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I'm on day 6 with Armour, will I be normal again?
Last labs were back in July:
TSH- 1.1 (.05-4.7)
FT4- 1.18 (0.73-1.95)
FT3- 2.9 (2.3-4.2)
Still feel very tired but can tell I have a little more energy but not much. Haven't had much of a difference with hair loss. Still feel tingling in my left arm. My tongue is still swollen and has a whitish tint to it. Still feel light headed and dizzy spells. My resting temp is still around 96. My heart rate is still in the 60's. Had an experience the other night while eating a burger, my heart felt like it was beating harder but when I checked my pulse it was barely 72. To make matters worse, I gained 3 lbs this week.
I'm on 30mg of Armour, my next appt is next week.
TSH- 1.1 (.05-4.7)
FT4- 1.18 (0.73-1.95)
FT3- 2.9 (2.3-4.2)
Still feel very tired but can tell I have a little more energy but not much. Haven't had much of a difference with hair loss. Still feel tingling in my left arm. My tongue is still swollen and has a whitish tint to it. Still feel light headed and dizzy spells. My resting temp is still around 96. My heart rate is still in the 60's. Had an experience the other night while eating a burger, my heart felt like it was beating harder but when I checked my pulse it was barely 72. To make matters worse, I gained 3 lbs this week.
I'm on 30mg of Armour, my next appt is next week.
If he's not getting full absorption, i.e. some of his meds are getting flushed, what does it matter? All that really matters is how much you absorb. The rest just goes out.
I think 1.5 hours is a bit excessive. In fact, I've heard that you don't have to wait any time at all on Armour, like you do on T4 meds.
My prescription bottle comes with a sticker that says not to eat or drink for half to one hour. His doesn't?
I really think this is no cause for concern at this point whatsoever. He has a lifetime track record doing it the way he always has. Changing now can only further confuse the situation. His labs reflect what he absorbs, not what he takes. Any meds not absorbed have always been compensated for.
I think 1.5 hours is a bit excessive. In fact, I've heard that you don't have to wait any time at all on Armour, like you do on T4 meds.
My prescription bottle comes with a sticker that says not to eat or drink for half to one hour. His doesn't?
I really think this is no cause for concern at this point whatsoever. He has a lifetime track record doing it the way he always has. Changing now can only further confuse the situation. His labs reflect what he absorbs, not what he takes. Any meds not absorbed have always been compensated for.
Yes, he has. It's that since y'all and my doctor say its best to not take it with food...my doctor told me to wait 1.5 hrs to eat after taking the Armour. My husband wonders if he's been screwing himself up all these years by taking it with food cause he's not getting the full absorption which in turn means he's possibly taking a higher dose then he really needs. His upset that the doctors never told him how to take his meds.
I think he could. Maybe start by waiting 15 minutes after taking his meds, then increase that to half an hour, etc. But why? He's done this all his life. Why rock the boat now?
Thanks for the heads up, I'll keep that in mind when my dosage increases.
Do you think there's any way my husband can eventually take his meds without food? Was wondering if he could wean himself into it but I'm not sure how.
Do you think there's any way my husband can eventually take his meds without food? Was wondering if he could wean himself into it but I'm not sure how.
I don't slept my Armour, I don't really feel any different after taking it anyways.
My husband on the other hand, after his last labs they reduced his meds. Now that I've been diagnosed with hypothyroidism as well and have been learning so much from y'all he's been finding out that he's been taking his meds wrong all these years...he hadn't been waiting the hour after taking his meds to eat. This morning he took his meds then waited 2 hrs later to eat his breakfast. He came home cause he felt extremely anxious, nervous, and now he has a headache. So now he doesn't know what to do, if he should continue what he was doing before (taking meds with his food) or request a lower dose? Would he benefit from splitting his meds so he doesn't get the full effect at once?
LOL! In my normal days I loved those burst of energy moments, I got so much done. Last night I thought I had one of those moments and did some quick deep cleaning in my kitchen and ended up lightheaded. My husband gave me the "stop it, you're not normal anymore. Take it easy" speech.
My husband on the other hand, after his last labs they reduced his meds. Now that I've been diagnosed with hypothyroidism as well and have been learning so much from y'all he's been finding out that he's been taking his meds wrong all these years...he hadn't been waiting the hour after taking his meds to eat. This morning he took his meds then waited 2 hrs later to eat his breakfast. He came home cause he felt extremely anxious, nervous, and now he has a headache. So now he doesn't know what to do, if he should continue what he was doing before (taking meds with his food) or request a lower dose? Would he benefit from splitting his meds so he doesn't get the full effect at once?
LOL! In my normal days I loved those burst of energy moments, I got so much done. Last night I thought I had one of those moments and did some quick deep cleaning in my kitchen and ended up lightheaded. My husband gave me the "stop it, you're not normal anymore. Take it easy" speech.
Neither of you needs to fast (food) unless other blood work is being drawn at the same time. Thyroid labs do not require fasting. You're absolutely right...when on levo (T4) only, there's no need to skip your meds before the draw. T4 is very slow acting, so your dose won't cause a spike. On the other hand, Armour contains T3, which is very fast acting (it peaks about 3 hours after you take it). So, if you take it before the draw, your T3 can spike and be artificially inflated.
I'm taking T4 only, and I always take my meds before the draw.
Trust me, you do not want to be hyper. After being hypo, it sounds good on paper to have lots of energy, etc., but in reality, it is VERY uncomfortable. You feel like you're about to buzz right off the planet. Don't get me wrong, my windows have benefited from a brief spurt of overmedication...never been so clean! LOL However, I do not recommend it.
Are you splitting your dose of Armour?
I'm taking T4 only, and I always take my meds before the draw.
Trust me, you do not want to be hyper. After being hypo, it sounds good on paper to have lots of energy, etc., but in reality, it is VERY uncomfortable. You feel like you're about to buzz right off the planet. Don't get me wrong, my windows have benefited from a brief spurt of overmedication...never been so clean! LOL However, I do not recommend it.
Are you splitting your dose of Armour?
In regards to my question on getting labs done and meds. My husband is on levothyroxine while I'm on Armour, is fasting (no meds) before labs the rule for both meds or does it differ?
Thank you two again. I know I'm expecting more then I should....another "be patient" lesson I guess. I've seen some mention how they felt great right away and I guess I've been expecting to feel the same but I'm not...it's more like the opposite. I just hope this worse part goes away soon and the T3 will kick in any day now.
Thank you for your comments. Seeing certain symptoms get worse made me question if I was hypo. Honestly I'm not going through any hyper spells at all but that would be a great thing so I could get things done. ;)
From what my doctor said, he won't do my labs at my next appt. Not sure when, all I know is that he said he'll be going by how I feel. I'll remember what dgmooty said to not take my meds till after my labs are drawn.
Quick question: what difference is there if you take your meds before or after your labs? Has the rule always been to wait till after your labs are drawn? The reason I'm asking is cause my husband has been hypo all his life and his doctors have never made a distinction about this. Thank you!
From what my doctor said, he won't do my labs at my next appt. Not sure when, all I know is that he said he'll be going by how I feel. I'll remember what dgmooty said to not take my meds till after my labs are drawn.
Quick question: what difference is there if you take your meds before or after your labs? Has the rule always been to wait till after your labs are drawn? The reason I'm asking is cause my husband has been hypo all his life and his doctors have never made a distinction about this. Thank you!
Hi I'm also on Armour, just wanted to remind you, when you go for your labs make sure you don't take your Armour dose prier to your labs. I always try and get the earlyist apt. in the morning, and after I get my labs done, then I take my morning dose. Also are you divideing your meds up? your on 30mg do you take 15mg in the morning and 15mg in the afternoon? it really helped me to do that, otherwise I would be real hyper in the early part of the day and exhausted in the latter part of the day. I really am happy to be on Armour, it takes awhile to get to the right dose, my hair has never been so long, its alot thicker too, you'll get there, there's one thing we all have to be wheather we like it or not, and that's patient, its a slow process, but you'll get there.
You will be "normal" again. Six days is barely even a start. It takes 4-6 weeks for the T4 portion of your Armour to reach its full potential in your blood. In the meantime, your levels are building. T3, on the other had, is very fast-acting, so the T3 in the Armour is probably what has you feeling margiinally better almost right away.
Your experience while eating the burger (doubt it had anything to do with the burger...LOL) sounds like a heart palpitation (heavy, pounding, noticeable heartbeat). It can accompany a fast heartbeat (tachycardia), but it doesn't have to. You can get the pounding without the racing.
T3 can cause palps. They should go away again once you're more used to your meds.
It takes your body a while to get used to having the thyroid hormones available again. Some symptoms go away sooner than others. Remember that hair loss is reactive by several weeks, so we wouldn't ecpect it to change much for a while.
Are you going to have labs again before your next appointment?
Your experience while eating the burger (doubt it had anything to do with the burger...LOL) sounds like a heart palpitation (heavy, pounding, noticeable heartbeat). It can accompany a fast heartbeat (tachycardia), but it doesn't have to. You can get the pounding without the racing.
T3 can cause palps. They should go away again once you're more used to your meds.
It takes your body a while to get used to having the thyroid hormones available again. Some symptoms go away sooner than others. Remember that hair loss is reactive by several weeks, so we wouldn't ecpect it to change much for a while.
Are you going to have labs again before your next appointment?
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No, there's no benefit from splitting T4 meds. Your FT4 level is, in effect, the result of everything you've taken for the past 4-6 weeks. FT4 slowly builds to a consistent level. It's very slow acting because it's the "storage" form of the thyroid hormones. It's the "reserve tank" that floats around in your bloodstream until your body needs it.
T3 is the "active" form, the only form your cells can use. T3 has a very short half life and is quickly neutralized by your body if it isn't used promptly. So, the two forms of the hormone couldn't act much more differently. Because of the short half life of T3, people who take it often feel better splitting the dose (usually part first thing in the morning, part late morning or early afternoon...it can interfere with sleep if taken too late in the day). Splitting helps to flatten out the peaks and valleys in FT3 level that you can get if you only take it once a day.
You're on a low dose right now, but as you increase, you might consider splitting.