Being on the right medication and the correct dosage is so so important. When my thyroid was first removed I was placed on the standard medication Levothyroxine, which i'm sure the majority of readers that have thyroid issues
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| My daily meds |
Levothyroxine is a thyroid hormone replacement drug that contains the synthetic form of one thyroid hormone, T4. Levothyroxine is the drug of choice by mainstream doctors for hypothyroidism and thyroxine is the most commonly prescribed brand name. This might not be the right medication for you. While these drugs work for some, for many of us including myself, this drug failed to relieve my symptoms. Our bodies need to convert the T4 in these drugs to the active usable thyroid hormone T3. However for many hypothyroidism sufferers, our bodies don’t convert the T4 to T3 and we are left suffering symptoms. If you are on T4 only drugs and you are still not feeling well, speak with your doctor about testing your Free T3 levels to determine if you would benefit from T3 medication or even a change of medication. Your body needs adequate levels of selenium to convert your T4 to T3 so get this checked also. Most of you wouldn't know there is an alternative to Levothyroxine.
I am lucky enough to be under the care of Dr. Ali Araghi from the Australian Wellness and Cosmetic Institute who was the person who originally diagnosed me with my thyroid issues. I highly recommend him, he never gave up on me and to this day is still helping me to get to the bottom of everything. He recommended we try a Compounded T4/T3 product, natural desiccated thyroid extract. This medication is compounded for me and cuts out the fillers such as lactose or gluten, which are present in some thyroid medications and can be problematic for thyroid patients. (I will be writing a blog about gluten and dairy in the coming weeks).
Thyroid hormone replacement drugs are powerful, so powerful they can kill you if not taken properly. This is why it is critical to be under careful medical supervision when on these drugs, especially careful when starting a new brand or increasing dosage.
In conjunction with my Natural Desiccated Thyroid Extract I take every day, 3 x Fish Oil, 1 x magnesium, 2 x Zinc, 1 x melatonin to help me sleep, 1 x L-Theanine to help relax, 1 x dairy free probiotic, 1 x scoop of L-Glutamine to help with leaky gut (I will also write a blog on this). I also take Alpha venus by ATP SCIENCE to help with Fibromyalgia symptoms, 1 x DHEA. Before taking any supplements/vitamins consult with your doctor. I have had every one of these things tested so I know I am low in them.
Finding the right doctor and the right medication is crucial to getting yourself on track! It took me years of trial and error and am still trying different things but I can say I have felt better being on natural desiccated thyroid extract. Get yourself checked!
Ashton X
#thyroidmadness
