CHANGING ARMOUR THYROID TO CYTOMEL AND SYNTHROID

[amyilene464]

Hi,

I am currently taking 90mg of Armour Thyroid.  My TSH is 2.73... But,I am gaining weight!  I heard to switch Armour to Cytomel taken with Synthroid.  Since Cyomel is more steady mixed with Synthroid for the T4.

My doctor never heard of that and does not know how to convert 90mg of Armour to Cytomel and Synthroid taken together.

Can you please help me?

[stella5349]

I don't mean to be curt - or against your doctor - but so many of them are on this path of thinking.

Again remember what everyone seems to be saying here - The doctor you have right now - does not seem to understand Armour and I believe what AR is saying too that he/she may not understand T3 treatments either.

The reference range you are looking at is incorrect too. YEARS ago this range was changed. No longer is the 5.0 range acceptable with hypothyroid patients. It has been changed to .3 to 3.0.

Where in the world did his lab get the range of 5.6 being OK ?- I swear some of these labs just pull these ranges out of hats!

Look up AACE guidelines on thyroid and see the changes.

If you look at that alone your TSH is in the high range.  BUT not to throw a loop in your doctors treatment - but he is only basing your TSH as the "cure all" for your condition.

That is where millions suffer with continuing hypo symptoms - especially when on Armour.

He is very typical in his treatments - your will find more doctors that have his same opinion whether endos or ??

Key is to finding one ( that does not need to necessarily be an endo) that can pull together the whole picture and look at the appropriate labs along with you as symptomatic and adjust your meds properly.

Again whether you decide to switch from Armour to Synthroid and Cytomel - if you are not getting proper treatment dosages and labs - you will never feel good.

In my opinion -  Yes you need an increase. Maybe 1/4 to start to raise you to 120mgs then a retest and a FREE T3/T4 done within 2 weeks of the increase.  A fasting test (even though you are not told to) and very early morning when TSH is at it's highest for most is best.

You say you are happy with what you had gotten so far with Armour - Switching may set you back more until your body adjusts to this transistion if you chose to switch.

If you see no benefit in a month on your increased meds - then I would lean into the possibility of switching meds.

I also would look deeper into further testing to see if their was a possibility that - since your were untreated for quite sometime - you may have brought on additional failures in your endocrine system. For example - you may now have an adrenal disfunction due to them having to overproduce trying to balance your thyroid that you were lacking.

[laura1967]

Even though you are within normal range, that isn't a normal range for someone with hypothyroidism...make sense? lol  Most feel better around the 1.0 range. IF you have Hashimotos then it has to be kept between the .50-1.0 range.....BUT....when properly dosed on Armour it is a different ball game. Your TSH will look like you are hyper, Free T3 should be high normal and Free T4 should be mid normal. With Armour you have to treat by t4 and t3 not by tsh or you will still be undertreated. Synthetics are different than Armour with treatment and the #'s and a lot of doctors are unaware of this....even a lot of them that are willing to prescribe armour. Private message me if you need any help with this....lol   If it was me I would tell my doctor I want these other tests done immediately and want to increase. See my comments above on proper tests. :)

[Smilerdeb]

By the way, I too am gaining the weight.
I gained 2 kgs in 3 weeks....most I think is fluid.

[Smilerdeb]

TSH levels here in Australia are 0.50 - 4.00 and my Doctor wants me down to between 1.-0 -2.0.
I am currently 2.12 and feel good.
I was at 2.37 2 weeks ago and felt crappy......
Hope that helps

[amyilene464]

Hi...another question.  Since my TSH level is too high.  Should I just take more Armour thyroid instead of switching.  I do feel fine and my hair is not falling out anymore.  2.73 is in the normal range.  The range is 0.34-5.60.    Again, I will see an Endo soon!

[amyilene464]

You ALL helped me so much!  I use to teach yoga and stopped because my Mom just passed away from Dementia.  She had me much later in life and was a gorgeous woman...I miss her.  Anyway, i went thru alot of emotional stuff.  Maybe that is why for the weight gain and also my thyroid is high, i guess now.  This Doctor is my internist.  I will now go to an Endo.and get the proper treatment THIS WEEK!

Thanks again to everyone!

  Going to run in the park with my Bernese Mountain dog"Bear"  and get some exercise!

[AR-10]

Your TSH is too high, especially if you are taking Armour.

It sounds like your doctor does not know how to use Armour OR Cytomel combined with Synthroid. Either treatment regimine depends on Free T4 testing and Free T3 testing as well as TSH testing, whith heavy emphasis on your Free T4 and Free T3.

The only real advantage to Cytomel/Synthroid over Armour is the fact that you can manipulate the amount of T3 you are taking.

If your doctor isn't even measuring your Free T3, neither aproach is going to be successful.

Your TSH is not fine. It is too high.
You need to find a doctor that is better informed.
Most of us have had to do the same.  

[laura1967]

Armour is steady but you need to be taken to the proper level of your TSH. You are still at a hypo level. If you have hashi's it should be between .50-1.0. Otherwise I think most feel well at or around a 1.0. Your doctor is undertreating you and doesn't understand how to treat with armour. Any doctor who really knows how to treat with armour knows that it is critical to always run the free t4 and free t3 tests with the tsh. In fact he should be treating you by those, not the tsh.
Hopefully this doctor knows how to treat properly with the combo synthetic but it sounds unlikely since he should have run the free t3 and free t4 first before putting you on it to see where your levels stand. I think I would find another doctor. Sorry for the bluntness but I wasted 2 yrs of my life being undertreated by an endo who never bothered to run the proper tests and dosage me properly. Good luck and I hope you get to feeling better soon! :)

[Gracevd70]

I agree with you all endos should test Ft3 and Ft4 but, guess what they don't and as I was recently told by my Endo....not reliable.  I too have suffered in the hands of incompetent Endos although my care is better then after my thyroidectomy it still stinks they have no empathy for your suffering.  They need a major over haul of treating and testing for thyroid disease.

[Cynnieb4]

I think fist you should have your labs drawn before you add on the cyto, also have you been tested for other autoimmune diseases??? I hope they did because if they have that can cause your levels to jump around.

[amyilene464]

Thanks for commenting... Is my TSH normal and I should leave it alone?  The Doctor said it's fine and normal.  We didn't do the Free T4/T3 labs yet.  But, I still was told to take Cytomel with Synthroid instead because it covers it all.  He said that Armour alone jumps up and down and is not steady because it's natural.

I thought I may be gaining some weight from not enough T4... I'm confused!!!

I'll just try the combination and see what happens

[ChitChatNine]

Nope.  no coffee yet.  going thru major withdrawels.  LOL ... which means time for my meds too hee hee hee

C~

[stella5349]

CHERYL??????

Cytomel is direct synthetic T3

Did you have your coffee?

[ChitChatNine]

I am at this for over 2yrs now and still confused.  What is Cytomel?  Thanks ..  C~

[Jrowland14]

T3

[stella5349]

Roughly - and this is just roughly -

90mgs conversion would be about a .112 Synthroid with a .5 Cytomel.

Keep in mind that switching over - especially at the beginning could put you at a higher T4 level but should deplete and convert as time goes by IF you are NOT having any problems.

Are you switching because of your weight?

Looking at your TSH  (2.73) - most patients on either Synthroid or Armour would not be well -  and gaining weight will be an issue regardless.

It sounds you are convienced that T3 straight in Cytomel is what you need to lose weight? Is that correct?

If so - that is false.  You need to maintain a balance and I am not seeing that on your only test you posted.

Do you have Free T3 and Free T4 labs? Do you understand these labs?