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929504 tn?1332585934

The difference between taking Synthroid & Cytomel vs. Armour Thyroid or Nature Thyroid

I am very curious to know what the difference is between taking a T3 and T4 Med vs a Dominately T3 med that has T4, for a person who does not convert well??? Some of you may know my history and bottom line i am struggling with being healthy again. I have many health issues steming from removing of my Thyroid. My endo isn't helping me as I pour out my heart to him, explaining my symptoms (all hypo and then some), while on Synthroid (alone). I have received many comments and advice from people on this site and I have done research (via books and online) as well in order to educate myself on my condition. I understand that Armour Thyroid is basically obselete but there are lots of people who do well on it verses just a T4 med (Synthroid). My levels (FT3) are always low in range, indicating a conversion issue, no matter what strength of Synthroid I am on. I am currently on 88mcg and my hypo symptoms are crazy although my TSH (The Swearby Hormone...lol) is in range but depending on my dosage, it ranges. My FT3 is always low in range whereas my FT4 is upper range.

Would love comments in regard to the difference and always side effects of Armour Thyroid...Thanks in advance.
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Avatar universal
Everyone is different. What works for some may not work for others. I know many who swear by NDT but it never worked for me no matter how much they increased my dose. To my surprise synthetic did the trick. I'm currently taking both Levothyroxine and Cytomel and things are working out great. I do like (as others have pointed out) that your T3 and T4 meds can be tweaked as needed where as NDT's you can't. There are those who are on NDT who supplement a T4 if needed my doctor was not open to this option though which is why I'm on a synthetic med...no regrets.
   As one doctor I recently watched had said, "don't get caught up with the synthetic vs. NDT argument, find out what works for you. And find a doctor that's willing to listen to you and will work with you."
Helpful - 1
Avatar universal
Old post but maybe i can shed light on this.  Do you have hashimotos? or low thyroid two different things but given same treatment.  If you do synthetic t4 you will want to add t3,  when you add t3 your tsh will show your getting too much thyroid  ignore it, that will happen pay attention to FT4  FT3 levels mid for t4 upper 3/4 side for t3 on labs. also adrenals play huge role in putting hormones into cells, not just floating around in blood steam causing hyper symptoms.when you add any from of t3.   Im post thyroidectomy and hashimotos 30 years every symptoms plus some done about all the regimens hope i can help.
Helpful - 0
1139187 tn?1355706647
i almost took it but it was hard to split.  I thought NT looked cool. Thats why i take it LOL
Helpful - 0
798555 tn?1292787551
Great, we need a NP Acella experimental patient here.

Generic can be good, people can be leery of them at first. Never know till you try.

The obsolete natural thyroid generic by Time Caps had great results for some people (myself included). It was like the old Armour though, fillers and all. Smelled like it too - like frozen pork chops.
Helpful - 0
1139187 tn?1355706647
What?????????   Why acella?
Helpful - 0
535882 tn?1396576685
moose under my plan i can get the generic np accella thyoid for 3 months home delivery for 10 dollars. .. armour would be 35 dollars for 3 months and compound is 35 a month... thinking of trying the np after Feb endo app.
Helpful - 0
535882 tn?1396576685
it takes a while to heal after you get good numbers. especially if you were hypo for a long time it's not  instantaneous, it takes months of slow progress  and healing ,  in my opinion you need to stabilize and stay at the same dose for  at least 6 months to give yourself time to heal. bouncing around constantly changing doses won't let you do that. hang in there. Kevin
Helpful - 0
798555 tn?1292787551

"on your lab tests, are your t4 free low range and t3 free high range"

- yes. . And that is normal for many people on pig thyroid, but they still feel good. But for me the "T's" are less spread apart on the Erfa brand. I feel only good effects from Erfa. Like a very small cup of coffee 20 minutes later, no jitters, only good, I like it. The longer someones body is messed up, I think it takes longer to feel good on thyroid med. Took me 1 1/2 years on Erfa to feel great, but 6 months was pretty good too, just not like now.

I never tried compounding, no reason for me. Its a person mixing it. People make mistakes. But some need it - after they tried everything else.

Don't want to get to far off topic for this thread. To refrain from making it an Erfa advertisement, and repeating myself, my Erfa comments have officially ended here.  : - )

Helpful - 0
1139187 tn?1355706647
what about a compound?
Helpful - 0
1139187 tn?1355706647
i have read about thyroid -s .  I have seen it as good too, but I have also seen warnings that it is unregulated so that is scary.

I have really only tried nature throid.  I am tempted to try something else.  This just isn't working for me.  Yes my labs are all in range etc.  but seriously i just feel horrible.  5 months now.  

Lazy,  on your lab tests, are your t4 free low range and t3 free high range?

Do you feel any physical effects after taking your thyroid?  Each dose i take about paralyzes me.  Its like groundhog day. Take meds, feel crappy.  As the day goes on, feel better.  Nausea wears off as day goes on.  I never just take the meds and think "hey i just took my meds".  I sort of take them in fear.
Helpful - 0
798555 tn?1292787551
I[ "I'm on NTH and i still feel horrible!" ]

But your not on Erfa.  Its different, like mentioned above - dextrose is the filler not micro-crystalline cellulose.



When you mention NTH (natural thyroid hormone), it sounds like you might be grouping all natural thyroid together.... in thought, like they're the same.....? Can't, as there are technical differences between the manufactures actual "recipes" of the stuff.

All the brands of natural thyroid can all feel different to one individual.

Having tried  Two formulations of Armour, and Two formulations of Nature Throid,  Two manufactures of generic natural thyroid (now obsolete), and now Erfa for almost a couple years - I've used seven (wow) different natural thyroid hormone "recipes".  They all felt a little different, and for me, Efra was the biggest difference and thus, wins the shootout. I saved the best for last. But other people might like another brand. It was one long dragged out, unintentional, scientific medical experiment on myself, and was not very enjoyable either. It all started when Armour stopped shipping the original formula a few years back.

Never tried "Thyroid S" from Thailand, I hear its actually good (not kidding).

I have also been on Cytomel in the past for a short time, that was before my first try with natural which was the Original Armour..

The specific brand and or type of T3 or combo T3/T4 can make a difference in some people.

Helpful - 0
798555 tn?1292787551
The dizzy Dr was some type of neurologist. And of course there was another neurologist for the carpel tunnel feeling (numb hands), which I forgot to put on the list above.  

None on them thought of thyroid as far as I know.

So all my money and insurance money was wasted when all these Docs scratch their heads - another repeated story that many can relate too, I would guess.

The art of diagnosing has been lost with technology, just like the new generation of car mechanics, I tell them what to do too, then pay them anyway. Hm.

  ;-0
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Thanks for that fantastic description of what you subtracted by adding T3.  LOL     I just couldn't keep from wondering what branch of medicine you study to become a "dizzy doctor".  
Helpful - 0
1139187 tn?1355706647
ok i was confused.  thought you were taking t3 as well.  I'm on NTH and i still feel horrible!
Helpful - 0
798555 tn?1292787551
Erfa from Canada. My comments above mention why.
Helpful - 0
1139187 tn?1355706647
moose,

what are you taking exactly?
Helpful - 0
929504 tn?1332585934
Thanks for the inspiration and that is exactly what i will do.."look here doc, this is what we're going to do". I've never even heard of some of the specialist i'm seeing now, before the thyroid removal.

Helpful - 0
798555 tn?1292787551
[ "extreme fatigue and many other hypo symptoms, feel like i'm not on any medication" ]

- I recall those days. On T4 med for a decade, did nothing for my symptoms. Nothing, but moved my TSH down. Whoopie. Just got worse every year. Then I started to goggle all this and went to the library, book store ect. and created a new attitude. The new attitude was "look here doc, this is what we're going to do".

Now I can look back and say T3 was all I needed. Finding the right brand after the original Armour became obsolete was a tough one, since it worked better than Cytomel in my personal case. I still say to try Cytomel first though.

By adding T3, I subtracted:

many hypo symptoms, the Gastrointestinal Dr, the Ear Dr, the Sleep Dr, the Dizzy Dr, chiropractic visits, hourly need for caffeinated beverages, more stress tests for heart palpitations, unbalanced lipid panel results.

Yea, I like T3   :- )
Helpful - 0
1202943 tn?1347840652
Last time I went to pick up my liothyronine(7.5mcg twice a day),  it was too early and they said insurance wouldn't cover it yet.  It's usually $10, but would have been $89 without!  I  pay $21 for synthroid. I'm not sure how much it is without insurance.

blsdnvd-  I take 150mcg Selenium a day.  It has seemed to help a little bit with my hypo symptoms and my eyes.  Is your current dr going to let you add a T3 med?

I know how exhausting it is to find a dr who will listen to you.  I just had an appt with a new endo.  I waited a month to see her and I could tell in the first 5 mins that she was more narrow minded than my current dr.  I had articles printed off with a few important things highlighted. She told me the info was incorrect and that TSH is more important than FT3 & Ft4. She said  less than 1% of her patients are on a T3 med & she was surprised that I had seen so much improvement with the addition of T3.  She also said my symptoms could be from being hyper.  I know they aren't....I was hyper for years! I get so drained & frustrated dealing with all this.  Why should it be so hard to get proper thyroid treatment?!    I'm keeping my appt with my current endo,  but will keep looking for a new one.
Helpful - 0
929504 tn?1332585934
Sorry for all of the mispells ............
Helpful - 0
929504 tn?1332585934
The dosage was decreased based on my TSH level...it was low in range and also remember that my doc doesn't even look at the FT3 level, so that doesn't matter to him. That's why i need to find another doctor. Re: FT4.Those are the ranges on the labs (t4 free calculated), my gp requested these labs. Notice how my TSH is much higher than it was on 88mcg, either way, I feel crappy. I have extreme fatigue and many other hypo symptoms, feel like i'm not on any medication.

I went to my Cardiologist for follow up today and sat there for two hrs to find out that his assistant was covering and my mood changed drastically. I felt as if, why even speak, because he doesn't know anything about my history, but what's on my chart. I have a extra beat and it show on my ekg everytime and i've had every test under the sun, everything came back normal..so this assistant want me to do another stress test and I immediately told him no, not now...there is no way i can do that crazy test without passing out. I'm so frustrated about everything. Then, I tell him that the problem doesn't lye their, it's all due to my thyroid issues and once that is corrected, everything else will get better and he says: I believe you...so, why order the test!!!. Sorry for venting, but i feel better now... :))  
Helpful - 0
1139187 tn?1355706647
i thought it was weird when i was on tirosint that i picked up my first box which was .13  and the cost was 12.99

then i went back 3 months later and picked up the larger dose and it was 12.99

then i picked up .75  and it was 12.99

I wish that i could take t4.  I wish.  

also i looked at my naturethroid.  The 1/4 grain bottle says "rlc labs"

the 1 grain says "western" on it, but the pills say "rlc"

bruce
Helpful - 0
649848 tn?1534633700
COMMUNITY LEADER
Bruce - I know you weren't harping at me; I was merely explaining why I haven't tried dessicated med.

Strange - at my pharmacy, the cost of the Tirosint varies, depending on the dosage, and because it's not a generic, it's not on the list of preferred medications for my insurance.

LazyMoose - yes, my bottle simply says Liothyronine SOD.  The bottle I'm using from now was manufactured by Paddock Labs.  The new bottle that I'll start on in a couple of days is manufactured by Mylan.  I've never noticed a difference between the generic and cytomel; nor have I been able to tell a difference between manufacturers.

blsdnsvd  -- why was your dosage dropped from 100 mcg to 88 mcg, when your FT3 and FT4 were still so low in their ranges?  Also, please check the range for the Dec FT4 - it doesn't look right.

Total T3 is pretty much obsolete and doesn't tell diddly squat; that's why we ask for Free T3.  T3 uptake is also pretty useless.  You could actually save money by leaving off the Total T3 and the T3U, and get FT4 and FT3, which are the tests that tell exactly what's going on.

In my opinion, you're still hypo.

Helpful - 0
798555 tn?1292787551
[ "I'm taking a 1 grain from one mfg  and 1/4 grain pills (for dosing) from another." ]

- just remember there are differences in manufactures of natural thyroid.

So you're on Nature Throid, and the other must be Armour or Acella NP which sometimes just says "Thyroid" on the script bottle. These are the only three prescription natural thyroid meds available from US pharmacies at the moment.

You, your Dr, and the pharmacy will need to remember to not get these mixed up in the future as the strengths can very in effectiveness among brands of the same grain / size. Sometimes pharmacies will sub Armour for Nature Throid and Acella without telling you, as they assume its all the same - this can mess you up, watch out for this.

I remember NT and Armour did not split well (crumbled) after their reformulations.


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