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What is the alternative to Synthroid?

I have Hashimotos Thryoid. I currently am on 175 mcg of Synthroid. My levels on 7-22-09 were:
T3 Free 2.54  (2.00-3.90)
T4 Free 1.09  (.58-1.64)
TSH 1.40       (.34-4.00)

I dont understand how to read the frees. I have been looking through the forum and I am confused about them. I was thinking about switching and trying Armour, is it still around? Please help!!!! I suffer from brain fog, confusion, OCD, insomnia......I feel like ****. I also have PCOS.....that is a different issue though!

Oh ya and 1 year ago I had a baby and ever since then my thyroid has been at its worst ever. My dose was usually around 125 mcg and has to be increased about every 2-3 months. I had my thyoid rechecked in August and it was:
TSH   4.38  (.40-4.5)
T4 free 1.39 (.8-1.8)
no T3 was checked then.

My dose of Synthroid was increased to 175mcg from about 165mcg (I cut dose in half)

I feel like noone out there knows what they are doing. I have been to 2 or 3 endos and they all tell me it is just Hashimotos. I have such bad depression when the TSH is low. Could I still be in a funk because of the other levels???

PLEASE HELP!!!!! Should I ask for a new thyroid pill......which one should I try????
23 Responses
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Avatar universal
I totally agree! I donot understand why they dont add T3 more????? Why is it that I have to go to dr after dr and they tell me it is all in my head? I am so glad I found this forum and you!!!! THANKS AGAIN!!!!
Helpful - 0
734073 tn?1278896325
Yea!!!! That's so good to hear. I'm really glad that the addition of t3 is helping. If we need t3 then why do the doctors always try to get there through the t4?(Why go through the broken back door to get what you need, when it makes more since and works better to to go through the front?) It's the balance of these two hormones that makes the difference for so many. When t3 is low, everything is slow! Here's to better health for you from this day on! Good luck, God bless and stay in touch!
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
so, update....I feel great! I think the Cytomel is definitly helping! I have even started working out again. Hoping this will last!!!!! Thanks for all your help!
Helpful - 0
734073 tn?1278896325
I think you've got a good doctor!
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
yep, I got the lab slip already and the free T3 is on there. If this does not work I see her in early December and I am going to insist on Nature Throid. I called the company and like you said by Mid November they should have more supply. I just want to feel better!
I really hope this works too!!! :) Oh ya and she did agree that I could do a compound after trying this!
Thanks
Helpful - 0
734073 tn?1278896325
Okay, I think that's good! Your endo, needs to test the freet3 level too, as you are now addinng t3 to your meds. For some reason, endo.s don't think they need to.You should insist. However, I'm impressed that you got this far with her! Give it ample time and please keep me posted on your progress.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Hey~
Wanted to let you know I saw my endo today and had blood drawn yesterday.
My results are:
T4 Free  1.03  (.58-1.64)
TSH        .76   (.34-4.00)

So, I have been feeling kind of jittery lately and this explains it. In the past when my TSH has gone below a 1 I dont feel to well. I asked her if I could try the compounded Armour and she suggested I try Cytomel first. She said that Armour contains more T3 than T4 and i could get symptons going on a less T4. I am just excited to be trying the T3.
So she lowered the Synthroid to 150 mcg and added 5 of Cytomel.
She said she would try me on Armour (the compound) if I donot feel better in 6 weeks.
I am happy I got somewhere with her. I am glad to be upping the T3. I think I really need it! I kind of figured that maybe this could carry me through December until the supplies get back up. Thanks again for your help, I will let you know i fI get anymore relief.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I will definitly keep you updated! I am going to buy the book too!

Thanks so much again!
Helpful - 0
734073 tn?1278896325
It was my pleasure! I know how lost hypothyroidism can make you feel. I don't even have it, however since my daughter does, I have to be her advicate and wade through the muck for her! It's hard enough to do when your mind is clear and your feeling well, it's nearly impossible with brain fog and an achy body! I was happy to walk you through our experience. I hope that you will have a much better year health wise in 2010. Please keep in touch!
Anne

P.S. Order the book "Overcoming Thyroid Disorders" by Dr. David Brownstein (Amazon. com) It will help you a great deal with your new direction!
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I wanted to thank you so much for all the information you gave me! I have felt so lost and awful this last year! I am so excited to try this medicine! I will keep you posted and thanks again!!!!
Helpful - 0
734073 tn?1278896325
I think that compounded desiccated is a good way to go, especially with the supply and demand issue right now with the Nature-Throid and the reformulation of the Armour brand. Especially if you don't want to wait until December. Make sure you remember to add the compounded slowly as the Synthroid stays in your system longer when you quit taking it. It has a long 1/2 life, which means it reduces by approx. 1/2 each week. As you increase the compounded every few weeks, you will need to divide the dose by two or three doses.I really hope this goes well for you, keep me posted on your progress. It will take a few months to get there. I'll keep my fingers crossed for you! Good luck and God Bless!
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Hey,
So I called my endo and I am going to see her tomorrow. There is a compound pharmacy where I live that is making a generic Armour. Should I try it or go with Nature-Thyroid? How do you get the Nature-thyroid? I am certain that I am just having hypi symptoms. They just dont go away completely on the Synthroid. I am going for it.
Thanks so much for your help!!!
Helpful - 0
734073 tn?1278896325
Good morning Laura, I just wanted to tell you that the t3 in desiccated is fast acting and is used up in 4 to 6 hours. The t4 in the desiccated will slowly convert just like the t4  Synthroid, however there is much less of it in desiccated hormone. So, because of this, you will need to divide your doses, as you slowly increase, by ultimately three doses taken at approx. 4 hour intervals. Also, take the hormone approximatly 1 hour before food or 2 hours after with all suppliments taken at night. My daughter was on 100mcg of Synthroid and after 6 weeks we had her on 120 mg. (2 grains) of Armour taken twice per day (1 grain when she woke and 1 grain an hour before lunch.) She is now on 3 grains of Nature-Throid (195 mg)  taken 3 times per day. 1 grain when she awakes 7:00am, 1  grain an hour before lunch 11:00 and 1 grain when she gets home from school at 3:00. Consistency has really been the key for her. Good luck, God Bless and go slow!
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Thanks sooo much for your help!!!! You have no idea how much info you have given to me! I am going to call the dr tomorrow and see what I can do!
Helpful - 0
734073 tn?1278896325
Yes, your freet3 needs to be higher in my opinion. The freet4 could come up some too!  Many people feel best when these are kept on the higher side of normal range. They should line up in a perfect world! The TSH should be kept around 1 or can be slightly lower with no problem as this is a pituitary hormone that is signaling your thyroid gland to release more hormone. When it is low then this simply means that there is enough availble hormone in the body, so no signal is needed. Yes transition slowly and wait until late December to begin. Give Naturethroid a try! If it's not for you after several months and several blood draws, then you can always go back to Synthroid with synthetic t3 added.You'll never know if you don't give it a good try! It was scary to change, but we had no choice and now I'm so glad we did! I'm going to bed now, but I'd be glad to talk more tomorrow. Good night!
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Did you see my results? What do you think? I have extremely dry, itchy skin still. I also have no outer eyebrows. My biggest complaint is the aches and pains. I think I like the sounds of the Naturethroid. My TSH is the only number the drs ever look at. I have been to soo many docs lately it is sickening! I am going to try this and see how I feel. So, you think I need to go real slow when doing the transition? Do any pharmacies carry it right now?
Helpful - 0
734073 tn?1278896325
Desiccated is porcine hormone. The choices for this are few, There is Armour brand, which is now out for us, there is Nature-Throid and Westthroid both made by the same company but with different fillers.(Naturethroid is suppose to be the most hypoallergenic), and there is compounded desicatted. (Can be more expensive and insurance may or may not cover). You could also get the freet3 up a tad with synthetic t3 like Cytomel added in addition to the t4 med. you are now on. My daughtes freet3 is actually 6.8 slightly out of range( for her age the top end is 6.2. However her t4 is perfect at slightly higher than mid range. Her TSH is almost to zero, yet she is not hyper in any way. She is sleeping well, her basal morning temp. is closer to perfect, no muscle or joint aches, no constipation, no heart palps, good energy, happy, and not as hungry (carb. cravings gone). We will do labs again in two weeks. Her doctor would like to see her freet3 just a little lower, but really, she is doing fantastic with it a little higher!
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Avatar universal
T3 Free 2.54  (2.00-3.90)
T4 Free 1.09  (.58-1.64)
TSH 1.40       (.34-4.00)

These were the levels in July on 175 mcg of Synthroid. What is desiccated? Is that Naturethroid? Which one should I ask my DR for?
Helpful - 0
734073 tn?1278896325
We got the new "reformulated"Armour in July. My daughter had been on it since March and was doing great with the transition, symptoms and blood work were great! Then we refilled in July and she began feeling bad (flu like) and sudden joint aches in every joint within a week of taking the refilled Armour. She never had this before, so I knew something was up, had heard the rumors, but seeing was believing! I took her for blood work and her freet4 had dropped drastically and the freet3 was significantly lower. So we switched cold turkey to Naturethroid. (2 grains of Armour for 2 grains of Naturethroid) However she wasn't coming out of it so I raised her by 1/2 grain after 10 days, better but not great, raised her by a final 1/2 a grain 2 weeks after that, and she came out of it! That was 11 weeks ago and all joint pain is now gone, and her freet3 and freet4 are back on the high side of normal with low TSH. This is where she does the best! Where is your free T3 at? It is the active hormone that our bodies need at the cellular level to function properly. My daughter's t3 was always too low on synthetic t4 med. She was not converting the t4 adequately. This could be your issue too? You probably did have the new "bad" Armour. You should give desiccated another try. It has made a huge difference for my daughter who is nine and born without a thyroid gland!
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I am so tired of not feeling good. I have tried so hard, diet, exercise, eating better and nothing has worked. I have had every test done on me and nothing. I was given Armour in June, but ended up doing it for a week and switching back. When was the New armour given? Maybe I got a bad batch. What about adding Cytomel to Synthroid? I am desperate. Tired of feeling achey and moody. Thanks for your input!!!
Helpful - 0
734073 tn?1278896325
We started slowly with one grain of dessicated Armour, then raised it by 1/2 a grain approximately every two weeks until we got to two grains (120 mg) which was the equivalent to the 100 mcg of Synthroid my daughter had been on. (She is nine and born without a thyroid gland). There is a conversion chart you can go by. Just google Naturethroid conversion chart. Yes, we just quit the synthetic t4 and began the desiccated the next day. However, the synthetic stays in your system for 6 weeks or so, so that is the reason that you add the desiccated slowly, as the t4 med is slowly leaving your body. (decreases by 1/2 each week or so) You will need to go slowly and pay close attention to symptoms. You should be able to tell when it is time for a bump up by how you are feeling. We switched to Naturethroid later, however, and she is on a full grain more of it then the Armour. It really didn't seem as strong and took a little more then the conversion chart said to eliminate hypo. symptoms and to get her freet3 and freet4 back up to the high side of normal range, as this is where she does the best! You may want to wait to make the switch in December as Nature-throid is behind in production, but should be readily available by prescription then. If you want to switch now, you'll have to have it compounded. We had to switch her to desiccated as she was not converting enough of the synthetic t4 into the active t3 hormone.Desiccated has lots of t3 in it (plus t4, t2, t1, calcitonan and selenium), so now she is doing much, much better! Good luck and God Bless!
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Avatar universal
How do you switch over? Do you just stop one and start the other???? I need to request from my dr, how do you know what dose is?
Helpful - 0
734073 tn?1278896325
Armour reformulated recently and many who were on it and doing great suddenly began having hypo.sympyoms on the new formula. We switched to Nature-Throid (also desiccated porcine) and it's working well and hypo. symptoms are now gone.
Helpful - 0
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