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Switching from Armour to Synthroid - I need some encouragement :( Any advice?

Ok dokey - Boy, I am sure learning a lot about thyroids and medications from this forum and stopthemadness.com

Went to regular dr today and he gave me prescription for Synthroid

Currently I take Armour 3/4 grain/1 grain every other day.  At first Armour really seemed to be working, but now I am back to hypo symptoms - still have an ok appetite, but really had to reduce food intake or I will GAIN weight, but getting heart palpitations and just not feeling right.  So I am going to give Synthroid a try...also in order to increase Armour, you really have to take adrenal support (cortisol) and do other stuff and seems hard to monitor...

Doc said I do not have to taper off of Armour and just start Synthroid tomorrow morning - anyone else have this experience with switching meds.  

Also, as long as I don't have a conversion problem from T4 to T3, I should be fine, correct??  Mom takes synthroid and does fine, so hopefully I will be the same...

This is all just stressful and frustrating - just want to feel ok and be on the right medicine.  

Do people get heart palpitations on Synthroid like Armour or is it a result of the T3's??  

Oh, how long will it take to see effects of Synthroid since already have Armour in me.

Doc prescribed 100mcg which I think is .100mg

Thanks for all the help
11 Responses
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Avatar universal
There is no hard evidence that natural thyroid med will cause antibodies to increase.  I suspect that there are other issues we need to assess.  If you will please post your before and after meds thyroid test results and reference ranges shown on the lab report, members will be much better able to respond.  Also, if you have been tested for Vitamin D, B12 and ferritin, or a full iron test panel, please post those as well.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Today I just started synthroid 100mcg after being on armour 75mg.
I switched because I have Hashimoto's and the natural thyroid was (I believe and have heard) making my antibodies go up. God I hope all goes well. I was having crazy palpitaions about 3wks ago. They seem to have subsided for now.
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Avatar universal
Although my pulse has not gone quite as high as Thyroid Man's during a medication adjustment period, a pulse in the 90s is not unusual. With every 12.5 mcg increase, I have had to suffer through seven or eight days of having a rapid pulse most of the time, spells of palpitations, occasional feelings of having had my cardiovascular system shifted into high gear, and substantially elevated blood pressure (not that I feel it, but I do monitor my own blood pressure closely, so I wince when I see big numbers). In addition, my rosacea (a skin condition) tends to flare up in annoyance at an increased dose of levothyroxine.

The reason? My endocrinologist and my long-time internist commented, independently of each other, "Your system is highly sensitive to the hormone." Thyroid Man and I probably are in the same leaky boat in that regard. So do people with highly sensitive systems respond promptly and dramatically to levothyroxine, feeling much better, much more quickly, than other people do? Ha! If only life were that fair.  
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Avatar universal
Probably had nothing to do with synthroid.  Not from all the info that I have read anyway.

My pulse goes up to 120 at times when I am experiencing food intolerance.

And my heart goes a little wild sometimes due to MVP.



Just my personal opinion and/or experience. Always discuss your health issue with your doctor , always adhere to your doctors advise and, you always have the right to a second opinion. Nothing is a 100% or a 100%, 100% of the time. However, we are not all alike!

GL,
1990 - Hyper/Graves'
1997 - Dia/RAI
1997 - MVP - Mitral Valve Prolapse
1999 - TED - slight Thyroid Eye Disease
1999 - Visible Nodule (suspect Marine-Lenhart-Syndrom/hyperfunctioning nodule)
2002 -  IED  - Intermittent Explosive Disorder (Graves' Range)
And Much more.....
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
well my pulse got up to 120 sometimes as i was adjusting to synthroid and my tsh was 3.8
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Avatar universal
The only reason a person would get heart palpitations on Synthroid would be if does is not correct.  

T3 in the Armour might last 4 weeks and the T4 is probably not all that much so the new T4 dose should take effect in 6 to 8 weeks.




Just my personal opinion and/or experience. Always discuss your health issue with your doctor , always adhere to your doctors advise and, you always have the right to a second opinion. Nothing is a 100% or a 100%, 100% of the time. However, we are not all alike!

GL,
1990 - Hyper/Graves'
1997 - Dia/RAI
1997 - MVP - Mitral Valve Prolapse
1999 - TED - slight Thyroid Eye Disease
1999 - Visible Nodule (suspect Marine-Lenhart-Syndrom/hyperfunctioning nodule)
2002 -  IED  - Intermittent Explosive Disorder (Graves' Range)
And Much more.....
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
some people need adrenalin support on synthroid too.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
some people need adrenal support on synthroid too.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
u can have some of the same problems with synthroid. some people need adrenal support on synthroid too.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
u can have some of the same problems when u adjust to synthroid. some people need adrenal support on synthroid too. also synthroid isn't the best brand for everyone. so u might want to try different brand till u find the  one u feel best on.I was on levoxly for 9 years and switched to synthroid for six months and it just wasn't as good. so i swithched back to levoxyl and feel better again. I feel different on all 3 brands i tried.synthroid was the worst even though my blood test was normal. but some people feel good on synthroid.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
u can have some of the same problems when u adjust to synthroid. some people need adrenal support on synthroid too. also synthroid isn't the best brand for everyone. so u might want to try different brand till u find the  one u feel best on.I was on levoxly for 9 years and switched to synthroid for six months and it just wasn't as good. so i swithched back to levoxyl and feel better again. I feel different on all 3 brands i tried.synthroid was the worst even though my blood test was normal. but some people feel good on synthroid.
Helpful - 0
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