When it comes to the medications for thyroid disease, you really must ask your medical practitioner to determine what’s best for you personally. There is no true one size fits all medication. Some people with Hashimoto’s are particularly sensitive to porcine, or pig derived, medications. These drugs are known “Natural Dessicated Thyroid” or NDT. Patients who have been the oft-prescribed Armour medication need to know that it is in the NDT class.
NDT drugs are popular prescription thyroid medications. They are a combination of T4 and T3 that is porcine derived, then purified.
What are the advantages of NDT drugs?
1. NDT drugs provide your body with hormones that are a strong match for your own human thyroid hormone.
2. NDT drugs are well researched, have been used successfully for a long time, and have a strong safety record.
3. Practically, Armour and drugs like it are priced affordably for a month’s supply.
What are the disadvantages of NDT drugs?
1. Some people develop allergies to NDTs, or would prefer not to use an animal-derived product.
2. People with Hashimoto’s should be aware that the immune system may misread the effects of the drug on your system, and make more antibodies to your thyroid.
When immune cells cannot tell the difference between pork-derived thyroid gland and your own thyroid gland, the NDT drugs trigger the immune system. The ensuing auto-immune thyroid disease results from increasing TPO (thyroid peroxidase) and TG (thyroglobulin) antibodies. To prevent flaring symptoms, consider switching to a synthetic drug, like levothyroxine.
Levothyroxine, does have one primary disadvantage. Some people do not fully activate the medicine into T3 thyroid hormone. Due to this poor peripheral conversion of T4 to T3, the anticipated relief isn’t realized. Certain herbs, probiotics and vitamins can assist the process for better results.
Read the full article here: Help for Hashimoto’s and Hypothyroidism | Suzy Cohen, RPh
