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Need Urgent Help
I'm looking for some help. My GP isn't the best with thyroids and I'm pretty much hitting a brick wall with results. I was diagnosed Hypo 2 years ago. I currently taking 15mg of Armour twice a day 4am and 4 pm. As of last week my blood work shows: TSH 3.61 T4 6.20 T3 89.00. I have muscle aches, twitching all over body, broken sleep, lack of energy. I also just did a repair program to heal my gut. As of right now I'm on a paleo diet. 100mg b12 and 2500 Vit D and magnesium. Please any words of wisdom or Dr. advice is welcome. I asked doc to up my dosage and he said I was within range, so he wouldn't help. I called around for endos and they are all months out for appointments. Can anyone recommend a method of upping my Armour without docs approval. Many Thanks!
Yes Barb, I agree with you, most likely does not have active thyroid hormone. You know how it goes, when you are desperate to get better you are willing to try anything.
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GTA Forte by Biotic Research says it contains "porcine glandular concentrate"... it does not say it contains porcine thyroid hormones; it may be only ground up porcine thyroid gland with the hormones removed, which is what OTC products sold in the U.S are supposed to be.
The main ingredients are minerals, such as selenium, zinc and copper. Selenium has been shown to help in the conversion of FT4 to the usable FT3. Zinc may help. Copper and zinc must be present in balanced amounts.
The main ingredients are minerals, such as selenium, zinc and copper. Selenium has been shown to help in the conversion of FT4 to the usable FT3. Zinc may help. Copper and zinc must be present in balanced amounts.
Hi, first I want to say that the forum looks funny today, don't know it is just my screen or changes have been made. Find it harder to navigate. If you were able to look for the specks on a bottle it says 20mg porcine glandular, so let's assume it would be around1/4 grain or more, since we don't really know the potency for sure think of one pill as 1/4 grain and dose from there. Hope this helps. That's how I would go about it.
GTA Forte by Biotic Research ...... Is there any information on how to figure a dosage or how to use it?
Hi, just wanted to say that I came across a video on youtube by Dr. Hagmeyer(I think it was him) and mentioned that there is a product that would work as well as Armour. GTA Forte by Biotic Research and he said people that take Armour can take this instead. In your case you may look into it to see if is something you can supplement to up your dose without your doctor. People using it seem to be really happy with results. I didn't tolerate Armour, hope this is helpful to you.
Well I'm still not sure what to do. I don't know how to calculate whats needed to bump up my levels. Do I add an extra 15mg... do I cut one in half.... These are the things I need a Doc for I guess. I don't want to guess. I wish there was formula.
Thanks. Your FT3:RT3 ratio looks great.
If I were you, I'd have a plan in place for what to do when your script runs out before I attempted this.
If I were you, I'd have a plan in place for what to do when your script runs out before I attempted this.
I appreciate your help! I posted the units. I would run out of medication if I upped my dose myself. I'm also unsure what I would do. Would I take an extra pill a day or double up all together? Just to try until I can get an apt with an endo
Reverse T3 12 range 8-25 ng/dl
Free T3 3.6 range 2.3-4.2 pg/ml
T3 uptake 35 range 22-35 %
Free T3 3.6 range 2.3-4.2 pg/ml
T3 uptake 35 range 22-35 %
Reverse T3 12 range 8-25
Free T3 3.6 range 2.3-4.2
T3 uptake 35 range 22-35
Whatcha think?
Free T3 3.6 range 2.3-4.2
T3 uptake 35 range 22-35
Whatcha think?
I just sent you a PM with doctor info for you to consider. To access, just click on your name and then from your personal page, click on messages.
Or another option I was playing with was taking 15mg in the am and 30mg in afternoon. Any thoughts?
My idea was to cut a 15mg in half and add it to my dose which would be a total of 22.5 mg twice a day for armour thyroid. Then see how I feel after 2 weeks or so . I know its taboo but I'm at the point where I'm willing to try this.
I'm located in Western Connecticut. I called an endo who is supposedly great but she wont except my insurance and has a ridiculous fee of 500$ just to consult. I'm on a fixed income and cannot afford such a fee.
T4 Free 1.1 range .8-1.8
T3 Free 3.6 range 2.3-4.2
T3 Uptake 35 range 22-25
T3 reverse 12 range 8-25
T3 total 89 range 76-181
T4 total 6.2 range 4.5-12
TSH 3.61 range .4-4.50
My doctor says I'm in normal range and wont adjust even though I feel like garbage. What is a Cancellation list? I'm at the point where I'm willing to adjust on my own.
T3 Free 3.6 range 2.3-4.2
T3 Uptake 35 range 22-25
T3 reverse 12 range 8-25
T3 total 89 range 76-181
T4 total 6.2 range 4.5-12
TSH 3.61 range .4-4.50
My doctor says I'm in normal range and wont adjust even though I feel like garbage. What is a Cancellation list? I'm at the point where I'm willing to adjust on my own.
Totally agree with goolarra. Also you should be aware that being an Endo does not guarantee a good thyroid doctor. Many Endos specialize in diabetes, not thyroid. Also, many of them have the "Immaculate TSH Belief" by which they pay attention mostly to TSH. That is wrong. Also many of them use "Reference Range Endocrinology" and will tell you that a test result that falls anywhere within the range is adequate. That is also wrong. Due to the erroneous assumptions used in establishing the ranges for Free T4 and Free T3 the lower half is basically suspect for being hypothyroid.
If you will tell us your location, perhaps we can suggest a doctor that has been recommended by other hypo patients.
If you will tell us your location, perhaps we can suggest a doctor that has been recommended by other hypo patients.
What are the reference ranges on your T3 and T4? Ranges vary lab to lab and have to come from your own lab report. Total T3 and total T4, which your doctor orders are considered obsolete tests. He should be ordering FREE T3 and FREE T4.
We're not all comfortable anywhere in the ranges. You might have to be high in the range, and I might feel hyper high in the range. FT3 and FT4 levels should be adjusted until we are symptom free, not just "in range".
You're on a very small dose of Armour.
You have to have a prescription to get your Armour, so a doctor has to be involved. You might ask if you can get on a cancellation list.
We're not all comfortable anywhere in the ranges. You might have to be high in the range, and I might feel hyper high in the range. FT3 and FT4 levels should be adjusted until we are symptom free, not just "in range".
You're on a very small dose of Armour.
You have to have a prescription to get your Armour, so a doctor has to be involved. You might ask if you can get on a cancellation list.
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I don't have so much of a problem with it being taboo, but aren't you going to run out of meds before you can refill your script?
Your FT4 is a little on the low side of the 50% guideline; yours is 30%, but because of the high T3 content in desiccated, that's not really unusual. FT3 is 68% of range with a recommendation here of upper half to upper third of range. You're just barely into the upper third.
Would you please post the units that your FT3 and RT3 are in (they're probably different for each)? The ratio I'm calculating isn't really making sense to me given the reference ranges.