Switching to Armour

[MoeH]

I saw an endoc and got a prescription filled for Armour. I've been on Synthroid since the early 90's and I never felt 100%. Also tried adding Cytomel, but that was horrible, so I decided to look into natural treatment. I've heard some people really rave about how Armour changed their lives. Can anyone here that switched from synthetic to Armour tell me how they felt, what they experienced? I just don't want to go through what I did with Cytomel. I have the Armour here, but haven't started it yet. I'm still on my Synthroid. I would appreciate any feedback.
I heard some say they stayed on the Synthroid and also took the Armour at the same time. I'll be stopping the Synthroid completely and be on Armour alone.

[jacrjacr]

Do not eat before medicine...so on a empty stomach or you will not absorb it so it will feel like less. Don't drink coffee a hour of or caffeine. To be safe just water for 30-60 minutes. YOu can take when first waking then.By the time you get dressed and ready etc, it will eat up a lot of the waiting time. That is what I do. It is better to start out lower. Make sure you don't take vitamins, calcium, probiotics, soy, 4 hrs of dosage. You will probably be increased a little at next dosage. The most important thing I see is you shouldn't be eating with the dosage because it can be blocking absorption. Let me know how it works...

[dgmootry]

Hi I'm on Armour, I was on Levoxyl and Levothyroxin for only a very short time, felt horrible, had lot of side effects. Started Armour over a year and a half ago, I'm just now to the point where my labs look pretty good and I feel real good. My Doctor had me on Levoxyl 100 but she started me off with 30 Armour and every six weeks tested my Free T's and TSH and then increased me 15mg each time, to were I'm now at 90mg it worked good for me cause it allowed the T4 to absorb and each time I felt better then before, I too split my meds otherwise I was too hyper and then I felt horrible at the end of the day. Also make sure you don't eat soy and don't take vitamins 4 hrs from taking Armour and wait 1/2 to 1 hr from eating. I am so happy I'm on Armour, otherwise I would have been in a horrible state with Levoxyl. Good Luck and I hope Armour works for you too

[MoeH]

I was on 175 mg of Synthroid and when I tried the Cytomel, I was on 5mg and cut it in half. I felt higher than a kite, anxious, awful, so only took it twice. The endoc I saw put me on 90 mg of Armour, but it doesn't seem to be enough, plus everyone I've talked to says it's not enough. I'm also confused as to how to take it. Some say  on an empty stomach yet Dr. Mercola says to take it 1/2 hour after a meal, split into 2 doses. I've been doing the 2 doses, 45 am and 45 pm, but I think I need more. I had a wave of fatigue and fog come over me this afternoon and is still with me, but not as bad as it was a few hours ago. I do want to stay on Armour as I feel so much better, but I need to know the proper way to take it.

[gimel]

Hypo patients often find that they are not adequately converting T4 med to T3.  So, to relieve hypo symptoms they resort to switching to an NDT type such as Armour, or adding some T3 to their T4 med.  

Why die you describe the Cytomel experience as horrible?  What dose of T4 were you taking before adding the Cytomel?  What was your T4 dose after adding the Cytomel?  How much Cytomel?  Did you split the Cytomel into two doses and take 1/2 in the morning and 1/2 in the afternoon?

Be aware that switching from Synthroid only and going to Armour may require a transition, rather than doing it all at once.  What is your current dose of Synthroid and what will be the new dose of Armour?