- Natural desiccated thyroid (NDT) contains both T4 and T3 hormones, giving your body active thyroid hormone immediately rather than requiring conversion from T4.
- Your dose depends on your individual body chemistry and symptoms, not just lab numbers, so finding the right NDT dose requires careful adjustment and symptom tracking.
- Some patients feel dramatically better on NDT after failing on synthetic medications because NDT mimics what a healthy thyroid naturally produces.
- Starting low and going slow with NDT dosing prevents overdose symptoms, but being too timid with dosing leaves you undertreated and continuing to feel terrible.
Update 3/30/26: Nature-Throid is still not available; however, this information is still updated and relevant and applies to other formulations of NDT.
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.
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:
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):
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?
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.
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:
- Patients who have not felt better on T4-only medications like Synthroid, Levothyroxine, or Tirosint (4)
- Patients with known or suspected DIO2 genetic defects (5)
- Patients with mild weight problems (6) or who are weight loss resistant
- Patients who have undergone thyroidectomy or RAI (7)
- Patients with low free T3 and low free T4 levels but with a relatively normal TSH (8)
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.
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:
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:
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:
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:
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:
- High levels of Reverse T3 ( >15 ) or signs of thyroid resistance
- Leptin resistance (Leptin level > 12)
- Diabetes, prediabetes, or insulin resistance
- Extremely low body temperature despite being on Nature-throid or NDT
- Personal history of bipolar disorder or a strong family history of mental health disorders
- Personal history of Fibromyalgia or Chronic fatigue syndrome (15)
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.
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/
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.
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.
Hi
Can you please tell me how many grains of nature thyroid I should take when switching from levothyroxine 125mcg.
Thanks
Karen
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
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.
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!
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.
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>
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.).
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?
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!
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.
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
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.
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?
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?
Is it possible to be on 1 grain of Naturethroid for years and then have to go to a lower dose?
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.
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.
I had the same problem. Anthem makes me use their online pharmacy. They called me Monday and said they donโt have it and didnโt 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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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!
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.
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…
Can Naturethroid be taken every other day?
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
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.
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.
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
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?
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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!
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?
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!
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
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
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?
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.
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.
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, cรกrcamo, 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 ..
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
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.
I am finishing the post above. I had been on Armour 150mg and switched to 130mg of Nature-throid.
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!!!!
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.
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?
Hi Amy,
You can learn more about this topic in this post which includes optimal ranges and how to interpret your lab tests: https://www.restartmed.com/thyroid-tests/
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
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?
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.
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
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.
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).
Dr. Childs – Thanks for your reply. Does this typically abate as one continues to take it? Iโm sure I am going to need to up the dose. Right now the heart palpitations wake me up before time to get up so Iโm sleep deprived as well. Thanks for your reply in advance.
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?