Synthroid and Armour combined, Any other natural T3

[Kimemitch]

Hi, I have been struggling for many years to the point of disability due to depression, memory loss, brain fog, fatigue....you know all those lovely symptoms that we with thyroid problems deal with. In Summer of 2008, I finally went to doctor outside my HMO plan who was willing to let me try Cytomel. It was a miracle drug for me at first, as my brain awoke after years of struggling, I felt fantastic, then started the heart JUMPS worse than the word palpitations describes for me.  Anyway, after it started, it seemed even the very slightest dosage 1/4 of 5mcg, caused this to happen.

I then requested to try Armour, but I am having several issues, one being that the doctor doesn't seem to know how prescribe. Right off the bat, he gave me 120mcg taken once daily. Thanks to these boards, I ended up dividing dosages and then even reducing and ultimately after blood work and visit to doctor, I went down to 45mcg in the morning and 30 mcg and we added 25mg of Synthroid with no follow up blood work until June. UGH! Anyway, I still am so tired and feel very hypo, but when I increase Armour I get palpitations and I am very sensitive to so I think I need more stability.  Also, I do worried about reoccurring cancer, even though I am 15 years out after TT and several clean scans. So here are my questions for anyone who has either knowlegde or gone down this path, I would love to hear dosaging and experience. I am going to a new primary care doctor May 12 and I am hoping he will work with me, but I wanted to be armed with information.

Can I use Armour / almost like you would add Cytomel? Does anyone do this?  Right before my switch they wanted me on 125 mg of Synthroid to get my TSH suppressed.   So I was thinking of requesting 100MG of Synthroid and then maybe doing 15 mcg Armour in AM and then again in Afternoon.  

Is there any other natural alternative to T3? Since I couldn't handle Cytomel, is Armour my only other choice as I am positive that I need t3 included in my therapy.

I would appreciate all of your comments.

[gimel]

Agree with Tracy about the need to start lower and increase slowly over time to allow body time to accommodate.  My question would be --What were your thyroid test results and reference ranges during the time when you were still struggling with symptoms?   I wonder if you were ever medicated to an adequate level, or if there was a T4 to T3 conversion problem. Obviously you reacted well to the addition of T3, but then moved too quickly to about a full daily replacement level.

So to me there is still an open question as to whether you needed more T4 type med originally, or if you require both T4 and T3 meds.  If we can take a look at some of the old test results, that would help.  

[tracey123]

I have been on armour for 8 months. I am very senstitive to medications. I started on 15mg and worked my way up each month. I am currently on 150mg. It seems like he started you on way to high of a dose. I have never experienced the heart palps. I had to do 15mg increases each month otherwise I would get bad symptoms like insomnia, diareah. So as long as I did these small increases my body adjusted to it. Now I feel pretty good. I have never of them doing armour with synthroid. My TSH has been suppresed for a couple months. It takes time it is not an overnight process. Hope this helps.