Aa
Getting Armour out of your system.. how long?
I know it is said that it takes 4-8 weeks for a thyroid drug to get fully into your system and/or out of your system. When speaking of Armour though, being that it is much heavier on the T3 than T4, would it take less time due to the shorter half life of the T3? I realize there would still be the T4 to deal with, but I am on a super low dose so would it really affect things all that much? I am in the process of weaning off and want to make sure I am not doing it too quickly but yet am pretty eager to get off asap. Thanks! Debbie
Best Answer
Armour has a high T3 content compared to what our thyroids produce if working correctly. The ratio of T4 to T3 is 4 or 5 to 1 in Armour. Our thyroids produce about 20 to 1. So, there's still significantly more T4 in Armour than T3. As you said...4 to 6 weeks to process the T4 completely out of your system..
Also meant to ask what were the dosages for the Levothyroxine and the Armour that you were switched to. The reason I ask is that doctors frequently use the wrong conversion factor of 1 grain of Armour for every 100 mcg of the T3 med. According to a couple of scientific studies and also the AACE/ATA Guidelines, they recommend that T3 is 3 times as potent as T4. Taking that into account, one grain of Armour containing 39 mcg of T4 and 9 mcg of T3 would convert to only 66 mcg of T4 ( 39 plus 3 times 9 equals 66). Using that conversion would give you a lot more Armour for the Levothyroxine you were taking. If the wrong conversion factor was used I expect that your Free T4 and Free T3 results would show a decrease from before and after the switch, which would adversely affect symptoms.
Hair loss is frequently associated with hypothyroidism and also low ferritin, which is a storage form of iron. It may be that your Levo was not adequate or your body was not adequately converting the T4 to T3. Were you tested for the biologically active thyroid hormones, Free T4 and Free T3 (not the same as Total T4 and Total T3)? If so, please post results and reference ranges shown on the lab report, along with TSH. If not you should request those and insist on it. Have you been tested for Vitamin D, B12 and ferritin? Hypo patients are frequently too low in the ranges for those as well. With hair loss you certainly need to know your ferritin level, which is optimal at 70-100.
If there is a suspicion of the rash being associated with the Armour, there are several other possibilities: NatureThroid or NP Thyroid are also desiccated thyroid med, T4 combined with T3 is another option.
Keep in mind that a good thyroid doctor will treat a hypo patient clinically by testing and adjusting Free T4 and Free t3 as needed to relieve symptoms, without being constrained by resultant TSH levels. Symptom relief should be all important, not just test results.
If there is a suspicion of the rash being associated with the Armour, there are several other possibilities: NatureThroid or NP Thyroid are also desiccated thyroid med, T4 combined with T3 is another option.
Keep in mind that a good thyroid doctor will treat a hypo patient clinically by testing and adjusting Free T4 and Free t3 as needed to relieve symptoms, without being constrained by resultant TSH levels. Symptom relief should be all important, not just test results.
I am getting off armour as well. I seem to have a reaction to it, started itching all over, feels like bugs crawling on me, worse anxiety, and tight angry thyroid.
I was so hoping to get on this since i tried so long to get on it. Just my luck. I'm seeing an endo and naturopath this month.
I was so hoping to get on this since i tried so long to get on it. Just my luck. I'm seeing an endo and naturopath this month.
4 Comments
I was taking Levothyroxine for years but my hair was falling out like crazy. I had my Dr give me Armour about 2.5 months ago and over a month ago I started to get a rash on my face. I ignored it, thinking it would go away and since then I started having a problem with my leg. I can hardly put any weight on it when first standing and I now limp. I have a Dr appt tomorrow but wonder if both of these problems could come from the thyroid medication. What will I do if I get taken off this medication and my hair falls out again? Does anyone know of anything other than Armour or synthetic?
I know this thread is a bit old, but I've been on NP Thyroid and Nature-Throid and I've had a face rash that began close to the time I began NP and has continued to worsen even after I switched. Did you ever come to a conclusion about the rash on your face? Did you find out what it was? I'm off thyroid meds two days and I feel like it's beginning to get better but I just had a flare for seemingly no reason--itchy stinging redness on the face... :(
The poster you're questioning has not been active on the forum since posting in 2016. It's unlikely you'll get a response. You might try starting your own thread to see if anyone else has had the same experience you're having.
Thank you! I did. :)
Hello, has anyone experienced nervousness/anxiety while taking armour? Also, I have a decreased appetite and icreased heart rate.... I was prescribed 30mg and have been on ot for almost 4 weeks.
Totally agree with goolarra. Couldn't help but comment though.
So your doctor erroneously decided you are hyper, probably based only on TSH, and then said the weight gain (hypo symptom) was because your body was in starvation mode (from what ?) and is holding all food as fat. Based on that and other things we hear from members, I swear doctors just make up stuff some times, rather than admit they don't have a good answer.
So your doctor erroneously decided you are hyper, probably based only on TSH, and then said the weight gain (hypo symptom) was because your body was in starvation mode (from what ?) and is holding all food as fat. Based on that and other things we hear from members, I swear doctors just make up stuff some times, rather than admit they don't have a good answer.
Do you have recent thyroid labs to post? If so, please do and include reference ranges, which vay lab to lab and have to come from your own lab report.
On what basis did your doctor determine you were hyper? TSH? Were you having hyper symptoms?
On what basis did your doctor determine you were hyper? TSH? Were you having hyper symptoms?
i am having a terrible time with amour i am taking 120 and i have gone to hyper now a dr advise me to get off and see what my levels are on there own i have gained 15 pds cuz he says my body is in starvation mode and is holding all food as fat dont know what to do
I had a very interesting thing happen causing me all kinds of problems over the past six months. Long story short (and it is long!), I was put on another med back in 4/08 for a condition that was later determined that I never really had at all (misdiagnosis, confirmed by several dr.s). In 3/09, upon having symptoms of energy loss, fatigue, deression, along with low thyroid levels, I was placed on 30mg of Armour. As time went on, things got better, increased my dose to 60 mg eventually.
I always had challenges with Armour and the uneveness of the hormones in my body. For the first 2/3 of my day it was good; however, I would get a yucky reaction as the T3 was winding down, pretty much significantly disrupting the latter portion of my day. I tried splitting the dose several times/day, worked with different times of the day, you name it, I tried it to keep this T3 flowing as even as possible. No go no matter what, and this was my only real challenge with the drug, but it was a challenge I really had a hard time with. I could NEVER get the second and/or third doses to "connect" with the first one. They simply would not add together to over ride the crash effect (exaggerated fatigue and lethargy, would become very impatient and cranky, anxiety, etc.. It was like clock work, very consistent pattern every day) I would get around 4pm or so and this would continue into the late evening. Eventually it would work its way out, and I would return to a normal state, but it would effect too may hours of my day.
In 2/11, I finally went off of the first med mentioned (the one for the misdiagnosis) and this is when my thyroid went haywire. I could no longer tolerate the 60mg at all; full blown hyper symptoms. I then cut back to about 52 or so (would snip a piece off my second 30 mg) and got some relief for about three weeks. Then, hyper sx all over again. I proceeded to cut back to 45 mg but in a few days, I felt like things went the other direction. I simply could not get the dose to stabilize. I have been tweaking this along the way (saw a couple of lousy dr.s about it), but things would just keep eventually overloading in a big sort of way.
I saw several docs along the way about this but none of them seemed to want to be bothered. I explained that as soon as I went off the first drug, things went off track with thyroid, felt like I was way over medicated (levels were normal though). I was finally able to get in to see a very well respected dr in the field who helped me. He listened to what had been going on and agreed with me that the other drug I was on, for some reason, was suppressing my thyroid. Once going off the drug, my thyroid came back and is now functioning at a decent level. He has advised me to wean back on the Armour and see what happens. I have been doing that along the way and am down to less than 30 mg. I am finally starting to feel normal again!! Armour was REALLY messing me up throughout this time and I never had a problem with it (other than what was mentioned earlier) while still on the other med.
I know this sounds extrememly unusual and very unlikely (especially when my levels were not showing up as high), but this is what is going on and my body cannot seem to handle the T3 input. Perhaps I will need something else down the road; he even mentioned an over the counter supplement that may work well for a subclinical case of hypo. Time will tell, but for now, I am feeling great and hope to stay that way.
I always had challenges with Armour and the uneveness of the hormones in my body. For the first 2/3 of my day it was good; however, I would get a yucky reaction as the T3 was winding down, pretty much significantly disrupting the latter portion of my day. I tried splitting the dose several times/day, worked with different times of the day, you name it, I tried it to keep this T3 flowing as even as possible. No go no matter what, and this was my only real challenge with the drug, but it was a challenge I really had a hard time with. I could NEVER get the second and/or third doses to "connect" with the first one. They simply would not add together to over ride the crash effect (exaggerated fatigue and lethargy, would become very impatient and cranky, anxiety, etc.. It was like clock work, very consistent pattern every day) I would get around 4pm or so and this would continue into the late evening. Eventually it would work its way out, and I would return to a normal state, but it would effect too may hours of my day.
In 2/11, I finally went off of the first med mentioned (the one for the misdiagnosis) and this is when my thyroid went haywire. I could no longer tolerate the 60mg at all; full blown hyper symptoms. I then cut back to about 52 or so (would snip a piece off my second 30 mg) and got some relief for about three weeks. Then, hyper sx all over again. I proceeded to cut back to 45 mg but in a few days, I felt like things went the other direction. I simply could not get the dose to stabilize. I have been tweaking this along the way (saw a couple of lousy dr.s about it), but things would just keep eventually overloading in a big sort of way.
I saw several docs along the way about this but none of them seemed to want to be bothered. I explained that as soon as I went off the first drug, things went off track with thyroid, felt like I was way over medicated (levels were normal though). I was finally able to get in to see a very well respected dr in the field who helped me. He listened to what had been going on and agreed with me that the other drug I was on, for some reason, was suppressing my thyroid. Once going off the drug, my thyroid came back and is now functioning at a decent level. He has advised me to wean back on the Armour and see what happens. I have been doing that along the way and am down to less than 30 mg. I am finally starting to feel normal again!! Armour was REALLY messing me up throughout this time and I never had a problem with it (other than what was mentioned earlier) while still on the other med.
I know this sounds extrememly unusual and very unlikely (especially when my levels were not showing up as high), but this is what is going on and my body cannot seem to handle the T3 input. Perhaps I will need something else down the road; he even mentioned an over the counter supplement that may work well for a subclinical case of hypo. Time will tell, but for now, I am feeling great and hope to stay that way.
Have an Answer?
You are reading content posted in the Thyroid Disorders Community
We tapped the CDC for information on what you need to know about radiation exposure
Endocrinologist Mark Lupo, MD, answers 10 questions about thyroid disorders and how to treat them
A list of national and international resources and hotlines to help connect you to needed health and medical services.
Herpes sores blister, then burst, scab and heal.
Herpes spreads by oral, vaginal and anal sex.
STIs are the most common cause of genital sores.
