amour thyroid andsudden weight gain

[SandyW1207]

I have been on Armour for 1.5 years after being on Synthroid for 2 years with little success.  After 1 year of feeling good and normal weight Ihave suddenly gained 7 pounds over the course of the last 6 months.  My md upped my dosage, but still no help.  I feel brain foggy, tired, bloated, etc. I'm starting to get nervous and my md keeps saying to stop worrying about weight but 7 lbs is a lot with a good diet and excercise.

[SandyW1207]

I was hoping too.  I just got off the phone with her nurse who said she was told to tell me there is nothing wrong with my labs. (Despite her telling me last week that they were low).  I asked her to find out what am I supposed to do about these symptoms.  I am so upset.  I'm going to have to look for another doctor because I cannot live like this.  Here we go again.    

Thanks for your input.

[goolarra]

Splitting is a very good idea.  If you don't split Armour, a good part of the T3 component is lost since you can only use so much of it before it's neutralized.  You can experiment with what time works best for the second half of the dose depending on your lifestyle/schedule/etc.  However, most people avoid taking it after about mid-afternoon since it can disturb sleep.  

I know your doctor said your labs are a "little" low, but they are more than a little low.  When the ranges for FT3 and FT4 were first established, they were flawed.  Asymptomatic Hashi's and undiagnosed hypos were part of the "normal" population.  So, the whole bottom half of the range is suspect.  Your labs are far from "beautiful".    

I hope your doctor agrees to the increase.  Be sure to follow up with re-testing and re-evaluating symptoms about 4 weeks after increasing.  You might still need a bit more of a nudge up at that point.

[SandyW1207]

I take all in the am.  I'm going to start splitting.  I increased on my own where only 2 days per week I take 60mg.  I know I shouldn't have but I am so frustrated.  I'm going to follow up with my md again today and ask about 120mg every day. I hope she agrees and I hope 2 more days a week will help.  

She seems like she diagnoses symptoms and then says your labs are beautiful.  I hope I don't have to try to find another md again.  

[goolarra]

That was really a miniscule increase...from 630 mg to 660 mg per WEEK...that's only 4 + mg per day...nothing.  So, I'm not surprised you feel nothing.  Also, since the T3 component in Armour is very fast-acting and quickly neutralized by your body if not used promptly, alternating dosages like that often doesn't work that well for Armour (it works fine if you're taking a T4 only med).

If I were you, I think I'd ask my doctor about a bigger increase.  Your labs have plenty of room in them for an increase.  I'd ask about going to 120 mg every day and consistently taking the same dose day-to-day.  Do you split the dose and take half in the morning and half later in the day?

[SandyW1207]

Thank you so much for answering.  I have learned so much from the people on this site.  I was on 90 before the increase.  I take 60mg one day and 120 mg the next.  She changed my does to Mon Wed Fri Sun 120mg and Tues Thurs Sat 60mg.  I have been taking that for a few weeks and feel nothing.  I know when I changed to armour and then had it increased over the last year or so, I felt some change after a week or so.  I spoke to my md today but didn't get a call back yet.  She said the FT3 and FT4 were a little low, but I have heard from more than one person that they seem really low.  I noticed on my blood work they were higher in late summer and fall of last year, not by much but higher.    

[goolarra]

Your FT4 is very low.  It's almost at the bottom of the range, and it should be near midrange.  Your FT3 is also low.  It's in the bottom third of range, and upper half to upper third is the rule of thumb for FT3.  Were those labs before the increase to 90, or are they current?  

What were you taking before the increase to 90 mg?

I'm not surprised that you're not feeling well.  Your FT3 and FT4 levels are way too low.  Is your doctor concerned that your TSH is also low?  That's usually the result of taking meds with T3 in them, like Armour.  In your case, TSH is no longer a reliable indicator of thyroid status.

[SandyW1207]

I am on 90 mg of Armour per day.  My TSH was 0.333, Free T4 0.87 (0.82-1.77), Free T3 2.7 (2.0-4.4).  She said she would try raise my T4 and T3 a little and increased my meds a little bit.  That was 3.5 weeks ago and nothing has happened.  I have been having weight gain, tired all the time, foggy.  She gave me a prescription for iron a few months ago, but that hasn't changed my symptoms.

[goolarra]

Do you have thyroid lab history?  It might be a useful exercise to compare FT3 and FT4 levels before the weight gain and after to see if they differ significantly.  Bear in mind that FT4 often has to be midrange and FT3 upper half of range before all hypo symptoms are relieved.  

Do you have other symptoms as well as the weight gain?