Study reveals superiority of natural desiccated thyroid over levothyroxine in hypothyroidism treatment

Study reveals superiority of natural desiccated thyroid over levothyroxine in hypothyroidism treatment

In 2015, the hypothyroid drug Synthroid by AbbVie was the most prescribed drug in the United States with 21.6 million prescriptions in a 12-month span.[1] Synthroid is a common brand name of levothyroxine, a synthetic (manufactured in a lab) form of the thyroid hormone thyroxine (T4). Levothyroxine was first made in 1927. Common brand names include Eltroxin, Euthyrox, Letrox, Levaxin, Lévothyrox, L-thyroxine, Thyrax, and Thyrax Duotab in Europe; Thyrox, Thyronorm in South Asia; Unithroid, Levothyroid, Levoxyl, Synthroid, and Tirosint in North and South America; and Thyrin and Thyrolar in Bangladesh. There are also numerous generic versions.[2]

If these medications worked for every patient, do you really think there would be over one million hypothyroidism patients following the Hypothyroid Mom Facebook page?

The T4 thyroid hormone found in levothyroxine medications must be converted into T3, the potent form that enters every cell in the body and makes the cells of the body function normally. Unfortunately, many individuals are unable to successfully convert T4 into T3 in their bodies, so the patient’s symptoms remain.

Natural desiccated thyroid (NDT) is made from the thyroid glands of pigs, which produce thyroid hormones biologically similar to that found in humans. It contains all four thyroid hormones that our bodies make – T4, T3, T2, and T1. Natural desiccated thyroid (brands like Armour, NP Thyroid, and Canada’s “Thyroid” by ERFA) are not commonly prescribed by mainstream doctors and few patients even know they exist. Despite patients reporting improvement in their symptoms, NDT continues to be a challenge to obtain. I’ve heard from countless Hypothyroid Mom readers facing challenges when discussing NDT with closed-minded physicians who insist that synthetic T4-only medications are the only option.

I’m asked all the time, “What is the best thyroid medication for hypothyroidism?” I wish there was one simple answer. The truth is the answer is individual. Each person’s body reacts to the different thyroid hormone replacement medication types and brands differently. What may be the perfect treatment for one person may not be for another. That’s part of the reason why thyroid treatment is so complex.

What I do know? I would be a very ill woman today if I had not found an open-minded doctor willing to explore all the thyroid treatment options to find what was right for ME. I’m feeling fabulous on NDT after years of struggling on T4-only medications.

This groundbreaking study is critical for hypothyroidism patients. We now have research to help back us in our discussions with doctors about thyroid treatment options. [Read more…]

New Study Reveals Why 1 in 6 Hypothyroid Patients Still Feels Bad on Levothyroxine

New Study Reveals Why 1 in 6 Hypothyroid Patients Still Feels Bad on Levothyroxine

Doctors often treat hypothyroidism with levothyroxine (T4). New research is revealing that many people also need T3 to feel good. [Read more…]

The Thyroid World’s Queen T3

The Thyroid World's Queen T3

When my Free T3 levels reached the top quarter of the normal range, it was like magic. One by one my hypothyroidism symptoms disappeared. I felt so good I cried.

Optimal Free T3 changed my life. Could it change yours? [Read more…]

Which Is The Best Thyroid Drug For Hypothyroidism?

Which is the best thyroid drug for hypothyroidism

The biggest human temptation is to settle for too little.

-Thomas Merton

Many Hypothyroid Mom readers ask which thyroid drug is best. My answer is always the same, “I wish there was one thyroid drug that worked for all of us but the reality is that we each react differently to the different medications. We must work closely with our doctor to investigate which treatment is ideal for us and what dosage is optimal.” The key is that you must know all the treatment options to ensure your doctor is exploring the options to find what’s right for you. If you are being treated with thyroid hormone replacement medication but you still don’t feel well, insist on further exploration. If you are still not feeling well, get a second opinion, a third opinion, even ten medical opinions until you find a doctor that explores the options to find what’s right for YOU.

Don’t settle. [Read more…]

Thyroid Hormone Replacement Drug Madness!

Thyroid Replacement Drug Madness

I’ve received countless messages from Hypothyroid Mom followers around the world suffering from symptoms of hypothyroidism while on T4-only drugs, including Levothyroxine, Synthroid, Levoxyl, Oroxine and Eltroxin. Doctors refuse to test Free T3 and thyroid antibody levels. Doctors refuse to work with patients who are currently on natural desiccated thyroid and refuse to accept them as patients unless they switch to T4-only medications. Doctors refuse to prescribe natural desiccated thyroid even though their patients are suffering debilitating even life-threatening symptoms on their current T4-only meds. While mainstream doctors are focusing solely on T4-only medications, they are missing the bigger picture in hypothyroidism treatment options and leaving their patients suffering. What in the world is going on? [Read more…]