I Have Tried It All: T4, T3-only, T3/T4-combo, NDT. Here I Share What I Learned

What drug are you using to replace thyroid?

  • T3

    Votes: 30 25.6%
  • T4

    Votes: 9 7.7%
  • T3+T4 (synthetic)

    Votes: 47 40.2%
  • NDT

    Votes: 31 26.5%

  • Total voters
    117
Joined
Nov 21, 2015
Messages
10,501
Ah, ok, great. Was it one tablet per day, or varied doses according to symptoms?
I got very positive initial response from tyronene but had to up dose to 80 mcg per day. After a week or so took a little bit of t3/t4 and it was very very uncomfortable - anxious, jittery, poor concentration.
How long was your t3 only experience?

I worked up to 170mcg per day. Then worked down slowly per Wilson. Did two cycles over 8 months.
 

stackz07

Member
Joined
Feb 21, 2019
Messages
122
I really loved reading your articles especially the one on adrenals.
My experience exactly matches yours in terms of internal feelings while on small dose HC. And by low dose I mean something like 3,75 mg of it (I take 2/3 of the dose around 08 am and the other 1/3 at lunch.).
Taking HC was definitely a lifechanger.
The only difference is that I add 50 mg of pregnenolone and a bit of T4 (12,5 mcg) before bed to my HC protocol.
I can feel the difference when I don’t take the preg and T4.

What's HC?
 

Wilfrid

Member
Joined
Nov 26, 2012
Messages
723
Real interesting - thanks for sharing your experience.
Can I ask how you felt on thyroid before taking the HC?
Has the 3.75mg caused any notable adrenal suppression / reduction in serum ACTH?
I always felt better on thyroid therapy during the warmest period (ie: during my lowest dose intake while on thyroid meds) of the year before taking the HC. But during the coldest one, the results were absolutely not satisfying.
I think that I was putting myself in a state of "decompensated" hyperthyroidism by increasing my thyroid meds during the autumn-winter season; by opposition to a "compensated" one. The latter being the only healthy one.
If one is dealing with this kind of "decompensated" state, cortisone is perfectly capable of raising the basal metabolism without the fear of altering thyroid function.
I think that HC is perfectly safe in two split doses, up to 5 mg max. Taking a good quality pregnenolone supplement while on HC intake should minimize the "risk" (if any) of adrenal suppression.
So, I do not monitor my cortisol neither my ACTH.
 

Elize

Member
Joined
Jan 25, 2016
Messages
918
Taking a good quality pregnenolone supplement

Which is a good quality pregnenolone

I have a powder Health Natura But not used it yet.

Thanks
 

sweetpeat

Member
Joined
Nov 28, 2014
Messages
917
Should I be taking armour on an empty stomach or with food?
With food is probably best.
Should it be taken multiple times per day, or all at once?
Ray has said that it's ok to take all of NDT (like Armour) at once because the thyroid hormones are released as the pill is digested. So it ends up being like a slow release version of thyroid. Splitting the dose is ok too though, especially if you end up needing a lot. It takes some experimentation to find out what works best for you.
Is there too much to take at once? (I feel like Ray Peat has suggested that too much at once is bad because the liver will produce enzymes to break down... t2 was it?)
He is referring to synthetic t3/t4 when he talks about not taking too much at once.
 

username

Member
Joined
Nov 17, 2020
Messages
89
With food is probably best.

Ray has said that it's ok to take all of NDT (like Armour) at once because the thyroid hormones are released as the pill is digested. So it ends up being like a slow release version of thyroid. Splitting the dose is ok too though, especially if you end up needing a lot. It takes some experimentation to find out what works best for you.

He is referring to synthetic t3/t4 when he talks about not taking too much at once.

Thanks sweatpeat!

Is the best way to experiment to slowly increase dosage until hyperthyroid symptoms arise?
 

Phoenix

Member
Joined
Feb 25, 2018
Messages
8
NDT worked great until B12 deficiency. Due to high Reverse T3, created a combo of T3 and NDT. Finally, found a B12 that actually works and now T4 to T3 conversion from NDT is occurring, again. B12 and Iron levels are big issues for hypothyroid.

Note: A Low T3 Syndrome which is not classic hypothyroidism is rarely detected due to misinformation, but LOW T3 is a concern for heart failure. T3 needs to be in upper quadrant of normal range to be effective. Low T3 Syndrome also occurs in cancer, especially prostate cancer.
 
OP
thingsvarious

thingsvarious

Member
Joined
Oct 11, 2020
Messages
144
Ah, ok, I see.
I got very positive initial response from tyronene but had to up dose to 80 mcg per day. After a week or so took a little bit of t3/t4 and it was very very uncomfortable - anxious, jittery, poor concentration.
Just re read your post, t3 only didn’t work for you, I thought it helped.
T3 only only makes sense if cortisol levels are at least somewhat adeuquate
 

Sergey

Member
Joined
Jul 25, 2015
Messages
110
T3 only only makes sense if cortisol levels are at least somewhat adeuquate
Thank you!
I think my cortisol isn't adequate really, so it probably explains why t3 effects disappears after a few days.
Most days I experience strange dip in my mood/energy/ body temp/everything_really at 5 PM, by the clock. Its very intense and lasts for 2-4 hours with slowly recovery towards midnight.
I noticed that magnesium makes these dips significantly worse, salt helps a lot, as well as vitamin A and protein, especially liver (probably due to vit A once again). Sounds like cortisol getting too low? I should probably eat more carbs, which is exactly the problem here, because at the moment I can't tolerate any.
 

Similar threads

Back
Top Bottom