grateful for time and guidance in all these questions.

    I was treated successfully on Armour 180 mg. Due to huge price increase, my doc switched me to Naturethroid- 195 mg. 5 months ago. Having eye pain and muscle cramps, hair loss, fatigue and 5 lb weight gain over the past 2 months- had been fine on it until then.
    Now TSH is .008
    T4 .079
    T3 2.4

    Doc wants to cut dose in half without weaning down.I am doing that with headaches and fatigue. Do you recommend a safer weaning down schedule and any comment on the normal T3 level with everything else being overtreated?

    Thank you very much.

    Reply
    • Hi Ibg,

      Each person is different and may require different amounts of T3 and T4. Armour thyroid and other NDT preparations are static in their dosing schedule so they don’t work for everyone.

      Reply
  94. I started out with a TSH of 200.0 I was on Levothyroxine for 7 years and my hyp symptoms have never resolved I have gained 50lbs and since starting Naturethroid 2 months gained 5lbs. I was started to high and had the heart palpatations I also when my TSH was non existent on Levothyroxine I also had the heart palpatations. I am guessing my adrenal glands are shot I have not done a cortisol saliva test es. I suffer from Insomnia and also at times have been so tired unable to funtion I am a nurse and work pm’s and nights. Do you have any suggestions? or recommendations? My theraputic holostic MD just left I will be seeing a NP. Thank You

    Reply
    • Hi Rene,

      Make sure you look at other hormones in your body in addition to your thyroid, hormones like insulin and leptin.

      Reply
  95. Hi, my doctor raised me from 2-3 grains with 15mcg of cytomel. They did the big jump bc I am pregnant and my levels were low. Now I have high t3, rt3 and feel awful. My t4 is finally in the low end of the range. How can I safely regroup and get balanced while pregnant? We’ve dropped the cytomel down, but should I also reduce the nature thyroid? I have a mix of hyper and hypo symptoms.

    Reply
  96. Hey Dr. Childs…

    I have read so much since finding your sight today…I currently take 2grain Naturethroid… it is the only med in 17 years that has made me feel better…synthroid etc… never worked… I want to fly to AZ to meet with you and discuss my needle aspiration I had due to nodules…. Are you taking patients? seriously… I went to a practitioner who put me on a low calorie diet…I lost 114 lbs but now i have hashimotos and I have gained 80+ back…please consider an appointment with me. Thank you. Traci

    Reply
  97. Tues.April 25
    My integrative medicine Dr switched me from synthroid .100mg to naturethroid 5 days ago, 32.5mgincreasing one tablet every 3 days until I reach 4 tablets daily. I am experiencing nervousness, irritability, more rapid heart rate & fatigue. I am researching appropriate conversioncharts, came across your informative site. I am waiting for my Dr to return my call. ThankYou for your reply, Sincerely Mrs. Artie

    Reply
  98. I am on 97.5 Nature thyroid,can I just try to take half in the morning and half at night on my own. Anything I need to watch out for?

    Reply
  99. Question: I was taking Synthroid for over 10 years, had weigh gain, was changed gradually to naturthroid/taking synthroid together until totally on Naturethroid for over one year. Suddenly (it seemed that way) I started having heart palpations. Had lab work, and needed to increase Naturthroid Which we did. AFter 3 weeks, the heart palpations came back and I was feeling really bad. My body was fatigued. I went to Endocrinologist and we switched back to Synthroid and he added the lowest dose of liothyronine (T3). I am still have palpations in the middle of the night, but they are not waking me up like in the past, but I do still notice them after two weeks. I am going to split my dosage to take 1/2 in am and 1/2 pm and see if that helps. My question is, can the T3 prescription still cause palpations? I don’t like that feeling because it happens in middle of night, and it almost makes me panic. I read where patients reported having them in the middle of the night. So dividing my dose in the AM and PM was a suggestion or taking in the PM. I am going to try that. My Endocrinologist told me to try this if taking all in the morning didnt help. My concern is my heart still palpates. It never did before on the synthroid unless I was taking too much. Does it take a while for the T3 to leave your system from Naturethroid and will the Liothyronine cause or keep the palpations as a side effect?

    Reply
  100. If I’m on 75mcg of Synthroid and have had RAI treatment for graves..do I start out with 1 or 2 grains? I’m confused on dosage…when it says 1grain is only 38mcg of T4 and 9mcg of T3..Is 1 grain going to give me enough T4? Thank you!

    Reply
    • Hi Lynne,

      That largely depends on your body and how much thyroid hormone you need, there is no way to accurately predict the amount you will need.

      Reply
  101. After being off NT for around 9 mos and after taking it for 5 years I am back on for 2.5 mos. I’m very anxious yet tired all the time, but my numbers are slowly coming up! I’ve been told to split my dose 81.25. Into two doses. I’m in the process of switching drs, so I don’t have a resource yet! I have lost about 23 lbs since I started the NT. But still suffering mentally and physically!

    Reply
    • Hi Lezli,

      Congrats on the weight loss. Treating the mental issues related to thyroid function definitely seem to be more difficult for some patients and take longer than some of the physical aspects of the disease.

      Reply
  102. I have a question regarding Nature Throid and TSH suppression. Do you know if skipping the Nature Throid on the day of the blood test would stop the TSH suppression? Or is that not long enough to have an effect?

    Thanks!

    Reply
  103. My Doc just told me I should go back to synthetic due to my age and increased heart valve and/or heart attack risk with WP Thyroid. I can’t find any research that shows this risk w/age. I’ve been on thyroid meds since 1984. I am now 69 yrs old. I’ve been symptomatic for about the last 15yrs with multiple switches. For the past 2 yrs my #s have been reasonable on the WP Thyrioid but I’ve gained almost 25 pounds in 3 yrs. My hair if falling out terrible but I still don’t feel as badly as when I was on Synthroid. Since NDT I no longer need BP med, Nexium, medication for neuropathy pain or symptoms of fibromyalgia. I hate to go back but afraid of the Heart risks especially since that’s exactly what resulted in my mom’s death. Thanks for the response.

    Reply
  104. I just switched to nature throid about a week ago. I was on levothyroxine. I don’t feel better but not terrible I feel like different meds are now in me a bit agitated but I was that way b fore kinda. I feel more fatigued at times I think. It’s hard to tell. Hashimotos is my diagnosed ill. I have a hard time taking two doses a day. Used to just taking the one when I wake up and my brain function is terrible and maybe worse now. I forgot the first day the 2nd dose so I skipped. I forgot today so I just took it at 10 pm but hopefully it doesn’t keep me up feeling a little stimulated now. Reading your article maybe I’m just starting to much too fast

    Reply
  105. upped NT dosage from 97 to 113 due to lab work and have had racing heart and panic attacks with mental unrest. finally took lower dose this morning. how long does it stay in the body. I’m ready to feel my normal tired self. this anxiety is so debilitating

    Reply
    • Hi Jenny,

      Anywhere form a few days to a few weeks – depending on whether it was related to T3 or T4.

      Reply
  106. Hi, my doctor increased my naturethoid from 1 grain to 1.25 grains a few weeks ago. I have had bouts of overwhelming depression, been weepy and irritable and wonder if this is the reason. It’s not every day but this latest has been lasting for 3 days. I am not usually this unhappy. Is depression a side affect of increasing dosage?

    Reply
  107. I was hoping to convince my doctor to increase my Naturethroid from 3 grains to at least 3 1/2 because my Free T3 and Free T4 are in range but not optimal. She refused because of my TSH. My hair has started falling out again and I run out of energy about 3pm each day. Thoughts? I’m wondering if adding in T3 is the answer.

    FT3 3.0 (2.3-4.2) pg/mL
    FT4 .90 (.82-1.77) ng/dL
    RT3 14 (8 – 25) ng/dL
    TSH .02 (.45-4.5) (mIU/L)

    Also, ever since two weeks after my Thyroidectomy my ears ring 24/7 with tinnitus. My endo says she has never heard of that being a symptom but I have found so many hypothyroid people that have tinnitus. Are my ears permanently damaged from being hypothyroid too long after surgery? It has been 16 months. Thanks in advance for any advice you can provide. I live in NC.

    Reply
  108. To start I am someone who has battled being Hypo and suffers from hashimotos for years. I took synthroid and T3 for some time with no luck. I started taking Westhroid in December. I immediately lost all of the weight I had gained being hypo and overall felt pretty great. In February I had blood work and I was actually a little hyper so my doctor cut back my dose slightly. I did pretty well until mid April. In a matter of about 3 weeks I regained all of the weight and started having issues with being sluggish and fatigued. I did blood work and sure enough I was now hypo again. My free T3 and total T3 had tanked. My doctor increased my westhroid again 2 weeks ago. I have felt more energy but have lost none of the weight. I’m hoping I can get back to the place I was when I first started taking it but I’m really nervous it isn’t going to work. Have you ever seen this happen with westhroid?

    Reply
    • Hi Courtney,

      If you read through my blog posts you will find more information regarding what likely happened in your situation. The bottom line is that you can’t determine if someone is hyperthyroid or hypothyroid based solely on lab tests.

      Reply
      • So am I safe to assume that perhaps I wasn’t hyper? I have been on this dose for 2 weeks which was the original dose I am on but I’m wondering when it would be safe to try an increase.

        Reply
  109. I just started taking Nature Throid and feel drugged and cant stop sleeping 🙁
    I have euthroid hashimotos thyroiditis and have been medication free for 5 months. before that i was on 50mg levothyroxine for 6months..which was increased to 100mg which made me sweaty…in hindsight should have gone to 75mg instead. Currently, TPO antibodies are around 200 and Thyroglobulin antibodies are 667. TSH 2.8 . free T4 and free T3 normal range. I don’t know my RT3.
    so…should I go back to Levothyroxine and just get the dose right? i felt fine on 50mg but just needed more energy. 100mg was too high.
    This nature throid has literally taken me down, i feel awful. i can barely talk, cannot stay awake, feel over stimulated, tight chested. im talking only half a grain split into 2 doses, morning and afternoon. Its only been a few days but the reaction has frightened me as i never had this with Levo, which felt positive. I was just hoping the T3 aspect of NDT would give me the energy boost im craving and help me shift the extra Weight that hashimoto’s has lumbered me with.

    I’d be so grateful for anyone’s thoughts. I really thought NDT was going to be my magic solution as everyone is so down on synthetic T4 but im starting to think that maybe synthetic T4 is simply what works with me best right now.

    Reply
  110. I am 64. I’ve been on desiccated thyroid for 37 years, various doses. I was on Synthroid for about 3 months in 30s and needed to switch back. My TSH has declined 0.02 – 0.01 for past decade, post menopause. My dose is reduced and now frequency is every other day. I have had heart superventical tachycardia for about a year. I don’t experience changes in the palpitations when thyroid is changed and I feel emotionally worse (weepy, sad) on the every other day frequency. Do I have to suffer from low thyroid to see if my heart issues are agitated by thyroid medication? Please write with your suggestions.

    Reply
    • Hi Robin,

      I would find an electrophysiologist and see if you can simply ablate the problem, then you don’t have to worry about your thyroid dose.

      Reply
  111. I am 62 and have Hashimoto’s. I am a runner and I follow a paleo diet, no gluten, no sugar, no legumes, no grains. I was taking about 82 mg of dissected thyroid and felt awful: swollen ankles, puffy eyes, brain fog, insomnia, serious hair loss, high cholesterol, but my ND refused to increase my medication and kept it for two long years because my THS was “low”. I am now at 150 mg and I am feeling great: in about two weeks, all my symptoms disappeared (and I can run again as my running shoes are fitting my feet again). I am myself again. My Free T4 is 1.21 ng/dL and Free T3 is 3.9 pg/mL. TPO is 99 IU/mL, and Thyroglobulin ab is 5.8 IU/mL. The only question for you, should I have to worry about my suppressed THS? The result is 0.009 uIU/ml, but I have never felt better since diagnosed. Thank you so much. All the best.

    Reply
  112. I notice you mentioned that Nature Throid (or any of the NDT) is not the best thyroid treatment. In your opinion, what is the best thyroid treatment?

    Reply
    • Hi Teresa,

      There really isn’t a “best” thyroid treatment in a general sense, instead there is a “best” for each person.

      Reply
      • I’m back on levothyroxine after an awful experience of Nature Throid (drugged feeling, unable to stay awake, tears and depression). I’m glad I’ve ticked it off my list as something to try but I wish I’d just stayed on levothyroxine this whole time. I was swayed by all the messages from sites and forums that really trash levo and champion NDT as the only option that ‘really works’. That’s amazing for the people that’s true for, but not me. So my advice to everyone is feel good about whatever works for you and makes you feel better! Stick to resources of info that include ALL the options, not just one or two.
        Im a few days in to levothyroxine again and feel better already.
        I’m glad I found this site as a resource for balanced, unbiased info and commentary.

        Reply
        • Thank you for posting this. I couldn’t agree more. Isn’t it amazing how persuasive people are? Yep, let’s be happy for what works for US. I am in the middle of a trial with NDT, from 16 years with synthroid and cytomel that I was not unhappy with, just to see. If this doesn’t pan out I will proudly tout T4/T3 synthetic combo as what works for me.

          Reply
  113. Hello,

    I switched from Armour to WP 3 months ago and feel so much better. I have a very sensitive stomach and lots of food sensitivities/allergies. I am also prone to horrible headaches. I refilled my prescription last night and the pharmacy substituted Nature Throid. What is your opinion on this? I am concerned because I did a lot of research and begged my doctor for WP.

    Reply
    • Hi Michelle,

      The pharmacy filled a substitute because WP thyroid is harder to get, just have your doctor send in a new rx.

      Reply
  114. I started taking Nature Throid 6 months ago, and I’m wondering if I will have to take it for the rest of my life? Does your body become dependent on NDT supplements? I am hoping to only have to take Nature Throid for short term in hopes to get my thyroid back on track after years of low carb dieting, etc. Without looking at my specific labs, in your expert experience, do you ever see patients get off of these mess with success?

    Reply
  115. Hi. I have been on Naturethroid for about 6 months. I am gaining a lot of belly fat and losing my hair in a male baldness pattern. I don’t feel well. I have some good days but either can feel really tired and depressed or intense like severe PMS. I am a 55 year old female who has already gone thru menopause. Still have hot flashes but am just overheated at all times! I have had a thyroidectomy due to cancer. My blood tests keep coming back with low T4 but high RT3. Can you help? Going to get new bloodwork today and will not take my medication before I test and see what happens. Thank you for any help.

    Reply
  116. Hello! My doctor wants me to switch from Synthroid/ Cytomel 75/5 to Nature Throid in two doses with 32.5 in the morning and 16.25 in the evening. Would the evening dose interfere with Mg I take before bed? Do the same rules apply as with Synthroid? On empty stomach and 4 h before taking Ca? I eat my dinner late too, unfortunately. Thank you!

    Reply
  117. I started taking nature thyroid three days ago but have been reading that it can cause hair loss. That is the primary reason I went on it as well as low body temperature. What is the percentage of patients suffer from this?

    Reply
  118. Hello my most recent blood work indicated my thyroglobulin antibodies were high 178. My doctor stopped the armour continued the 50mg of synthroid and added 2 cytomel in the am.

    How do I lower the antibodies?

    Reply
  119. Dr. Childs,
    Thanks for your videos. I’m happy to see that someone out there might have the answers to my issues.

    I am a 45 year old woman. My thyroid was removed 2.5 years ago due to a large goiter. I have been on Nature-throid most of that time and don’t have any issues with it other than there are times when I feel very fatigued. My last blood work, the doctor increased my dosage from 2.5 grains to 3 grains. I have gained 30 pounds since having my thyroid removed. Am going to give your plan a try – even though you say I probably will have a difficult time. I’m willing to try anything at this point. 🙂 Anyway…I am due for new bloodwork in July. Should I have the blood work done first and then look at adding T3 or should I contact my doctor and start on the T3 and then see where my blood work lies?

    Reply
    • Hi Elizabeth,

      Weight loss tends to be more difficult for patients post thyroidectomy unless they are aggressive with the therapies that I recommend in my weight loss guide – it’s not impossible, but I try to be as straight forward as possible when I discuss expectations for certain groups of people.

      In regards to your labs it would be best to get a baseline set of labs prior to using T3.

      Reply
  120. I switched a week ago from levo 100 mcg to armour 60 mg.and my neck has felt swollen and tight, it this normal and will it go away

    Reply
    • Hi Donna,

      You went from taking 100mcg of T4 to taking 38mcg of T4 and 9 mcg of T3, so your total dose is lower than what it was previously which may account for some of your symptoms.

      Reply
  121. Westin!
    Awesome blog.
    I have been treated for Hashimoto’s since I was 30, so for the past 16 years.
    Until 2 months ago I was treated with 88 synthroid and 15 cytomel.
    I had to advocate for myself 1 year into treatment and instituted on the cytomel addition.
    It was the only thing that resolved lingering depression.
    Recently recalling that my late mother only took Armour I wondered if I was missing out.
    Took Armour for 6 weeks, gettting up to 90. Switched to Naturthroid yesterday as symptoms I was having I was attributing to Armour.
    These mostly regard my gut….my belly becomes distended a couple of hours after taking NDT, I have put on weight, am bloated in that area in general, and totally constipated.
    I haven’t seen anything specifically about NDT causing constipation or distended abdomen anywhere.
    Any thoughts? It’s pretty weird and not at all comfortable. I do take what I think is a quality probiotic. Do you reccomend aniy specifically?
    Otherwise I do love the difference….sunnier, more social, more energy.
    Thanks in advance!

    Reply
  122. Dr. Child’s,
    I have a question. I was on Armour Thyroid and started having extreme fatigue and light headed ness. So my Dr. Switched me to Nature Thyroid. Took first dose this morning and I have been having a little bit of a spaced out feeling and some nausea. Was wondering if that was normal and if you think I should take half a dose in am and the other at night. It’s a low dose of 32 mg. I seem to be super sensitive to all medicines.

    Reply
    • Hi Pamela,

      It’s probably too soon in taking the medication to make any definitive statements about how you are reacting to it, I would at least give it a few more days.

      Reply
  123. Hi Dr. Childs! Always appreciate your thoughtful guidance. I think I have a simple question. I am considering requesting an small incremental increase in my NatureThroid. I switched from T4 to Nature about 16 months ago and have been at 97.5MG for about 6 months. I do feel better than where I was before the switch. I supplement consistently with B-12, D, Zinc and Selenium.
    My recent labs are:
    Free T3 – 2.3
    Free T4 – 0.8
    Reverse T3 10
    TSH 7.4
    Reverse T3 Ration 23 (calculated by me).
    I think I have room to improve and feel even better. I also see the TSH and think it should be more suppressed.

    Would you be inclined to bump the NDT to 113.75 per day and/or maybe split into an AM/PM dose?

    Reply
  124. Had thyroidectomy ’99 due to encapsulated cancer … started on Levothyroxin and did not do well … been on Armour Thyroid 90 Mg’s since 2005 … Levels became unstable in November of 2016 and have jumped from hypo to hyper since then … have increased doseage and lowered but still no stability in levels … seems I need a dose between 75 and 90 but Armour does not make that dosage … should I try the Naturethroid 81mg’s ??? Endo is willing…. I am very frustrated with extreme symptoms and just want my life back please help …..Have had b12 ….ferritin and cortisol levels checked… b12 is low 542 Cortisol is on the low side … ferrritin is 149 ……. I am 62 yrs old Any suggestions would be appreciated

    Reply
    • Hi Shelia,

      It’s important to make the distinction between true hyperthyroidism as it relates to a combination of your TSH + hyeprthyroid symptoms, and a suppressed TSH. Until you tease that out you won’t be able to determine your optimal dose. Also, it’s quite easy to add 15mg of armour thyroid to 60mg for a 75mg dose.

      Reply
  125. I have been sick since my emergency c-section 17 months ago. Have had several symptoms the entire time including extreme fatigue daily, hair loss, migraines, pain, anxiety, depression, muscle weakness, shakiness. I finally had thyroid labs pulled and they came back normal but a RT3 of 21. Two weeks later tsh was 3.08 and free t4 was 1.0 so my ob put me on naturthroid. He only pulled tsh and free t4 so I immediately wrote to my endo and she ran them again. As of this week my tsh is 1.10 free t4 0.9 and free T3 is 2.7 she doesn’t believe I need any meds. I am lost on what to do? I never started the naturthroid because my ob never tested T3 at all. I have Bycuspid aortic valve and already have heart palpitations and bouts of anxiety sometimes. So I am lost and terrified. I don’t see a natural functioning endo until September. I can’t take much more of these symptoms. I have lost my job from symptoms and need help. Thanks for listening.

    Reply
  126. Hi Dr.
    I had my thyroid removed 5 years ago due to hashimoto dx. and large nodules on my thyroid. It took 10 months to get my levels adjusted to where I feel good (finally, on NatureThyroid).
    Recently, I had to switch providers because of change in insurance. My new provider doesn’t think it is necessary to check t3 or t4 levels, only tsh. I saw her recently because I felt my thyroid symptoms had returned with a vengence after having a major surgery. I insisted she check all three levels, and sure enough, TSH =49.06, T3= 2.2, T4= 0.46. She did increase my doseage, but still insists onlt the TSH needs to be checked.
    1. Do you recommend any supplements at this time
    2. What lab tests should I insist on right now?
    3. How do I find a practitioner in my area who is educated on thyroid treatment?

    Thanks-
    Christal

    Reply
  127. I just found this site and found it very interesting. I was taking .88 of levo. Been on that dose for years. Just had blood test. TSH 3.74 Free T4 .99 they did not do the Free T3 but last years test said it was 3.33. all other test were great. I hate levo. I took a half of nature throid this morning (1/2 grain). have a terrible taste in my mouth and mouth feels funny, but not like a allergic reaction. Now I am afraid to continue with this medicine. Should I just go back to my Levo? I keep saying I am not sure I even need thyroid medicine. Any input on this would be greatly appreciated.

    Reply
  128. Hi There, I started on Levothyroxine 6 years ago, but wanted out of pharmas, so I’m on Naturethroid, at 2 grains a day, but I’m going to go to 3 grains due to lack of supply for 2, just wondering if it would be better to take half in the a.m. & half at night??

    Reply
  129. Dr. Childs, I want to think you for providing the information about time of day and thyroid hormone supplementation. I have been suffering since my dose of Naturthroid was reduced from 1.5 grain to 1 grain. I am 64 and have been on thyroid since age 27. I don’t believe the irregular heart rhythm with premature atrial contractions is necessarily thyroid associated but ablation is not indicted at this time, so I am having to find ways for the lower dose to be more efficient. I did gain 8 pounds in 1 month and became bloated and fight against low moods and concentration difficulties. But I feel gratitude because I believe the 3 days of taking the thyroid at bedtime are giving me some relief from the dose change symptoms. I am hopeful for improved stability on this dose. Thanks for the tip. If you know of other things I can do to enhance this thyroid use in my body, please share. Keep up the good work.

    Reply
  130. Thank you for your posts on thyroid medications and treatments . I just got diagnosed with hypothyroidism . I had to beg the Dr to run more labs since my TSH test was normal range . The Dr first diagnosed me with hyperthyroidism and started me on methimazole ; I took it for a week . Today I was called & told there was a mix up on how my labs were done and I was misdiagnosed and I have hypothyroidism instead of hyper . It made more sense with hypo since my sx’s are more associated with hypo.. So my question is, how much damage does one week of wrong medication do to my thyroid ?
    And is it normal to start patients out on nature thyroid and Cytomel ?
    I’m not certain lab results but I do believe my T3 was either really high .

    Reply
    • Hi Naomialaska,

      I am not sure how your labs were mixed up, but 1 week of methimazole shouldn’t cause too many issues long term. The combination of naturethroid + cytomel may be fine, but for some patients it might be too aggressive – it just depends on the person.

      Reply
  131. Hello Dr Childs my wife had her whole thyroid removed. She has been on synthroid. She doesn’t feel good at all. She doesn’t eat much,goes to the gym 7 days a week. She’s not happy with her weight slowly going up, depressed on and off,not sleeping good, constapation,good bit of hair coming out, feels tired all the time. It’s been two years since she’s had it removed. Her dosage has been moved around some trying to help it. She just went up to 150 on synthroid, and she read some of your stuff on t4-t3 and reverse t3. We’ve never heard of any of that stuff. She’s thinking of switching to naturethroid after reading some of your stuff. What’s your advice on this, dosage to start with and what would the dosage of that be equal to 150 synthroid. Just had blood work done had them check tsh,free t4-t3, reverse t3, estrogen. Should get results back today. Thanks

    Reply
    • Hi Scott,

      When switching from levothyroxine to other medications it’s important to base your dose off of your labs and symptoms. Some people do worse when switching from T4 to NDT if they don’t do it correctly.

      Reply
      • My wife had her entire thyroid removed 3years ago. She’s only been on synthroid. She had been gaining weight and feeling depressed,tired,not sleeping good. Her TSH had went up from 1.39 to a 1.89. got them to increase her dosage from 125 to 150 synthroid. Been on it for 3 months has felt worse the last couple of months, very depressed. Checked her levels again, had them check rt3 since we had read articles about that. We plus our Dr didn’t know anything about rt3. Her numbers came back TSH .21 ft4 1.3 ft3 2.9 rt3 22 range for rt3 is 8-25. Leptin 5.8 progesterone .5 estrodiol 76. We got him to switch her from 150 synthroid to naturethroid 81.25 we were going to cut them in half and take half pill for two weeks then take whole pill. How does this sound, is that too little dosage of naturethroid. The rt3. Number sounds high from what I’ve read if you go above 11 that’s where you’re starting to have trouble with rt3. Any info please thanks.

        Reply
  132. Taking nature throid and started having hairloss. I’ve never taken thyroid medicine prior to this. Dr recommend to increase dose in the afternoon based on labs.
    I don’t know if an increase will make the hair loss worse or if I should stop the medicine all together.

    Reply
  133. Hello!

    First of all, thank you for your work and the time you take to educate everyone. 🙂
    I switched to a low dose of Naturethroid approx 9 months ago. I also add in 7.5 of time released T3 due to high RT3. I fit the mold of folks you indicate might not do well on NDT (more than 10-20 lbs overweight, insulin resistance, higher leptin levels, etc.).
    While my labs come back normal for the most part, I’ve been experiencing significant joint and muscle pains in the last 3-4 months. I’m fairly active, but the pain is increasing. Could this be due to Naturethroid? Would you recommend going back to my Synthroid / Cytomel combo to see if the pain reduces?

    Thanks,
    Sue

    Reply
    • Hi Sue,

      Joint pain could be from a number of issues ranging from thyroid hormone to other hormones like estrogen and even systemic inflammation. You should be evaluated for all of these to find out for sure.

      Reply
  134. Hello Mr. Childs

    Long story short: I was diagnosed with Hashimoto 3 years ago.
    I started taking Euthyrox which is Levothyroxine medicine in Europe.
    Now I am on 100mcg Euthyrox and I asked my doctor to write me a prescription for Nature Throid.
    Now I am going to switch to 1.5 grain of NatureThroid.
    My question is: regarding the fact that NatureThroid contains also T3 and I took only Euthyrox which is T4, it will be an overkill if I will a 1.5 grain of NatureThroid.

    Thank you!

    Reply
  135. Hi Westin,
    I was diagnosed hypothyroid about 7 years ago, started out on Synthroid with few side effects but wanted to try something natural so I got my dr. to switch to Armour. Armour got pricey, so I switched to what I was told was the same thing, NP Thyroid. During that time my hair began to thin and fall out. I am now on 65mg Nature Throid and although I feel great now I was dealing with a hellish amount of stress during the time that my hair was beginning to shed. I mentioned it to my gyno, who said that it was the weight of my dreadlocks that was pulling my hair out. But even after cutting the ends of my hair significantly I’ve noticed absolutely NO growth and the top of my head is almost bald! I’ve recently switched to a gp that is a DO and haven’t had any blood work done yet. In short, I feel great except for a stinging sensation that I sometimes get in my chest and the hair loss. My A1c at last check was 6.8. Would an adrenal support supplement be a good place to start? Thanks!

    Reply
  136. I have been taking a low dose of Nature Throid, I have been feeling lethargic/fatigued recently and have a high serum calcium level. My question is this: Is this from the medicine, or is this a separate issue with the parathyroid gland. I don’t have any problems with my thyroid, my doctor gave me this to try to help with lupus fatigue. It helped me at first, but now my fatigue is much worse.

    Reply
    • Hi Shelly,

      Fatigue can be caused by a number of different issues, so without looking deeper into your labs, etc. there would be no way to determine if it was caused by the naturethroid or not.

      Reply
  137. Hello-
    Thank you for your site! Please see 3 questions below. My TSH is dangerously low.008 on Nature-throid. I am weaning down on the dose now at 130 mg.My doc is following the pharmacy dosing steps.

    1. Can you describe the best way to change from one natural thyroid med to another?

    2. Does the dosing stay the same from NT, Armour, WP? Need to change from Nature-throid back to Armour due to increased symptoms. Do you have an article on this?

    3. Also- What is the recommended weaning schedule to get back to a healthy TSH? Thank you

    Reply
  138. Hello Dr. Childs,

    My doctor just prescribed Nature-Throid 97.5MG. While I am curious about whether it would give me more energy and mental clarity, I hate the idea of taking a drug – any drug (or supplement for that matter), for life. Two questions . . . 1) Can I make changes to my lifestyle that would provide the same positive affect as Nature-Throid and 2) If I take the drug for a period of time, will my body become dependent on it and then function even worse, should I ever stop taking it? The truth is, drugs scare me and supplements are a mystery to me . . . I’ve never noticed a real change in how I feel from taking supplements.

    Reply
  139. I recently switched from Levothyroxine 175mg to Naturethroid 146.25mg 1 once a day and Vitamin D3 5,000 ius but I am still very very big. I weighed 160 and now I weigh 217. I walk anywhere from 10,000 to 15,000 steps a day and no weight loss, I have not worn heels in 5 years since the radiation because my legs cramp my hands feel like they have arthritis I always feel so tired. My upper arms are like thighs and my belly is huge. Nothing has worked. now im reading the hormones post and i wonder can you tell us how much of the zinc, b12 and other things the patient was given in doses?

    Reply
  140. 15 years ago I had my thyroid removed because of cancer. I started off on Cytomel for a short time and then have been on Synthroid ever since. Can I switch to Naturethroid when I’ve had cancer?

    Reply
  141. I took one half of the lowest dose of nature throid earlier today. I am feeling tired and out of it and my appetite seems less. Do you think I should continue with this or try levothyroxine which is T4i only because my T4 was low and T3 was normal. My TSH was a tad bit high at 3.65.
    The symptoms I am trying to resolve are fatigue, moodiness, irritability, anxiety.
    Thank you.

    Reply
  142. I really need some help. I had my thyroid taken out many years ago. Have been on Synthroid 137 mcg until february. I was overmedicated and we cut back the dose in February. Was still overmedicated and eventually switched to armour in july and most recently switched to naturethroid in august. I. Am currently splitting the NT to 3/4. It is 48.75. My TSH3 as of 7-19 was 14.5, free T3 was2.5, free t4.7. Every time I try to increase my dose on any of the meds I get headaches, my skin vibrates, I want to jump out of my skin, nausea, heart palpitations, depression. On the Synthroid it was worse. I have been to see several doctors and they call it anxiety. I think something is being missed. I looked up the side effects and said as much and again told anxiety.

    Reply
  143. Hi, Dr. Weston
    I used Naturethroid for 19 years with no problems. Moved to another state and was hospitalized with PMR diagnosis and was taken off and put on Levothyroxine. Didn’t feel good. Developed heart palpitations in last year. My endo doesn’t like natural for all of the above reasons. I started with a functional medicine doc who asked me why I was on it and she said she wanted to restart my old thyroid. I couldn’t reach my endo so I went ahead with plan. I continue to have heart palpitations-no worse but non-the-less every day and night. I had been on 100 meg of Levi and she ordered 90 mg one day and 65 mg alternating day which was my dose for years. Being cautious and believing less is safer to start I began with 65 mg alternating with 48 or so mg (taking 3/4 of a 65). Still having palpitations. I saw my endo yesterday and told him what was going on. I asked him if I should switch back and he said no, not right now. Near He didn’t want to make too many changes as I have adrenal insufficiency secondary to methylprednisolone. So, here I am with palpitations. The event monitor showed PVC’s but not organized. Thoughts? Thank you. I do feel 90 % better on Naturethroid in every way. Thinking is clearer, skin is softer (heels not snagging on sheets) energy better, fog lifting, not so depressed. My t3 was fine with levo by the way. My weight is not my primary concern because I know the steroid is largely responsible for my 40 pound weight gain. I just want to feel good and not go into a fib. Thanks, again.

    Reply
  144. Hi
    Can you please tell me how many grains of nature thyroid I should take when switching from levothyroxine 125mcg.
    Thanks
    Karen

    Reply
  145. I was put on Levithyroid 50mg for 3 years. It didnt help me at all. When I started menopausal it got worse. I started Bio-Te pellets last year but before you get the pellets they do a complete bloodwork. My test results were like I wasnt taking anything for my thyroid. They put me on Naturethyroid. At first I seem to feel better. Then they increased it gradually. Now Im on 2.5 grams a day. But Im still tired. Not as bad as before but still tired after about 1 pm. Any suggestions

    Reply
  146. I currently have been diagnosed from Hypo to Hashimto, I have been hypo for 35 years, was on on synthyroid for 23 years then switched to armour for 8 years then my numbers went totally off the charts, and I couldn’t function so I just quit taking anything, it took over 3 months to finally function then I knew I needed something, so now on compounded levo but still have issues, but at least compounded due to my food senstitivies. So will this be a good option for me to try, I currently need a new doctor but they are far and few in IA for this type of medication.

    Reply
  147. I took Armour Thyroid for 6 years and did fine on it. However, this year (2017), I went to my doctor who prescribes the armour for me and my pulse was up to 120. I totally got off of it for 7 weeks. An slowly getting back on it, 15 mgs. Per week. Today is my first day to take 30 mgs. And my heart rate is up to 92. I am concerned that it will get to 120 again by the time I get to 60 mgs. Or 1 grain. I am 63 year old female. When I got off of the armour, I got real cold, lethargic and hair fell out. Any suggestions are appreciated!

    Reply
  148. OMG – i hit menopause and my weight skyrocketed. i lost 55 pounds in Ideal Protein protocol and kept it off for 4.5 years until that dreaded time. my naturopath put me on Progonol and NatureThroid and i’m STILL gaining weight AND now have to carry around tweezers to get at those BEARD hairs during the day.

    My Triiodothyronine,Free,Serum is 3.1.

    Reply
  149. Hello, I was diagnosed hypo 10 years ago, and was on Armour 90mg for about the past 5 years. However I’ve had constant head pressure and fatigue lately, so we re-checked labs a couple weeks ago, and here’s the results…
    TSH: 4.0
    T3 Uptake: Uptake 25
    T4: 4.5
    Free Thyroxine Index: 1.1

    These results looked pretty poor, so I had my Dr switch my meds from Armour 90mg to Nature-Throid 113mg. I’ve been on it for about 2 weeks and no improvement in my symptoms. Still a constant head pressure. Any advice>

    Reply
    • Hi Jake,

      It’s hard to say for sure what is going on, in some cases it can take up to 4 weeks for new dosing to kick in but on the other hand it could also be that your dose is simply insufficient (or you have absorption issues, etc.).

      Reply
      • Thanks! I’ve noticed on my last few labs, my numbers jump around a lot despite not changing my dose. For example TSH was 1.7, a few months later 0.8, and now 4.0. Would this be symptomatic of something like malabsorption? And what do you think would be an appropriate next step?

        Reply
  150. Great information! I found it really helpful. Recently, I switched endocrinologists. I’ve been on armour thyroid since being diagnosed with hypothyroidism. I was doing fairly well, but do have trouble falling/staying asleep and in the morning, my anxiety would get worse after taking my armour and then I would crash in the afternoon. For these reasons, she suggested I switch to a T4 only pill (tirosint), then re-do blood tests (including Free T3) and check symptoms in order to discern if my body is actually having trouble with the conversion and needs the T3 as well via medication. Also, she said she preferred using a combination of tirosint and cytomel than desiccated thyroid because of possible autoimmune issues. My labs do not indicate Hashimoto’s, but based on my history, she thinks I have issues with autoimmunity. My question is this: what are the pros/cons to taking a synthetic combo of T4/T3 vs. the desiccated pill?

    Thank you!

    Reply
    • Hi Kristina,

      The only benefit to using T4/T3 is that you have more control over the concentration of each thyroid hormone. The decision to switch medications (or which medication to use) usually depends on the individual and should be assessed on a case by case basis.

      Reply
  151. Hi,I was diagnosed hypo 5 years ago, I have been having issues for like 5 years, been to dr after dr no one can figure out whats wrong w me. They blamed it on thyroid and allergies. Finally went to a new Dr he is pretty sure i have been overmedicated for all that time i was taking 16.25mg wp thyroid 3x a day. Been off for 4 weeks now and still feel awful like dizziness, anxiety all symptoms of hypo. My question is when will it be out of my system and when will i feel better?? Ty

    Reply
    • Hi Anne,

      If your symptoms were related to excessive thyroid dosing they would start to improve within 1-2 weeks off of the medication. At this point it seems they may be secondary to some other cause.

      Reply
  152. Just getting ready to start Nature-Throid but wondering I I am the best candidate for it since I have a DHEA level that can range from 150-300. I have never been able to eat fruit. I have Cortisone Reductase deficiency. Do you think it will help to balance my hormones and bring my DHEA level down?

    Reply
  153. I am currently taking levo plus naturethroid but can’t lose anymore weight. I am stopping levo and just taking naturethroid but how do I know how much to increase of naturethroid to equal the t4 that was in the levo? If I increase naturethroid to get more t4, won’t that mess up my t3 levels?

    Reply
    • Hi Linda,

      Of course, the dosing that each person needs varies based on the individual and their circumstances. Dosing isn’t even static among individuals either, the amount that you need this year may be less or more than you need next year.

      Reply
  154. Dr Childs, I am currently taking naturthroid 97.5 and needed it refilled last week. The pharmacy told me it was out of stock and they should have more this week. I contacted them yesterday and they told me that the manufacturer is showing that it is out of stock and they should have it by Nov 17th. I was wondering if anyone else is having this expierence and if there is something going on with Naturthroid and if we are going to be able to get it again. I’m getting a little nervous. I found a pharmacy who is giving me double of 48.75 to get me through the next month. Any insight would be great.

    Reply
    • I had the same problem. Anthem makes me use their online pharmacy. They called me Monday and said they don’t have it and didn’t know when it would be available .. that I should call my Dr. to prescribe an alternative. Luckily I got some from the local Walgreens here that had some. I just had to pay for it myself.

      Reply
  155. Can too much NatureThroid cause chest rashes? I have been on NT about 1.5 years now and now I am experiencing a chest rash, very itchy.

    Reply
  156. I am working with a new physician to get my hypothyroidism better managed. I have been on various doses of natural desiccated thyroid for almost 40 years. Dosing changes occurred most in past decade following menopause. My new physician is considering a T3 protocol that is described as response to “Wilson’s Temperature Syndrome”. Form my searches, online articles do not provide medical evidence for Wilson’s use of T3. I am concerned about protecting my heart which has SVT (PACs). The source of my newly developed arrhythmia this year is unknown and could be a genetic expression; traditional physicians are assuming that I have too much thyroid. What are your thoughts? I want to feel better but

    wish to proceed cautiously to protect my heart and my bones. Thank you.

    Reply
  157. I am 77 and have autoimmune disease. I’ve been taking ArmourThyroid since since having my thyroid removed because of Hashimotos which led to thyroid cancer in 2011. My pharmacy switched to Nature Throi recently and everything is just fine and I feel great. Recently I was told that using Armour at my age leads to heart problems.

    MY blood pressure is normal, my BMI is where it should be, I am a vegetarian, in very good health and shape for my age.

    Is Nature Throi associated w/heart problems in people my age who have used Armour for 6 years?

    Please let me know. Thank you. Sincerely, Jan

    Reply
  158. Hello,I was on nature throid for a year then pharmacy was unable to get it anymore. So my doctor switched me to armour thyroid. I feel like that all of my symptoms have come back. Almost like it just isn’t doing anything? My question is should I try WP Throid now or wait until this nature throid “shortage” is over? Some of my symptoms are nearly unbearable. Also I am curious if my TPO indicates an autoimmune issue. (<1000) My doc hasnt mentioned anything other than hypothyroidism yet my research shows that my TPO is high.

    Reply
  159. Hi Dr. Childs, Thank you for the excellent post! Without meds, my TSH is too high and T3 is too low. I had been using 12.5 mcg of liothyronine (25 mcg was definitely too much).and heard that Nature Throid might be better. Trying to understand the equivalent dosing. Did try taking 32.5 mg, which did not seem quite right. Now trying double that. Hair fall increased when changing meds. Am also taking 2 mg estradiol (test low without it) to stop hot flashes (post-menopausal) and 400 mg progesterone. No problem with weight.
    Sometimes I feel a pulsing vibration in my thyroid area when I am just waking up (that relaxed time between being asleep and being awake). Is that a sign of overactivity (too much thyroid) or underactivity (too little thyroid)?
    Thanks for your help!

    Reply
  160. Hello,
    I have been diagnosed hypothyroid for several years now, was taking Armour thyroid, then my NP switched me to naturethroid this year(because it costs less). I have been experiencing mild heart palpitations lately, mentioned this to my NP, so I did thyroid labs which revealed TSH at 3.88, T4 at 0.739, and T3 at 2.28. My NP now wants to increase my naturethroid to 113.75gr. What do you think about this? Thank you so much for your reply.

    Reply
  161. Doctor can you please give me your opinion on this? I have been on Armour for 2 years and I have Hashimoto’s. T-4 alone didn’t work well for me, generic form, brand name, Triosint, so the Internal Med Doc that I see put me on the current med. My TSH came back as 10 this last test, and it was 20 last year! I asked him to put me on Nature Thyroid and he has. Problem? I was on 120 mg of Armour a day, and he wants to increase me to 113.5 (1.75 grains) TWICE a day. I am not sure about this and the large increase worries me. I asked the Pharmacist and he said he would call him for me, and then he said that the Doc repeated to him the same that he wants me on this dosage. I am scared the jump. What is your opinion? Please let me know what you think. Thank you. PS i feel awful, 25 pound weight gain, miserable fatigue…

    Reply
  162. Hi Doctor. Thank you for all of this great information on NatureThroid and thyroid disease.

    I have been taking NatureThroid for about 5 years, and recently increased my dosage from 32.5mg to 65mg, which was very helpful. Now there appears to be a shortage of the medication on the market due to facility upgrades at the manufacturer, and I cannot get a refill. It seems unclear how long it will take before they start producing it again.

    What will happen if I suddenly stop being able to take the medication for several weeks, or even months? Is there a substitute I could easily use in the meantime?

    Any advice would be appreciated.

    Liz

    Reply
  163. Hi…i have had a growing number of symptoms undiagnosed for about 7 years. Last year I could almost not even leave my bed. I started taking synthroid 100mcg on my own because I was so desperate after my GP said my tests were normal and I was just fat and refused to refer me to anyone else. It relieved a lot of my symptoms after 3 days. Once I finally got to an endocrinologist 3 months later she said my TSH was too high so she brought me down to 75mcg. After 3 days my symptoms started to return. She tested my YAH again after a month and wanted to decrease even more so I asked to be switched to Natur-Throid after a lot of research on my own. She agreed and it took a month but after a month I began to feel better than I did on the synthroid but still had ONE symptom and no weight loss but at least no more gain. Now after 4 months on Natur-Throid I am starting to have symptoms return (more fatigue, insomnia, dizziness, nausea). They aren’t as bad as before I started any meds but I feel bad half the time and don’t want to end up back in bed 99 percent of the time. Why is this happening? Just had my blood work and she says all is normal.

    Reply
  164. I have been on 1 grain 65mg of Nature throid for over two years. My recent blood worked was T4 Free Thyroxine 0.96 and TSH 3rd Generation was 2.62. I amm wondering if I should increase the dosage. Perhaps take one and a half pills in the morning to see if I feel a bit more energetic.I would appreciate any advice. Thank you for your help.

    Reply
  165. Hi Dr. Childs, I have been on compounded t4/t3 for a few years now and my TSH levels are always around 1.2, and feel good. However, both compounding pharmacies are running out of t3 supply and keep hiking up the price, etc. so i’d like to make the switch to naturthroid. I am currently taking 100 mcg T4 and 22mcg t3 in slow release capsules. What would be the equivalent dosage for me to switch to for Naturthroid? My doctor is trying to research this as well as gets alarmingly different conversion charts etc. so i wanted to see if 2.5 grains of naturthroid is about right? (2.5 grains contains 95mcg t4 and 22mcg t3) or is NT much stronger than compounded etc.. What dosage would you suggest? thanks so VERY much! Wendy

    Reply
  166. I have been on Naturethroid for almost a year for Hashimotoes, My dr was slowly increasing my dose and two months ago my TSH dropped so low it was undetectable. My dr. lowered my dose and I had labs done a month ago and the TSH is still low and T3 and T4 are elevated. I have an appointment with my dr. in a few days. Will my TSH go up again within normal ranges if I stop taking Naturethroid?

    Reply
    • Hi Melissa,

      Physiologically speaking, yes your TSH should increase if you stop taking or reduce your dose of thyroid hormone over some period of time and assuming you have a functioning thyroid. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend this approach, however.

      Reply
  167. FEELING A MESS SINCE 2008 (I hope you will take the time to read my lengthy account because I am at wits end).

    Things got really bad for me, hormonally, in 2008 with estrogen dominance, heavy bleeding and the year culminating in surgical menopause at age 50. I constantly struggled to lose weight with over the preceding 2 decades after my pregnancies for three children. I would win for a while but by the time I was 50 I weighed 230 lbs. My blood pressure was elevated and I was put on Lisinopril when I was discharged from the hospital after the hysterectomy. A few months later I was prescribed Levothyroxin 50 mcg.

    Since then, I’ve lost weight, gained it back, lost some, gained some, etc. etc. peaking at 267 lb. My doc had increased the Levo to 75 mcg and I took it upon myself to start logging my caloric intake. Based on my age and activity level (desk job) it was recommended I consume only 1600 calories per day. I went to the gym 3-4 days per week to swim and do strength training so I could have a few more calories and I managed to lose 40 lbs over the course of 7-8 months. It was hard because the Lisinopril caused me to cough all the time; but in spite of that I was starting to feel pretty good.

    Then my mother became critically ill and I left everything behind to care for her and manage her surgical and doctor appointments and travel. I gained back 30 lbs in the course of 18 months. I tried to resume the 1600 calorie regimen; but having difficulty, I asked my primary care physician for help to lose weight and his response was to eat less and exercise more and he changed my BP med to 12.5 mg Carvedilol. This drug makes me feel lethargic and unmotivated.

    I went to see another doctor who offers medically supervised weight loss and Bio-identical hormone replacement services. He changed my thyroid med to Nature-Throid 162.5 mg daily! added bioidentical Progesterone 200 mg daily! Metformin 500 mg b.i.d. and Qysmia 150 1x daily (yes, I know what that is) with 7,000 i.u. vit D…and I had testosterone pellets implanted subdermally (300mg) For over two months I felt really GREAT. I had energy and was recording ideal blood pressure some of the time and pre-hypertensive some of the time. My libido was fabulous. I was getting back to the gym and after 90 days had lost 23 pounds.

    My BP started to become erratic though and then, rather suddenly it seems as though everything started to crash! My blood pressure started going crazy with diastolic numbers I had never seen before! I was having frequent, urgent, unpredictable, watery stools for weeks. I felt completely out of balance. New Doc attributed this to a national Nature-Throid shortage and pharmacy had been substituting Armour Thyroid. Got it switched back by using multiple, smaller dose tabs of Nature-Throid. But things didn’t seem to be improving. I got freaked out over the holidays and started taking things into my own hands. I stopped taking Qysmia: No change except for lack of “pep”. I Stopped the Metformin: BM changed from liquid to very loose plus frequency more predictable. I waited three days and stopped taking Progesterone: BP improved a little and at least I wasn’t feeling quite as anxious. Reduced the Nature-Throid to 130 mg: BMs changed to ill formed like little soft peas. After 3 days reduced to 97.5 mg: Better, still soft but at least somewhat formed BMs. BP is still all over the place though, ranging from very high an hour after taking the Nature-Throid at 8:00 a.m. to near ideal an hour after taking the Carvedilol at 9:00 a.m. to pre-hypertensive at 1:30 p.m. to hypertensive at 6:00 p.m. I’m going to my regular doc as soon as these holidays are over but he’s not going to be much help I can tell you that right now.

    Reply
  168. Hello

    Would love an opinion as I am starting to worry that I have messed up my thyroid and ability to manage my weight for good.

    After two years of increasingly bad PMDD, horrible fatigue and weight gain ( about 15 pounds rather quickly) I saw an integrative doc that did labs showing TSH at 6. Free T4 was 15.6 and Free T3 4.4 neg TPO

    I was started on NDT and raised up to 1.5 grains after which my labs were TSH 1.61 T4 10.5 and Free T3 4.2

    I am so frustrated. I thought I was feeling better energy wise, but weight will not budge. In the past, if I ate very little ( I know its damaging) the weight would shift easily. Now I may have even gained a couple pounds. I’m not looking for a miracle just a 5-10 pound loss so my pants fit again and I feel myself energywise.

    I am raising my NDT up to 2 this week but am concerned I may done more harm than good by starting this journey. I feel I have become reliant on meds and my thyroid is no longer responsive to my own body needs.
    Help!

    Reply
    • Hi Shalini,

      You may be correct in your assumption that your body is now reliant upon external thyroid medication. When you increase your dose your TSH will drop and your TSH is the natural mechanism by which your body tries to produce more thyroid hormone.

      Reply
  169. I have been on Naturethroid for 6 months. Increased to 65 6 weeks ago. I have had 6 migraines over 5 weeks, when normally I have 6 a year. I am ready to stop the nature thyroid as I see no difference and wonder if it is causing the migraines. I am also on low doses of estrogen, testosterone and progesterone. I am 67. Should I stop cold- turkey? Thank you.

    Reply
    • Hi Liz,

      I can’t really give you any advice because I’m not your doctor but I can tell you that some people experience increased headaches and migraines with T3 medication.

      Reply
  170. So, when my Naturopath tested my TSH, T4 and T3, all were “at the low normal range.” When we discussed my overall symptoms, she believed taking Naturethroid would help. I have felt fine on it at 1 grain. But, my last bloodwork had my TSH levels now low. Not in the low normal. The T3 and T4 stayed exactly the same. Now my regular M.D. HATES that I am seeing a Naturopath and says she has now made me hyperthyroid. She is really scaring me to the point of GIVING me anxiety because I’m second guessing everything. I don’t want to damage my thyroid so what would you do? Go off the Naturethroid altogether or listen to my Naturopath? Please help!

    Reply
  171. I changed over to Naturethroid 6 months ago, but now am unable to find the prescription at any of the pharmacies within an hour drive. They all say it is on backorder and don’t know when it will come in. 3 months ago I drove an hour to the only pharmacy that had any. None of them have WPThyroid either. What is going on? What to do? I hate to switch back to Levothyroxine before I even find out if Naturethroid is better for me. Any suggestions?

    Reply
  172. Dr. Childs,

    I have hypothyroidism. I take 97.5mg of Nature-throid. All of my hypothyroid symptoms have gone away, with the exception of tinnitus. It actually seems to be getting worse. Are you aware of any hypothyroid Rx that can lessen tinnitus? I’ve only read of instances where people have taken a hypothyroid drug that provides some relief of tinnitus but it’s at the expense of some of the more common hypothyroid symptoms returning.

    Also, my endocrinologist just told me to start taking 8 doses of 97.5mg Nature-throid in 7 days. She said to just pick a day and take 2 pills. I don’t think that would be a good idea, especially for my heart. How would you suggest that I take 8 pills in 7 days? I currently take each dose in the morning and wait at least one hour before I eat.

    Thank you!

    Reply
  173. Hi Dr. Childs,

    I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism 10 yrs ago after menopause and while on premarin for 5 yrs. I have switched from premarin to pellets and being treated since then with armour thyroid, 60 mgs. I feel OK most of the time, but have symptoms sometimes as now. My labs on 60 armour are:

    TSH 1.7 (0.27-4.2)
    Free T4 0.9 (0.8-1.8)
    Free T3 2.3 (2.3-4.2)

    Since I had some symptoms my Dr decided to up armour to 90 mgs every other day, i.e. 60/90 every other day. I feel somewhat better but the higher dose has only affected the TSH from 1.7 to 0.67. T3/T4 exactly as before.

    I had previously tried taking 90 every day and my TSH went below 0 with not much change on t3/t4. However, I started having palpitations and couldn’t sleep. So again went down to 60.

    I am in great heatlth otherwise. I take no meds other than armour, hormone pellets and spironolactone 25 mgs for replacement.

    Any suggestions would be immensely appreciated. I take my armour in the morning.

    Thanks in advance.

    Kali

    Reply
  174. Hi doctor,
    Thanks for all the great information.
    I have two questions..

    I was on the small dose of Naturethroid 16.85 then my doc left the practice and I went without for a month. I started to feel lousy and found a doctor that gave me another script this time for 32.5. Now mid day I crash and get shakey but once I eat I’m great. I feel much better on the meds than off.

    Question 1 has any damage occurred being off the med for a month and now on a higher dose? Has it confused my body? The initial doc never said that I had a hypothyroid she just said that it was sluggish and wanted to see if this could help me lose weight.

    Since then blood work has determined that I am pre-diabetic. I saw where you mentioned that if I am pre-diabetic that this medicine won’t help me lose weight as effectively.

    My second question is what can I do to optimize this medicine and get out of the pre-diabetic Zone? Especially since the reason I was taking it was to lose weight.

    Thank you.
    Jess

    Reply
  175. I have been on NatureThroid for approx 5 years. Prior to that on Levo. I have Hashimotos and NatureThroid has been a blessing as I feel great. My concern now is that I take 113.75mg each day and my pharmacy cannot get my prescription. My dr. wants to write me a prescription for Armour. I’m so scared to change my prescription, scared that it isn’t going to work and I’m going to get all those horrible symptoms back. Do you know if NatureThroid will be available soon or ever?

    Reply
  176. Did Nature-Throid change their formula after the shortage. It does not seem to be working for me now that I am back on it after having to use Armour for 2 months.

    Reply
    • Hi Kay,
      I just started the new formula after going around town and finding some remaining from the old batch. And, I feel gross. Have things gotten better for you?? I hope so, Rae.

      Reply
  177. Hi, I really want an advice since I’m under NTD since 2014 but I have gained about 40 pounds due to probably other reasons such Hashimoto ir hormonal inbalalnce, i’m just very concerned and I want to stop.takinv it but I can’t afford to pay an holistic doctor ..this other medical provider that prescribes me the NTD is not doing g that many tests she says my THS is ok and that’s it. I always tell her to please check my t3 or my B12 levels etc..she refuses and says that she will see me in six months again..how can I stop taking NTD slowly? I already skip two days..I’m taking all my supplements, THIROYD supps..vitD,vitB12, biotin, cárcamo, ginger, green smoothies, Moringa and feel ok. Eating clean…I want to see if leaving NTD for two months help me lose weight and see if that’s what make gain a lot ..

    Reply
  178. I was on 97 mg of naturethroid for several years. didn’t feel great, but slightly less depression, hairloss and fatigue so happy enough. Then it became impossible to get it! Now I am on Armour, starting at 30mg. Are the T4/T3 levels equivalent? Because that would mean I am now taking 1/3 of my regular dose and I don’t want to go through the mess of titrating if they are equivalent. The MD at my clinic never heard of Naturethroid so said I had to go slow.
    If I can provide the docs there with dosage info I think I could get a more accurate prescription for the Armour. THank you

    Reply
  179. I have had under active thyroid for a very long time. I have been on Armour most of the time but the cost was horrible. So I changed to Nature-throid to try. I have been on it now a month and had my blood tested and the Dr. said it was good but I have put on about 7 to 10 pounds this month. Plus I feel like crying. How do I check to see if it was right besides blood tests? Please let me know.

    Reply
  180. I’ve been taking 97.5gr nature throid for 6 months and just checked labs and I’m getting bumped up again… My hair is STILL falling out so I’m starting viviscal.
    I’ve been on a strict paleo/whole 30 diet for 2yrs. I have no testosterone but I do well that way- very sensitive and get neg side effects if I mess with it. My antibodies are only slightly high and only one is, the other is normal.
    Adrenals?? I have been working concertedly on getting sleep and lowering stress and feeling better.
    Wish there was a cheaper, easier way to routinely check FULL PANEL labs! If I just knew where the issue was, I could deal with it so much more effectively. I just feel like I’m playing Russian roulette and that’s not good with hormones!!!!
    This website is AWESOME!!! I can’t believe I haven’t found it before- I’ve been deep in this search for hormone health for 3+ years
    SHARING with all my family and friends!
    THANK YOU!!!!

    Reply
  181. Interesting article thanks. I am taking 2.25 grains of naturethroid and doing well. I had a problem last year with palpitations/fast heart rate. I then switched to splitting the dose and take half when I wake up and the other half when I go to bed. It seems to have done the trick.

    Reply
  182. My thyroid went hypo 3 years ago. I take Synthroid and still feel like crap. I am tired of being told my “numbers are normal” and get told to take a multiple vitamin and exercise to feel better. I want to switch to Naturethroid but I get backlash from my Dr. These were my numbers from 3/8. T3 uptake 34….T4 total 7.3…Free T4 index 2.5…TSH 0.88 what is your interpretation? I also hear that different labs have their own range of “normal”. How is that possible?

    Reply
  183. I am currently taking 3 grains of Armour along with 12.5mcg of compounded slow release T3. The price on Armour has gotten very high even with great insurance. If I switched to Naturethroid how do I know what doseage to take to be the same as Armour. I do still have Hypothyroid symptoms and have hashimotos I may be experiencing the issue with Armour and the binding agents you talk about. can you guide me to the right direction to start with as I usually just have to tell my doctor what I Need and he prescribes it. My REV T3 levels are finally in control with Armour and my T3 and T4 levels are in the middle of the normal range

    Reply
  184. I have been on Naturethroid and do not have typical symptoms of hypothyroidism but my antibodies have increased to 1,000. I have felt good on Naturethroid and had no side effects but concerned about high antibodies. The antibodies increased when I increased from 16 mg to 32 mg of Naturethroid. Should I switch to another medication?

    Reply
  185. I switched from levothyroxine to nature thyroid about a year ago. I do feel better, but have gained some weight and nothing makes it come down.

    Reply
  186. I am 41, having a fertility problem. I have an autoimmune thyroid, recently I started using WP thyroid 16mcg. Please, can you suggest me what could be wrong in my body not getting periods?

    Serum T3 1.1 ng/ml 0.8 – 2.3
    Serum T4 5.9 ug/dl 4.8-12.0
    Serum T.S.H. 8.8 mcIU/ml 0.35-5.5
    Serum Estradiol Less than 5.0
    Serum Anti – Microsomal Antibodies Positive (216.4) IU/ml

    Reply
  187. I am on only 1/4 grain for one week now and having some mild heart palpitations and insomnia. I’m 73 and have mitral valve regurgitation. Blood pressure is well controlled. My endo doesn’t understand why I would have heart palpitations on such a low dose. Do you have any ideas or suggestions? Thank you.

    Reply
    • Hi Barbara,

      Endo’s generally believe that heart palpitations are caused by an excessive dose but the reality is that some people are exquisitely sensitive to even minor or low doses of T3. It has more to do with sensitivity to the medication than your dose. The older you are the more sensitive you become (generally speaking).

      Reply
      • Dr. Childs – Thanks for your reply. Does this typically abate as one continues to take it? I’m sure I am going to need to up the dose. Right now the heart palpitations wake me up before time to get up so I’m sleep deprived as well. Thanks for your reply in advance.

        Reply
  188. Hi Westin,

    I’m starting Nature Thyroid tomorrow. I’ve been taking 75mcg of Levothyroxine every other day. I’m not sure what dosage of Nature Thyroid I’ll be taking. My concern is while I’ll be taking Nature Thyroid my doctor still wants me to take my Levothyroxine every other day. Is this normal? Is this safe?

    Reply
  189. Hello,

    I have been taking a compounded t4/t3 at 65/16 ratio, I have a new doctor and he gave me naturethroid 1.5 grain, he said I should take 1 1/2 tabs, how does this break down to mg?

    Reply
  190. I see a few people above mentioned concerns with Nature-throid since they have moved to the new manufacturing facility. They (RLC Labs) state that the ingredients have not changed. However, I have seen a significant drop in my free T3 and T4 levels a month after taking Nature-throid from the new facility, and a moderate uptick in TSH. Also, some hypo symptoms have returned. Have any others experienced this? I am wondering if I just need a higher dose now? It seems like something changed, even if it’s just the way they make the medication which in turn is potentially affecting how it is being absorbed or used (just my theory).

    Reply
  191. I have been on nature thyroid for 4 yrs. It has made me feel better but not totally. I do have digestive issues that I have been dealing with too and I know it keeps me from absorbing vitamins or nutrients. I do have MTHFR gene from both parents and I have trouble with B’s so I keep trying different types of methylated B’s. I use a cream form now but only once away of I react. I have increased heart from Nature thyroid , I take 2 grains. Have you treated anyone with the MTHFR gene taking thyroid medicine? It’s hard when your body seems to battle you with the simplest foods or meds.

    Reply
    • Hi Cindy,

      The short answer is yes because up to 30-40% of people may have some issue with methylation. It’s important to use the right pre-methylated B vitamins, if necessary, in these patients but it doesn’t alter treatment dramatically.

      Reply
  192. I am currently taking levothyroxine 75 mg based on this what should be the dosage if I want to transition to nature-throid.
    Thank you

    Reply
  193. I have been taking Naturethroid for about 3 years without issue. However, in the last year of taking it, my TSH levels have fluctuated greatly (from 0.1 – 6.4).. I was taking 2.5 grains daily, but my labs 4 weeks ago showed a TSH of 6.4. My Free T3 and Free T4 are also at the very bottom of the range. I have gained 20 pounds. I have read several of your posts. Is it lactose intolleance causing the swings? Would you suggest adding more Naturethroid and/or adding T3? My doctor suggested moving off Naturthroid and trying a T4/T3 combination, but 4 weeks into that regimen, I have daily headaches and still don’t feel good. I’m considering moving back to Naturthroid and increasing it and/or adding T3, but am concerned about the swings I saw on the TSH levels. Thank you for your input. Your articles are so helpful!

    Reply
    • Hi Randee,

      I don’t think lactose intolerance would cause the symptoms you are experiencing here. You may want to consider switching to a different type of NDT to see if it helps.

      Reply
  194. I’m taking NatureThroid and have been doing very well on it (nothing else has been helpful for many years.) I was diagnosed in 1990 with Hashi. I’ve found that I only need a tiny sliver/speck of the 1/4 grain. Now I’m pregnant and will likely need to increase my dose, but as I’m taking such a low and unstandardized dose, I’m not sure how to effectively do this. Do you have any suggestions? I’ve had 2 doctors give the okay to take this kind of self measured dose because its the first time I’ve figured out a way to make something work for me.

    Reply
  195. I started naturethroid a little over a year ago and have tolerated it very well. I was on synthroid for 17 years prior to this. My labs have remained stable and I made the switch after a Doc I worked with suggested that my continued fatigue could be related to a conversion issue. I recently started an energy and metabolism vitamin with a low level of caffeine, but cut out my 2-3 cups of coffe per day. I developed palpitations despite no change in dose or timing of taking my meds. I found that the vitamin had selenium and iodine in it, so now I’m wondering if my thyroid problem may have been an iodine deficiency all along. This was never checked by my PCP when I started synthroid, and neither were TPO antibodies. I plan to have levels of iodine checked, but do you have any recommendations if level is low about how to replace iodine and taper the naturethroid? My PCP isn’t experienced in this but is definitely willing to work with me on it.

    Reply
  196. I have T1 and they just diagnosed me with Hashimoto. I have had symptoms for a year but my endrochronologist said my thyroid was fine. My Ob/gyn diagnosed me 2 weeks ago. He put me on NatureThyroid. I haven’t notice any difference yet. My skin is extremely dry and my hair is falling out 🙁 waiting for something to happen. Will this help with those two symptoms? Should I expect it to get better? Thank you so much.

    Reply
  197. I am being treated for heart palpitations and arrhythmia and take Naturethroid, at 2 pm empty stomach 1 grain and alternate mornings, empty stomach, add half grain. it is not sufficient to manage my fatigue and brain fog and hair loss and concentration/focus issues but internist and cardiologist are careful regarding the heart. I am 65. I could work on digestive issues. Would changing to WT at nighttime be good idea? I am taking the 2 pm due to crashing in the afternoon. I have had low adrenal function and low cortisol. My palpitations are as I wake in the morning, upon exercise, and when tired and sedentary, so meditating can be challenging. If I move they tend to resolve fairly soon. Suggestions?

    Reply
  198. Love your column! I was diagnosed 4 years ago with Hashimoto’s and was doing ok on 97.5mg Nature Throid until it was unavailable late last year and switched to NP Thyroid…disaster. Finally, in April the Nature Throid was back on the market so my MD put me on twice a day dosing to get my labs back in line. Just had new labs done 7/23 and don’t know what to make of it. T3- 84 but T4 is only at 4. TSH – .053 as would be expected.

    Reply
  199. Dr. Childs,
    My Dr. started me at 1/2 grain and had me titrate up 1/2 grain per week until I got the jitters. I’m at 1 1/2 grain now and feel ok but am gaining weight. Is that normal?

    Reply
  200. I have epilepsy. Does Naturethroid have drug interactions with anti-seizure medications? I am terrified of this new (to me) entire thyroid “thing” because of possible interactions. Nasty interactions are why I am incredibly reluctant to take any medications other than my (2) anti-seizure meds. I am on nothing for my thyroid right now because I am chicken little and want to do research first rather than just swallow more pharmaceuticals. Thanks.

    Reply
    • Hi RoseMary,

      Usually, anti-seizure medications are responsible for damaging the thyroid, not the other way around. Thyroid hormone can be safely taken with many medications because it’s a hormone that your body produces naturally and not a pharmaceutical. You should check with your current provider though because I’m not sure what medications you are taking.

      Reply
  201. Hi Dr. Childs. I have been reading and listening to your podcasts for months and have been working on my thyroid health taking in your advice and expertise. I was put on NDT April 2015 after seeing a Naturopath. I live in Canada and take NDT. 90 mg in the early morning to avoid any conflict with food/supplements and then 30 mg at around 3 pm. I changed to the half dose in the afternoon a few months ago. I have been feeling much better. I sleep better, have more energy and seem to be on the right path.

    I have no good recent labs as I can;’t get R/T”s or T’s but what I have is this March 2018
    Cortisol am (blood) 441, Ferritin 95ug/L, FSH 42 U/L, LH 17 U/L, Progesterone 1.3 mol/L, TSH 3.06 (previous TSH Dec 2017 1.07, Jan 2017 2.46) Glucose fasting 5,.2 mmol/L, DHEA 7.2

    My main issue now is rapid weight gain and I can’t seem to lose or even stabilize. I tried the Victoza for almost 3 months and was at the highest dose with no results. I eat healthy, (clean diet, higher protein) weight train at the gym 2 or 3 x per week, go for brisk walks 3x per week and an active person. 55 and menopause for 5 years (progesterone at bedtime and estradiol cream in the morning) I also had a RmR test and I use 1950 calories in a resting state.
    I take your T3 conversion booster, Vit D, probiotic, a cortisol supporter, a magnesium spray on the skin at night to help me sleep.

    Can you recommend anything to combat the weight gain? I was even considering taking Synthroid as I have never tried anything other than the NDT. Here is the link to what we get in Canada.
    https://bodyandhealth.canada.com/drug/getdrug/thyroid

    I would even consider a compound NT.. but I am open to suggestions.

    thank you for your time and your dedication to thyroid patients.

    Bonnie

    Reply
    • Hi Bonnie,

      If you’ve tried all of those therapies then you may be someone who needs to look into thyroid medication, probably medication which includes T3 thyroid hormone. Synthroid probably won’t work to help with your weight loss, to be honest. You’ll also need to take a good look at your own personal history to see if previous yo-yo dieting or eating disorders in your early life may be contributing to your condition now.

      Reply
  202. Hi! I have been struggling for years! Diagnosed w Hashimotos in 2014. I have been on nature throid all this time..currently 4 grains and I split my dose..TSH is always 0.01 still always cold, dry skin, hair nails, cracked feet, flaky scalp, hair loss,and cant lose weight! My TPO fluctuates with diet and mu Antithyroglobin Antibodies are Always greater than 1000! It does not matter how good my diet is..weight loss is impossible but weight gain is super easy! I feel beyond frustrated to never have these Hypo symptoms go away despite my TSH..my t3 t4 are NOT optimal and are very low. I feel so very lost

    Reply
  203. Hi Dr Childs,

    I really appreciate your expertise and resources – thank you! I was diagnosed with Hoshimotos about 6 years ago. After getting fed up with conventional medicine’s treatment, I began working with a functional nutritionist last Jan and a functional MD in August. I was on 88 mg of synthroid 5 days/wk and 1.5 dosages 2 days/wk. My labs still showed sub-optimal levels of thyroid. My functional MD switched me to 1 grain of NTD in Aug. I felt poorly, we retested after a month, and there was no improvement. He switched me to 2 grain, I retested after a month, and my thyroid markers are literally not budging. NO difference between my last two blood work results despite doubling the dosage. I am on a strict paleo diet (and have been for a year), I am careful to take my NTD as directed (on an empty stomach and apart from other supplements). I am still experiencing crappy hypo symptoms (exhausted all the time, brain fog, aches, headaches, general “slowness”). Any idea how changing medicines and dosages could seemingly have no effect? Have you seen patients have little to no response to medications?

    Reply
    • Hi Emily,

      Yes, I’ve seen patients who are difficult to treat but I’ve pretty much always been able to get some measure of improvement with enough trial and error.

      Reply
  204. Hi
    I have started taking the nature throid a year ago. And my doctor told me that I needed 65 mg to take one pill once a day on an empty stomach. And to make sure that I take it at the same time everyday. Well I did that Faithfully and my test results showed that there was a great Improvement. But I personally was not satisfied. Because I had only lost 10 lb that year and I wanted to lose more. I ended up gaining five of it back. And recently lost too. But I am now in my second year of taking nature throid and I had my test results show that there was a significant decrease. And my doctor was concerned that I wasn’t taking my medicine. I told her that I was but I do not take it on an empty stomach. I told her I take it between 10 and 2. From either between 10 or 11 a.m. but mostly around 12 12:30 in the afternoon depending on my sleep cycle. Sometimes I haven’t been able to take it until 2. But it’s always the early part of the day. But my stomach is never completely empty I always have a little something in my stomach and she can’t understand why I can’t just wake up to go pee and just take the pill and then go back to sleep. Well I try to do it that way but it doesn’t always work that way. If I eat breakfast at 9 a.m. then I should be able to take my thyroid pill at 12 noon. But sometimes I’ll eat 30 minutes later a very small meal like half a sandwich or something. And she said well it shows up on your blood work. Because it’s not fully absorbing in your body and she says I need to learn discipline and she says that I’m getting to a point where I’m defaulting. And I’m angry because I want to take some version of nature throid that will allow me to have food in my stomach and it’s a pain in the tail that I have to take it the same time everyday. I know I sound like a spoiled brat. But it was going good the first year. But now I just find it to be such a nuisance. Like I had a doctor’s appointment and I had to make sure I took my pill at 12 noon can’t eat anything for 2 to 3 hours now I’m nauseous I need something to eat blah blah blah. My doctor does not want to give me any other thyroid medication she thinks that nature boy is the best and it’s best suited for me I take 65 mg a day one whole pill. I told her I want more than 65 mg for the I can lose more weight. That’s my main concern out of ignorance of course. A friend of mine said that I need to take more than 65 mg a day a friend of mine said that I need to take two doses. And for a while I did without telling my doctor. But I took it all at once I took two 65 mg all at once until I did research and found out that that was a foolish move. Someone please set me straight someone please say something to help me to be on the right path.

    Reply
  205. Hello, I must began by letting you know that this blog is very informative and very appreciated. Thank you!I can only wish to find a physician like yourself in Chattanooga Tn. If you know of one I’d be delighted if you would share the information with me. I had RAI in 2012 my body didn’t respond to t4 medications . I was on a major roller coaster . I leveled out on nature throid since 2013. By being my own advocate I’m trying to research and survive this nasty autoimmune that makes me struggle. I have graves and hashis. Now recently I’m starting to gain weight like 20 lbs in 3 months also it’s hard to get up in the mornings. I won’t allow myself to settle for this I have to dig and find the answers.. I refuse to give in. I work long hours and struggle after 3 ish. I’m on 2 grains of nature throid and 10 mg of cytomel. As one ages “I’m 39” does this generally change the dose one takes? I’m also curious if it may be due to the change in naturethroid?

    Reply
    • Hi Katie,

      Glad you found it helpful! The short answer is that yes, the demand for thyroid hormone in your body changes over the course of your life. It also might be possible that the change in thyroid medication formulation is leading to your issues as well (or a combination of both).

      Reply
  206. I have been treated for hypothyroid since I was 11 years old. I have been on and off medications depending on who my primary doctor is an their beliefs. Talk about a condition that has gone in and out of favor over the years. I have tried to hang on to lab work results through the years just for my own desire to research and try to resolve my own issues. Thanks to your excellent web site I now know I have always had a low t3. No one has ever suggested I try adding supplements. I am reading through your site and making my own notes but wanted to share that I was on Naturethroid for 5 to 6 years and felt terrible, but that’s what my insurance said I had to take. Recently I asked my MD to change it to Armour and I just pay for it. Feel so much better on Armour. So I agree with you that the fillers/binders etc. make some not work for a certain percentage of ppl. Also probably 8 or 9 years ago I purchased Natural Sources – Raw Thyroid Glandular Concentrate at a vitamin store. It made me feel so much better. Can you explain what is the difference between this OTC product and the rx version of NDT thyroid? Why did I have good results with the raw thyroid glandular OTC product? Is there benefits to taking both at the same time?

    Reply
  207. I am currently on armour thyroid, daw. 90 mg. I have trouble sleeping and have severe acid reflux disease. I have 2 stomach ulcers with hiatal hernia. My lab tests are within the range but t4 is on the low side of that range. Nature throid seemed to make my heartburn worse so I switched to armour but still suffering from heartburn. Do thyroid medications contribute to acid reflux disease?

    Reply
    • Hi Linda,

      Generally, they tend to help improve acid reflux but they could also potentially cause it in the right circumstances.

      Reply
  208. I have very low TSH [RAI] but normal levels of T4 and T3 and I take Armour but have experienced AFIB in 2015 and again recently. Am I getting too much T3.

    Reply
    • Hi Trish,

      Perhaps, but typically atrial fibrillation is not related to thyroid medication unless it is excessively high. You can always check your labs to see where you stand.

      Reply
    • Hi Tivkah,

      The default position should always be to take thyroid medication on an empty stomach. Very rarely, if ever, should you take it with food.

      Reply
  209. I have taken NatureThroid for at least 10 years, and other thyroid meds before that. I can never stabilize the quantity for very long: I seem to be fine, then I get symptoms, so dr adjusts it. This occurs about every 4 to 6 months. My TSH is .006 and my Free T3 is 3.7, and I am not doing well. Naturethroid has become hard to find in my area; I have to cut small pills in quarters to get the recommended dose. Any help at all would be appreciated. (I am going to search for a new dr.)

    Reply
    • Nature-throid changed in early Jan 2017 after they shut down and reopened their factory. The previous pills tasted sweet and were easily dissolved in the mouth, the new pills are harder and less effective according to many people on the internet (including me). I assume a change in fillers/binders.

      I was on 1 grain for over 10 years and did great, but after the change in pills I started getting hypo; weight gain, hair loss, anxiety. My new doctor looks at free T’s and not just the TSH, so she is raising my dose and I am currently at 2 grains.

      I started chewing the pills before swallowing the last few days when I started the new dose and I noticed I feel a little hyper. My resting heart rate is 90–100 and I feel slightly lightheaded off and on during the day.

      My question is is it fairly common to feel slightly off and have a faster heart rate when first upping your NT dose? If so, should I just stay on this dose for now and see if I feel better in a few weeks? I am getting blood work in 8 weeks.

      Also, I have read that chewing the newer Armour has helped with absorption, so I was hoping it would do the same thing with Nature-throid. I also read studies that low stomach ph causes low thyroid absorption, thus chewing it first would seem to help. But now I wonder if my body is getting too much T3 right away because I chew them up. Is it a problem to chew them before swallowing?

      Reply
  210. I’ve had hypothyroidism and hashimoto’s for 15 years. I was on T3 and T4 meds previously (Synthroid 100 mcgand Liothyronine 10 mcg). I switched to Naturethroid 113 mg this past June. I’m not sure Naturethroid is working for me. I just got my labs done and I’m waiting to see what they look like. I’ve noticed my vision has. Even blurry and I’m tired, lack of energy. I was feeling pretty good on T3 and T4 but wanted to try NDT. Now I’m questioning whether I should switch back. Do you think I need more T3? I know I have a conversion problem because I was only treated with T4 meds when I was diagnosed and felt horrible. Adding T3 made a huge difference. I will talk about my symptoms at my next appointment when we go over my labs. Still deciding what I shoukd do.

    Reply
  211. In 2013 at the age of 66 I saw a general practitioner for the first time. My TSH was 1.71, free T3 was 3.17 and free T4 was .98. I had no complaints. A year later my TSH was .76, T3 was 2.62, and T4 was .84 so my doctor started me on Naturethroid 1 grain which he sells in his office. I didn’t question his decision. In 2015 my TSH was .61 and T3 was 11. T4 wasn’t checked. In 2017 my TSH was 1.51. T3 and T4 weren’t checked. In 2018 my TSH was .12, T3 was 5.3H, and T4 wasn’t checked. I decided that right after my last blood work (which was ordered by my new M.D.) and which was drawn on 10/22/19 that I would start weaning myself from the Naturethroid and have been taking 1/2 grain since. The doctor also checked my thyroid gland and didn’t feel any abnormalities. I just received the results and my TSH is .71 and T4 was .8. The nurse at the office who gave me the results said I should keep doing the same thing but when I saw the doctor at her office I was questioned why I was ever put on Naturethroid to begin with and that it can actually weaken my bones. Now that the results came back I’m continuing the 1/2 grain but wondering if it would be a bad idea to keep weaning or if I should keep taking it. I was able to look at my results online and see that my BUN/Creatinine (now 35)is still high as it was in 2015 (39) which I understand is also affected by the thyroid. I appreciate any input. Thanks so much.

    Reply
  212. Hello there, I have heart disease but my functional felt that naturthoid might help me. I cant find any information on how naturthoid can be harmful if a person with heart disease takes it but I have read if you have HD then you shouldn’t take it. Was my functional doc wrong by prescribing this to me? Thank you!

    Reply
    • Hi Mary,

      Thyroid medications are not a problem if you have heart disease provided your dose is normal. They only become a problem if your dose is too high.

      Reply
  213. Went years searching for a diagnosis finally found out Hashimoto’sThyroiditis, Sjogren’s, osteoarthritis, tinitis, hemochromatosis. Female age 79. Was around 200#. Made additional changes to diet, took supplements, got on Nature-throid 1 grain and lost almost 40#. Then couldn’t get Nature-throid, so went to Armour. Since then put on 17#. Quit Armour and been trying other thyroid formulas—put on another 5# and now cholesterol raised, losing more hair. Tests not showing much TSH, other numbers not great (barely in range), day-to-day blood pressure in range or high (140s)(take turmeric). Thinking about going back on Nature-throid if can find it or maybe WP Thyroid, also ordered Berb-ALA. Have been told difficult to work with as have too many issues. Some guidance could help. Thank you

    Reply
  214. Tried NP Thyroid 90mg for two weeks but was having hyper symptoms because my FT4 was a little over 2 and FT3 was 4 . Took Levo 88 mcg for 10 years and for the past 4 years had been suffering from aggravation, fatigue and crashes. In the past three years my levels of FT3 went from the mid to high 3 range down to mid to high 2 range. Unfortunately I don’t have any of my test results from the previous 6 years to know if my FT3 levels may have been higher.

    NP Thyroid doesn’t have anything in between 60 and 90 so figured I’d try Nature Throid 81.25 mg. I started out too high. If you try to make a jump from Levo(any T4 therapy) straight to NDT then it’s smart to start low and work your way up but not too low. I don’t think there’s much point to starting at anything under 1 grain if you take 75mcg of Levo or higher. Personally, I need all my T4 in the morning. I didn’t do well splitting the dose.

    So here I am on 65 mg of Nature Throid for the past couple of days. I can tell it’s too low but I’m going to wait at least 10-14 days.

    My question is that there isn’t a dose between 65mg and 81.25 mg of Nature throid and I was slightly hyper but close to optimal after two weeks on 90 mg of NP Thyroid so do you commonly see people need a dose in between doses? If a person is low on 65 mg do you find that they might need to make the full jump up to 81.25 mg or something in between like 73 mg? If you say that 1 grain is more like 75 mcg of T4 then one has to assume 81.25 mg may be closer to 88 mcg of T4. Is it possible I tried to go to 81.25 mg too soon while still coming down from Levo?

    Overall, even though I haven’t found the right dose yet on NDT it has helped with the aggravation and mystery aches and pain.

    Reply
  215. I’m so happy I happened to find this website!
    I was on Nature Throid 81.25 for many years and felt fine. Then, the 81.25 was backordered and I had to switched to Armour (60mg and 15 mg , which ended up being quite expensive) for approx. 3 years. In Jan 2019, my T4 was 1.o, free T3 3.2, and my TSH was .20.
    In Jan. 2020, my blood tests showed my free T3 at 3.1 and my TSH at 2.00 (a large jump), and unfortunately they did not run the T4.
    In early February I was again able to access Nature Throid 81.25 which was about a third of the cost of buying the two Armour prescriptions, and thus I switched back. It has been an interesting adjustment. I’ve gained 5 lbs., feel sluggish, and notice skin changes. I am an active 60 year old elementary school based occupational therapist (my job is quite active!) and I’m always on the go. This has been a real puzzle to me. My doctor would rather put me on Synthroid, but due to my insistence, allows the Armour/Nature Throid so he is no help at all.
    Any insight would be most appreciative!

    Reply
  216. and in Canada its a bummer that I cannot get NDT [even made up from scratch] without the Microcrystalline Cellulose to which I am allergic. + when last I tried it I believe Im in that small percentile that reacts to porcine protein.

    Reply
  217. Thank you for this wonderful website in this desert of docs who have little knowledge about natural thyroid meds! My question is, what might cause (new) middle-of-the night “adrenaline rushes” in someone who is usually hypothyroid and completely exhausted most days? NatureThroid side effects? Cortisol issues? Adrenal issues?
    Thanks for any ideas.

    Reply
  218. Hi I have Recently started taking naturthroid but I feel like it isn’t working. I have body aches, fatigue loss of hair and weight gain more than I did in armpit or synthroid. But on synthroid I had major anxiety and heart and armour wasn’t balancing my number either and I had symptoms in that. Any suggestions on directions to go? Things to test

    Reply
  219. Hello! Any time I try to take any thyroid hormone in any amount (cytomel, levothyroxine, NP thyroid) I almost instantly have fluid retention and constipation. It’s as if I’m getting more hypothyroid. I’ve tried low doses, medium doses, higher doses with the same response. 10 yrs ago when I was first dx with peripheral hypothyroidism I took cytomel only and it made a world of difference, but something has changed since 2019 when I noticed getting more hypo with medication. I have all of the classic hypothyroid symptoms when I’m not medicated, and they are exacerbated with any type of thyroid replacement. Labs are low normal everything (free t3, free t4, TSH) and a RT3 of 16. Negative antibodies

    Reply
  220. I felt so good on nature thyroid, I didnt realize how good I felt until I tried something else, I had to get it from a compunding pharmacy and it was alittle expensive, money got tight and I was naive enough to think all meds were the same, went to synthroid, horrible, went to armour not much better, went to T3/T4 drug and want to get back to naturthroid but now they are not making it, It was like a light switched my brain was great, i had energy and motivation, I woke up and started cleaning the house at 6am most days it was amazing, now on all the other meds I have the constants blahs again and am tired and not my best self. I am looking to get on to NP thyroid as that seems to be the closest alternative right now

    Reply
    • Hi Jeff,

      You can still get nature-throid from certain compounding pharmacies so that would be worth looking into if you can afford it.

      Reply
  221. I saw this article anchor so excited because I thought it was back on the market at first. I wish it would come back out again.. I was allergic to synthetics after my thyroid removal in 2014 and tried everyone out there with Naturethroid being my last hope. Took it and improved dramatically so much so that I felt like I did when I was younger before any health issues.. lost so much weight as well. But since the recall I have tried the compounded they talked about on their page from several different pharmacies only to have my TSH get messed up with weight gain and side effects as well .. I take armour only because I know it will be closer to the right amount then if compounded but feel like crap still with joint and muscle pains still feel fatigued but my numbers are good border line hyper almost .. but gained more weight the last yr and half I’ve been on it ..ugh and now weigh 206lb which I’ve never weighed ever.. my highest after thyroid removal was 168 and on Naturethroid went back to my normal weight of 133.. I feel so sad and depressed because of this weight gain and these side effects ..I just want Naturethroid to come back again so I can regain the quality of life I had before.

    Reply
    • Hi Liz,

      I wish it were back as well! If it does make it back to the market I will let all of my email followers know. I’m keeping an eye on it, especially with the new developments with the FDA trying to label NDT as biologics.

      Reply
  222. Hi Dr Childs,
    Do u know if np thyroid and armour have the ingredients incl. minor amounts of Calcitonin, T1, T2, and even Iodine? It does not say when searching, but naturethroid has it. Maybe the dessicated versions all have it in small amounts? Pls let me know.

    Reply
    • Hi Sasa,

      Yes, all formulations are said to have it though they aren’t tested for it (as far as I know) and I’ve been unable to find exactly how much each lot contains.

      Reply

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