Natural Desiccated Thyroid (NDT) Medication
Thyroid Medication is an important piece of the puzzle for improving thyroid symptoms. In working with patients, we can work with your current medication, or we can discuss the option of NDT.
In my practice, I prescribe Natural Desiccated Thyroid (NDT), for several reasons:
๐ It contains active free T3 hormone in addition to T4
๐ Not synthetic, biologically similar to what our own body produces
๐ Doesnโt rely entirely on our bodyโs ability to convert T4 into T3
๐ Well absorbed
๐ No gluten or dairy non-medical additives (in ERFA)
Who may benefit from taking NDT medication?
๐ Because NDT contains the ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ฒ๐ซ๐จ๐ข๐ ๐ก๐จ๐ซ๐ฆ๐จ๐ง๐ ๐๐ซ๐๐ ๐๐, many people feel better taking NDT than Synthroid which only contains inactive synthetic free T4.
๐ NDT doesnโt rely entirely on your body to convert T4 medication into active free T3. It comes with some free T3 in it.
๐ It provides a balanced ratio of T3 and T4 hormones.
๐ NDT contains the full spectrum of thyroid hormones, including ๐๐ & ๐๐ which arenโt in Synthroid/levothyroxine.
๐ T2 has been shown to support a ๐ก๐๐๐ฅ๐ญ๐ก๐ฒ ๐ฆ๐๐ญ๐๐๐จ๐ฅ๐ข๐ฌ๐ฆ, ๐ฐ๐๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ญ ๐ฅ๐จ๐ฌ๐ฌ, ๐๐ง๐ ๐ข๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ฌ ๐ข๐ง๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ข๐ง ๐ฌ๐๐ง๐ฌ๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ. โฃ
๐ T2 increases basal metabolic rate.
๐Who can take NDT? Anyone with hypothyroidism who requires medication, including those with Hashimotoโs. ๐๐จ, ๐ข๐ญ ๐๐จ๐๐ฌ๐งโ๐ญ ๐ซ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ข๐๐จ๐๐ข๐๐ฌ.
๐ It can be especially helpful in people who have had a ๐๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐จ๐ซ ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ญ๐ข๐๐ฅ ๐ญ๐ก๐ฒ๐ซ๐จ๐ข๐๐๐๐ญ๐จ๐ฆ๐ฒ as NDT provides the full spectrum of hormones that their own body can no longer produce: T1, T2, T3, & T4.
Research on NDT
While there is research on Natural Desiccated Thyroid (NDT) use, there arenโt a lot of studies directly comparing it to Synthroid. However, the few that we have are favourable.
In a recent study, 6 months after switching to NDT from levothyroxine, the study participants reported improvement in symptoms across all domains surveyed which included improvement in โ๐๐ง๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฒ, ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐จ๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐จ๐ ๐๐ซ๐๐ข๐ง ๐๐จ๐ , ๐ข๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ ๐ฌ๐ฅ๐๐๐ฉ ๐ฉ๐๐ญ๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ง๐ฌ, ๐๐๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฆ๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐๐ฅ๐๐ซ๐ญ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐จ๐ง๐ ๐๐ซ, ๐ฅ๐ข๐๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐จ๐ ๐๐๐ฉ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ข๐จ๐ง, ๐ซ๐๐๐ฎ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐ข๐ง ๐๐ง๐ฑ๐ข๐๐ญ๐ฒ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐๐ง๐ฌ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐ง๐ ๐ข๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ ๐ฏ๐ข๐ ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ/๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก.โ Significant symptomatic benefits and improvement in quality of life were experienced by patients with a history of hypothyroidism unresponsive to levothyroxine when treated with NDT.
๐PMID: 34626513
In a study comparing NDT to T4 (levothyroxine) 48% preferred NDT, 18% preferred T4, and 32% had no preference. The study participants reported having ๐๐๐ญ๐ญ๐๐ซ ๐๐ง๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฒ, ๐ฐ๐๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ญ ๐ฅ๐จ๐ฌ๐ฌ, ๐ข๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ ๐๐จ๐ ๐ง๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง, ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฆ๐จ๐จ๐ with NDT. The patients most symptomatic on T4 medication preferred and responded favourably to NDT.
๐ PMID: 23539727
NDT isnโt the full solution when it comes to comprehensive thyroid care, but from a
medication-only standpoint, many patients notice improvements and prefer NDT when given the choice. In working with patients, we can work with your current medication, or we can discuss the option of NDT.