Your thyroid is a butterfly shaped gland just below your voice box. This gland is very busy producing
primarily T4(Levothyroxine) with some T3 (Liothyronine). If everything works like your body intends, a signal
called Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) is sent from the pituitary gland in your brain asking for the thyroid
gland to produce T4 and T3. When the TSH is elevated, that generally means your brain/pituitary gland isn’t
happy and is asking for more production of thyroid. If the TSH is suppressed, then the brain/pituitary gland
is getting sufficient feedback and doesn’t need additional production of thyroid hormones. There are many ways
your body may feel an imbalance of thyroid hormones. There may be a production issue (not enough or too much),
there may be an issue with getting the thyroid hormones into the cells (functional hypothyroidism), a
conversion issue where the body doesn’t create enough active T3, or there may be an autoimmune condition where
the body attacks the thyroid gland (Hashimoto’s). There are other thyroid disorders that a specialist may
diagnose you with beyond these commonly diagnosed issues.
T4 - Levothyroxine /
T3 - Liothyronine
These thyroid hormones are considered “bio-identical” which means they are an exact chemical structure
match of what your body produces. They are also considered “synthetic” since there isn’t a natural
source to harvest these hormones, so they are bio-synthesized in a lab using tyrosine and iodine, both
of which are natural products.
Thyroid USP
This glandular extract is generally porcine (pig) derived. The porcine glands are freeze-dried and the
T4 and T3 are tested so the USP formulation contains 38mcg of T4 and 9mcg of T3 per every 60mg of
powder. The benefit of the glandular comes from the combination of both T4 and T3 as well as the other
factors that are not measured but found in the glandular powder. These factors include the glandular
tissue, naturally occurring co-factors of T2 and T1, and minerals that support the glands like
calcitonin and trace amounts of iodine. The drawback of Thyroid USP is the consistent relationship
between the T4 and T3. When the dose is changed, both active ingredients change.
Hashimoto’s Disease
Hashimoto’s is generally diagnosed by your doctor or endocrinologist as a result of elevated antibodies,
generally Thyroid Peroxidase Antibody (TPO) but sometimes Thyroglobulin Antibodies (TgAb). When the
initial antibody attack begins there are elevated (hyperthyroid) levels of T4 and T3, which are
generally due to the thyroid antibodies attacking the thyroid gland and releasing stored thyroid
hormones. Once the body has run out of the stored thyroid hormone and has reduced the ability to make T4
and T3, the patient will convert to hypothyroid (low thyroid) due to Hashimoto’s. One of the effective
treatment options is compounded Low Dose
Naltrexone (LDN).